Cat Sitting Options Over Vacation

I am new here but so glad I found this site. We will be away for 11 days and we have a 12 year old cat. He is quite attached to us but scared of strangers.

Our options are:
1. Hire a cat sitter who comes once a day to feed and clean, and possibly stay 1 hour to play with him every 3 days. The cat sitter I am contacting is a vet herself, so if the cat gets sick she will be able to notice. I still feel uncomfortable thinking on the cat will be spending most time alone. And I do not know how many days it will take for the cat to get familiar with the sitter.
2. Send him to a friend's house. Our friends either have their own pet(s) or have no experience with pets.
3. Invite an oversea relative to live in the house but will have to pay for her flight and take care of her needs since she won't be able to drive here. We don't have relatives closeby to help. This option would be very expensive but the cat will probably be happier.

I feel option 1 might be the most practical but would like to know your experience on cat sitters for over 10 days vacation. Will the cat feel lonely and depressed? Will they be stressed and get sick? I am very concerned for my baby. He likes to be around us most time, like sitting in the middle of the table when we have a conversation, lying down on the paper when kids do handcrafts...I just cannot imagine him being alone by himself. Thank you so much!

Welcome to TCS

Can you tell us more about your situation? How much time do you have for planning before you travel? Does kitty know the cat sitter or the relatives? Can the cat sitter come in every day instead of every 3 days?

I know some people set up a 2-way monitoring system so they can talk to their cats while they're away from home. I have no idea how it works, but maybe someone who has done it can chime in.

Thank you for the reply GodyCat!
We are leaving in about 6 weeks.
The cat does not know the sitter, but he knows the relative who could fly here to help.
The cat sitter will come every day. I plan to add 1 hour play time every 3 days in addition to the daily visit.
The cat is strictly indoor.

Thanks for mentioning the 2-way monitoring system. I will take a look.

Since you have 6 weeks, you have time to introduce someone to your cat long before the actual trip. This person could actually spend time with your cat during the next 6 weeks, so by the time you leave your cat would feel as if they at least know the person. When they would first start visiting, it should be while you are there.

I would recommend somebody come into your house at least twice a day and stay for at least an hour each time. Even then, your cat is older and is probably not going to handle the change as well as a younger cat might.

You could look for 'professional' sitters on sites such as care.com. These are people who love pets and look to care for them when needed as a way to make some additional money. You can look at all the profiles you want, you can do phone and in-person interviews with them to see who you would most feel comfortable with. And, these sitters charge different amounts, so there really isn't a standard charge/rate. Some of these folks will even stay at your house if you would be interested in that. You can even buy a combination-coded lock-box for access to your house and not have to provide them with a key.

I personally have used a neighbor who came in at least twice a day, but could stop by whenever he had extra time since he was just across the street. Do you know any of your neighbors - preferably who have pets of their own? Talk to neighbors on Next Door Neighbor web site, if you have one.

Thank you for your suggestions! Yes I would feel more comfortable if someone comes twice a day plus extra time. In that case it might be more economical if I fly the relative here. We do have nice neighbors, I will think about it and talk to them. I have options here but all have their pros and cons.
Thanks again for the helpful suggestions!

If I can find a neighbor willing to help me out, is it better to send the cat to their home or have them come over twice a day? The cat does not know them yet.
Thank you all very much!

I have used pet sitters for over two decades for both young and old cats, but I don’t have other viable options. One of the advantages is that you then have a good reliable caregiver for every vacation, business/family travel, emergency absence, etc, not just this one vacation. So it’s worth investing time in finding a good reputable sitter that you feel comfortable with and can use repeatedly.

A pet sitter may offer useful ancillary services, such as bringing in the mail, checking thermostats, watering plants, etc. I have a Petcube video monitor in my living room so I can check remotely and see the cats while I am on vacation. My pet sitter sends me a daily update via email, with photos of my cats and fish, and a description of how the visit went that day and any notable events.

kittysky said:

If I can find a neighbor willing to help me out, is it better to send the cat to their home or have them come over twice a day? The cat does not know them yet.
Thank you all very much!

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My personal feeling on this is that I want my cats to stay in their own comfortable familiar home. My cats would be very scared (freaked out) if they were put in a strange place, but my cats are very sheltered indoor cats that don’t get exposed to a lot of strangers.

I agree - in your own home is the best option, and less stressful since despite you are not there, they at least have their own home to be in.

As others have said, at home is best, especially for an older cat. They are very attached to their routine and territory. And while you are gone you cat will likely continue this very same routine. I think the vet cat sitter would be a great option. If cost is an issue a even once a day cat sitter visit would be okay with a cat your age.

i'd fly out the relative if they're kind and reliable with pets. your cat should have company all the time, not just for an hour every few days or even an hour a day. i know if we had to leave HK for any period of time, i would want him to be at home with someone to pet him and keep him company whenever he wanted.

Thank you all for your help! This forum is great. I will think about all the suggestions you gave!