Where to leave a cat on vacation: pet hotel, catsitter, breeder and two more options

There is a stereotype that cats walk by themselves and do not need constant attention. Many are sure: cats will calmly spend several days alone. Actually it is not.

Cats do require less grooming than dogs. However, left alone for a long time, they also miss and worry. Unlike dogs, change of scenery is more difficult for them. Therefore, I recommend choosing the option of overexposure, focusing on the nature of your pet.

In this review, you will learn the features of popular options for where to leave a cat on vacation. We rank the options from the newest to the classic ones – which are hundreds or even thousands of years old.

Zoo hotel for cats

A new reliable option is a pet hotel. But not any. I recommend leaving a pet where overexposure is provided at an official and professional level. When you check into such a hotel, you will be asked to provide certificates confirming vaccinations and treatment against parasites in your cat.

If you think that pets are kept in cages in zoo hotels, we have good news for you. In a decent hotel, a cat lives almost royally – alone in a room, a small room with shelves. On them, the pet can jump freely. The rooms have everything you need: from a tray and bowls to beds and scratching posts. Look at the modern apartments in the zoo-hotel “Territory of Care”:

If the content in the zoo hotel is not enough for you, please your pet in separation. In addition to keeping, some zoo hotels provide the services of a groomer and a veterinarian. The main thing is not to overdo it. If your pet doesn’t like being petted and petted by strangers, don’t book grooming or spa treatments while you’re away. This will only add to the stress on the cat, which is agitated even without treatments.

How exactly cats rest in their hotels, Yana Matvievskaya, managing director of the pet hotel for pets, explained to the SharPei Online community:

Cats tolerate a change of scenery more difficult than dogs. Therefore, for a more comfortable adaptation, the room should be spacious, without other pets and extra smells. At the Territory of Care hotel, each cat is placed in a separate room with a window and a safe netted balcony. So the pet can go out into the fresh air at any time and watch the world. And natural light helps to quickly get used to a new place. Video cameras in the room are a necessary condition for us. According to them, the zookeeper monitors how the pet is accustomed to a new place. This is convenient, since the cat does not have to be disturbed by constant visits and increase its stress. Remote access gives the owner the opportunity to watch his pet at any time of separation.

Advantages:

• the pet will receive professional care, if necessary, the zoo hotel staff will invite a veterinarian

• the cat will live alone and will not be stressed because of the neighbors

• the pet will live in a separate room with a bowl, trays, a bed and a scratching post and will be able to move freely around it

• the hotel is legally responsible for the safety of the cat

• you can brighten up the separation of the cat with additional services, for example, grooming

Disadvantages:

• A change of scenery is always stressful for a cat.

• not all cities have pet hotels

• pet hotel is not a cheap pleasure. For example, in Moscow a good hotel will cost from 900 rubles. per day 

breeder

A practical non-obvious option is a breeder. Some willingly take in their former wards for the period of vacation of the owners. If you purchased a cat from a breeder, ask if they can help. Agree in advance who is responsible if the cat breaks something. And most importantly – in what conditions will the breeder win your cat. Including whether there will be many other pets, whether children live in the house.

Advantages:

• you leave a pet to a person you already know and trust

• the cat will be in good hands

• the breeder understands the characteristics of the breed and knows how to care for the cat

Disadvantages:

• a new place is always stressful for a cat

• not all breeders are ready to take on former “graduates”

• the breeder probably has other pets that may not get along with your cat and begin to divide the territory

Catsites

A fashionable and at the same time time-tested way is to entrust a pet on vacation to a professional nanny for cats – a catsitter. Such a specialist can come to you every day for several hours to play with the cat and take care of it. Or maybe temporarily move to you or take the pet to yourself – as agreed. It is better for a cat if a specialist comes to you. Even a temporary move to the house will be additional stress – especially if other pets or small children are in the catsitter’s apartment.

In order for the cat to quickly adapt to a new place, do not forget to bring a tray, toys, favorite treats, and a bed with her.

Good catsitters know how to care for cats, strictly follow the owner’s recommendations, and provide daily reports. You can find these on Avito, Yandex.Services or overexposure services. Kesitter services are cheaper than accommodation in a pet hotel. For example, from 900 ₽ per day in Moscow on one of the sites for overexposure of pets:

In order not to harm the cat, check the competence of a specialist. If a person does not ask you about vaccination and deworming of a cat, as well as castration or sterilization, look for another overexposure. After all, if other pets live with a catsitter, they will most likely be in close contact with each other, which means that there is a high risk of infection.

Advantages:

• the cat will be in a homely atmosphere, without cages and aviaries

• the pet will be supervised by a person who is responsible for the result with a minimum reputation

• sitter services are cheaper than accommodation in a zoo hotel – from 900 ₽ per day in Moscow

Disadvantages:

• a change in environment will stress the cat

• a pet can ruin a thing, scratch furniture or wallpaper in someone else’s house – most likely, you will have to compensate for this damage

• other pets of the catsitter may be aggressive towards your cat or be carriers of infectious diseases

• you will have to give the keys to the apartment to a new friend if you decide to keep the cat

• the catsitter is not responsible for the life and health of your pet if you have not signed an agreement with him

• unscrupulous sitters sometimes take all the photos on the same day, that is, their reports are not entirely reliable

Entrust the cat to loved ones

The most peaceful option for a cat is to stay in a familiar home environment. After all, cats feel more confident in their native walls. If you’re away for a couple of days, arrange for someone close to you to drop by to check on your cat. But if you are leaving for a long time, it is better to have an assistant move in with you for a while.

We recommend that you play it safe and find at least two people to whom you can entrust the cat during your vacation. The first one can get sick, leave the city on business, or simply change his mind.

It is important that a person treats your pet well and follows the rules for feeding and caring. Ask to refill bowls, clean up the litter box, play with your cat, give her healthy treats, and generally make sure your cat is doing well. Ideally, if it will be a person who is familiar to the family, whom the cat knows and is not afraid of: a friend or relative.

Advantages

• you leave a pet to a loved one with whom you are constantly in touch

• the cat is calmer to be in a homely atmosphere

• the pet is comfortable with people he already knows

Disadvantages

• it is difficult to find someone who is ready to visit the cat every day or move in with you during your vacation

• a friend or relative can let you down

• relatives may negligently follow your recommendations

• you have to give the keys to the apartment to other people

How to choose the most convenient option?

To choose the most comfortable option for your pet, pay attention to the nature of the cat. Think about the atmosphere in which your cat is most comfortable. If she likes to communicate with other people, overexposure from individuals or from a breeder is suitable.

If the cat is calmer when no one touches her, choose a good pet hotel. If the cat is having a hard time traveling, arrange for an assistant to live with you temporarily. It happens that a cat is generally sociable, but does not get along well with other pets and children – then it is better to choose overexposure without them. 

To summarize everything we discussed above, catch a visual cheat sheet:

It also happens that none of the popular options is suitable. Then you can take your pet with you on a trip. It is good to plan such trips in advance. veterinarian Boris Mats will tell you on the air for SharPei Online subscribers.