what do i do with my cat while on vacation?

Question

my husband and i are going on our honeymoon for a week . . . we don't know anyone to take care of the cat while we are gone...he's an inside ONLY cat. will he be alright alone inside with plenty of food and water? what should we do?? any suggestions would be great...thanks!

Answer 1

Please do not leave the cat alone during this time. You will not be able to providehim with enough water. (partially because the water will evaporate over time).

when I didn't have any neighbors I trusted to come into my home once a day to clean the litter box and put out fresh food and water, I used GOOGLE to find a "PET SITTER" in my area. Very easy. Just cost 10-15 dollars a day.

Make sure they are licensed and bonded. They will usually spend 30min to an hour with your cat playing with him and will change the litter box, food and water.

I like it because I know if anything happens they will notice and get him taken care of. My pet sitter has even administered medication while I was away and I can call her during my vacation to see how things are going.

Answer 2

You can buy vacation food (dry) and water bowls at your local pet departments. You can also check with the vet. They sometimes board pets for a fee. If they do not they know people that do and that are reputable and reliable. I have spent over a week at a time in the VA for surgery for a broken hip lately. I was in three times the first for 4 weeks (rehab followed) then for 7 days for more surgery, then again for 10 days for more surgery. My daughter got me the vacation food and water bowls and filled them for me and we added another litter box. My house keeper came in once a week while I was gone and cleaned the apartment, watered my plants, scooped my litter boxes, and refilled the bowls. When I came home my 3 cats were fine and happy to see me as I was to see them. My plants and the apartment were fine also. The worst part of it was the cats were afraid of my wheel chair. Now the second I get out of the wheel chair the cats jump in and curl up on the warmed gel cushion in the chair. My cats were adaptable and were fine and so will yours. These are just a few suggestions that you might find helpful. Have a wonderful honeymoon and relax your cats will be fine and over joyed when you get back. They will give you a welcoming that will bring smiles and tears of joy to both you, your husband, and the cats. Good Luck and God Bless this union.

Answer 3

I definitely recommend leaving your cat at home since cats don't like to leave the house and don't do as well as a dog might in a boarding place.

If you have a relative or friend who could stop by once a day or even every 2 days to check on your then you could just leave extra food and water bowls for your cat.

If not, there are pet sitting services. I'm not sure what they cost, but someone could come into your home each day - for a fee - and check on your cats and make sure they have enough food and water.

I wouldn't recommend leaving your cat alone without anyone to check on him or her the whole time just in case something would happen and no one would be there to take care of him or her.

Good luck.

Answer 4

Try looking around for a boarding facility. I do not recommend a vet clinic because a lot of the time, a metal cage and the sounds of dogs barking, etc can be very stressful...not to mention, the size of the cage can be pretty cramping at times.
I work at a boarding facility as well as a vet clinic so I am able to make comparisons...The cats at my boarding kennels settle in much quicker, have a lot of room to roam and a window so they can still view birds and customers coming and going, plus sunbathing in the sunlight is always a bonus. Huuuuuge difference. Plus, there will be staff who will make sure your cat will have fresh water, fresh food, attention and should anything happen, they have the ability to call you and/or take your cat to the vet...

If you are hard pressed for cost, speak with the owner or manager. Some of them might barter with you and/or cut down the cost since it may be a special situation (your honeymoon, after a wedding, etc).

Of course, there are always pet sitters who offer to come to the home (some will even house sit with your cat!). Call around and shop for prices.

Unless your cat is sick, I strongly recommend keeping your cat away from the vet and keeping cages open to those that DO need to be at the vet. Shop around and check out boarding kennels and ask for a tour. Or, with a pet sitter, be sure to meet them first and talk to them, so you can have a feeling of peace before going away...

Do not leave your cat alone for a week. Water goes bad even 24 hours later (affects their kidneys in the long run), and the food may run out sooner.
:)

Answer 5

Just make sure that the cat has a lot of water and food. Since your cat is an indoor cat what you should do is get another cat litter box to be on the safe side. I do that with my cat and it helps a lot. When I leave my cat for a week I leave her with 2 bowls of water and 2 things of food. I have a food feeder for cats and it holds a lot of food in it and then I also will leave her a bowl of food that is not in a feeder and it is in a big bowl. I also leave her toys so she would not get bored. I leave her in a room where she can't get a hold of plants that she could get sick on. I also make sure that the fan is on very low so the room will not get over heated. I keep it at a very cool temp.
I hope this will help.

Answer 6

You'll have peace of mind (really you don't wanna be worried about your cat on your honeymoon!) and a happier kitty if you leave him home and get a pet sitter. They'll also water your plants and get your mail and can turn lights on/off in different rooms so it looks like someone is home (deter possible break-ins).
We got a second kitty too (that we love too!) so the first one would have company. They still get mad when we leave for several days but at least we know that our cat-sitter will make sure they get to the vet if they get into something they shouldn't, and they won't be bored all day because they have each other to play with.

Answer 7

You are only going away for one week so I would just leave the a/c on but set it at 80F or even 82F, that way only the fan will run (using less electricity) unless the room temp goes above that setting. It costs more to initially turn the a/c on than it does to keep running it. I have a similar problem in the upstairs of my home so I just keep an oscillating fan in the litter box room running with the window open half-way for air flow. I also put an old shower curtain below the window in case of rain so that the hardwood floors don't get wet. I then set my downstairs a/c to 80F with the energy saver on along with a ceiling fan on the lowest setting. It's summer so to me there is no option but to run the fans & a/c. You would run the a/c if you were home. It is your responsibility to make sure your pets are well taken care of. You can also have your MIL adjust settings as needed. But, really, one week is not long. Just suck it up and set the a/c at 80F. Enjoy your trip! Post how you decide to leave things. It will help others in a similar situation.

Answer 8

Cats don't really do well just left alone for that long.I would see if there is some where in your local area that can take them.I just don't think that will be the best for the cats.They get stressed easily.Maybe you could ask a neighbor or co-worker to come over once a day to watch the kitty.

Answer 9

Call your vet and see if they board animals.

Call a pet sitting service and see if they can add you to their schedule.

Ask your vet if someone in their office watches animals on the side.

Leaving a cat for a week alone? Not a good idea. Someone should come in once a day to scoop the litter box, change the water, feed him and just make sure he is ok in general.

Answer 10

A week is really too long for no one to check on your cat's welfare. Call your vet and see if they can recommend a pet sitter who could stop by once or twice a day to feed and check on your cat. Ask other friends if they have someone they can recommend. It shouldn't cost much.

You can also board cats at boarding facility or vet, but they usually do much better in their own homes and it costs a lot more.