Boarding a cat vs keeping at home
October 1, 2018 10:14 PM Subscribe
We are leaving to go on a 4-day trip on Wednesday. We have three cats-- two seniors and one frisky rambunctious young one. I'm having last-minute doubts about whether having pet sitters over twice a day will be enough to keep rambunctious cat from bullying one of the older cats. Should I board him instead? Many more relevant details inside.
Young cat does not continually harass one of the older cats, but he does sometimes seem to fixate on the older cat and follows him around tackling him. Older cat, unfortunately, lacks front claws.
Younger cat is usually reasonably well behaved with a lot of attention paid to him by his humans throughout the day but I don't think the sitters can come close to that. Their visits will last between 30 and 45 minutes.
I also don't think there's a good way to subdivide our apartment to give everyone their own living space. The younger cat is a major escape artist and our apartment is an open floor plan. We would basically have to construct a temporary wall in the middle of our house and doing it so close to us leaving might just make things worse.
Another complicating factor is that all three of our pets have conditions that are exacerbated by stress, aka chronic pancreatitis and inflammatory bowel disease. Their conditions are being managed by a vet, but I'm guessing this trip is not going to help anyone's stress levels. We have finally managed to wean the youngest cat down to a smaller dose of steroids after a long time and I really don't want to have to up his dose again.
So would the safest thing be to simply board the youngest cat so that he experiences moderate stress and the older cats experience mild stress but no one experiences off the charts stress while we're gone? I'm having horrible visions of the younger cat basically making life a living hell for our one senior cat while we're gone.
Also, speaking is the biggest homebody in the world, I hate "vacations" so much but unfortunately cannot get out of this one due to family.
Young cat does not continually harass one of the older cats, but he does sometimes seem to fixate on the older cat and follows him around tackling him. Older cat, unfortunately, lacks front claws.
Younger cat is usually reasonably well behaved with a lot of attention paid to him by his humans throughout the day but I don't think the sitters can come close to that. Their visits will last between 30 and 45 minutes.
I also don't think there's a good way to subdivide our apartment to give everyone their own living space. The younger cat is a major escape artist and our apartment is an open floor plan. We would basically have to construct a temporary wall in the middle of our house and doing it so close to us leaving might just make things worse.
Another complicating factor is that all three of our pets have conditions that are exacerbated by stress, aka chronic pancreatitis and inflammatory bowel disease. Their conditions are being managed by a vet, but I'm guessing this trip is not going to help anyone's stress levels. We have finally managed to wean the youngest cat down to a smaller dose of steroids after a long time and I really don't want to have to up his dose again.
So would the safest thing be to simply board the youngest cat so that he experiences moderate stress and the older cats experience mild stress but no one experiences off the charts stress while we're gone? I'm having horrible visions of the younger cat basically making life a living hell for our one senior cat while we're gone.
Also, speaking is the biggest homebody in the world, I hate "vacations" so much but unfortunately cannot get out of this one due to family.
I'm willing to bet that once you're out of the house and the only interesting thing for a few days is a person coming by to feed them, your younger cat will chill and sleep most of the time. Part of why your younger cat might seem like he needs a lot of human attention is that you're available to bother - when you're not around, does he bother the other cats even more? Or are you a separate interest? Do your older cats do much when you're not around? If they're just relaxing all day, they won't be targets of interest for the younger cat.
It will help you if you form a trustworthy relationship with your pet sitter. Have plans in place for boarding just in case, much like you should have emergency vet plans. Ask them to send you an update every day, just a text or whatever, especially since they'll likely be medicating the cats and you should be on top of how that's going anyway. Then if it turns out that there's fur flying and nonsense has occurred, the sitter can board the younger cat if that's needed. It's good to have someone whose judgement you trust.
posted by Mizu at 1:09 AM on October 2, 2018 [5 favorites]
It will help you if you form a trustworthy relationship with your pet sitter. Have plans in place for boarding just in case, much like you should have emergency vet plans. Ask them to send you an update every day, just a text or whatever, especially since they'll likely be medicating the cats and you should be on top of how that's going anyway. Then if it turns out that there's fur flying and nonsense has occurred, the sitter can board the younger cat if that's needed. It's good to have someone whose judgement you trust.
posted by Mizu at 1:09 AM on October 2, 2018 [5 favorites]
We are INCREDIBLY fussy, overprotective pet owners and this situation with twice-daily pet-sitting sounds totally fine. If you’re worried, we LOVE having a security camera to peek in on our cats.
