Question for those with cats?

We always left our cat on her own and had a friend pop in to feed her with absolutely no problems - and you've got two cats so they can keep each other company. Personally I would accept your SIL's offer.

We have a neighbour pop in twice a day. She's a complete cat fan so will stay to give Truff cuddles.

Truff is always fine, although inevitably sulks when we return...

We have 3 housecats, when we go away they all go into the cattery, its costs us £15 a night for the three of them. I would love to have a freind or some family or even a neighbour that would come into the house and feed them and sort out their litter trays, Id happily pay someone but cant find anyone to do it.

Accept your SILs offer, its great and the kitties dont mind being at home, in fact theyd probably prefer it!

Ours stay at home, my Dad comes in a couple of times a day to feed them.

Thanks all - that makes me feel much better.

I feel guilty leaving them to go to work, so i am bound to feel bad leaving them for a week!!

Overprotective.... me??

Good question & well timed - we're just looking in to it for our newly acquired feline friend.

My brother can do the odd feed but Shrek likes company too much so will need a cattery.

Mine aren't housecats but they are spoilt and like human contact!

When we go away we are normally lucky enough to have a friend who comes and stays at ours so that the cats still get their cuddles in the evening! on the odd occasion when that hasn't been possible another friend has popped in twice a day to feed them - and they are no worse for that!

I wouldn't put them in a cattery unless I really had no option. For me, I prefer them to stay in their own environment, so I would take your SIl up on her offer.

I think we worry more about them, more than they care that we're not about! I'm not sure they even notice most of the time!

We always use a cattery. There are people who would come round and feed him, but he's such a friendly boy and he loves company, he'd get lonely. The cattry we use is amazing it's run by someone who is basically a crazy cat lady, she can only have a few cats in at a time and she gives them all special attention. When we had two of them (Oti's brother Marvin went missing a few months ago) she knew their personalities perfectly which showed us she spent a lot of time with them, and she always has their favourite toys waiting for them when we go.

I'm such an overprotective mother!

My cat hates the cattery so we left him at home the last time we went away and my sister came round every day. We came back to a chilled, relaxed cat, rather than the neurotic "I hate everyone" moggie that we pick up from the cattery. I had a word with the neighbours both sides before we left and they assured me that they would call the vet immediately if they saw him in any distress, but he was fine . Take your SIL up on her offer and they'll hardly miss you...

My two would never forgive me for taking them out of their house! When I'm away, my next door neighbour checks on them periodically (they aren't keen on him) but my boy-cat likes to roam, in fact we just saw him about a village and half away, and my girl-cat is nervous of pretty much everything, a cattery would drive her even more insane! They have an auto feeder, plenty of food and water, I think they are better where they are tbh.

If we're away for less than 3 nights he stays at home and someone pops in - anything more than 3 nights and he goes to the cat hotel ? I hate packing him off so we don't often go away for more than a long weekend, that said, the first time we took him to a cattery was for our honeymoon and I spent more hours researching the cattery than I did our holiday ? We're now lucky enough to have found 2 wonderful places, both are about 90 minutes / 2 hours away from home but we've found a carrier he is really comfortable travelling in with loads of room so he arrives pretty calm and we take along various beds, blankets, toys, treats, brushes etc. to the point I think the cattery owners think we are crazy - the first year we even packed the bedroom pillows, cushions from the sofa, a bean cube and took 3 weeks worth of food & litter. He seems to love being at both places - we often get text updates from 'him' and I call a few times whilst we're away and the behaviours they report back are things I know he wouldn't do if he wasn't happy.

If you're anywhere near Reading or Cambridge I can really recommend both of the following - big thing for me is that he goes to a fully indoor cattery as he is an indoor cat, I hate the thought of him being exposed to rain and wind when he finds it so alien...

https://www.westlodgepethotel.co.uk and http://www.palacecattery.co.uk/

For a weekend- i have my cat friendly neighbour of a friend feed them. We can't use a cattery as one of my rescue cats is FIV Positive

If we are away for a week or more my BIL or MIL housesits

For a holiday mine go into a cattery. If it's just a weekend then my friend comes over and feeds them for me. They have a cat flap so can come and go as they please. They seem to prefer being at home ? but I wouldn't be happy leaving them alone for that long, I think they need some attention

Overnight we leave him with an automatic feeder. Longer we use a cattery. I don't really have anyone who could pop in though, I think if I did he would probably be happier at home

(Shameful icon) We have friends who move in and soon as we leave and stay until we get back.

I think it depends on the cat, some are easy going and would be fine in a cattery, others it would cause too much stress. Ours is the latter. Our cat went to the vet on Friday and had to stay in a cattery pen while he came round from the anaesthetic, and they said he was really distressed. He was fine once we got him home.

I woudl definately take your SIL up on her offer. I have asked the vet and they said it would be better if possible to have a slightly bored cat than taking it out of it's environment, which can be very stressful for some cats.

We always used to take them to the cattery, but the veterinary nurse started offering a feeding service that we now use. They are so much happier in their own home (and they are outdoor cats, so they can still come and go as they please)

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