Vacation

Lu'sMom

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Hi.. I'm new here and wasn't sure where to post this question. I have a 7yr old tabby, Lulu. I have gone on vacation before for not more than 5 days and always had my husband (we are separated) stop by to feed Lulu twice a day and on certain days he would come and lay with her, she loves being held and loves just laying on me (and him). she does not like anyone else and never comes out if I have company. She is very attached to me and she (and I) have routine everyday, esp during the week. I am going on vacation end of month and will be gone 7 days this time and I am stressing over going. I feel horrible leaving her for that long. other people think I'm crazy because I'm upset about leaving her. She has done well in the past when I was gone but I am still worried. She sleeps with me all night and wherever I'm at during any other time when I'm home, she's RIGHT there. Any one have any tips to help make her time without me less stressful or am I overreacting? I forgot to mention my husband will also FaceTime me so I can see and talk to Lulu a few times. I know that I'll be leaving some of my clothing around with my scent on it around the areas she spends alot of time around and places she naps.
 

di and bob

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It sounds like you have a plan, she will be a little stressed from the change in your routine, but having your ex come in to feed her and spend a little time will go a long way to making it bearable. Having facetime would be wonderful.
 

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She'll be fine. With all the cats and trips we took from my childhood until now, the only odd thing that happened was one cat took to pooping in the bathtub. It stopped when mom and dad came home.

You might leave a radio playing softly on a talk station to mimic activity in the house.

You seem to have things pretty well in order.
 

Mamanyt1953

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I'd wear a tee shirt around the house for a few days so that it smells strongly of you. Leave where she can nest with it.
 

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This is one of the big advantages of being a cat owner as opposed to a dog owner. For a well adjusted cat, 7 days with visits from a cat sitter doesn't really seem like a big deal. Cats are very eager to rub all over us for like an hour when we get home, then everything is back to normal. Shorter trips (say 3 days or so) without a cat sitter are ok too.
 

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Much to my husband's dismay, I have been avoiding the topic of going on vacation for years because I hate car trips/traveling but now that I have Boone and Gracie, I am really avoiding it because they are the first cats we've had that eat primarily wet food. Normally if we went away for a week, we'd leave a large bowl of dry food and a large bowl of water and the cats would take care of themselves. Not sure how we'll work that now that Boone and Gracie get 2-3 wet meals a day and rarely eat the dry food that is available for them. Don't really want any of our neighbors stopping by to feed them as I kind of don't trust them not to take stuff while we are away. :ohwell: Don't have any family nearby so that is out. May just have to board them but I'd think that would be stressful as they don't like new people and hide until they are gone. My only hope is that our oldest doesn't go with us and he can take care of them but I really don't want to "ban" our oldest from a vacation either. :lol:
 
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Lu'sMom

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It sounds like you have a plan, she will be a little stressed from the change in your routine, but having your ex come in to feed her and spend a little time will go a long way to making it bearable. Having facetime would be wonderful.
thank you for replying.. I feel I'm the one who is having the problem and anxiety about her being alone alot..lol I just worry about her.
 
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Lu'sMom

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She'll be fine. With all the cats and trips we took from my childhood until now, the only odd thing that happened was one cat took to pooping in the bathtub. It stopped when mom and dad came home.

You might leave a radio playing softly on a talk station to mimic activity in the house.

You seem to have things pretty well in order.
Thank you for your response! It's me who is having a hard time..lol We always had cats growing up as well and I've had cats thru out my adult life but with Lu, it seems different. She is so attached to me and it makes me sad that I'm leaving her for a week. I suppose I'm the one who needs the reassuring!
 
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Lu'sMom

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I'd wear a tee shirt around the house for a few days so that it smells strongly of you. Leave where she can nest with it.
Yes, I'm going to do that and also leave other items of clothing here and there that have my scent. Thank you!
 
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Lu'sMom

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This is one of the big advantages of being a cat owner as opposed to a dog owner. For a well adjusted cat, 7 days with visits from a cat sitter doesn't really seem like a big deal. Cats are very eager to rub all over us for like an hour when we get home, then everything is back to normal. Shorter trips (say 3 days or so) without a cat sitter are ok too.
She is so happy whenever I get home, even after just being at work for 8 hours. I'm sure she'll be fine, just helps to hear it from others. I did the dog thing for 13yrs...with a diabetic dog who had to have insulin twice a day for the last 7yrs of his life. We took no vacations, no weekend get a ways, no overnights, nothing..for 7yrs. But we feel that we took on the responsibility of being dog owners so it was our responsibility to take care of him no matter what and it was worth it.
 
