Raw & Vacations?

[skyring]

So a thought occurred to me last night - for those of you that feed raw and don't have family members or friends that are close enough to make it to your place to feed twice a day, do you send your kitties off to boarding somewhere?  We're not local to any of our family, it's an awful lot to ask a friend to come over twice a day to feed, and there is NO one that we know that could house/cat sit for us while we're gone.  It's one of the drawbacks to raw, in my opinion, because it's so much easier to put a free feeder of dry out for them LOL

But thoughts on that would be appreciated -

 

[txcatmom]

I've been thinking of asking the same question myself.  (We are working in a little raw, but this is one of the questions that has made me hesitant to work in more.)  As a canned food feeder, we have already faced that dilemma (they must be fed twice a day) and it is one of the many factors that made us choose pet hotel over pet sitter.  BUT, I doubt there would be many pet hotels that would deal with the raw feeding....but who knows...

If we work up to 50% raw, I've thought of keeping the one canned meal per day in their routine just so it wouldn't be a shock if they had to go to 100% canned while we travel.  (Our family is across the country so our trips are usually just yearly, but long....10 days to 2 weeks.) 

 

[wolcar]

I have a friend that usually cat/house sits but she recently moved pretty far away.  I have a cat sitter that I stumbled across when I first got my kitties and she is wonderful.  She will do anything I ask her to do.  She is visiting this Sunday because I'll be away all day. I've informed her about the raw and she was completely cool with it.  She'll come by, play with them, clean their litter if needed and stays for about 40 minutes to an hour.  She always leaves a note for me indicating anything of any importance (like if Ulysses remained hidden for a while or if he attempted to steal food). It's nice getting the little notes.  She charges 16 dollars for each visit.  I do think, however, that she offers different prices for frequency of visits like a discount or something.  I usually use her for just one day at a time.  I'm sure there are people like this all over the place.  I feel so lucky to have found her as she's so helpful to me sometimes. I don't mind paying the money.  She is primarily a special needs cat sitter but I think I was grandfathered in :-) Maybe you should look into that?  I just googled it and she came out to my house to introduce herself.  She has a key to my house and I just send emails and leave checks. It's great!!!

 

[angels mommy]

Is there anyone that works at your Vet's office that would be interested, or maybe they will know someone to refer to you?

Also, I used to nanny, & places like Care.com have a section for pet sitters too. That would be another good place to check out.

I hope that helped, & good luck!

Let me know what you find.

 

[lakotawolf]

Now that my elderly cat has been diagnosed with various health issues and requires daily meds, I will ONLY board her at my vet's if I need to be out of town. I have family that I live with, but they are not exactly "cat people" and frankly, I wouldn't trust any of them to properly medicate her (or even care about trying to give her the meds).

Boarding fees vary, but my vet's fees are less than $20 a night.

My vet will also provide my cat with her normal raw diet as long as I supply it to them at the time I leave her for boarding.

If you're planning on going on a vacation, I reccommend trying to find a vet that is willing to feed your kitties whatever food YOU provide to them.

 

[princessesme]

Now that my elderly cat has been diagnosed with various health issues and requires daily meds, I will ONLY board her at my vet's if I need to be out of town. I have family that I live with, but they are not exactly "cat people" and frankly, I wouldn't trust any of them to properly medicate her (or even care about trying to give her the meds).

Boarding fees vary, but my vet's fees are less than $20 a night.

My vet will also provide my cat with her normal raw diet as long as I supply it to them at the time I leave her for boarding.

If you're planning on going on a vacation, I reccommend trying to find a vet that is willing to feed your kitties whatever food YOU provide to them.

Thanks! I have been wondering the same thing because we do not have any family locally. I have found a holistic vet who is a raw supporter, so I will have to check with them to see if they do boarding.

 

[skyring]

How bad does that stress your guy out?  Gunner doesn't like travelling and he's not a huge fan of going somewhere and being stuck in a cage (last time he was there, the vets said every time someone walked by his cage, he reached out and swatted them 

 )  so I'm trying to avoid that, but if he and our new kitty become best buds and we send them somewhere together, it might not be so bad... 

 

[goingpostal]

I have my petsitter feed the cat canned if we are going to be gone, it doesn't seem to bother her to go back and forth, I haven't figured out an easy way for him to feed raw to my animals yet because I don't freeze stuff in chopped up portions.  I could probably leave Vital Essentials nibblets out (freeze dried), a little dry food won't kill her, been trying to convince her to eat Stella and Chewys since they have those handy little packets now and they would be easy for a sitter to rehydrate. 
 

