Kitten care during vacation?

[Rebeccagiardina]

Hi everyone.

New here and in a dilemma.
We recently found out our female cat is expecting. She was due to be spayed but we had suspicions and about 2 weeks ago the vet did an X-ray and confirmed she had around 2 weeks left (so any day now… no labor symptoms as of yet).

However, we are scheduled to visit family finally to introduce our new baby and let our other kids spend time with family mid July.

I’m not sure what to do … sadly, canceling the vacation isn’t an option - we have a pet sitter who lives nearby who typically comes to feed our other pets but the vacation is 2 weeks. The kittens would be between 3 and 4 weeks old when we leave. The pet sitter has no problem coming by the clean the litter trays and feed the cats but do you think this is a safe option?

 

[tarasgirl06]

Hi everyone.

New here and in a dilemma.
We recently found out our female cat is expecting. She was due to be spayed but we had suspicions and about 2 weeks ago the vet did an X-ray and confirmed she had around 2 weeks left (so any day now… no labor symptoms as of yet).

However, we are scheduled to visit family finally to introduce our new baby and let our other kids spend time with family mid July.

I’m not sure what to do … sadly, canceling the vacation isn’t an option - we have a pet sitter who lives nearby who typically comes to feed our other pets but the vacation is 2 weeks. The kittens would be between 3 and 4 weeks old when we leave. The pet sitter has no problem coming by the clean the litter trays and feed the cats but do you think this is a safe option?

It's hard to say. No one can predict the future or tell what will happen at any given time. If the sitter is bonded and licensed and will check in on them frequently, and you have no one trusted who can stay with them, and you will not cancel the trip, this may be your best option.

 

[Sarthur2]

The kittens will be about ready to begin trying soft foods and learning litter trays when you return as they will then be between 5 and 6 weeks. You will miss a couple of weeks of kitten development and cuteness, and during this stage they will leave the nest and begin exploring so they will need to be confined to one kitten safe room since no one will be there to watch them.

I recommend that your pet sitter check in twice a day in case anything happens, and mom will need lots of wet and dry food and water while nursing. The nest will also need changing as it gets dirty.

I also recommend that you leave a phone number and address for your vet, let your vet know you’ll be gone for 2 weeks, and leave a permission to treat slip and a credit card on file with them in case the mom or kittens get sick and need treatment.

 

[Rebeccagiardina]

The kittens will be about ready to begin trying soft foods and learning litter trays when you return as they will then be between 5 and 6 weeks. You will miss a couple of weeks of kitten development and cuteness, and during this stage they will leave the nest and begin exploring so they will need to be confined to one kitten safe room since no one will be there to watch them.

I recommend that your pet sitter check in twice a day in case anything happens, and mom will need lots of wet and dry food and water while nursing. The nest will also need changing as it gets dirty.

I also recommend that you leave a phone number and address for your vet, let your vet know you’ll be gone for 2 weeks, and leave a permission to treat slip and a credit card on file with them in case the mom or kittens get sick and need treatment.

Absolutely!
luckily our vet is on the next street, so extremely close by. I will do this so the vets are prepared with the sitters information and can bill is without issue if an issue arises.

I believe the sitter will come by 3-4 times a day as she is very close by, too.
I am sad to miss the cuteness. I think we will invest in a WiFi camera to peek in often!

I appreciate your detailed response!