[brandon]

I have a question. I am planning on taking a 4-5 day trip out of town in a couple of months. I have never left my 2 cats alone for an extended period of time like this and I am wondering how much of an impact this is going to have on them and how I can minimize any negative results.

I have friends and family that can come by and check on them daily but I dont have a housesitter or anything like that.

 

[Zalensia]

ive left my cats for 5 days once, my partners mum came up everyday and i had no problems, infact i had more problems when i put them in a cattery. shelly who has passed away now sadly was in a cattery for 2 weeks, at the same time roughly the next year she disapered for 2 weeks....

 

[Littlebigcatdaddy]

I highly recommend a housesitter. The thing is, cats are very much creatures of habit. Routine is part of how they define territory. So, without you in the house to help keep their routine the same, the stress level can really go through the roof. Also, boarding cats doesn't really make sense to me since you're really robbing them of their territory altogether and the cost is usually right there with the cost of a housesitter.
Finally, make sure the housesitter you hire keeps the routine just as you have it with your cats. That includes playtime, etc. After all, that's what you pay them for.

 

[brandon]

I have looked into pet sitters and it seems that all they do is drop by once or twice a day.. I would rather my friends and family do that since the cats already know them and my parents like to play with them.

There are people that will actually come and stay at your house while you are gone.. professionally? How do I find such a person and will they break my bank while I am gone?

 

[Littlebigcatdaddy]

Sure there are pro petsitters. They usually have other jobs during the day, but then commit to spending the night with your guys.
If you find them through the paper or something, ask for references. Often a good place to look is through the vet's office b/c alot of vet techs do it on the side which increases the trust factor. Alos look for business cards in the small boutique-y pet stores, grooming places, etc.
It's a great alternative!