What can be done when you have to travel and leave your cat at home? Well, it definitely helps to know a trusted caregiver who can watch your beloved feline. It gives you peace of mind while you’re away. But how can you find someone so reliable?
Luckily, there are plenty of options available to you, from pet boarding facilities all the way to pet sitters, both professional and more casual, such as friends and family. Depending on your own desires, as well as your cat’s needs, you might be better off boarding your cat outside of your home, or even hiring someone to look after them in your neighborhood. So let’s see what options are out there!
Family, friends, and neighbors
One of the simplest and definitely cost-effective options is simply to ask a close friend, family member, or even a neighbor to look after your cat at home. Depending on your cat’s needs and personality, you might have someone come by two or three times a day to check on and feed your cat, give medications if needed, clean the litter box, and even play with it.
You might also ask the caregiver to stay in your home and spend the night, so your cat has someone around to play with. As a bonus, your family member, friend, or even neighbor could bring in your mail, water your plants, and even take care of other light household chores.
Well, having a familiar person look after your feline is the best-case scenario, especially for shy cats who might become a bit stressed, especially if you take them to a boarding facility. It’s also a wonderful low-cost option, especially if you have good friends or family who could watch your cat for free, or offer to pay them a nominal amount for their help.
Taking care of a cat is a wonderful opportunity for an older, more responsible neighbor child who’s trying to earn extra bucks. If your cat is fine with changes to routine, you can also bring your cat and all of its things to your family member’s or a friend’s home.
Cat boarding facilities
There’s another option lined up for you: you can board your cat overnight at a pet boarding facility, or even your veterinary clinic, if they have this option. Pet boarding facilities generally have staff caring for the pets for up to 12 hours a day.
The pets can be left alone at night, safe and snug in their enclosures, even if some facilities could also provide overnight care. In fact, the vast majority of pet boarding facilities offer some type of services for both dogs and cats, but the cats are mostly housed in separate quarters from the dogs. This way, they don’t get stressed by the sight, smell, or sound of dogs. Some specialty cat-only boarding facilities are quite a peaceful oasis for cats.
Pet boarding facilities are a wonderful option for friendly and outgoing cats, especially those who won’t become upset by being out of their normal environment. They are also a wonderful choice for felines with medical care or special medication, boarding at a facility that has a veterinarian or even a veterinary technician on staff.
As far as fees go, that’s a whole other story. Fees for cat boarding can widely range, depending on the type of facility. Boarding your cat at a boarding facility is generally less expensive than some professional pet sitting services, but definitely more expensive than having a family, a friend, or even a neighbor look in on your cat.
So when you board your cat, you must come with your cat’s regular food and possibly a bed or a blanket. The facility generally provides a litter box and cat litter, even if you can bring your own, if you have a picky feline.
Professional cat sitter
If you simply can’t seem to find a family member, friend, or neighbor to watch your cat, a professional cat sitter might be a wonderful option. Professional cat sitters can come to your home many times a day to feed and even play with the cat and clean up the litter box.
Some professional pet sitters could also move in full-time, especially while you’re away. This way, your cat can always have someone around. Like non-professionals, pet sitters can also do other household tasks, such as picking up your mail, watering your plants, and taking out the trash.
There are plenty of ways to find the right cat sitter. You can ask your vet or groomer if they know anyone trustworthy, or simply ask your friends, family, and neighbors for recommendations. If you can’t get a personal referral, just check your neighborhood social media outlets for local pet sitters. You can also browse online for a certified professional pet sitter through certified pet-sitting websites.
Fees for professional cat sitters could greatly differ, depending on your area and whether or not the sitter comes over a couple of times a day or stays at your place the entire time you’re gone. Then, the best thing to do is compare cat sitter fees to boarding facilities, which sometimes can get a bit higher for overnight sitting.
Ready to go away
No matter who watches over your cat, you should have the person come over before you leave on your trip. This way, they can familiarize themselves with your home, as well as your cat’s routine and required care.
Write down how much you need to feed your cat, and what time they should eat at, as well as any other instructions for medications and other types of care they require. Don’t forget to write down the name, number, and address of the veterinarian, just in case an emergency comes up.
Also, show the cat sitter where you keep everything: the cat food, the litter box, the litter, as well as all the needed cleaning supplies. In case you decide to board your cat, the sitter will ask you to fill out a form with feeding and other important instructions. Many cat sitters might text or email you a written report, along with a series of photos, letting you know how your cat misses you each day, so you don’t worry while you’re gone.
Some boarding facilities have “pet cams,” so you can easily check in with your cat and see what it’s doing through FaceTime. Knowing your cat is good and happy while you’re away will also let you enjoy your vacation or work trip, without constantly worrying about your beloved!
But remember, when you come back, make sure you give your cat the attention it deserves! After all, she was the one taking care of the home while you were gone, making sure that the couch was nicely scratched, the food was gone, and that yet another human being was successfully ignored by a feline!
Jokes aside, cats miss their owners just as much as dogs do; they just show it differently. Some might jump on us and meow, asking us why it took us so long to come back, and others will ignore you, expecting you to do all the hard work. And yet, someone needs to do it!
If you found this article useful, we also recommend checking: Your First Pet: The Ultimate Puppy & Kitten Adoption Guide
