As summer approaches, many of us start planning our holidays. Travelling is exciting, but many cat guardians are concerned about what to do with a cat when on vacation. Leaving behind your best friend might be hard for both of you, but taking your cat along is not always a good idea. So, you’re sitting with a mix of excitement and guilt, wondering what to do with your cat while on vacation. Fret not; we’re coming to a rescue!
Here, we’ll explore various options for cat care during your absence, discussing their pros and cons. Then, we’ll look at the best tips on preparing for your time away so you and your kitty stay stress-free.
Cat Care While You’re on Holiday: Exploring the Options
Luckily, there are plenty of options you can choose from. As with pretty much everything cats-related, there’s no one-fits-all solution. Below, we’re going to look at the most popular options, considering their pros, cons, and costs.
Daily Visits in Your Place
Daily visits are a popular option for many cat owners. This involves hiring a pet sitter or asking a trusted friend or family member to visit your home daily to feed, play with, and check on your cat.
Benefits: Your cat stays in a familiar environment, which reduces stress. Regular visits ensure your cat has fresh food and water, a clean litter box, and some interaction. A person who looks after your cat will also check on the cat every day – in case something is not on, they will notify you and take further action. You’ll likely get plenty of quality updates and photos with a dedicated person looking after your cat. If you are worried that your cat will not spend enough time with people, hiring a cat sitter to stay overnight is often an option.
Considerations: Choosing someone who loves cats and can spend adequate time with your pet can be challenging. You need a reliable, experienced, and knowledgeable person who knows how to spot warning signs and what to do in an emergency — not all cat sitters are equally good. Check our blog post on finding the right cat sitter to learn more.
Costs: In London, you’re likely to pay around 12-15 pounds per visit, and you might need two visits daily. An overnight stay might cost between 30 and 50 pounds.
Boarding Facility
Cat boarding facilities, often called catteries, provide a place for your cat to stay while you’re away. These facilities range from basic to luxurious and offer various care and amenities.
Benefits: Professional care with experienced staff, regular feeding, and cleaning schedules. Catteries tend to be run by people with extensive experience with cats (well, they look after cats daily), so they are likely to know how to handle emergencies.
Considerations: Some catteries are better than others, so choosing the right one might take work. If you select the right place, check the reviews and visit the cattery beforehand. Still, many cats may find the new environment and vicinity of other cats stressful. Your cats will likely be placed in a room or a box, so their living space might shrink significantly. Finally, as the personnel have other cats to look after, you’re likely to get less personalised updates about your cat.
Costs: In London, prices start at less than 20 pounds per day.
In-House Boarding
In-house boarding involves leaving your cat at a pet sitter’s home. Alternatively, you can ask a friend or family member to take your cat to their place temporarily. This option can provide a more home-like environment compared to a boarding facility.
Benefits: More personalised care in a home setting, often with fewer animals than in a boarding facility. Your cat will likely get much more attention and human interaction as a person lives there. This can be less stressful for friendly cats that need more attention.
Considerations: While your house is (or should be) cat-proofed, not every place is. Visit the place beforehand to ensure it’s safe and suitable. If you’re boarding at the sitter’s place, make sure they have good references and experience with cats. Assess if the person has any pets of their own or if they plan to board other animals during the time. If so, ensure the animals don’t mingle, as it only adds unnecessary stress for your cat. Still, as with catteries, other animals’ mere presence might already be stressful.
Costs: In London, prices are around 30 pounds daily.
Taking Your Cat with You
Taking your cat with you might be a good option. This is especially true if you plan a longer trip or live a digital nomad lifestyle. Always consider your cat’s unique character and plan in advance.
Benefits: Your cat stays with you, which can reduce anxiety for both of you. It can be a great bonding experience. If you are nomading and staying out for an extended period of time, it might be the most practical solution.
Considerations: Traveling with a cat requires thorough planning. You would need to ensure your destination is pet-friendly, take all the necessary items (including food and litter box), and create a sound emergency plan to be used if your cat gets sick while travelling. Ideally, you’d need to train with your cat first to make them accustomed to carrier bags or your car. Lastly, lightening up your schedule might be necessary to ensure your cat is not left alone in the hotel room for hours. When travelling abroad, you should also consider paperwork, such as an Animal Health Certificate or Pet Passport. This option is often more feasible for trips by car than by plane.
Costs: While you avoid paying for the cat care, you are likely to incur other expenses (e.g. travel documentation and additional hotel fees).
How to Prepare if You’re Leaving Your Cat Behind
While taking your cat with you might sometimes be a great option (stay tuned — we’re going to write about it soon!), it is not always feasible. Plan thoroughly if you decide to leave your cat behind during your holiday. It will improve your pet’s well-being and your peace of mind.
Secure Your Home: Ensure Your Cat’s Safety Before You Leave
- Ensure all doors and windows are securely closed and locked.
- If you’re leaving your cat with someone, ensure they have cat-proofed all the windows and balconies.
- Remove any potentially hazardous items or plants from areas your cat can access.
- If the cat stays with someone who has other animals, ensure they don’t mingle while you’re away.
Provide Detailed Instructions: Communicate Your Cat’s Needs Clearly
- Provide the sitter with detailed written instructions on your cat’s feeding schedule, litter box cleaning, playtime routines, and any specific habits or needs your cat has. Remember, in those potentially stressful times, your cats will lean on their routine as one of the significant sources of security.
- If your cat has any quirks, inform your caretaker about them. Sometimes, one cat’s normal behaviour can be concerning for another.
- Leave your contact details, your veterinarian’s contact information, and the nearest emergency vet clinic’s address and phone number. If your cat still needs to be registered, ensure you do it before going.
