# What to do with our cat when we travel?



## MissLibby (Aug 6, 2011)

We are going on vacation in July and need to figure out what to do with our cat while we are gone for a week. In the past, we have had someone come every couple of days to clean the litter box and check on him. (This worked well because they could also water my outdoor flowers!) Unfortunatley, the older he gets the more stressed out he gets about being left. Last year we came home to quite a mess from him vomiting. :yuck: We have an open floor plan so we can only limit him so much.

I think part of the problem is that we live in the country and he is allowed to go in and out as he pleases. When we travel he is confined to the house the entire time-he is crazy when we get home, like he is torn between getting affection from me and getting outside asap. He also does not like other animals at all. He will tolerate most dogs, but any cat that comes near our property is run off instantly. So boarding him is probably not an option. he is also ornery and will nip if he perceives a threat or someone in his space. He bit my mom when she was petting him on her lap because she reached over his head to get her drink.

So our options are:
-leave him in the house with someone checking in as we have done in the past and just deal with the mess when we get home. (luckily our carpet is old will be replaced later this summer!)
-have someone sit him in there home, that doesn't have other pets, or small children. I don't know anyone that fits this but am putting out feelers.
-my husband wants to just leave him outside and have someone check in to make sure he has food and water. I would worry about him the whole time, plus I am afraid feeding him outside would attract critters. We do have a shed where he could go in and out for shelter.

Any other suggestions?


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

I would go for option 1. Leave him in the house and deal with the mess when you get back.

Taking him to someone else's house would just cause him lots of stress. Also, probably not the best idea to let him outside in a strange area.
Letting him stay outside would make me nervous. The nighttime hours can be dangerous to a cat.

What about having someone come stay at your house?


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

Your situation sounds just like ours with my kitty. She is an indoor outdoor cat and doesn't like when we leave. She will pee on the carpets/bathroom and even poop up there (we have no litterbox, though).

Our solution has always been to have someone stop by twice a day. She lets the cat in/out depending on when she sees her. We have food inside and outside for her and water. The garage door is cracked so she can slip in there and eat/have shelter in case she is caught outside at night. It works well for us.


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## wmag (Mar 17, 2011)

As soon as we start bringing our suitcases upstairs one of my cats starts to get nervous. We usually come home to a mess. I make sure I take a couple old blankets and lay them on all the beds and couches. I have someone come over everyday to make sure they have food, water and a clean litter box. Sometimes I am lucky and that person will find the puke and clean it but the rest I worry about when I get home. Natures Miracle usually gets everything clean!


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## staci (Jul 2, 2012)

have you ever thought of kitty daycare? have a friend take care of him if you cannot affored it though.


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## goldhaven (Sep 3, 2009)

I usually have someone come to the house and house/kitty/bird/ferret/and sometimes dog sit while I am gone.


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## OnMyWay2MyDreams (Feb 13, 2011)

Maybe look into a pet sitter that will stay at your house but have them meet a few times to make sure they get along. If not, stick with plan #1 and close doors to any areas you don't want a mess. It's only for a week, it'll go by fast and hopefully kitty will be fine. Boarding cats is very stressful, even more so then just leaving them home alone. Good luck!


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## Wyatt's mommy (Feb 25, 2011)

I would go with option 1 also. At least she will be safe inside.

I have never heard of kitty day care. Seriously?


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

When we go on vacation our cat stays outside. He's out 24/7 anyway, the neighbor girl comes every other day to give him food and fresh water. We keep his food on the windowsill in the screened porch. There's a doggy door he uses to go in and out. There's no way he could tolerate being boarded or indoors at someone's house.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

I do option 1 with my two old cats


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## BayBeams (Jan 3, 2010)

I would find someone to stay at the home at night and be in and out during the day. Cats are more social creatures than most people realize and need companionship. I don't think most people would dream of leaving their dog for days at a time with someone only popping in every few days. Why should a cat be any different?

The other option might be to board your cat at a respected cat kennel but I still think having someone stay at the home is the best idea.


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## Wyatt's mommy (Feb 25, 2011)

BayBeams said:


> I would find someone to stay at the home at night and be in and out during the day. Cats are more social creatures than most people realize and need companionship. I don't think most people would dream of leaving their dog for days at a time with someone only popping in every few days. Why should a cat be any different?
> 
> The other option might be to board your cat at a respected cat kennel but I still think having someone stay at the home is the best idea.


Because cats are different. I think most of us who have cat's know their personalities  I have one cat that won't even come out if anyone other than us are home . Cat's all have different peronalalities but for the most part are independent. The biggest difference between cats and dogs is that cats can survive on their own....we all know dogs can't.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

Having some stranger come into the house wouldn't give my cat any socialization as he would probably hide. He loves us and feels affection for us, but I truly don't think he would be adversely affected by not seeing me for a week.
As long as fresh water and food are provided, and the litter box is scooped regular, most cats would do fine with no one "living" in the house.
By the way, dogs don't have litter boxes, another reason they couldn't be left in the house with someone coming by every couple of days.


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## BayBeams (Jan 3, 2010)

lgnutah said:


> By the way, dogs don't have litter boxes, another reason they couldn't be left in the house with someone coming by every couple of days.


 Not necessarily true, I do know several people who live in condos that actually use litter type boxes for their small dogs. Sad but true...

I realize cats and dogs are different but if you have a cat that is creating a mess when you are gone as the OP indicated then there is a problem with leaving the cat without companionship for an extended period of time. Although many cats "act" independent or hide around strangers it doesn't mean they don't miss the human companionship and daily routine that goes along with their human families.
I understand that to some it may be fine to leave cats alone for days but I think you are probably kidding yourself if you think it is really OK for the cat.
My cats hide around strangers too which is why I was not happy when my regular petsitter was not available when I went on a business trip. That is why I decided to board them. Two of the cats did well but my oldest cat did not. Actually, if she had been left alone at home she may not have made it through my absence with out medical intervention.
There is no simple answer and each of our animals, dog or cat, are different but I still believe leaving a cat unattended for days with out someone attending to them is a mistake.
Just my thoughts and of course eveyone does what makes them comfortable. I just would not be comfortable with that plan.


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## MissLibby (Aug 6, 2011)

I appreciate everyone's comments and suggestions, and found the different perspectives on cat care and personailities very interesting

I think we will do as Rainheart suggested and have someone let him in and out. I wish we had someone that could just stay at our house, then our dog could stay home too, but we don't have any family nearby and all of our friends are at the point in life where they have families at home. The dog is going to stay with friends that we trade dog sitting with and they will check on the cat and water our plants too (we just had landscaping done and they are taking a lot of water with the heat that we have had here in MN!)


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## MissLibby (Aug 6, 2011)

BayBeams said:


> There is no simple answer and each of our animals, dog or cat, are different but I still believe leaving a cat unattended for days with out someone attending to them is a mistake.
> Just my thoughts and of course eveyone does what makes them comfortable. I just would not be comfortable with that plan.


I guess I did not make myself clear. We would have someone checking on him every other day whether we leave him inside or outside (this has now changed to daily after some discussion and the need to have our plants watered daily). I don't know about other peoples cats, but this guy needs some love every day or he gets very squirrelly! Unfortunatley he gets very squirrelly if he can't get outside every day too.


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

My cats stay at home but go to my parents house if is going to be more than a few days and a neighbor taking care of them from across the street. The neighbor and her daughter have been doing it since 1999 when my parents moved in. They adore cats but can't have any since the husband is allergic. The cats are always a pound or 2 heavier when we get back. Mika will watch them from a far but Tallulah will be right underfoot.


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