Topic: Leaving cats for 3 weeks - too long? (Read 6034 times)

maryas · « **Reply #23 on:** January 17, 2013, 21:58:45 PM »

Helen when I had Smudge I used to go to Italy every year for 2 weeks and once I was lucky enough to go for 3 weeks.

Smudge always stayed in my neighbour's house 2 doors away and it was like home from home for him and I still missed him. No matter how well ooked after they are we will always miss them and think about them when we are on holiday cos we are so close to them, especially as Smudge always slept on the pillow next to me every night.

So you must go to Australia and enjoy your time there and no need to worry.

Mary

LouiseJ · « **Reply #22 on:** January 17, 2013, 10:58:48 AM »

I've always been more comfortable leaving my kitties at home as at least they know where they are and don't have to have a cattery to get used to as well as missing you.
Australia tends to be one of those once in a lifetime trips so you have to make the most of it. If you are going to Sydney have a think about climbing the Harbour Bridge as it is an awesome experience. If you go to Melbourne then I'd recommend a trip to Philip Island and the penguin parade and St Kilda's for the cake shops.

Dawn F · « **Reply #21 on:** January 17, 2013, 08:28:40 AM »

oh Gillian I wish you lived near me!! my cat sitter is nice but hoovering no chance!

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #20 on:** January 16, 2013, 23:00:28 PM »

Cheers Caledonia, it's not cat fur that bothers me but

Oko plus litter. The tracking is unbelievable so after 3 weeks I think there'd be more on the carpet than in the trays - I'll have to ask my cat sitters to hoover too!

Quote from: caledonia on January 16, 2013, 19:47:05 PM

I know it's not ideal but they are home, they are safe and you need to make the most of your trip xxx

I think that about sums up what everybody has said so yep, whilst I wish I didn't have to leave them I'm now feeling much better about it that they'll be OK.

all

Gillian Harvey · « **Reply #19 on:** January 16, 2013, 22:14:00 PM »

Quote from: Tiggy's Mum on January 16, 2013, 12:03:48 PM

Thanks Gillian, it's good to hear it from a cat sitters perspective as I guess you see what we don't because we're not there!

Quote from: caledonia on January 16, 2013, 19:47:05 PM

the carpet was seriously covered in cat fur though!

and I even hoover up before customer comes home too

caledonia · « **Reply #18 on:** January 16, 2013, 19:47:05 PM »

Sorry I'm a bit late to the thread but just wanted to add I went to brazil for 20 days and the cats were fine.

I had my three then, left the radio in, had two friends split the rota and to be honest they were only in once a day. However they did spend an hour and Jane (friend) came around every couple of days to watch a movie or read a book.

The cats were no different when I got home, the carpet was seriously covered in cat fur though!

I know it's not ideal but they are home, they are safe and you need to make the most of your trip xxx

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #17 on:** January 16, 2013, 12:03:48 PM »

Thanks Gillian, it's good to hear it from a cat sitters perspective as I guess you see what we don't because we're not there!

Gillian Harvey · « **Reply #16 on:** January 13, 2013, 21:47:19 PM »

As a professional cat sitter I see many cats who are nervous and shy initially, but it generally only takes a couple of days for those ones to be perfectly happy in my company

and I've found, once they've got into a routine they are absolutely fine for a week, 2 weeks, even 3. Lets face it cats sleep most of the time when we're around, theyre just gonna do the same when we're not lol

then they will have that little bit of interaction twice a day when the sitter comes round - they'll be fine

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #15 on:** January 13, 2013, 21:23:42 PM »

all, looks like I just need to bite the bullet and go for three weeks

I normally go away for 10 days and defo miss them more and more towards the end of the holiday, I usually insist on daily texts/pics although many of the pics are of two pairs of glowing eyes under the bed

Good tips about leaving a TV on, although I think I'd worry about fire risks from a TV on 24/7 so will probably ask for a radio to be left on instead!

Quote from: Sootyca on January 13, 2013, 14:06:51 PM

When your family have come round to catsit, have they ever played with them? One of my sisters cats would hide from me but couldn't resist the lure of toys and playing, especially when the other cat was getting playtime. After a couple of days she was my best friend and still comes to me without toys.

Similar approach worked with my two - they would normally hide and not have anything to do with them. A few play sessions and treats later and one is now friendlier. The other tolerates them on her own terms but will no longer run away.

Oddly Lu, the shy sensitive one, is happy to be played with using feathers etc but Riley the 'bombproof beast' is the one who hides! He is very people orientated so three weeks of hiding will be hard for him

As Sheila suggested I think I will ask my Mum/Sis/BIL to come over and play with them while I'm here to get them used to being in their company.

