leaving town for 2 weeks--need tips

[mocahbugs]

Hi, everyone. I got questions for those who are experts in dealing with their kitties when they go out of town. My bf and I are going on a 2.5 week trip by the end of this month. I have two 3-4 month old kittens that will have to be left home. I've been looking around for petsitter services but they're a little pricey. I know I could be asking friends to do it but they're not too familiar in dealing with cats. I'm kind of on a limited budget and was wondering what my options are to ensure that the cats will be ok while we're gone. I was thinking of hiring the petsitter to come in every 2 days to check on them instead of everyday so it'll be a little cheaper. To deal with the litter, I plan to lay out 5 litter boxes so they have more room to use which will then cut the need to clean the boxes daily. I also bought those big cat food/water dispensers that can last for a week or 2.

Also, we recently just got the kittens (one's been there for 2 months; the other 1 month) and I don't know whether this fact would have any impact on leaving them at home.

Would this arrangement be ok? Any suggestions? Thoughts? I'd appreciate the advise.

 

[laurelism]

You seem to be pretty ready to me! I don't know if there's much you need to be doing other then what you've already done... but maybe, since the sitter would only be there every two days, you could have one of your friends come up and check on them the days the pet sitter isn't there? Even though they don't know much about cats, I'm sure your kitties would appreciate the company if your friends played with them for awhile. Good luck, have fun on your trip!!!
Laurel

 

[cdubbie]

You kennel cats, just like you can dogs.

I take mine to my family - she "moves in" while I'm away. I find it is best for her. Do you have friends/family who could do this? I've noticed young kittens seem to adapt very well to a sudden move like that.

I really think the cats need a sitter everyday. I work as a housesitter, the move-in kind, and partly what the animals get is attention and company on a regular schedule. I'm not as good as their parents, but it does keep them calmer and happier.

I think in addition to just feeding them, they need to attn and playtime. If the kits are in the mood to play, at least have the sitter hang out for a bit and read a book or watch TV. This is what I do when watching my neighbors' cats. They seem to like having someone there, even if they aren't interacting.

 

[esrgirl]

I found a friend from work who is willing to catsit for me for cheap. You could probably get away with every other day. I've actually done that before myself (left for about four days). They were a little mad when I got back, at first

 

[jcat]

My main concern is the age of your kittens. While older, quieter cats would probably be okay, I'd never even dream of leaving kittens that young unchecked for even a day, as they get into too much, and every household has dangers. Jamie wasn't even left alone for more than 4 hours a day at that age (we rearranged our work schedules, and didn't vacation that year).
We have a cat sitter and/or my mother-in-law come twice a day to check on him, feed him, clean the litter box and keep him company while we're away, and he's 6 now.
Could you hire the pet sitter as planned, but also have friends come in twice a day? You could leave very detailed feeding and care instructions, and, of course, show them "the ropes" beforehand. Even better would be to have somebody stay at your place while you're gone.

 

[momofmany]

One of the vet techs at my vet's office comes out each day when I'm gone. She scoops litter, sweeps the floors (of cat hair), and dispenses any meds that mine might be on at the time. I'm fortunate that she doesn't ask for any money, but I always give her a thank you card when I return with about $10 per day. I hear that is far less than pet sitters and she is happy with it.

The advantages of a vet tech is that they have some medical training so that if something does go wrong, they know what to do, and always has my permission to bring them up to the clinic if she finds something wrong. I leave kennels handy for her to use.

I would be nervous leaving kittens that young home alone for that long also. You need someone to stop by every day if you can. I have boarded kittens and senior cats in the past if I have any concerns at all. Better to go on a trip and not worry about them the entire time!