 

[feralvr]

This is also a huge concern for me. As three of my six are terrified of anyone coming in the house and will hide. They will not eat when the sitter is there and she can't leave out raw meat as the other piggies will eat it up. I had to find something that could be left out 24/7. Here is what I used to use - Epigen 90 by Wysong. It is a dry food but IMO one of the best dry foods if you were have to feed a dry food, that is. Now I use ZiwiPeak air-dried raw. It is like a jerky meat in small bites. That can be left out as well. OR Stella and Chewey's freeze-dried cubes. I do worry about the water intake though when I am gone as FD and air dried is, well, very dry :lol3: So I have the sitter rotate the things I listed with canned food - like Ziwi Peak Lamb or Venison, Core or EVO canned. IF the scardy cats start coming out for their meals, then she knows what to offer them. It is complicated to try and feed raw when you have feral born cats and a pet sitter. Nearly impossible, but I do think after a couple of days the cats will start coming out to eat. I have to go away next week for five days. My daughter is able to cat sit for me - but still, the three P's still hide from her too. She moved out over a year ago when those three kitties were still quite young, but at least they do know her. Hoping it goes well - but the canned is always a back up. :nod:

 

[carolina]

I am somewhat seasoned on this.....
I travel an average of 3 weeks of the month, but sometimes it can be 4. I do feed raw, 3 times a day - frankerprey.
I do have 2 sitters - One has been with me for a long time, a vet tech. Another I just hired - also my vet tech.
And I am in the process of hiring a 3rd, to pick up the trips the first two can't do it - yeo, it happens. This one will actually be a TCS member

Because I travel SO much, my sitters are live in sitters.... I just think that it wouldn't be fair for them to be all the time alone in the house, without anyone to love them, to give them attention, to cuddle with them..... To stimulate their lives.... I couldn't do that to them :love3: I am more comfortable knowing that My kitties have someone to cuddle with and give them attention when I am not there. I am also more comfortable knowing that if something happens at night, the sitter will be there - emergencies have happened to me in the middle of the night, and I just feel calmer knowing someone is closer.
If it was once in a while, I would have no problem having a sitter come for feedings only - I have done that too, and they have done just fine.

I would not board them though.... They get extremely stressed out at the vets, and I would not put them through that for days and days.
I have a little girl Hope, who is a semi-feral, and she takes a little while to come around to people.... So routine is VERY important - she will often skip the first meal with the sitter, and I am pretty sure she would not eat if boarded. This was the reason why the rescue called me in - she was SO stressed out, she was hiding under the couch 24x7 and not coming out even for food or water.

Yes, it is definitely an extra expense when you travel...... no doubt. For me, in it is a LOT of money. a LOT. I simply don't think about it..... I also save a LOT of $$$ in vet bills..... so..... I guess it is all worth it in the end - I wouldn't do it any other way.
It works out, and you find a way.....
The key, I think, is to create a system, a routine - make it simple for a sitter to take over when you leave. Make detailed instructions - down to the minimum details - EVERYTHING.
And get people you trust.
If you have a vet you trust, ask HIM/HER to refer you a vet tech that sitters - most do for extra cash, and they are not only true animal lovers, but many are trained with CPR, giving meds, applying injections, and such.... It comes handy.
I think if you find someone who truly loves cats, and truly cares about what they are doing, you will have your piece of mind - one thing I can tell you, also unfortunately, by experience - DON'T trust what you read on the internet as far as internet services, etc.... People can look GREAT on paper, and be awful in reality.
Be careful who you trust your babies to.... unfortunately for a lot of people, cats are still "just cats".
Good luck!!

 

[angels mommy]

That's great advice Carolina. May I ask as a reference, what is the average pay scale for a pet sitter? I am asking, in case I need to use one, to know how much to pay/ expect to pay.

A couple of yrs ago, I just went away for the weekend. A client of mine, who I have known for yrs. (comes to the house, so knows Angel, & has two kitties of her own. She also buys him Christmas presents   )  Anyway, I couldn't afford to pay her cash, so I payed her w/ a gift certificate w/ me for a facial & a 1/2hr massage. (I made sure this was o.k. w/her before I did it).

 (she usually just comes for waxing, so this was a treat for her).

I was just curious as to what sitters are paid. (hr/vs/ day/night/etc..)

Thanks!

 

[ldg]

It's actually probably best to call some services - or search online for some in your area, they may list their rates. I expect they vary CONSIDERABLY depending on your location. :nod:

 

[carolina]

It's actually probably best to call some services - or search online for some in your area, they may list their rates. I expect they vary CONSIDERABLY depending on your location. :nod:

That is what I would do..... and talk to the vet techs and see how much they charge...... It highly depends of where you are.... I have seen people here on TCS paying well below what I pay.... So....

 

[carolina]

That is what I would do..... and talk to the vet techs and see how much they charge...... It highly depends of where you are.... I have seen people here on TCS paying well below what I pay.... So... On the same token, I am sure in areas such as NY, where everything is more expensive... What I pay would not be the highest rate in town :nod:.

 

[ritz]

I leave for vacation (Greece) in a week and will be gone for ten days, and I recently moved, so I checked into this.

As a point of reference, I live in the Washington, D.C./Annapolis, Maryland area.  It is around $38 a day, that is for two visits, two feedings.  This is for professional pet sitters, one of whom I know through the same volunteer organization.  She use to be a vet tech.

Luckily, my niece (who has three cats) has graciously volunteered to feed Ritz 2x a day (I feed frankenprey).  She said she'd do it for free, but I'm going to give her a $50 gift certificate.

