Topic: looking after my furbaby and holidays (Read 2085 times)

Judecat (Paula) · « **Reply #22 on:** May 25, 2011, 00:46:25 AM »

I am very lucky in that my neighbours look after the cats and the fish, although I am the only one that can groom bits of Cassie so we only do long weekends twice a year now, so not too bad.

Jiskefet · « **Reply #21 on:** May 24, 2011, 21:36:44 PM »

You have a very large Purrs family, and I bet there would be people here willing to take care of them.
I don't think anyone at Purrs would have to worry their cats would not find a loving home if anything happened to them. Cat forums are like that, cat lovers will always find a way to help each other and their feline staff.

When my Dutch forum friend died, we (members of 3 cat forums she was a member of) immediately made sure her cats would be cared for.
One girl dearly wanted to take them in, but would not move in to her new, big enough home for another 6 months. I had already made up my mind to take them in if push came to shove (we knew this lady was very ill, so I had been worrying about her cats a few times before, when she was in hospital again), but when it actually happened, I was in the middle of a massive redecoration/restauration that would last for another month. Far too stressful for a couple of cats who had just lost their slave. So a friend of hers, who lived quite close but could not have 2 more cats on a permanent basis, fostered them for that one month, and I then picked them up at her house.

Maybe it would be a good idea for people who have such worries to try and find furry godparents, purrs people who would be able and willing to offer one or more of their cats a home if anything should befall them......

Guest · « **Reply #20 on:** May 24, 2011, 20:48:03 PM »

I don't know what I would do. We don't have a large family so no one would take them!

ooooh no! Now I am worried!

Dawn F · « **Reply #19 on:** May 24, 2011, 14:14:32 PM »

mine also has details of my solicitor (who has instructions on cat care) in case we don't return! grim but I suppose necessary

Guest · « **Reply #18 on:** May 24, 2011, 13:59:30 PM »

I am getting daily updates by text from the sitter and we have given her the vet details. that was part of her pre requisite of taking them on and she would text us if anything went wrong. She was very fare and said if anything was wrong she would probably pop in twice during the day to monitor at no extra charge. Also if we are delayed she will pop in.

Jiskefet · « **Reply #17 on:** May 24, 2011, 13:32:44 PM »

When I am taking care of someone else's cats I always have the cellphone number of the owner, and they have mine. I also have an address and phone number of a contact who has a spare key, and I have their vet's name, and the vaccination passport is within reach for details about cat and owner.
The owner can call me any time to ask how their beloved fur baby is doing.

When I am on holiday I call the cat sitter several times to make sure they don't pine away (in fact, the cats are always fine, it is me who's pining away). The sitter always has at least 2 addresses and phone numbers of people with spare keys, and I always leave the vet's details and the vaccination passports on the table.
I also have at least 2 cat baskets ready for use in case of an emergency.

dizziblonde · « **Reply #16 on:** May 24, 2011, 12:09:07 PM »

My cat travels incredibly badly (talking a hissing ball of poo and vomit covered wrath at the end of a 1 minute car journey) so there's no way we could use a cattery! We have a friend who lives close by who pops in every day and tops up food/brings his little boy who likes to give the cat a fuss while we're away - she gets one portion of pouch catfood a day and dry food left on demand so this is ok for her.

She still sulks like mad when we're back though - for about 10 minutes!

Going away overnight to a concert in London (that we've been dying to see for about 5 years and it's finally come over to the UK) in November - and still need to sort out where we're boarding the dog that night though - that's the nightmare scenario (he normally comes with us and I really really don't want to kennel him since it'll be like the horrid rescue he was stuck in before we got him)!

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #15 on:** May 23, 2011, 22:49:25 PM »

To settle the questions at the end, you need to set up phone/mobile contact and emergency one in case you dont get back on time so sitter can contact a relative or friend.

You also need to arrange what happens if a cat gets sick with vet details and authority for sitter or someone else to get cat to vets.