- Set the expectations straight. If receiving ten videos of your cat and detailed updates after each daily visit makes your mind at peace, feel free to ask your sitter for that.
- If your cat has any medical conditions, even mild ones, inform the caregivers. They will know what to pay special attention to.
Prepare for Emergencies: Create an Actionable Plan for Your Cat’s Care
- Provide the caregiver with a list of emergency contacts. If you have a trusted neighbour or a friend who can step in if needed, add them to the list.
- Ensure your cat’s medical records are up to date and easily accessible. Leave a copy with the caregiver in case of an emergency.
- Write and sign an authorisation letter allowing the caregiver to seek veterinary care for your cat if needed. If you’re leaving for longer, it might be good to call your vet and let them know that in case of any emergency, they might expect such and such person to accompany your cat to the clinic.
Minimise Stress: Create a Comforting Environment for Your Cat
- Create safe, comfortable spaces for your cats to retreat if they feel stressed. This could be a cosy bed in a quiet room or a favourite perch.
- Familiar scents can be highly comforting to your cat. Leave some of your clothes behind. Your cats will appreciate having access to their guardian’s familiar and soothing smell.
- It is a good idea to use some mild calming tablets (casein is a popular option available without a prescription, e.g. Zylkene), calming spot-ons (we love Beaphar), and pheromones (available as sprays or electric plugs). Make sure you start using those at least a week before your departure.
- Try to maintain your cat’s routine as much as possible. Cats thrive on consistency, so regular feeding and playtimes can help them feel more secure.
- If possible, introduce the caregiver to your cat before you leave. This will help your cat gradually get used to the new person. If you have very sensitive cats, it is a good idea to leave them with the person for a couple of very short stays (1-2 days long) before you depart for your actual holidays.
- Unless your cats are extremely shy and hiding from strangers, the longer they can interact with someone, the better. If you’re using cat sitter’s services, create a welcoming atmosphere and make it clear they are welcome to stay as long as they want. Sometimes, it might be a win-win situation. When I used to do cat sitting, I loved taking my laptop and working on my freelancing assignments at clients’. I was happy being able to change my working environment; they were happy as the cats were getting extra social time for free.
Provide Enrichment: Keep Your Cat Stimulated and Engaged
- Provide a variety of toys to keep your cat mentally stimulated. Puzzle feeders and interactive toys can keep your cat engaged while you’re away. Rotating the items is the key, so make sure you leave behind plenty of options so the caregivers can swap them around.
- Set up a perch near a window so your cat can watch the outside world, which can be entertaining and enriching.
- Leave a radio or TV on low volume to provide background noise, which can help reduce loneliness.
- Ask the person who looks after your cat to engage your cat in physical activity. Wands and teasers are great for that. Some cats can be pretty stubborn and play only if the session happens within particular parameters (e.g., favourite toy or playing spot, type of movements, rituals surrounding the playtime). If your cat is one of these, filming your “ideal” play session and sending it to the caretaker might be very helpful for everyone.
What to Do with a Cat when on Vacation: Personal Insights
Ensuring your cat is well cared for while on holiday requires careful planning. Luckily, there are plenty of options available, and everyone can choose the one that is most suitable for them and their cats.
Personally, my favourite option is asking someone to move in temporarily to my place. Hence, the cats get full-time care in their favourite environment. It is important for me because both of my cats are quite sociable and like interacting with humans. Furthermore, the little one is very attached to me and gets anxious while I am away. While I recommend this option, I know having someone moving in is not always possible. So far I was fortunate as I have many cat lovers among my family and friends. Yet I know that asking a professional cat sitter to stay overnight throughout your entire holiday can get quite expensive.
Another great option for providing your cats with full-time care is using barter. If you live in an attractive location, there is a big chance you have some friends who’d gladly take care of your cats if you offered them a free place to stay, Wi-Fi, and food in the fridge. This is especially true if you have digital nomads or remote workers in your circles. While I have yet to utilise the option, with our upcoming transfer to Italy, I am sure I will be discussing this possibility with my friends.
I would not feel comfortable dropping my cats off at an unfamiliar place for in-house boarding. I was once forced to leave them with my friends, and things worked out great. However, being unable to control the environment in which my cat stayed was quite stressful. While the situation was an emergency and the friends were experienced cat lovers, I would prefer not to go with in-house boarding again.
Some cat sitters can be excellent, and if you cannot take your cat with you, hiring a professional is often the most feasible option. I know the industry from the inside out, as I worked as a cat sitter myself. I was using Cat in Flat, a pet-sitting portal dedicated to cat care. It is now available in several countries in Europe and USA.
All cat sitters on the platform must undergo basic screening before signing in (an optional DBS check). Before any sittings, there was always a free-of-charge meet and greet during which the cat sitter could chat with the guardians and meet the cat. As always, some profiles are stronger than others, and I would always prioritise people with plenty of positive comments. Having said that, I think I would be fairly comfortable using the platform in the future, should I need it.
Another great option worth considering, however more expensive, is searching for local cat behaviourists. There are big chances they will be happy to provide cat-sitting services—it’s surely worth reaching out and asking.
What I would be least eager to do, however, is leave my kitties in a cattery. With Kala being a bit shy in new places and with Oscar’s history of territorial anxiety, I do not feel this option would work for them. While catteries are often the most affordable option, I would much rather search for affordable alternatives (barter: house for cat-sitting or cat sitting for cat-sitting) than leave my pets in a hotel. Having said that, sometimes one doesn’t have much choice. If I had to, I would visit the place beforehand and meticulously check all the reviews.