I have a 5 month old kitten and have an upcoming week long family vacation and taking the her along is not an option. Do I kennel her? Someone told me they just leave there cats at home and have a neighbor check on them but that doesn't sound safe to me.

[mmp]

I have a 5 month old kitten and have an upcoming week long family vacation and taking the her along is not an option. Do I kennel her? Someone told me they just leave there cats at home and have a neighbor check on them but that doesn't sound safe to me.

[Athley]

I would recommend a cattery not leaving at home. There was a post on over Christmas about someone who was left to look after a friends cat and it got out - we didn't find out if it came back by the way.

I always put my cat in the cattery. She is safe, well fed, played with, warm and cosy and I can relax and enjoy my holiday knowing she is being very well taken care of. She's always fine when I get home and very fluffed and brushed.

Make sure you check out a few catteries beforehand or get a recommendation from someone who has put their cat in.

Good luck. Enjoy your holiday too :o)

[gelda]

Completely aggree with you there Athey.

[MustangLady]

It does depend too on how well you get on with your neighbours, if they are reliable and good then you can ask them to keep an eye on your kitten and make sure she is fed and drink left regular. Otherwise maybe a member of your family or friend can take your kitten for just one week, it really isnt too long to look after her.
Some catteries are quite expensive, if you do want to use one though make sure you either check it out yourself or get a recommendation from someone. Good luck and enjoy your holiday.

[bensmum]

Catteries are a good option another being a professional cat sitting service (often advertised in your local vets) where someone comes in once or twice a day to feed and play with the cat. The advantage of this is that the house gets checked daily, mail picked up etc. and you can get the "sitter" to draw curtains, put on lights so the house looks lived in. This might be better for older cats who are used to their home environment more than a kitten. Actually I work occasionally for such a service and I love going to look after other peoples pets - I wish I could afford to do it all the time! Good luck with whatever you decide.

[shazza149]

Cats are territorial so a cat sitter is ideal.

Try these:

they are West London based and they were brilliant when I used them.

http://www.catnips.co.uk