Boarding vs. Cat sitter

[Juniper_Junebug]

I know this is a common question but I'm still hoping for some advice on what to do with Juno for an upcoming 2 week trip. The longest I've been away before is less than a week, and I've taken Juno to my mom's house. But now my mom is traveling with me. I don't have anyone who can take her, or who can reliably stop by every day.

I found a place online that looks decent (larger-sized pods) but I know Juno will hate being away from home, and I'm also worried about her picking up diseases (like ringworm) even if she's kept alone. On the other hand, I'm worried about trusting a stranger I find on Rover (or similar) for that long (and worried they might flake at the last minute too). I will not always have internet while away, so I can't constantly monitor from afar and might be unreachable if something goes wrong.

Anyone have tips on finding a really good sitter? I'm willing to pay what it takes to ensure her safety and comfort. I don't love the idea of someone in my home for that long, but Juno's the most precious thing there, so I'll get over it.

Juno is 2, and with no current health issues (knock wood). But she doesn't like other people so I'm worried about her going off food (though she didn't the one time I had a stranger come feed her for a couple days). Thoughts appreciated.

 

[verna davies]

If it were my choice I would prefer to leave my cat at home rather than board, at least the surroundings are familiar.Do you have a neighbour or friends who could come over to feed, clean the litter tray and maybe play with Juno. It needn't be just one person, two weeks is a long time. Maybe you could find two or three friends/ neighbours who could work it between them.

 

[LTS3]

Ask the vet techs at your vet's office. Some do pet sitting on the side for the extra money. Do you work? Are there any co-workers who you would feel comfortable asking to pet sit for you?

With boarding, a lot of things may cost extra: playtime outside of the cage, special treats or grooming, bedtime story and tuck in (yes, that's a thing), etc. Many boarding places require proof of current vaccines and all that. You can ask about how they sanitize cages, bedding, staff hands, etc between animals.

 

[Juniper_Junebug]

If it were my choice I would prefer to leave my cat at home rather than board, at least the surroundings are familiar.Do you have a neighbour or friends who could come over to feed, clean the litter tray and maybe play with Juno. It needn't be just one person, two weeks is a long time. Maybe you could find two or three friends/ neighbours who could work it between them.

Sadly, neighbors/friends are not an option, given where I live, length of time, and when the trip is scheduled. I would love to leave her at home but I'm worried about leaving her with a stranger for that long. Maybe I should pick a pet sitter and try to test them out sometime before the trip.

Ask the vet techs at your vet's office. Some do pet sitting on the side for the extra money. Do you work? Are there any co-workers who you would feel comfortable asking to pet sit for you?

With boarding, a lot of things may cost extra: playtime outside of the cage, special treats or grooming, bedtime story and tuck in (yes, that's a thing), etc. Many boarding places require proof of current vaccines and all that. You can ask about how they sanitize cages, bedding, staff hands, etc between animals.

I do work but I'm basically a supervisor / part-owner, so I can't ask employees to cat sit, lest it seem obligatory. But maybe I should ask my partners if they have kids, or friends-of-kids, that might want to make some extra money. Having someone I know vouch for a sitter would make me feel better.

I will call my vet too. If I do end boarding, I'm gonna buy all the things, including storytime, to assuage my guilt.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Care.com is another option for in home care. You can check out profiles and interview candidates. If you plan enough ahead of time, you can schedule visits for not only seeing how you, your cat, and the candidate interact/react, but so that they know what to expect in terms of care.

 

[iPappy]

Our boarding place sees very little short term boards and many more long term boards (a week or more...during the historic flood several years ago, we had two cats for over 3 months!)
Ask your vet. Call and ask other vets. They talk to owners, and owners talk and will let their vets know if they had a bad experience somewhere. Ask them if they know of anyone in particular they know that does in home pet care. Do your cats need any special care (medications, etc.?) If the boarding place you're looking at sounds promising, show up during business hours and ask for a tour. No need to call, there's no reason to give anyone incentive to clean the place up before you arrive. You might not be able to go into the cat room (you are allowed to here, and will be mobbed by the resident cats, but some places don't share this policy.) BUT, you should be able to at least view the boarding area. The cat area should be as far away from dogs as possible, and should be relatively quiet. This is huge with me. My 25 years in the business has taught me, if you aren't even allowed to view the area your pet will be in, go elsewhere. Ask questions! And if your answers go unanswered, or the people aren't nice to deal with, go elsewhere.

 

[Margot Lane]

I’d pick cat sitter any day, less stress on cat. Think your idea of testing them out first is great.

 

[tabbytom]

I would prefer that the cat stays in her own home where she is already familiar with the place and having stranger to come pet sit will cause some stress to her but it's no choice as pet sit is better than boarding as some boarding places are not conducive and are noisy and not up to standard unless you pay for premium boarding.

Here are 2 articles for you to read :-

A Pet Owner’s Guide To Pet Sitters – TheCatSite Articles

Selecting The Best Pet Sitter – TheCatSite Articles

Have a camera installed in the house would be good so that you can see your cat and whatever is going on in the house.

 

[catloverfromwayback]

Granted it was a very long time ago but I boarded my cats when I was away on six-week overseas holidays. I wouldn’t trust a stranger to be in the house with them (or at all when I was away, tbh). Too easy for them to dash out when someone was coming in or out. The catteries I used were very good and the cats were fine when I got back.