Should my cats go in a cattery or should they stay at home?

[sue11]

Hello everyone, I would appreciate your thoughts on this please. I am going away on holiday in July for 10 days. In the last few years we have only taken shorter breaks of up to 6 or 7 days and each time my partner's parents have popped over to our house each morning to feed our cats Ozzie and Bandit, the rest of the time they have been left at our house on their own. However my partner feels that 10 days is too much to expect his parents to come over and feed the cats and wants us to put them in a cattery. I do not really know what to do for the best. I don't like the idea of putting them in a cattery and I am pretty sure they will hate it as they love their home comforts, but I can see that it may be best to put them away for the time that we are away on holiday. I want to do what is best for the cats, as I worry about them, in some way it will be nice to think that I will always know that they are safe in the cattery (I hope!) and not getting into trouble at home, but then again I am pretty sure if I asked the cats, they would much rather stay at home than be put in a strange place that they don't know. Another worry is that they are both coming up to 16 years of age and if they got ill as a result of the stress of being in a cattery, I would never forgive myself.
What should I do?
Cheers for your thoughts on this
Sue

[lankeela]

I googled the Pet Pals service, and they visit the cats for just 20 minutes to feed and clean the litter tray. I personally don't think this is long enough for the cats to feel they have not been abandoned. In a cattery there will be people about for most of the day. When I was doing cat visits, I was there for at least an hour, and would sometimes sit and watch tv with them in the evening.

Also make sure anyone you get is fully insured, as if they leave a window open or not lock a door properly and you got burgled, you would be liable, and not able to claim if they were not insured.

[sue11]

Cheers Lankeela and Loftylottie, once again very useful information given. I agree that safety is my prime concern definately over my cats grumpy feelings at me leaving them for a short while! A valid point about the insurance, I will definately check for that.
Cheers Sue

[shazza149]

cats are very territorial and do not like to be moved around.

I would suggest a company like these:

http://www.catnips.co.uk

i used them and they were brilliant

[sue11]

Many thanks shazza, in the end I did decide to put them in a cattery and they managed to survive the experience intact!
I think I was the most stressed out of all of us, worrying about how they were coping. The owner of the cattery on my return told me she was keeping Bandit as she was such a lovely relaxed laid back cat and she had fallen in love with her!
Cheers Sue

[elaine73]

My cat is 20 years old and has only been in a cattery once ever and that was when she was only about 4 years old. She hated it. She did share a pen with her rather fat brother at the time.
Now my hubby and I want to go on holiday together for a week for the first time since 2009 and our next door neighbour will pop into feed and cuddle our other 5 cats but our old cat has health problems in that her hind legs are arthritic and when doing a poo she collapses into it as her hind legs give way. She needs a bum clean every two days to keep her clean and the flies away as she like to go outside occasionally especially when it's sunny. Other times she eats and sleeps.
I cannot expect the neighbour to wash our old cat's num every two days....I am wondering whether my cat would be okay at a cattery and could I expect a cattery to wash her bum?

I'm not sure my old cat would 'like' to be stuck in a pen at a cattery for a week...whaever happens I will worry about her...in a cattery or at home with the neighbour....I am in turmoil...do I yet again cancel my holiday. ?.which is only 500 north to Scotland to see family.
Any advice or suggestions?