Cat Boarding

[ashekitty]

Hey guys!
This June I am going on a week long vacation with my family, and I am thinking about bringing Curly to this really good boarding facility in my town. I usually just hire my regular cat sitter to come check on her once a day but unfortunately since we are moving soon after this trip we have having work done to the house while we are gone. I don't want anything to happen to her while people are in the house changing carpets and such, so I think this is the best option. I am just worried because she has never left the house for an extended period of time and she is a little bit skittish sometimes because she used to be a feral until I found her as a kitten. Is this going to be too hard on her? Will she remember me and forgive me when I get back? Also since we are moving 1,000 miles basically less than a week after I get back, will these two stressors so close to each other be too much for her?
Any input appreciated.

 

[Kieka]

My girl was feral and I recently had to board her for a week while our house was fumigated. I was also worried. I sent her with a cave cat bed that she apparently never left. I also left detailed instructions to mointoring her food intake to ensure she was eating with explicit notes that she likely wouldn't eat while someone was in the room. I also boarded at my vet so that if she did stop eating she would already be where they could give her medical attention I trusted. Everything worked out and my girl barely left her cave bed. I had bought the bed specifically for this experience and was ready to donate it when it was over Incase she ended up hating it.

For the record, she doesn't hate it after.

She also was extremely cuddly with me when she got home like she was worried I would vanish again.

My worry would be the move right after the boarding. But there isn't much you can do about that one. Feliway in the new house and ask your vet about a mild sedative on case she has difficulty with the movie itself.

 

[kittyluv387]

I board my cats for weeks once a year or so. They are fine there and eat well. You can call to check on them too. Usually after the boarding they sniff around the place for a bit before settling down. They aren’t upset or anything afterwards and they’ll definitely remember you.

 

[ashekitty]

Thanks to both of you! I feel much better. I’ll just make sure to bring her favorite blankets and such.

 

[susanm9006]

Yeah, with so much going on at your house she is safer being boarded. If you are allowed bring something of yours so she has your scent to comfort her.

 

[Kieka]

Thanks to both of you! I feel much better. I’ll just make sure to bring her favorite blankets and such.

Don't being anything you can't have get lost or replace. Some cats will shun things that were in boarding with them and boarding places do loose or misplace things. I sent my girl with the cat cave bed and some towels that I was okay with not coming home with.

 

[ashekitty]

Don't being anything you can't have get lost or replace. Some cats will shun things that were in boarding with them and boarding places do loose or misplace things. I sent my girl with the cat cave bed and some towels that I was okay with not coming home with.

Good point! I'll find her something to bring from home though that will make her more comfortable.

 

[jcat]

Good point! I'll find her something to bring from home though that will make her more comfortable.

It helps if you sleep on old towels or pet blankets for a night or two and send them with her. Don't forget plenty of her usual food (and possibly treats).

The shelter I work at also boards pets, and most of them are fine, though a few hide the first day or two.

 

[ashekitty]

Hey guys. So she will actually be boarded for more like two weeks since we have to get the house ready to move and it would be dangerous for her to stay. When we pick her up she is going to go into a crate immediately and into the car to move 900 miles over two days. She has never left the house besides for the vet. Is she going to be alright? What can I do to make this better for her? I have a mild sedative for the move. Some part of me is still worried she will forget me or be mad at me when I pick her up.

 

[danteshuman]

I think a few things. One is a mild sedative like they mentioned. Cats own things by smell. So you want as many things with her/your communal scent on it as possible in her safe room. Pack your bedding with your smell on it in tubs/bags and bring/save her used litter/litter boxes before you boarded her. When moving I put all the scratchers/cat stuff in the bedroom. The mattress and cat stuff is stuck in the bedroom first and then the cats are locked in the bedroom while the rest of the move happens. I pack the cat stuff/bedroom stuff last. I would also expect it to take her a month or two to settle in. After we tented the house I released my cats into my bedroom and then unpacked their stuff. It allowed me to see them relax immediately when their smelly stuff got unpacked! It sure made me rethink how we move cats!!!

*feliway can’t hurt, nor will a sedative.

She will be fine....... eventually. She will be just fine while boarded, I swear!

 

[ashekitty]

I think a few things. One is a mild sedative like they mentioned. Cats own things by smell. So you want as many things with her/your communal scent on it as possible in her safe room. Pack your bedding with your smell on it in tubs/bags and bring/save her used litter/litter boxes before you boarded her. When moving I put all the scratchers/cat stuff in the bedroom. The mattress and cat stuff is stuck in the bedroom first and then the cats are locked in the bedroom while the rest of the move happens. I pack the cat stuff/bedroom stuff last. I would also expect it to take her a month or two to settle in. After we tented the house I released my cats into my bedroom and then unpacked their stuff. It allowed me to see them relax immediately when their smelly stuff got unpacked! It sure made me rethink how we move cats!!!

*feliway can’t hurt, nor will a sedative.

She will be fine....... eventually. She will be just fine while boarded, I swear!

Thank you so much! I hope she will be okay. Are stress related illness a thing with cats? Should I look out for them?

 

[danteshuman]

I wouldn’t worry about that unless something goes off (why drive yourself nuts with worry?)

 

[ashekitty]

I wanted to say that we made it to Washington, although we stayed in a few hotels unexpectedly once we got there before we were able to move in. She did great! Obviously she was a bit stressed but overall handled it like a champ. Thank you everyone for the help!