posted by kate blank at 3:23 AM on October 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by kate blank at 3:23 AM on October 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
Cats prefer familiar surroundings, so I would plump for the twice-a-day sitter as less disruptive than a boarding situation. Also, it's hard to predict how the older cats will react to the younger one suddenly disappearing for a prolonged period of time--they might be relieved, especially the one who is being teased, but they also might get more nervous because of the additional change to routine.
posted by thomas j wise at 4:24 AM on October 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by thomas j wise at 4:24 AM on October 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
I would opt for the sitter as well, and would look for ways to isolate the older cats. Could they live in your bedroom, or a bathroom? With our older cats, they have seemed content to stay in just about any space that has food, water and a litter box nearby. A window to look out and cozy chair would be a bonus.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 5:35 AM on October 2, 2018
posted by Sweetie Darling at 5:35 AM on October 2, 2018
I never board our cats. It's really stressful for cats -- they never go anywhere, right? And strangers are worrysome? They'll be fine; 2x daily catsitters will be plenty. It's only 4 days!
posted by uberchet at 6:07 AM on October 2, 2018
posted by uberchet at 6:07 AM on October 2, 2018
I feel, from experience, that four days is not as long as it might seem from the cats' perspective. Also, my boy cat sounds like your young one—rambunctious, frequently tackling and otherwise tormenting his roommate—and we've never had any serious problems leaving them for up to five days *with no pet sitters*. Longer than that, I do bring in a sitter. (And if either of them were young, I would indeed try for one or two sitter visits for a 4-5 day absence.) I'd only take them out of their home if we're talking a trip of two weeks plus, and even then, I'd always prefer sending them to stay with family/friends for that time if possible.
But since you also mentioned you don't vacation often, one word of advice: keep them out of your bedroom while you're gone, or at least cover your bed with something water-, puke-, and turd-proof. The only real issue we've ever had with being gone is that if anybody gets especially torqued at us, they'll find ways to leave Notices of Displeasure in unusual spots.
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 6:08 AM on October 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
But since you also mentioned you don't vacation often, one word of advice: keep them out of your bedroom while you're gone, or at least cover your bed with something water-, puke-, and turd-proof. The only real issue we've ever had with being gone is that if anybody gets especially torqued at us, they'll find ways to leave Notices of Displeasure in unusual spots.
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 6:08 AM on October 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
Boarding is super stressful for cats. Even having a pet sitter come in can be stressful. Cats do not like change.
You need to provide older cat with more perches and lairs and other areas to which kitty can escape when little cat begins being an asshole.
This is extreme, but I have actually put 3 of those cheap wooden tension-based baby gates one on top of another in a doorway to keep cats from getting at each other while still being able to see each other.
Check out the Ohio State University Indoor Cat Project for more ideas to distract little cat and provide older cat with an out.
posted by Seppaku at 6:13 AM on October 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
You need to provide older cat with more perches and lairs and other areas to which kitty can escape when little cat begins being an asshole.
This is extreme, but I have actually put 3 of those cheap wooden tension-based baby gates one on top of another in a doorway to keep cats from getting at each other while still being able to see each other.
Check out the Ohio State University Indoor Cat Project for more ideas to distract little cat and provide older cat with an out.
posted by Seppaku at 6:13 AM on October 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
The few times I've boarded my cats, they did not handle it particularly well and it took some time afterwards for them to come down from the stress of it. Meanwhile, I recently did a 2 week trip and had a twice-a-day cat sitter come by and the only negative effect was that my cats wish I gave them as many catnip toys as the cat sitter did.
If it makes you feel better, set up a webcam or similar so you can check in -- I did, pointed at where they tend to hang out, and it made checking in on them super easy and relaxing.
posted by tocts at 6:16 AM on October 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
If it makes you feel better, set up a webcam or similar so you can check in -- I did, pointed at where they tend to hang out, and it made checking in on them super easy and relaxing.
posted by tocts at 6:16 AM on October 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Keep them at home! They'll be fine. I've left mine for up to two weeks and within 30 minutes of us getting home they act as if we were never gone.
The one time I had to board one of my kitties (because of an intense medication schedule) I took him to our wonderful vet and he was still a disaster. He barely ate the entire week.
posted by something something at 6:43 AM on October 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
The one time I had to board one of my kitties (because of an intense medication schedule) I took him to our wonderful vet and he was still a disaster. He barely ate the entire week.
posted by something something at 6:43 AM on October 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks everyone...I feel so much better about leaving the little monsters at home unsupervised.
posted by whistle pig at 8:09 AM on October 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by whistle pig at 8:09 AM on October 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
Echoing the "they'll be fine."
