topic Re: Have you ever sent your cats for boarding? in Pet Lovers

Have you ever sent your cats for boarding?

ANewHue — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 21:50:55 GMT

At either Petsmart of a vet? I don't have anyone to care for my cats and really would like to get a vacation this year. Just curious how many do this and what your experiences were.

Re: Have you ever sent your cats for boarding?

carolina2 — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 22:01:13 GMT

I hate to give you a disappointing answer. We had a very skittish cat that disliked anyone but our family to come near her. We had to board her at the vets when we made an out of state mood. She had to be boarded for a week until we could get into our new home.They told me she wouldn't eat and bit anyone that touched her. I would go over to the vets every day to visit her but that didn't help at all. As soon as the furniture was in the house we picked her up. She was back to normal in no time.

Re: Have you ever sent your cats for boarding?

scotnovel — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 22:09:08 GMT

@ANewHue wrote:
At either Petsmart of a vet? I don't have anyone to care for my cats and really would like to get a vacation this year. Just curious how many do this and what your experiences were.

I used to board mine at the vet sometimes and also at a cat and dog "hotel". Before I left him at either place, they let me tour their facilities. The cat hotel had larger than usual cages with "upstairs & downstairs" sections so my baby was not just confined to a cage type situation. The building also had windows all around so the cats always had a view outside for distraction. The vets accomodations were smaller but also decent. I never had any problem leaving him, even for as long as 2-3 weeks,when I was out of the country. He was always glad to see me and certainly wasn't traumatized in any way.

Re: Have you ever sent your cats for boarding?

lolakimono — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 22:14:03 GMT

@ANewHue

I prefer to have someone come over. When I lived alone, there was a vet tech who offered to help "cat sit" my diabetic kitty, who needed injections every twelve hours. You might try asking at the vet to see if anyone "moonlights" as a pet sitter. You could also try care.com for a pet sitter in the area. I have someone now, but when I was desperate, I had a coworker (4 kids) whose kids came over (she had to drive them) and they took turns caring for kitty. I think it's less stressful for the kitty if he/she can stay home, even if the catsitter is not an expert in cat care.

Re: Have you ever sent your cats for boarding?

bookwriter — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 22:14:10 GMT

My nephew boards his son ( his male cat lol) and he seems to love it. He gets a great care and doesn't seem to miss my nephew at all. We call it "his vacation",

Re: Have you ever sent your cats for boarding?

StylishLady — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 22:14:17 GMT

Did it once when we lived back north. It was too stressful for both of us. Down here when we still had cats, we were fortunate to have neighbor kids who did it for us. There are pet care services that will come to your home. I'd look into that.

Re: Have you ever sent your cats for boarding?

jaxs mom — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 22:14:39 GMT

Cats hate change. You'd be better off getting a pet sitter to come in and feed them and scoop the litter boxes. And hopefully give them some attention.

I can tell you that my cat Lucky would be a handful if he was boarded. It's not even an option. He stayed over night once and he tried to bite people and growled the whole time. When I showed up to get him they made me take him out of the cage myself because no one wanted to get near him. He was so happy to see me, and I had no problem putting him into his crate to go home and he was fine at home. My other cats would tolerate boarding most likely but they would be stressed being in a strange place. Especially because all of them were strays or rescues and they would likely think they were abandoned again.

Re: Have you ever sent your cats for boarding?

GCR18 — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 22:15:45 GMT

When I moved to a new state, I boarded my two cats a couple times. They came home with attitude problems. Took about a couple days to get them back to normal. Luckily, I met a neighbor that watched them at my house since then.

The place I went to was a boarder/groomer and rescue. It was as privately run by a lady. The building was behind her house. I think the problem was there were too many cats there and she shaved small dogs. I gave her my concerns, but moving them to another room was no better.

I totally understand sometimes you have no choice. I'd check the place out and see how many pets are boarded, what goes on there, how close are other pets and things like that.

Re: Have you ever sent your cats for boarding?

bookwriter — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 22:16:30 GMT

my nephew boards his cat a his vets. It's a vet/ hospital and he has diabetes and gets the best of care.

Re: Have you ever sent your cats for boarding?

susan kay — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 22:22:57 GMT

I've not boarded my cats. My dog, definitely, but when I go out of town, I bring in a "pet sitter" to come in (bonded and referrals). I have to say that I've seen my vet's boarding facilities, and they look very nice. If your cats have not been boarded before, you might want to consider having them stay just one night to get used to the boarding routine before you go on vacation. At least they would have each other for companionship.

If you decide to look at pet sitters, they come to your house and meet you and your

cat(s). It's a good idea for them to get familiar with your animals, and the animals with her/him.

Re: Have you ever sent your cats for boarding?

AnikaBrodie — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 22:24:09 GMT

Yes, it was a private kennel where she had her own condo room apart from the dog kennels. She enjoyed her stay and was a happy boarder. The woman who owned the kennel was also a vet technician.

Re: Have you ever sent your cats for boarding?

Alter Ego — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 22:32:42 GMT

I've boarded my kitties, but have gone back to home visits for the cost savings. I would do it again, if I needed to.

1st of all, I would check if there were any experienced pet sitters in your area. If you are comfortable giving them your key, it is probably best for the cat to stay at home. This is what I currently do - the one I have now sends me pictures and daily updates. It's a legitimate company with insurance, etc. Previously, one of the previous vet technicians would come by, but she didn't respond to an e-mail I sent when I was concerned about my new cat, so I no longer use her. However, I also live in a condo and there is an additional level of security there, so I understand if you are not comfortable doing this.