CarolM (Wendolene) · « **Reply #14 on:** January 13, 2013, 17:43:36 PM »

I had considered saying that Sheila but decided it might put Helen off.

sheilarose · « **Reply #13 on:** January 13, 2013, 17:19:44 PM »

Quote from: CarolM (Wendolene) on January 13, 2013, 17:11:34 PM

If its any consolation Helen, the first week will probably be the worst for them and as time goes on they will get better, so by week 3 they should be fine. That's what happens with most rescue cats anyway.

Indirectly proportional to how you may feel - for me the homesickness starts to kick in on day 10 or thereabouts and by then end of day 13 I'm really unhappy and just want to be home with my babies.

CarolM (Wendolene) · « **Reply #12 on:** January 13, 2013, 17:11:34 PM »

If its any consolation Helen, the first week will probably be the worst for them and as time goes on they will get better, so by week 3 they should be fine. That's what happens with most rescue cats anyway.

CuteCats · « **Reply #11 on:** January 13, 2013, 16:49:09 PM »

Tried to leave them them for 2 weeks in old days, but I couldn't stand it and came home early!

The cats probably coped better than me, but snubbed us a bit when we got back. Don't do it nowadays though due to us all being a bit older.

Dawn F · « **Reply #10 on:** January 13, 2013, 15:01:50 PM »

three weeks is nothing in their lifetime Helen, you deserve to go and they might be a bit pissed with you but will soon get over it

Sootyca · « **Reply #9 on:** January 13, 2013, 14:06:51 PM »

When your family have come round to catsit, have they ever played with them? One of my sisters cats would hide from me but couldn't resist the lure of toys and playing, especially when the other cat was getting playtime. After a couple of days she was my best friend and still comes to me without toys.

Similar approach worked with my two - they would normally hide and not have anything to do with them. A few play sessions and treats later and one is now friendlier. The other tolerates them on her own terms but will no longer run away.

sheilarose · « **Reply #8 on:** January 13, 2013, 13:59:08 PM »

We went on an extended 23 day break in 2007, we had five cats then and they were fine with our catsitter coming in twice a day and staying for an hour each visit. It does add considerably to the cost but well worth it for the peace of mind.

They were OK, actually, although Beau had overgroomed his tummy and needed antidepressants for a couple of weeks afterwards, but he has separation anxiety issues linked to me anyway so is always more needy than the others. In the main, though they didn't bat an eye.
You could ask your sitters to come for a few visits when you are home and make the boys stay with the sitter (close the doors) so the boys get used to their voices. Pockets full of Dreamies also help

The other thing I do which seems to help is to leave the heating at its normal setting and the TV on all through the holiday

. They like the nature channels so I leave this going with the volume down low but not quite off. This seems to provide a little comfort. If the heating comes on and off at its usual times their personal routines don't need to change.

Hope you can make it, these opportunities don't always come up twice.

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #7 on:** January 12, 2013, 23:04:22 PM »

That's good to hear of cats that have coped with it! My worry is that they'd become really lonely or depressed but sounds like your neighbours cats, and DD & Boy coped OK. I guess they have each other too. The problem is that in the past they just hide when the pet-sitter (whether that be my Mum/Sis/BIL) is here so they won't get much, if any, human interaction in all that time

Quote from: Rosella moggy on January 12, 2013, 22:48:06 PM

I've been cat sitting near neighbours gingers for annual 3 1/2 week trips after recent 2 week trips for years now. It does all get a bit much for the last week as Red has, on occasion, got fed up and wandered off a tad more in the last week or so which is distressing but your garden is cat proofed isn't it Helen?

Other than that, I wouldn't worry that much tbh as long as you trust your sitters

The garden is catproofed but my Mum didn't want to let them out 'just in case' and I agreed with her, that was only for 10 days though - I think we might have to re-think if I do decide to go for three weeks.

