What is the best option for my cat?
At some point, every cat owner will face the challenge of finding good care for their feline friend. Traveling is a fact of life that, unfortunately, involves the stress of leaving our precious cats behind. This blog post provides you with a few tips for ensuring your cat receives the best care while you are away.
Is a boarding facility a good choice?
Cats are individuals with unique personalities, so any decision about their vacation care should be based on an assessment of their likes and dislikes. You need to consider questions such as how they usually respond to leaving their home environment, if they react negatively to strangers or to the presence of other cats, what they get into when you are not around for days, etc.
Generally, cats are suspicious of any changes to their living situation. When they leave their home, they encounter new smells and sounds that can be intimidating. Cats don’t think as abstractly as we do, so they don’t understand that you will be back to pick them up again. All they know is that you are leaving them in a new place with strangers to look after them. Some cats can be very sensitive to such radical breaks from their routine, whereas other cats are more adaptable. The latter group will tolerate changes better and begin to feel more relaxed and comfortable in their new environment after a short period.
Boarding facilities can vary a great deal when it comes to quality and philosophy on cat care. For that reason, you should go visit the place you have in mind before making any reservations. Ideally, cats should not be sharing facilities with other animals, such as dogs or even small pets. Loud barking, howling, and similar foreign noises can be frightening. Sound is not the most important thing, though, as cats primarily experience their world as a collection of smells and will be able to pick up on any new animal around, whether large, small, silent, or loud. A cat’s nose is much more developed and sensitive than ours, and new scents will cause them stress.
Some cats are sociable and share their home environment with feline companions. Still, it is best if they are shielded from the presence of unfamiliar cats in a boarding situation. That applies to smell, hearing, and sight. Boarding facilities may use frosted glass to separate their guests from one another, but most cats are not fooled by such measures. They will be able to identify a fellow feline through frosted glass, so cat enclosures with solid or opaque barriers are better.
If you choose a boarding facility, it is also important that it provides at least one cat hiding place within the enclosure. Cats need to be able to retreat and hide until they have adjusted to their new surroundings. They should never be housed in small cages but in enclosures large enough to meet their basic needs. That means having access to scratching posts, beds, hide-outs, litter boxes, clean water dispensers, food bowls etc. If you board your cat, you should check the enclosure thoroughly. Insist on seeing the place where your cat will be kept and leave them something that smells of home. It could be a blanket, one of your t-shirts, a sheet, their favorite toy, or a combination of the above. Familiar scents help your cat feel safe and secure.
If your cat is on medication or has other special needs, don’t just assume the facility has the necessary resources to deal with that. Staff members don’t always ask how to administer medication, so make sure you discuss such issues with them beforehand.
Your cat will also need to be fully vaccinated before boarding. A good boarding facility will have you bring proof of vaccination.
Is a cat sitter a better choice?
A cat sitter is the most common alternative to a boarding facility. Your sitter could be a family member, a neighbor, or a friend, but you also have the option of going with a paid cat sitter service. A sitter is someone who cares for your cat in your home, so one advantage of choosing a sitter over a boarding facility is that your cat will be in familiar surroundings. A cat sitter may stay at your place for the duration of your vacation, or they can stop by once or twice a day to dish out food, clean the litter boxes, provide fresh water, and spend quality time with your feline friend. Whether you choose a friend/family member or a paid sitter, you must be comfortable with that person and trust they will provide adequate care. Your vet may be able to recommend a paid sitter service, and you can interview the sitter thoroughly before you make your choice. In most cases, it only takes a few simple care questions to ensure your sitter is used to dealing with cats. For instance, can they tell if your cat is angry or afraid, do they know how to react to hissing, will they play with your cat, provide grooming, etc.? Hiding a nanny cam somewhere in your cat’s environment can also help give you peace of mind, and you may want to ask your paid sitter if they have insurance.
Most importantly, you must remember to provide your cat sitter with everything they need to look after your cat. It would be things such as food, litter, favorite toys, treats, and any medication your cat may be on. Tell your sitter about your cat’s habits, personality, likes, dislikes, daily routines, and medical problems. For some cats, it can be normal to vocalize often or to eliminate outside the box when they are home alone. Both behaviors can be indicators of illness, so make sure your sitter knows not to worry if your cat has these habits. Finally, always leave the contact information for your vet and for yourself. Instruct your sitter to send you pictures and daily updates, and to contact you in case of an emergency.
In conclusion, you are the one who knows your cat the best, so only you can decide if your cat should stay at a boarding facility or be entrusted to a cat sitter. If your cat has a history of acting up when left alone, it may be safest to choose a high-quality boarding facility or a live-in sitter. On the other hand, if your cat reacts strongly to change, home-sitting may be your best option. Vets often offer boarding, too, and that can be the safest solution for a cat with medical issues. Whatever you decide, your cat will miss your company when you are away – but that can also make your homecoming all the sweeter.
If you are looking for a cat sitter in Stamford, CT, click here to check out Smiling Kitty’s sitter services!
