I'm Going On Vacation For 2 Weeks...

[greenergirl]

Hey all! I will be going away for 2 weeks and am debating what to do with my 2 cats. I have friends who will come over daily to check on them, but they will only be here for probably 10-15 minutes a day. Alternatively, my 11 year old nephew would love for the cats to come hang out at his house (mostly in his room) where he can dote on them. What's the best thing to do? 2 weeks is a long time to leave them here with limited human contact, but I want them to be comfortable.

What do you think?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi! If you have multiple friends that are willing to help, can they come separately so that there is more than just one or two visits a day? And, ideally one or two would be willing to spend more than just 10-15 minutes a day. What about any neighbors who could contribute some time as well? Anyone who does come over needs to be introduced to your cats multiple times before you ever leave for vacation so your cats are comfortable with them.

How far away does your nephew live? Could he ride a bike and come over for a couple of hours at a time? Would one of his parents be willing to drive him to/from? He could visit as a supplement to your friends checking on them as well.

Cats normally do better in their own homes. But, if you were to have them stay with your nephew and things didn't go well, what would happen? Would your cats end up back at your home with no back-up plan? Have the cats ever stayed before with your nephew?

If they stay at home, you can also consider using timers to play music/TV a few times a day in order to break up the silence of no one being there. Feeby is used to having the TV on at night when we are home, so I set the TV on a timer to play a few hours in the evening when I was gone.

Also, leaving clothes with your scent on them in their favorite hang out spots will be an added consoling factor for them.

I am sure you will hear soon from other members who can offer their insight and tips as well!!

 

[She's a witch]

How old are they and what is their activity level? Are they social with people or not necessarily? If they are young and social, boarding them at your nephew might be a good idea, but it can backfire if the kitties won’t adapt to this new place and people quickly, the stress might be too big. If they are older and lazy, it’s best to leave them home with someone coming over twice a day if possible. You could install some WiFi camera to watch them and check periodically if they are ok, you’ll most probably discover they mostly sleep when you are away but it will give you some peace of mind.
If you live in an attractive place from touristic perspective, you can also check some sites where people will stay at your place in exchange for taking care of your cats. That requires trust in strangers though.

 

[greenergirl]

Thanks for your advice. I decided to leave them home. If they got out at my sister's house they would be totally lost.