I trust my Mum/Sister/BIL 100% as they know how precious the boys are to me and they know I would quite literally kill them if anything happened to them! While my Mum was house sitting she thought she had lost Riley (he had got himself trapped in between some furniture that was being stored in the spare room as a bag of clothes had fallen down blocking his way out

). My Mum rang my brother-in-law in a panic asking him what she should do and he said that she better leave town!

pappilon · « **Reply #6 on:** January 12, 2013, 22:48:40 PM »

The longest i left mine was for 5 weeks when i went to Bolivia,i had a cat sitter who stayed in my place though as both DD and BOY were older cats and i didnt want them to be on their own too long. After 4 weeks in to my trip i missed them so much that i cut my trip short and came all exited thinking they have missed me too

Found them both asleep on their bin bags got a look asto say you just woke us up

I always had some one to stay with mine as i think cats dont like change and they miss their home more than the slave and believe they are better off at home than a pen, Mister was the only one i took to cattery as it was only for one week and it was with Michelle cattery where she is the manager and i knew he gets lots of attention and Michelle put him in a pen with amall out door area but it was 4 hours round trip and stressed him so much

If i remember right Ruth used to have a cat sitter from the agency who used to visit miss Lexi twice aday and spend an hour with her whenever Ruth was away and would send Ruth pictures and text while visiting Lexi and i know Lexi even started coming out of hiding once she got to know him

Helen , you can always ask the person who is coming to feed the boys also spend couple of hours each day with them .

Just read your post that they hide while people visit , so best not get a stranger at least they know your mum/sister. You can ask them to leave the TV on during the day

I am sure you miss them more than they miss you and they will be fine, just make sure you bring back lots of toys/treats so they forgive you .

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #5 on:** January 12, 2013, 22:48:06 PM »

I've been cat sitting near neighbours gingers for annual 3 1/2 week trips after recent 2 week trips

for years now. It does all get a bit much for the last week as Red has, on occasion, got fed up and wandered off a tad more in the last week or so which is distressing but your garden is cat proofed isn't it Helen?

Other than that, I wouldn't worry that much tbh as long as you trust your sitters

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #4 on:** January 12, 2013, 22:40:57 PM »

I defo wouldn't use a cattery due to the boys' reaction on the first holiday I had after I got them. The cattery I chose was absolutely lovely and the people were very kind but the boys just didn't take to it and the thought of them frightened, lonely AND away from home rules that out completely.

For previous holidays I've had my sister/hubby popping over twice a day to feed them (only 10 days though) and they generally hid when they came over! I had a full time house sitter on my last holiday (got my Mum to stay for free!) and again they hid most of the time. I think if I had a professional house sitter staying they'd be even worse cos at least she is not a total stranger. They're fine with visitors when I'm here too, although they sometimes hide for a bit after the doorbell goes, but it seems when those same visitors come alone they just hide.

My plan is for my sister and/or my Mum to do twice daily visits, for two weeks I think this is do-able but that extra week just seems to make the difference in my head of it being acceptable to leave them as it just seems such a long time

In the same breath the holiday is going to cost a fortune, it's not money I have laying around so will have to scrimp and save hard to be able to afford it so it really will be a one-off. Plus the flight takes virtually three days off the holiday total hence why three weeks makes sense, if only it wasn't for having to leave the boys

Mymblesdaughter · « **Reply #3 on:** January 12, 2013, 22:14:55 PM »

Have you thought about getting a house sitter? I don't know where you live but if it's somewhere people might like to visit you can get people for free. There are quite a few websites out there, a friend of mine signed up for one to be a house sitter. She actually enjoys having animals to look after as she's renting so can't have any pets of her own.

tab · « **Reply #2 on:** January 12, 2013, 21:19:46 PM »

I havent in that I travelled before cats. I think it depends on the cat and whi you get in. Mogs always seemed to think I would come back but Amber seems to think to opposite. Soonest I go then the soonest she gets play and loads of attention from Pat who looks after her. Amber was a nightmare for Helen (on here) as she needed tablets but when I found the tablets could be opened into food food Amber was ok and if Helen comes over Amber catually comes out to see her which makes Helen the 2nd person Amber can be bothered seeing lol
Personally I think it depends on the cattery as I know if I was away for ages I wouldnt feel happy asking my friend and neighbour especially if tablets were involved but I know that Helen would both care and make sure every thing is ok

I guess its up to you and your cattery and how much you trust them,

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #1 on:** January 12, 2013, 20:59:02 PM »

I'm making plans for a three week trip to Oz either late this year or next year - I was supposed to go a year or so back but happy events conspired gainst me and it didn't happen, I should be looking forward to it but the thought of leaving the boys for so long is really upsetting me. I definitely wouldn't consider a cattery as they were really quite distressed when they stayed in one for a week, I know lots of cats manage just fine but Riley was hissing at the cattery lady when I went to pick them up (sooooo out of character as he is such a gentle and loving boy) and one of them wee'd in their bed a few times while they were there

The flight is so long and it's going to be the trip of a lifetime for me so to go for only two weeks seems madness but in the same breath the thought of them home alone for three weeks just seems way too long.

Has anyone else left their cats for such a long time? How did they cope?

Author Topic: Leaving cats for 3 weeks - too long? (Read 6034 times)