Pet camera for vacations?

cleoandsuki87

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I get extremely anxious about leaving my cats when I go on trips. I honestly would prefer not to travel much because of this, but all of the rest of my family lives in another state and it's obviously more feasible for me to travel there than for them to all come here. There has been at least one mishap with every pet sitter I tried ( I won't bore you with details) so that's part of why I get so anxious. The other reason is that after one longer trip (8 days) one of my cats was on a little hunger strike when I got back. I finally had a company that I was super comfortable with, and they went to dog walking only due to lack of employees. I had to really search for options that weren't Rover.

I found another professional pet sitter who had really good reviews, and booked her. I'm just feeling more anxious because she told me she'd take photos of the cats "if they come out." They won't. They're terrified of strangers. The last company I used sent me a picture of them huddled together under the couch every day. I tried to tell her they'd be under the couch and she was non-committal. I wonder if she's afraid they would attack her if she leans under there to take a pic (they won't, but from her POV how is she to trust that).

I'm toying with the idea of getting one of those pet cameras and placing it in the room where they hang out the most. That way if she doesn't get photos, theoretically I should be able to look on the camera and see that they're in the house, everything is fine, etc. My hesitation is wondering if that would end up making me MORE anxious in the end- what if I keep looking and can't see the cats? That's the room where they hang out a lot while I'm home, but what if it's different when I'm not home? I know they have some that dispense treats, but only one of the cats is at all food-motivated. I don't think the other, who I'm really most worried about, would bother coming over to the camera for the treat. What if they look like they're upset/anxious?

I can't decide if this would make it worse/I'll be obsessively checking and worrying if I don't see them, or if it could give me peace of mind if the pet sitter doesn't get photos. Fellow anxious people weigh in- what do you think?
 

Maria Bayote

Mama of 4 Cats, 4 Dogs , 2 Budgies & 2 Humans
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I can understand your worries, but relax. Try to enjoy your vacay.

CCTV is a good idea. I have one at home, but it is for my dogs in my home country because I am away for months and I just miss them.
There are cheap CCTVs so you can put one at a spot they frequent the most, and another one at a different area in the house. There are CCTVs (like mine) which you can speak and your cats will hear your voice. Try to look for that type.

Yes, require your sitter to send you daily updates, photos and even videos.

Also, if you have a trusted friend or a relative who can come by once in a while and play with the cats it would be fine too.
 
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