That being said, I have also boarded my kitties at deluxe boarding facilities that are conveniently located near the airports. The ones I used allow you to go and check them out in advance. My cat(s) stay in a smallish room with a cat tree (sometimes with a window for an additional fee and if available), but they are allowed into a larger space several times a day. My one kitty is so sweet so he also got lots of extra attention and hugs. I didn't get daily e-mails, but they are responsive to e-mails (and maybe you could ask for daily reports.) I did used to board one of my dogs at the vet, but he got sick, so I no longer will consider that. They also just don't get the attention that they get at the other facilities (although they are much more expensive; but, if I can afford a vacation then I should just consider appropriate pet ownership as part of the cost!)

Not all boarding facilities are 24/7. The one I used is. I had a very sick (much sicker than known) kitty that I left with them. He was diabetic and on insulin - but, that wasn't the issue. I got a call when on a short trip that he was found unresponsive in his room and they rushed him to the vet. They later picked him up from the vet and transferred him to an emergency 24 hour facility. It ended up that he had lung cancer that we didn't know about (he passed away a month later). So, had he NOT been at the boarding facility, he wouldn't have been transferred to the hospital as quickly as he was. Heck, if I was home, I likely would have walked in and found him dead - forever thinking that I did something wrong. So, although it was a very expensive final month of his life, I am happy he was boarded and able to get assistance so quickly.

Re: Have you ever sent your cats for boarding?

jaxs mom — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 23:55:36 GMT

I forgot to say, that some cats get so agitated at being in a strange situation that they will attack the other cats they have previously been friends with. In which case they have to be separated and can't share the kennel/room space when boarding.

Re: Have you ever sent your cats for boarding?

Another new name Sue — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 00:26:11 GMT

We boarded kitty once, and she refused to eat. Not saying this will happen to you. Now we have someone come in to feed her. I feel sorry for her because it's long days alone, and she does not come out for the person who feeds her, so she gets no attention. It's sad, but at least she eats.

Re: Have you ever sent your cats for boarding?

tedEbear — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 00:33:46 GMT

CATS are definitely very strange!! But are so sweet. ----tedEbear

Re: Have you ever sent your cats for boarding?

KailaS — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 02:04:03 GMT

I have hired a professional pet sitter several times. That arrangement can get expensive because my current cat and those before him needed to be fed and have litter cleaned twice a day. I also usually find some other trustworthy adult who will just spend time with my cat at least once a day--that is in addition to the pet-sitter. It is tough, but I often spend time in the hospital and my cat(s) do better in a familiar environment rather than in a strange one. I hate making any cat spend time alone when he/she/they are used to having someone around all the time. Good luck.

Re: Have you ever sent your cats for boarding?

MomCat — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 12:21:41 GMT

Cats are definitely place animals, but you can get away with that occasional boarding. Not all cats are the same when it comes to this, so you have to be the judge. I've done it, but that is not my first choice. You can check with your vet on recommendations of someone coming into your home to take care of them. Even with that, you will probably worry about them, but don't let that stop you from taking that trip! Our babies control our lives enough without sacrificing ALL for them. LOL

Re: Have you ever sent your cats for boarding?

ANewHue — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 01:17:44 GMT

Thanks for everyone's advice I really appreciate it. I did some investigating and found some very nice kennels that I'll be looking into. The cats may not want to come home after their visit though. Lol

Re: Have you ever sent your cats for boarding?

pommom — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 20:49:21 GMT

Years ago I had to have day surgery. I was new in town and didn't have anyone to pet sit for me that I would entrust to my home or pets.

I boarded my two cats in a beautiful pet resort in the country - horses, goats, ducks - just lovely. I had visited the facility before actually boarding them and read the reviews. All five star.

Never again. They were traumatized when I picked them up. One was under a piece of very heavy furniture and the other one was crouched up between the cat tree and the wall. He actually hissed at me until he realized who it was. Even though they had the best of care, they hated it. When I opened the door to their respective crates they flew in. It took them a couple of days to settle down.

Re: Have you ever sent your cats for boarding?

JeanLouiseFinch — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 23:38:44 GMT

Good luck with the boarding. DH and I have had cats nearly our entire married life. When we'd go away just for a night or two, we'd leave extra dry food and water, and everything was fine. When our kids were small, we had 4 cats at one time (one older boy and three young sisters) and we were going to go on vacation. We actually weren't aware that cat boarding was such a thing. However, there was a neighbor who was very active in our county pet rescue and she was also a cat lover. She agreed to keep our cats while we were gone. When we picked them up, we learned that she had relegated them to her basement. One of them was never the same after we brought them home. She turned into a real fraidy cat and would never voluntarily go to anyone. She spent her life that way, always hiding and rather skittish. Now that she's the only one left she's the only one left, she's had a big personality shift. She's been deaf for quite some time, is boney thin, and failing, at 19 1/2 yrs. old, but she can still jump up to the sofa or my chair and find her way to my lap. I'm hoping she can hang in there until she makes it to 20 yrs. old. but I'm not so sure she will. I feel bad for her, but I just can't "do it" yet. The other part of me doesn't want to just find her passed away though either.