Write a list of questions and answers for your sitter and any instructions

**TINA** · « **Reply #14 on:** May 23, 2011, 22:48:15 PM »

We also dont do holidays. Me & mick have been together 10yrs & never been away.
I cannot bare to leave them, i feel ill at the thought of what their little faces would be like if i put them in boardin kennels etc

Guest · « **Reply #13 on:** May 23, 2011, 22:43:37 PM »

Well I started a thread about this a while ago as I was in a panic. for the first time in 3.5 years we are going on holiday. It's a present from our in laws and as much as I am looking forward to it. I am dreading it. Our cats Ella and Effie we got just after our last holiday.

We moved in April and the journey to our new home was a on/off one but as soon as the sale looked like it was happening we booked our two cats into a cattery. The lady was lovely but the pen was not tiny but small. I started to worry and then things changed and one of my cats passed away and we ended up with a boistrous and demanding kitten. The thought of our other cat having to deal with him in a confined space, where she was unable to jump to hidey holes, with other cats around, in an unfamilar surrounding, without us for the very first time, stressed me.

We don't know anyone in the area and have no family here, so we didn't know what to do but we looked up pet sitters and found a lovely woman and the instant i met her I liked her. Her webiste was good and she had all the right paperwork. So we decided to go for it. It does worry me that the cats will spend so much time alone but I am happier they will be in their own home whilst we are away with their familar smells and toys.

But I have started stressing;

What happens if something happens to us whilst we are away. The cats will be trapped in the house.

What happens if something happens to the sitter and she cannot come over

I swear I will never have another holiday, I am worried sick!

Jiskefet · « **Reply #12 on:** May 23, 2011, 22:40:05 PM »

I keep a little diary for several of my 'part-time cats', in which the cats themselves tell about themselves and me. So they confess if they make a mess, they boast of the first cuddle they give me, etc. Sometimes I take pictures of the cats and make a scrap page for the regular slaves.
This is Sunny, a semi-feral very shy little lady.

Gillian Harvey · « **Reply #11 on:** May 23, 2011, 20:02:15 PM »

I also don't go on holiday! mind you, I am also a cat-sitter

so it would be hard for me to take a holiday anyway. I would opt for a professional sitter (but then I AM biased lol!), and if you did go down that route in the future, just make sure you get references (and check them out), the sitter should have public liability insurance, and find out exactly what their service includes - I always spend about 3/4 - 1 hr with the cats I sit for, as well as dealing with all the regular things - litter trays, food/water, grooming etc (and clearing up bits of a rabbit, as I had to do this morning yuk!

). If you are worried about giving out keys, see if perhaps your vet practice (or other vet practices) can recommend a sitter.

I always go to meet the prospective customer before a sit, get to know the cats a bit and find out about their routine etc.

and at the end of the sit, I leave a detailed report (with photos) of what their cats have been up to!

Jiskefet · « **Reply #10 on:** May 23, 2011, 17:34:58 PM »

I don't go away for long either, anymore.
I used to go on holiday for 3 or 4 weeks, but now I get homesick for my cats, so it is 1 week to 10 days max, nowadays. And only if I know they get plenty of fuss and I can call the furry godmother any time to ask how they are.

bunglycat · « **Reply #9 on:** May 23, 2011, 16:16:12 PM »

Also agree it doesnt sound a very good cattery and glad you are not using it .
I am another one -i dont go on holiday anymore either, i cant really bare to leave them .

Jiskefet · « **Reply #8 on:** May 23, 2011, 15:11:56 PM »

No, I am sorry, I live in Holland

But it might be a nice idea, Purrs slaves spending their holidays at some other purrs slave's house to take care of the feline staff... If some of you live in a place someone else would like to spend their holidays, it just might work.

If my husband would consider a flat/cat sitting holiday, one of the following years, I'm in ....

We would only be too happy to spend some time in Scotland again. We went to Edinburgh, Mallaig and Skye in 2003, we loved it, and we are getting pretty homesick.

frankiesmum · « **Reply #7 on:** May 23, 2011, 14:50:37 PM »

Hi guys

Thanks for the replys - I was wondering if I was just being overbearing and too picky being a new pawrent. I had a look a cat sitters and there are very few in the area and the OH is not keen on giving out the flat keys, so we (he) decided against that.

