Deciding between a cattery or house/pet sitter

E

ems

The hubby and I are going home to the UK for xmas this year and need someone to look after our 2 little kitties. We live in a unit, their inside cats so they've not had any interaction with other animals/cats etc. We haven't lived in Perth that long so don't know anyone well enough to ask to look after them. This leaves either taking them to a cattery or getting a house sitter in.

What do you all do when going overseas/holiday? I'm sure they would be fine in a cattery but I just can't bring myself to put them in there. Does anyone have a good place I can contact either a cattery or company that provides pet/house sitting?

Cheers
 
The Y-man said:
The term "cattery" sound horrible! Can't we think of a better term?
Somehow reminds of "battery" hens..... :eek:

The Y-man
Click to expand...

.... cat hotel?
cattery reminded me of... butchery, or catering

I'm not familiar with cat (a dog person here), but would prefer someone's minding my dog at home (or their home) rather than with many other dogs. But this is for dog, cats might be able ok?
 
I've used both and been happy.

There is an up market cattery near us owned by our local vet nurse. The cats are probably treated better than they are at home. I'm sure there are similar places in other states.

We've also used professional pet sitters who come to your own home to feed, water and collect mail once a day.

And also used live in house sitters for longer periods. On both occasions we used house sitters the house was left better than when we left it and the pets were well looked after.

Which ever option you chose the cats will be fine (although I have heard of catteries losing cats).
 
Why don't you try googling if their is any services. Otherwise ask Deena - she had some good cat care experiences.
'perth feed animals own home' google search
 
Doggy person here. I do kennels for short trips but when we went for a month a house sitter. Ask around locally, ppl will know the good places. Christmas is a bad time to try to find a house sitter, lots of ppl away. Another option might be having someone come in to feed them each day if they're used to being on their own.
 
Missus and I went to Europe for 6 weeks a few months ago, we decided that rather than have our two kittens put into a cattery or moved to the folks houses that it would be best to try and get someone to sit the house as well.
We used - http://www.aussiehousesitters.com.au/ You don't pay anything and the people on the site have paid to be on it and have been reference checked etc. You can view their profiles til you find someone.
We had no issues with ours, you don't provide them with anything just pay the typical utility bills and they look after your place. We ended up getting a young couple who were building their own house and were just looking to get away with living at their parents for a few weeks.
 
I'd offer if you weren't half way cross the other side of the world.
We regularly foster kittens for my partner's Vet nurse sister, would do other animals too, but currently living in a unit.
 
zimby said:
I'd offer if you weren't half way cross the other side of the world.
We regularly foster kittens for my partner's Vet nurse sister, would do other animals too, but currently living in a unit.
Click to expand...

Were only in Perth Zimby, just a couple of hours from Brisvegas :p
 
ems said:
The hubby and I are going home to the UK for xmas this year and need someone to look after our 2 little kitties. We live in a unit, their inside cats so they've not had any interaction with other animals/cats etc. We haven't lived in Perth that long so don't know anyone well enough to ask to look after them. This leaves either taking them to a cattery or getting a house sitter in.

What do you all do when going overseas/holiday? I'm sure they would be fine in a cattery but I just can't bring myself to put them in there. Does anyone have a good place I can contact either a cattery or company that provides pet/house sitting?

Cheers
Click to expand...

At home care is preferable to cats especially if they don't go out. You can get some good and affordable pet-sitters if you ask around.
On the other hand, a battery-catering-cattery is fine too. They get to see how the other 1/2 live. But they won't like it as much as home.
Kennels are good for dogs 'cause they just love socialising.
Cats often don't do much in catteries and don't think much of the other cats there.
Either way, they'll be fine! Have a good holiday :)
 
ems said:
The hubby and I are going home to the UK for xmas this year and need someone to look after our 2 little kitties. We live in a unit, their inside cats so they've not had any interaction with other animals/cats etc. We haven't lived in Perth that long so don't know anyone well enough to ask to look after them. This leaves either taking them to a cattery or getting a house sitter in.

What do you all do when going overseas/holiday? I'm sure they would be fine in a cattery but I just can't bring myself to put them in there. Does anyone have a good place I can contact either a cattery or company that provides pet/house sitting?

Cheers
Click to expand...
We have booked our fleabag into the local Vet while we are away for 3 weeks over Xmas/New Year.

They run an animal "resort" for this sort of thing, and is pretty cheap.

Same deal; "poor cat; he'll miss us!" says us..

The Vet says they have this misting machine that sprays some form of relaxing drug every so often in a very fine mist which helps calm them down -

basically they have a nice time; despite what we think.

Try the local Vet; they might have this service, or know of a good place to take the fur-ball to.

I have told the Vet there is another $200 in it - if he can train the bloody thing to think of others while it's there. :D

(note to self; try and buy one of Datto's attack mutts in the hope it will bite the cat in half for me).

Just kidding.
 
BayView said:
The Vet says they have this misting machine that sprays some form of relaxing drug every so often in a very fine mist which helps calm them down -
Click to expand...

I wonder if i could get one of these machines to plug in at home. Everyone seems to be a bit feral lately (including me). This could help.
 
Oh yeah, now we've found a good kennel my dog loves going on holidays. He cries (howls) when we leave but I'm sure it's just an act. They get the dogs into the yard 3-4 times a day in groups & apparently he has his group running in great big circles, lots of playing & wrestling. He sleeps for the first 3 days we're home, crazy pooch.
 
I've done both. Much of a muchness.

Cattery is good for sorting out any budding neuroses. Nothing like discovering how good their home is, by experiencing an alternative. Having to get along with other cats they don't know. Having to start training a new batch of humans from scratch. You'd be amazed how happily expressive cats can be when you come back to collect them. 'Home' is suddenly large and peaceful and any behavioural problems will have disappeared.

On the other hand there are benefits to having a housesitter too. Does the house need minding too? Or just the cats?

Mine are house cats and the cattery was one 'large outdoor room' where they all had to get along and share.

Make sure the cattery has a lock system (ie enter through a door into a small enclosure then through another door into the cattery proper) in case of attempted escapes. Also make sure it's set up to cope with hot and wet weather and has facilities in case of one aggressive cat needing to be separated.
 
trqx said:
Missus and I went to Europe for 6 weeks a few months ago, we decided that rather than have our two kittens put into a cattery or moved to the folks houses that it would be best to try and get someone to sit the house as well.
We used - http://www.aussiehousesitters.com.au/ You don't pay anything and the people on the site have paid to be on it and have been reference checked etc. You can view their profiles til you find someone.
We had no issues with ours, you don't provide them with anything just pay the typical utility bills and they look after your place. We ended up getting a young couple who were building their own house and were just looking to get away with living at their parents for a few weeks.
Click to expand...

This is one of the sites we use, when offering our house sitting services.As trqx says, you don't pay the sitters anything, just the utilities.
On some occasions, we have even paid for the pet food where we have stayed, because we were happy to do it.
 
I highly recommend Swan Valley Cattery. I used them a few years ago for my two inside cats. Small cattery, lovely owner, clean, wide choice of food. Cats have lovely area with an outside bit attached to their run.

They are popular and given they are small I would go out for a visit and book asap for the christmas period.

They have a website. Not sure where you are but I would definitely travel to put my cats here again.
 
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