Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hi all!
I am due to have very last minute surgery in the next couple of weeks and I won't be able to look after my cats whilst I am recovering as it is on my abdomen and I can't bend or lift for several weeks. I don't have any family and the friends I do have already have full houses of pets so are only able to help me in other ways. I've tried catteries and they are fully booked with it being the summer holidays and people on the pet sitting sites are not available for long bookings. I feel like I've exhausted all my options to the point where I am going to have to say no to the surgery even though i really need it. If anybody has any ideas I would really love to hear them as I an so stressed. My cats are so important to me.
Thank you
Rachael

have you tried any local cat charities to see if they can help? and as it's the school holidays, are there any local teenagers you know who might like to earn some extra pocket money?

as an alternative, could you move feeding stations and litter trays, if you use them, on to places where you can access them without bending? and get yourself a grabber for anything on the floor?

Hi Kay thanks for your reply!
I did think of the same thing in regards to food stations and either elevating them or getting a grabber as I think that would be manageable If I have no alternative but in terms of the litter tray I wouldn't be able to lift that to empty it so I'm a little stuck with that part of it especially as one of my cats has colitis so the litter trays get changed more frequently.
I have tried lots of cat charities and all seem to say ask family

You could try the Cinnamon Trust; Tel. 01736 757900 or visit: www.cinnamon.org.uk; they may be able to find a volunteer who can come in and help with trays.
Would it be possible to ask a neighbour if it is just for the litter tray? I have a back problem and can't bend, so my cat is fed on a raised bench in the conservatory when no-one is here to help me.

I've contacted all the the cat charities i can think of and they just recommended catteries. They are so full with animals needing fostering themselves which is understandable. I have tried tge cinnamon trust as and they too said they can't offer anything can only recommend looking at catteries. My neighbour who would help me with the trays and feeding is in Italy for 2 months and the surgery has just has just come out of the blue so I'm kind of lost. I guess I'll just have to work it out as I'm pretty out of options. Unless you can teach your cat to use the toilet in a matter of weeks. Thank you all for your advice!

you could switch to a clumping litter so you could remove the clumps and top up without having to empty the tray(s) at all - then you could have the trays somewhere accessible to you and the cats - clumps could go into a lined bin by the back door

alternatively try a very fine silica litter, which is very lightweight, and beloved by every cat I've ever come across - poo dries out and can be flushed down the loo, and it would be easy to empty the litter into a bag at waist height - I use this one https://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat ... ter/502945

I'm no longer young, live alone, and hate asking for help, so I've got rather good at managing these sort of things

I would look into social care agencies, if you can afford it. A 30 minute visit twice a day would be reassuring for you if you need help, and you could stipulate help with the cat trays! Or advertise for help locally - lots of capable, animal loving young people who might be ready to help for a reasonable hourly rate.

I THINK i have managed to find someone via Cat in a flat pet sitting service who does it as a business and she is going to try and help me as much as she can which even if it's not every day will be a massive help!!
Fingers crossed this one pans out!
Thank you all for your advice it all really helps a lot.
Rachael

That sounds promising. The other thing you could try, if there are weeks when your sitter can't come, it have an arrangement with other local sitters to come odd weeks to fill in.

Yeah I'm trying to get back ups aswell so i have a plan b and c just incase. Ugh hate this kind of thing, so much stress!