 

[nese]

Hello,

I was searching about raw nearly for 1,5 year, since I had my first cat. I was giving them raw chicken from time to time, but I never had the courage to make transition to raw completely, until last week

I was feeding my kitties raw and wet food combination for 6 days, we are still in transition period. But they seem to accept raw meat quicker than I expect

The problem is, summer is coming and I am thinking how they will be fed when we are on vacation. Pet sitters are not very common where we live. Although I can find someone to come daily to feed our cats, no one will accept to come 2 times a day to feed cats. And I am also afraid they will refuse to feed raw, because it is not very common here and everyone is against raw feeding, even vets... They think I am crazy to feed my cats raw, and they all think I will make them and also ourselves sick!

So I purchased an automatic timed feeder and I am thinking if someone comes daily and give them commercial grain free wet food once a day (breakfast), they can eat kibbles from the automatic feeder when the time comes for the next meal (dinner).

Although I do not want them to eat kibbles after we make transition to raw, this seems the best solution to me.

My question is if they eat commercial wet food and kibbles for 7-10 days, do they eat raw afterwards? Or do we have to start the transition period from the beginnig?

 

[sophie1]

I stress about this kind of thing too, although with my cats it's more about arranging companionship for my cats.  Two visits a day vs one makes a huge difference in how my cats behave when I get home.  Still this is a very big reason why I continue to free feed my cats their raw food... 

I have a friend who comes over with her little dog to sprawl on my couch and watch TV (she doesn't have a TV so it's kind of a treat for her) while her dog entertains my cats.  A sitter comes once or twice a day also to play with the cats and give them treats, and between the two of them they keep the food dish full and switch out ice packs as necessary to keep the food fresh.  Both are just fine with the raw food, although I'm careful to give them pre-portioned chunks in plastic bags in the fridge (with a sticky note on the door as reminder) or freeze-dried that they just have to break up and add water to

 

[abby2932]

I travel often for work and also personal vacations and I have a cat sitter that comes once a day to feed breakfast in the morning and she sets up their auto feeder or dinner.

She'll put a completely frozen nugget of my homemade ground raw into the auto feeder and a fresh ice pack under the food dish to keep it frozen as long as possible. She sets it to open 10 hours after she feeds them breakfast. I actually don't know how long the nugget stays frozen for because I've never tested it but my cats have never gotten sick so it must still be fresh when their feeder opens after the 10 hours.

I used to have her come over twice a day to feed breakfast and dinner but boy that was getting expensive. The auto feeder really works for us

 

[orange&white]

Abby's method looks good.  I was thinking about Frosty Bowls.  You could have a once-a-day pet sitter put out fresh food in one regular bowl, and a frozen clump of food in a Frosty Bowl for a second meal later on.  The sitter would need to rotate bowls in and out of the freezer every day.  Generally the same concept as Abby's.

 

[purplesnurple]

I am struggling with this myself now. How do I make sure my cat gets fed when I go out for the day/night or unexpectedly can't make it home? I am brand new to feeding food that isn't canned and preserved, and she can no longer have any dry food. This is stressful! I'm not even talking vacations or several days. I'm just talking during the course of 1 day. I can often end up leaving in the mid afternoon and not return home until 3am for example. One of my biggest concerns is that she often doesn't finish her meal and I don't like the idea of her possibly consuming food that has been sitting out for hours.

I bought the Cat Mate C500 and ran some testing today over the course of 10 hours. I am a researcher so I like to approach things scientifically. I measured the temp of the food in each slot every 2 hours over a 10 hour period (having the timer rotate the food dish every 2 hours). The ice packs don't cover the entirety of the bottom of the dish so it gave some variation in how chilled each dish became as it rotated. The food felt cold to the touch the entire time, but obviously it sat above safe temps after hour 0 and could begin growing bacteria.

Cat Mate C500 Temp
Slot Hour 0 Hour 2 Hour 4 Hour 6 Hour 8 Hour 10
0 43 51 51.4 59.5 54.3 58.6
1 43 48.2 49.1 53.1 60.8 58.5
2 45 48.2 48.6 50 56.3 51.5
3 51 56.7 49.3 50.2 52 59
4 45 57.2 56.5 51.8 53.1 56.5

I picked up the FrostyBowlz and am gonna see if those keep the food chilled better. I am mainly looking to see if I can buy myself a 10-12 hour window of the food sitting out safely for her, since she doesn't consume it all at once.

If I freeze small portions like in an ice cube tray and put them out in the chilled dish I'm sure it would stay fresh longer, and I will try testing that next to see how long it would take to defrost, but she still wouldn't consume it all at once and could still possibly consume it hours later without anyone to take it away.

This isn't even considering the fact that my cat HATES to consume cold food. It was no problem microwaving canned food, but I cannot nuke or heat up the new food as it would kill all the nutrients/supplements I add. I have her food frozen in daily portions, then I thaw the portions in the fridge and add the supplements to that daily amount and keep in the fridge. It's just easier to track that way. Still trying to figure out how I could safely warm her food a little when I'm home without sacrificing nutrients. Maybe a ziploc bag under warm water.

I'm a graduate student so I cannot afford a regular pet sitter in my area. If any of the veterans here have thoughts I'd much appreciate hearing them.