What do you do with your cat when you go on vacation?

[CityCatMom]

This question is specifically for those of you who have multiple cats.

I have had one cat for about 5 years now and whenever I go on vacation, we either leave her with relatives or have a pet sitter come and feed her every day.

However, I recently adopted a second cat.

We are still in the early stages (she's been here for 2.5 weeks. We are following the Jackson Galaxy method, and the cats have finally started being able to be near each other with only one or two hisses and are able to eat on either side of the baby gate). We are going away for a week soon and will be leaving one cat with a pet sitter and another with relatives because we don't trust them to be in the same room yet.

However, in the future, once they are (hopefully) getting along, I was wondering how I should handle vacations? My original cat was able to be left for up to two weeks with relatives/pet sitters and she always adjusted to having us back within the week.

I'm not sure how to handle this with multiple cats? Should we always split them up when going on vacation, in case they attack each other when they are alone or in a different environment and get scared? Or is it safe to leave them together once they are getting along?

What do you guys do with your cats?

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Katie M]

When I'm gone for just a day or two, I leave them with plenty of food and water. Longer than that, I'll board them.

Once you know they're getting along, it should be fine to leave them alone together.

 

[Lari]

We leave them at home and have someone check in on them daily or every other day to scoop the box and give them some wet food (we have an automatic dry food dispenser).

 

[CityCatMom]

When I'm gone for just a day or two, I leave them with plenty of food and water. Longer than that, I'll board them.

Once you know they're getting along, it should be fine to leave them alone together.

Thanks! I just worry because the first time they (accidentally) came face to face, my cat got startled/scared and chased new cat around the room, hissing and being aggressive. Since we've started with the Jackson Galaxy method, we've seen improvements, but they still hiss at each other and swat through the gate. I'm hoping as they spend more time together, this will dissipate. I just don't want them to fall back into old patterns if they are left alone together.

Do your cats like being boarded? How does that work? Do they have to be in cages all day?

 

[CityCatMom]

We leave them at home and have someone check in on them daily or every other day to scoop the box and give them some wet food (we have an automatic dry food dispenser).

Thanks for your reply! Have your cats always gotten along?

 

[Katie M]

Do your cats like being boarded? How does that work? Do they have to be in cages all day?

I've only had to do it once so far, and I had just Charlie at the time. I boarded him at my vet for a week, and the staff said he was fine. I don't know what their policy is when it comes to how many cats can be in one kennel, but the next time I use the service I'm going to ask if Charlie and Selene can share one.

 

[Maria Bayote]

When we leave for vacations for up to a month we have someone who stays at our flat during the duration of our absence. I do not want them separated nor do I also want them to individually stay at different homes while I am gone.

I have 3 cats with me here in Doha, who hiss at each other every now and then.

 

[CityCatMom]

When we leave for vacations for up to a month we have someone who stays at our flat during the duration of our absence. I do not want them separated nor do I also want them to individually stay at different homes while I am gone.

I have 3 cats with me here in Doha, who hiss at each other every now and then.

Thanks for your reply! Having someone stay in the house sounds like a good idea!

Have your cats ever attacked each other?

 

[Maria Bayote]

Thanks for your reply! Having someone stay in the house sounds like a good idea!

Have your cats ever attacked each other?

Just a swat here and there, like human siblings who fight once in a while.

 

[Talien]

I don't go on vacation. Infact I don't go anywhere for more than a few hours unless I can bring my Cats with me, an 8 hour work day is about as long as I will be away.

 

[Lari]

Thanks for your reply! Have your cats always gotten along?

Not particularly, but it wasn't too bad. In our case, our cats had met a couple times (his had stayed at my place when he went on a work trip and a vacation with a friend) and when we moved in together, we had picked a new apartment, and although my husband had moved in about a month before with his cat it wasn't either's firmly entrenched territory yet, which helped. There's a big age difference between our girls - when we moved in together his cat was 8 or 9 and Lelia was a little over 1 and basically still a kitten, so while they had very different energy styles, Lelia was mostly content to see Sparkle as more of the alpha and since there really isn't a battle for dominance we felt better letting them spend supervised time with each other in a few weeks and were basically together unsupervised not too long after that. They each had their own "human' they saw as theirs and didn't necessarily need to battle for affection, either.

Our biggest issue is that his cat would eat mine's food (my cat is a grazer and his inhales food all at once), which we solved by getting mine a microchip feeder. They'll run and swat and chase each other, but I haven't seen any claws out fur flying type fights and they seems to tolerate each other most of the time.

 

[sivyaleah]

We have a very good friend who stays at our home when we go on vacation. This has worked out quite well for us so far. Our cats always got along well so no issues being left alone in the house together the hours she isn't here (or when we aren't here for that matter).

