One of the essential things, when you are a cat owner who wants to go on vacation, is leaving your cat at home safely You can always bring your furry friend with you, but cats rarely share the enthusiasm for traveling with their humans.
Therefore, you need to find a way how to look after your cat when you are away from home. There are a few options, but it depends on you which one is the most comfortable for both you and your kitty. Let’s see.
Also Read: How to Feed Your Cat Wet Food While You’re Away
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Help from a Friend
Whenever possible, you should arrange with someone to look after your cats at home. There are a few possibilities at your disposal. The first option is to call a trustworthy neighbor, friend, or cousin, who loves your kitties, to stay at your house while you are absent.
When it is not feasible, you can schedule that person to visit your pets at least twice a day. It is a daily obligation since he or she needs to come to your home every day at the same time to feed your beloved furry friends.
Cat Sitter
The second-best option is to hire a professional cat sitter. Basically, you should decide about the type of engagement and to agree about conditions depending on your preferences, financial situation, and his or her spare time.
He or she can come to live in your house while you are on vacation or to come twice a day to feed your cats, monitor their health status, maintain the litter boxes, and play with them for a while.
The crucial thing in this particular case is to have absolute confidence in the person you plan to hire. Since your cats can be suspicious of the stranger, you should invite a pet sitter a bit earlier to get to know each other.
Advantages of the cat sitting
Cats – They prefer staying at home and enjoying the safety and warmth of a familiar environment.
Owners – They choose this option because they can be sure that their furry friends will stay protected and secure. One-to-one care will ensure proper supervision from someone who knows what to do in any situation.
Cat sitters – They can enjoy the company of kitties while having stable accommodation whenever they want.
Vets – They recommend this solution since the cats are happy and stress-free when they don’t need to change their habits.
What to do before leaving your pet at home
Whether a cat sitter stays at home with your cats or just visit them on an agreed schedule, you will need to ask that person to fulfill some essential obligations. The goal is to make your cats happy while you are away. There are a few tips you should follow.
Detailed instructions – Put on paper directions considering your cats’ feeding and sleeping habits, favorite activities, toy preferences, and litter-box maintenance. It is necessary to leave a note with information about the amount of food your cats get for every meal and how many times you feed them a day.There are so many automatic pet feeders that can feed your kitten automatic while on vacation.You can use your smartphone to feed your cats time to time, instead of a full bowl at once.
Don’t forget to mention the specific habits your kitty may have. For example, I always need to emphasize that my Clementine drinks water directly from the faucet.You have to remember that cats enjoy falling water or the sound of water. It encourages them to drink.Water fountains also keep the water cooler and cleaner longer because they have filters So it will be great idea to make sure a cat water fountain in your home before leaving your cat alone.
Contact – The best way is to leave all important phone numbers in a visible place, such as the refrigerator door. The list should include your number, as well as the numbers of your vet, trusted neighbor, or a person the cat sitter needs to call if some unforeseen circumstances occur. Always give a backup key to someone else just in case.
Therapy – If your cat is on any medications, you should let the instructions about doses and the time of taking it. Provide enough medicament to cover the period of your absence. Purchase a convenient labeled box and write an adequate dosage on it.
Leave small reminder – Josephine and Sophio don’t have a problem when I go somewhere, but Clementine suffers each time. Therefore, I leave my T-shirt in her basket to convince her I haven’t entirely left her.
So, if you have a similar problem, you can leave something yours or a treat-dispensing toy to comfort your cat that you will be back soon.
Habits – For example, my Josephine enjoys tennis matches on TV but avoids cuddling. Therefore, I recommend a cat sitter to let it watching them when it is sad.
Clementine adores climbing while Sophio prefers running throughout the house. Both like to play with people and to be cuddled. These pieces of information can help the person looking after your kitties knows what to do in most situations.
Make it fun – Try to provide fun things for your kitty, which will entertain it until you come back, such as favorite toys or snacks.
Make a phone call – You can call the cat sitter every day for brief consultations. That way, you will have peace of mind after hearing a daily report about your cats’ activity. Thanks to speakerphone, your kitties can listen to your voice and become more relaxed.
Fosterage
It is an excellent option for you if you have a friend or neighbor who wants to take care of your furry friend. However, it should be someone responsible willing to change their habits because of your cat.
Let me tell you that it is a rare case. It can be a convenient solution for a day or two, but leaving your kitty in someone’s home for longer will be highly stressful for both the cat and that person. Not to mention that you won’t have that option if you have more than one cat like me.
In-Home Pet Boarding
It is a practical option of bringing your cat to a cat sitter’s home. Sometimes, it is more convenient for that person to take care of different pets in his or her environment and less expensive for owners. However, you can take advantage of this solution just if your cats are socialized and can stand living for a while in different conditions.
Cattery (Traditional Boarding)
If you are a lucky one and have relaxed and friendly cats, a cattery is an excellent option for keeping your furry friends safe while you are on vacation. It is cheaper than hiring a cat sitter but can offer a professional and reliable standard of care. However, you need to ask for recommendations and visit a few places before choosing the right one.
Conclusion
As you can see, you have a few more or less professional solutions for your cats while you are not at home for a week or more. Picking out the right option will depend on your cats since their needs are crucial in this particular case.
In my opinion, the best way to keep your cat happy while you are on vacation is to hire a cat sitter. They are professionals who will take care of your kitty properly and react appropriately in emergencies.