However, if this doesn't work either (either too stressful for you, or too stressful for the kittens), for future trips, you could consider hiring a house sitter who will basically live there while you're gone. Rover is geared towards dogs, but I most of the sitters I've hired through the app have been happy to take care of cats too (one of them even told me she was more of a cat person than a dog person). Honestly, given that cats are usually easier than dogs, I bet they'd see it as a bit of a paid vacation. At least in my area, the sitters typically charge about half as much for a single drop-in visit of 15-30 min as they do for an overnight, so it may end up costing about the same too.
(YMMV depending on how you feel about having people stay in your space -- for whatever reason, I get really stressed out about making sure we leave them clean sheets and towels. When we found a sitter who brings her own linens, it was like the heavens opened up and angels started singing.)
posted by natabat at 8:23 AM on October 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
However, if this doesn't work either (either too stressful for you, or too stressful for the kittens), for future trips, you could consider hiring a house sitter who will basically live there while you're gone. Rover is geared towards dogs, but I most of the sitters I've hired through the app have been happy to take care of cats too (one of them even told me she was more of a cat person than a dog person). Honestly, given that cats are usually easier than dogs, I bet they'd see it as a bit of a paid vacation. At least in my area, the sitters typically charge about half as much for a single drop-in visit of 15-30 min as they do for an overnight, so it may end up costing about the same too.
(YMMV depending on how you feel about having people stay in your space -- for whatever reason, I get really stressed out about making sure we leave them clean sheets and towels. When we found a sitter who brings her own linens, it was like the heavens opened up and angels started singing.)
posted by natabat at 8:23 AM on October 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
The one time I had to board one of my kitties (because of an intense medication schedule) I took him to our wonderful vet and he was still a disaster. He barely ate the entire week.
Truth!
One thing you can do is call your vet and ask one of their technicians does pet sitting on the side because many do! If not, they may have recommendations.
posted by Seppaku at 9:08 AM on October 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Truth!
One thing you can do is call your vet and ask one of their technicians does pet sitting on the side because many do! If not, they may have recommendations.
posted by Seppaku at 9:08 AM on October 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
When we came home after boarding my elderly Siamese, a few years ago, she was much happier than when we came home after previous trips, when we'd left her home with a somewhat obnoxious younger cat. Evidently the younger cat just would not let up, when there was no one else around to distract her. Boarding her with the vet worked out best. The one time I boarded her at a cats-only grooming and boarding place, she came home with fleas and ringworm.
posted by chromium at 2:04 PM on October 2, 2018
posted by chromium at 2:04 PM on October 2, 2018
For four days I think you are fine leaving them all at home if you are going to have a cat sitter visit 2x a day. That is what we do with our three cats. See how that goes, tell the cat sitter to notify immediately if they see any concerning behavior.
In the future you can use that info to decide whether staying at home is good enough for longer trips. I have used cat-exclusive boarding facilities before with positive experiences, if you end up deciding it's better in the future.
posted by joan_holloway at 2:19 PM on October 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
In the future you can use that info to decide whether staying at home is good enough for longer trips. I have used cat-exclusive boarding facilities before with positive experiences, if you end up deciding it's better in the future.
posted by joan_holloway at 2:19 PM on October 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
I have a similar situation - a sedate, couch potato 14 year old cat, and a rambunctious, troublemaker 9 month old kitten. I was very worried about the kitten harassing and picking on the old dude when I'm not around, particularly when I'm gone for long stretches of time.
I ended up setting up a combo of webcams and old phones for a few weeks to monitor the cats while I was out of the house. It became clear that the kitten just doesn't bother the old dude when I'm not home.. They get along just fine. The harassment only seems to happen when I'm around. I think it's just the kitten vying for my attention.
If you have a good, trusted cat sitter, I'd definitely go that route. Boarding is pretty stressful for cats.
posted by Orrorin at 5:43 PM on October 5, 2018
I ended up setting up a combo of webcams and old phones for a few weeks to monitor the cats while I was out of the house. It became clear that the kitten just doesn't bother the old dude when I'm not home.. They get along just fine. The harassment only seems to happen when I'm around. I think it's just the kitten vying for my attention.
If you have a good, trusted cat sitter, I'd definitely go that route. Boarding is pretty stressful for cats.
posted by Orrorin at 5:43 PM on October 5, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
This doesn’t solve your problem, I know, and you may have a fine experience at your boarder, but do weigh the risks of whatever may occur at home against what may occur outside.
Good luck!
posted by soulbarn at 11:26 PM on October 1, 2018 [2 favorites]