If you noticed I used the past tense in the above. Our older one passed last winter so last time we went away it was her only watching our girl. Now, we have a new kitten but we have not yet been away since the kitten arrived and won't for several more months at minimum. I'm assuming that she'll make herself available whenever that time comes. The kitten and our older girl now get along well enough for us to feel comfortable about the same arrangement as before. Had it been a couple of months earlier - not so much as it took a while for the two of them to get used to each other with the big age difference between them. But all is good now and we're more worried about the kitten getting herself into trouble LOL. In fact, one of them (can't imagine which one...) somehow set off our home alarm a few weeks ago. Luckily we were not far from home so was able to get back to meet up with the cops fast - and of course, it was a false alarm because...cats (or probably - somehow, kitten).

Anyway, I wouldn't want them separated anyway nor would I want to board them. Cats are very territorial and do much better being left in their own homes. I also wouldn't leave them alone more than a day if that. Certainly not with a kitten in the house now. I don't even like being gone for more than 1/2 a day with such a tiny baby here because her needs are so vastly different than an adult cats are.

If you can find someone you know and trust, this is most preferable. There are also services that you can hire that will not only watch over your cats but also bring in your mail, etc. Just make sure they are a bonded company, with good ratings and check references of course.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

We have 3 cats, a brother and sister and another male. We have someone come by twice a day to feed/scoop/play with them. They do just fine (we have been gone for as long as a week) and adjust quickly to us being home.

 

[CityCatMom]

Not particularly, but it wasn't too bad. In our case, our cats had met a couple times (his had stayed at my place when he went on a work trip and a vacation with a friend) and when we moved in together, we had picked a new apartment, and although my husband had moved in about a month before with his cat it wasn't either's firmly entrenched territory yet, which helped. There's a big age difference between our girls - when we moved in together his cat was 8 or 9 and Lelia was a little over 1 and basically still a kitten, so while they had very different energy styles, Lelia was mostly content to see Sparkle as more of the alpha and since there really isn't a battle for dominance we felt better letting them spend supervised time with each other in a few weeks and were basically together unsupervised not too long after that. They each had their own "human' they saw as theirs and didn't necessarily need to battle for affection, either.

Our biggest issue is that his cat would eat mine's food (my cat is a grazer and his inhales food all at once), which we solved by getting mine a microchip feeder. They'll run and swat and chase each other, but I haven't seen any claws out fur flying type fights and they seems to tolerate each other most of the time.

How do you like the microchip feeder? I feel I'm going to have the same problem because new kitty gobbles her food down every time and starts eyeing my older cat's food!

 

[Lari]

How do you like the microchip feeder? I feel I'm going to have the same problem because new kitty gobbles her food down every time and starts eyeing my older cat's food!

I love it! Lelia is pretty skittish and getting her though the first two training modes (1, just eat from the feeder with it open, and 2, mostly open with a slight movement of the flap) was tricky because she'd run away from it, but once she got used to the idea she took to it really well, and now if she wants a snack she just waltzes over to see what kibble or wet food she's left in there from earlier and I don't have to worry about her not getting enough to eat.

I did have to change the batteries after about a year of use, but that wasn't too big a deal.

 

[CityCatMom]

I love it! Lelia is pretty skittish and getting her though the first two training modes (1, just eat from the feeder with it open, and 2, mostly open with a slight movement of the flap) was tricky because she'd run away from it, but once she got used to the idea she took to it really well, and now if she wants a snack she just waltzes over to see what kibble or wet food she's left in there from earlier and I don't have to worry about her not getting enough to eat.

I did have to change the batteries after about a year of use, but that wasn't too big a deal.

Nice! Can you link which feeder you bought?

 

[Lari]

I have the Surefeed

Apparently there's an upgraded version with an internet hub and tracker app and everything now, but the regular one works well for my purposes!

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

When I had Pepper and Harley I just went to our place in the country so they went with me. Pepper was actually born on the property I went too so it was always a treat for her to go there. I"m not a big person on touring cities and all and perfectly content being in the country, a cave or the middle of the woods. These cats here will most likely go with me though. lol

 

[GreyLady]

Its safe to leave cats that are friendly together when you go, and it can give them some comfort I think to be with their familiar kitties. Being entirely alone would be scary for my cats, i think.

When we go somewhere we have our friend Shane come over who the cats really like, or my BF's brother.

Right now we have a 3rd kitty who isnt integrated with the other 2 yet and we are going away for Christmas for 4 days. We are just going to leave her in her bedroom and have our friend feed her in there.

 

[Jem]

We have always had multiple cats, the most was 4 at one time, the least is 3. If we ever went away, we just had family come over to feed and litter them and refill water dishes, play with them a bit and such. We also had one cat who could be aggressive (mostly towards people). I know he sometimes went after one of my cats in particular, but it seems like WE were the cause of these attacks, he would get jealous if the other one would want attention at the same time as him. He did not like to share couch cuddle time. As far as I know, they were perfectly fine when we were gone. We never came home to big messes, or injuries, no clumps of fur (which would indicate a cat fight) just a bunch of needy furballs who WOULD NOT stop talking.
If your cats get along (other than a few little spats, which is normal), I wouldn't worry about leaving them. Just make sure they have plenty of toys to keep them occupied, and see if whoever you choose to look after them will stay for a bit and play with them as well (if they're OK with "outsiders") so they can burn off some energy.