Cat Chat Feline Forum

Its our 35thAnniversarylate next year and hopefully as a surprise I'm hoping to take my wife on a long cruise and have been wondering how our cat may handle 6-8 weeks in a cattery, If not I will shorten the holiday as she is very much loved by both of us and wouldn't do anything to hurt her mentally or physically.

How old is your cat and is she used to going to a cattery for shorter periods?

Congratulations!

How long is a piece of string? So much depends on your cat's personality, it's very difficult to say. But sometimes the worst part is the first few days with all the other cats around and unfamiliar territory and most cats settle in.

If your cat is very active and you're worried about the confinement, that's a little different. Research your cattery very carefully. Some offer a secure outdoor area where long-stay boarders can get some daily time to stretch their legs and roll in the grass.

When you get her home be sure to give her time to adjust again and reclaim her territory at home.

My advice would be to research the cattery as some are better than other, eg in cleanliness etc. I picked up my cats from one cattery to find they’d been put in their carriers and shoved in a room with two dogs and another cat prior to collection (before you ask, no I wasn’t late picking them up). Obviously they were terrified. George was quite poorly afterwards, I think he picked up a bug there.

However, for every horror story there is a story about great care. Ask around and visit before committing to sending your cat to a particular cattery. A good cattery will be happy for you to see the place first.

Alternatively, you could think about hiring a catsitter to come and feed your cat so she can stay in her own home. It is more expensive but I find my cats are happier with that so I always use one now. A lot of people that do cat sitting are complete mad cat people and will adore your kitty and look after her really well. I had one lady who used to send me photos of her playing with my cats while I was away. Many will send texts letting you know how your cat is doing. Obviously you hv to be careful about who you give the keys to your house to but if you are able to get a local person who you can verify is genuine, then I’d recommend using one.

PS. If you go to the “International Cat Care” website and put “choosing a boarding cattery” into the search box, you’ll find a fantastic article on what to look for when selecting a cattery, as well as information about what to avoid! Hope that all helps.

I would be reluctant to leave a cat home alone for several weeks, as leaving her free to roam, or leaving her housebound without company, would both be risky, even with someone coming in.

Do you know of anyone who would welcome the chance to live in your home for the duration? A relative, a mature student, someone flat-sharing who would appreciate some solitude, a relative of a near neighbour who would like to visit? Just some off the top of my head thoughts - you have loads of time to search around, and having a live-in person would be security for your home, as well as your cat, as long, of course, you could trust them not to cause problems.

On reflection, I agree with you Kay. Maybe short visits from a live-out cat-sitter isn't such a great idea for such an extended period, although it works very well for those just going away for a few days. A live-in catsitter would be the best option, if you can find the right person. If you can sell it as free accomodation in return for the small favour of feeding your cat, it might be very cheap as well!