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Lu'sMom

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Much to my husband's dismay, I have been avoiding the topic of going on vacation for years because I hate car trips/traveling but now that I have Boone and Gracie, I am really avoiding it because they are the first cats we've had that eat primarily wet food. Normally if we went away for a week, we'd leave a large bowl of dry food and a large bowl of water and the cats would take care of themselves. Not sure how we'll work that now that Boone and Gracie get 2-3 wet meals a day and rarely eat the dry food that is available for them. Don't really want any of our neighbors stopping by to feed them as I kind of don't trust them not to take stuff while we are away. :ohwell: Don't have any family nearby so that is out. May just have to board them but I'd think that would be stressful as they don't like new people and hide until they are gone. My only hope is that our oldest doesn't go with us and he can take care of them but I really don't want to "ban" our oldest from a vacation either. :lol:
Lu gets wet food 3 times a day as well as dry food. While I'm gone, she'll only be getting her wet food twice a day but she'll be ok, she'll nibble on her dry food here and there. I've never been a big fan of boarding my pets. we did it years ago when we went on our honey moon with our dog and our best friend went to visit him at the vet he was boarded at and ended up taking him home and staying with him...lol because he could tell how stressed and miserable he was being boarded. I can also relate to not wanting neighbors coming in your home. I don't trust many people let alone my neighbors! Hopefully your oldest will stay behind!! and you can have a stress free trip!
 

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thank you for replying.. I feel I'm the one who is having the problem and anxiety about her being alone alot..lol I just worry about her.
Don't forget...she'll be snoozing about 16-18 hours a day while you're gone. The time will pass far more quickly for her than it will for you!
 

Lulu&Finn

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I have a Lulu too! She is very attached to me and skittish and tempermental. We go on vacation twice a year and some weekends. The first year we had her I could not enjoy vacation because I worried. We came home and I went out and got another kitten. They are great friends and it has helped ME not worry so much. Mine were fed 3x a day also but before our June vacation we went to twice a day and they've stayed that way. I never had cats growing up that ate 3x a day.

I have had to remind myself many times that they are animals. I love them so much, but they are animals and they will be fine. Enjoy your vacation!
 
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Lu'sMom

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I have a Lulu too! She is very attached to me and skittish and tempermental. We go on vacation twice a year and some weekends. The first year we had her I could not enjoy vacation because I worried. We came home and I went out and got another kitten. They are great friends and it has helped ME not worry so much. Mine were fed 3x a day also but before our June vacation we went to twice a day and they've stayed that way. I never had cats growing up that ate 3x a day.

I have had to remind myself many times that they are animals. I love them so much, but they are animals and they will be fine. Enjoy your vacation!
What is it about "Lulu's" 😊 she's so attached, tempermental, and skittish as well.... I keep telling myself that she will be fine. Thank you for sharing and helping me feel better!!
 

Mamanyt1953

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Lulu&Finn Lulu&Finn , your Lulu is what we refer to as a "torbie," she has tortie coloring in a tabby coat pattern. "Tortie" isn't an actual breed, but a color pattern. There are only two colors of cats (genetically), black and orange (red). Everything else is a dilution or permutation of those two colors, except for white, which is caused by a gene that prevents the hair from expressing any color at all. LOL, can you tell that I find the genetics behind cat colors fascinating???
 

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Yes, lol thank you for the info. I had read about that stuff when I first got her and the vet said, "look out for the tortitude", which I had already seen. :) Lulu doesn't like being told no. She's very smart and mischievous. She opens drawers, doors, goes into cabinets. If she wants to know or do something she will work at it until it's done. Finn on the other hand doesn't even try to do stuff. It took months and months for him to go up onto the counter.
 

Mamanyt1953

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LOL, as you can see from my avatar, I am very familiar with tortitude! And Hek can also open every door and drawer in my house. The front and back doors stay on the dead bolts. She knows how to unlock them, but they're just a little too stiff for her pawsies, thank goodness! Hek is also not fond of "no." Our conversations are generally, "no." "maow." "No." "Maow." "NO!" and she whirls around with her back to me, peeks around her shoulder and audibly grumbles at me. Calls me everything but a child of God. When I tell her, "I hope you don't plan on kissing me with that mouth!" she stomps off to pout.
 

Lulu&Finn

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I love it! Same thing. I have child locks on some cabinets. She looks at me and then tries harder to get what she wants. I have a child lock on our bedroom door, outside, for when I have to lock them in if there’s a delivery or something. If the doorbell rings she growls…growls like a dog! She will growl periodically and hiss at other members of the family. And swat.
Then there’s Finn. The sweetest, most loveable cat I’ve ever owned! I never knew black cats were so precious. I love them both equally. ❤❤
 
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