Thanks for your concern tiggys mum. Frankie is off to his grannys and granny has a fur baby of her own and knows how much he means to me. frankie is an indoor cat at home so he would have my old bedroom and the run of the upstair at his grannys house. She has assured me that she will play with him and give him lots of cuddles (but away from the door and open windows).

Jiskefet you and the other volunteers dont happen to work in scotland do you??

I would love to leave him in our house and have someone drop in but I am a half hour drive away from my family so its not workable.

Thanks for the reassurance guys.

Frankies mum

Jiskefet · « **Reply #6 on:** May 23, 2011, 14:34:51 PM »

I am a holiday care volunteer for a cat rescue organisation, who also offer holiday service for their members (and not only for cats adopted from them, but for any cat of any member of the foundation.
We visit the cats once a day, clean the litter, feed them, and provide fuss and cuddles as requested/ordered by the cat....

Some cats will have nothing to do with me, so I talk to them while I wash and fill their food and water bowls, observe their behaviour to make sure they are OK, and leave. But others do appreciate a bit of fuss, so I will sit on the couch for a while (sometimes quite a while) and enjoy their attention as much as they enjoy mine.

My own cats have several furry godmothers (I simply LOVE that description, so I am borrowing it from you, Dawn

)
My enighbour, who is also a good friend, usually cares for them, but if we happen to be on holiday at the same time, there are several other neighbours I can ask.
This year, we had a problem, we al go on holiday around the same time, so my cleaning lady will come every day. I don't have to worry about them, she loves them to bits, so they will get lots and lots of fuss.

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #5 on:** May 23, 2011, 14:06:08 PM »

to Purrs frankiesmum

I'm glad you didn't just go ahead and put Frankie in the cattery, catteries sort of have us over a barrel as there is little choice or other options when it comes to holidays. I would be a bit concerned about taking him to a relatives though, I'd be worried about him escaping in an unfamiliar area. Are your relatives suitably briefed about how precious Frankie is and how to look after him?

I put my two cats in a cattery for the first time a few years ago and they absolutely hated it, the cattery was lovely as were the staff but my boys just weren't cut out for cattery life. I don't think that's me being sentimental as my childhood cats went into catteries and although they weren't pleased about it they weren't distressed to the extent my current two cats were.

I now opt for realtives coming in twice a day to feed them and sort the trays out etc, if relatives aren't available I go down the professional pet sitter coming in twice a day route and have been very happy with the pet sitter I used in the past.

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #4 on:** May 23, 2011, 13:21:12 PM »

You're right to expect more and that doesn't sound like a very good cattery if they didn't listen to you. They might not have loads of time to play with them but I'd expect them to spend some time individually with them plus they can give them some attention when they clean out the pen etc.

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #3 on:** May 23, 2011, 13:06:58 PM »

I dont go on holiday!

I think you are absolutely rights

Dawn F · « **Reply #2 on:** May 23, 2011, 12:59:50 PM »

I have someone come in and feed - called furry godmother lol! its easier I think for them to be at home, plus one of mine can't have jabs so wouldn't be accepted at a cattery

frankiesmum · « **Reply #1 on:** May 23, 2011, 12:43:58 PM »

Hi all furbaby slaves.

I took in my rescue baby 3 months ago and we are off on holidays in 4 weeks. As my baby will not want for anything we went along to see a cattery that appeared to be the most professional (and the most expensive). When I got there the people didn't listen to what I wanted and when I pushed them about activity and how much time they would spend with my baby they avoided the question until I pushed and they admitted that they would spend little time with him as they have '50 cats that week'

I was shocked ..... I don't know if my expectations were wrong but am I the only one that would expect that all my cats needs were met in a boarding cattery rather than just put in a unit the size of a cupboard and fed??

I am now arranging for him to go to a relatives where they may not spend the time with him that we do but will spend more than these so called professionals will.

what do you do when you go away?

thanks

Frankie and his mum

Author Topic: looking after my furbaby and holidays (Read 2085 times)