Holidays and a rescued cat

Lleucu

I just thought I would post recent experiences of leaving a rescued cat for over 2 weeks.

Our cat is quite 'challenging', we took her at 14 after CP tried to rehome her for 2 years. She has had a lot of changes and broken attachments. My partner is recently disabled and we got the cat mainly to cheer him up though despite her aggressive ways, she has made up both happy.

Here is a recent photo https://www.flickr.com/photos/101151948@N07/14196896038/

The other thing that makes my partner happy are holidays and though I do not like them, I reluctantly agreed to 2 weeks in Spain, and then we went through the options (cattery, CP offered to take her back for 2 weeks, neighbour to visit twice a day) and we went for the third options because we thought it would be less traumatic for her. We also bought the pheronome stuff and she did respond by becoming much quieter.

All seemed OK until the last few days when she stopped eating. She is not the sort of cat who would allow herself to be touched so our neighbour could not examine her. When we got back, she was very distressed and could not stop coughing, she was also not eating or drinking.

We realised that there was a risk of dehydration so got her to the vet the next day - hairball stuck in gullet - after antibiotics and anti inflams as well as water given by mouth she rapidly improved and is now nearly back to normal though very clingy.

So no more holidays without the cat! Strangely she has been very good staying in a cottage for a few days. Because of her age, I do feel leaving her without 'protection' and company was too much for her.

Lleucu

PS We have had for the cat for over 12 months.

Horseunderwater

Sometimes we have to make sacrifices, because our furry purrys need us. I had 3 1/2 months in hospital & my boy forgot who I was. We are now as we once were again. He's doing his rug cat act Atm.

Lleucu

Thanks I agree with you.

meritaten

I have been wondering this - we usually go away for a week in June and I don't think I can bare to leave Barnes. haven't had him for quite a year yet - and he is a cat who absolutely loves human company. he isn't so keen on other cats. so a cattery is out. he would be so lonely if no-one was in the house with him - so someone popping in a couple of times a day is out too.
He belonged to my son before I had him - so I really hope my son can take him to his house ............Barnes will just have to cope with sons cats for a week. its the only answer - I cant take him with me and I cant leave him alone.

inkie

Bob, our cat absolutely loves human company, and so we try and minimise the amount of time that we leave him in the cattery. he longest he has been there is 5 days. We have been used to going away every school holiday, but since he came on the scene, we have really cut back as we don't want to leave him. A worth while sacrifice for us, as far as we are concerned.

tea_lover

Am dreading the first time I have to leave our cat. He's been with us for about 9 months now and I can't remember life before him. He's incredibly affectionate, always sitting on someone's lap. My parents live 2mins away and have offered to come round if we do go away. I trust them, and they know how precious he is, but I can still see that we won't be going on holiday this year. I just can't bare to leave him.

Btw.... beautiful photo

lisajane8482

We put Salem and Gizmo in to a cattery last year for a couple of day, I was working away and DH had a sleep over with work. We though it was the perfect time to see how they would cope with the hopes of being able to go away later in the year. Never again, they both hated it, they hissed and growled, they wouldn't eat and when it came time to bring them home the staff had to put chainmail type gloves on as they kept taking swipes at them. They didn't even settle when they saw DH.

This year we both have a week off in August but rather than go away for the week we are doing day trips out. We've booked train tickets to go to London and Edinburgh for two of the days leaving early morning and arriving back late evening. Personally I am happy with this compromise as it means we stil get to do something plus we know the three cats are ok and are happy.

stir_crazy

Thankfully I've never had to use a cattery. We used to take the cats to a relative's to stay if we went away, but that stopped when the youngest decided to peel some wallpaper off her living room wall. Since then, I've used a cat sitter once but in the main I've been lucky enough to have friends who can go in and sit with the cats for an hour or so every day.

We're planning on going away later in the year for 10 days and I was panicking about what to do, until my mum said that she's happy to house sit so the cats will have all of her attention. I can imagine coming home to two very pampered cats!