House siting a cat

[K1052]

But if he can't do it, well then yeah I was thinking of surrendering it at a no kill shelter then getting a new one when I get home.

D:

 

[BoomerD]

We know a lady who has a pet sitting service. She used to come every day, feed the cat, clean/change the box as needed...$5 per day.

We always gave her AT LEAST $100 bonus over what we actually owed her for the service.

 

[Charmonium]

We know a lady who has a pet sitting service. She used to come every day, feed the cat, clean/change the box as needed...$5 per day.

We always gave her AT LEAST $100 bonus over what we actually owed her for the service.

A friend of mine does that for spare cash since his work hours vary quite a bit.

I'd call a couple of people and see what kind of price you can get.

If you get an automatic feeder and water dispenser, you could theoretically go for a week with no one there. That might be scary for the cat but in terms of being practical, it definitely is doable - unless your cat is very fussy about their litter box in which case you put out 2 or 3. You can get disposable ones.

So get prices for daily visits and for every other day. Maybe leave some music or a tv on for kitty. My old cat used to like that.

 

[Red Squirrel]

How long, a week? While kinda long, I would just make sure there is a lot of food and water available, like fill a salad bowl with water and one with food.

It might be a bit stressful for the cat to not see you for that long though but it's sure as hell better as bringing it to a shelter and abandoning it.

When I go away I usually bring my cat to my parent's house. My cat was pretty much raised there so she does not really care.

 

[werepossum]

In the course of a friendly convo, tell him you're willing to pay for his valuable and friendly assistance, and then ask him how much money he thinks would be a proper amount.

He might hesitate (deer in the headlights n' all) so then tell him to think it over and emphasize that you won't be offended by whatever amount he comes up with.

My bet? $50 is what he'll say. Then tell him $100 and you won't consider giving him a penny less. When you return, add in an unannounced gift of booze or, ummm, a small amount of medical marijuana as well. No more shoes. Don't treat him as if he's one of the poors!

This, and well said. I'll add that it needs to be a cat person, someone who is comfortable with cats and will give it some attention. Cats are social animals and four weeks without attention is torture - you'll come home to a feral.

Also, water needs to be in two places, in case the cat knocks over one.

 

[tynopik]

Cats are social animals

are you perhaps thinking of dogs?

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Cats are very social, extra important if you only have one.

They may hunt solo but they go all whackadoodle if they aren't around something else for extended periods.

 

[Jaskalas]

Also, water needs to be in two places, in case the cat knocks over one.

Absolutely this ^

 

[lupi]

One time I got a phonecall and had to leave within an hour for a medical emergency. Filled bathtub with water in addition to large cooking dish, dumped about 10 pounds of food into a container then locked the door.

Cat was fairly young and had gotten it recently from a farm. Didn't know it had a bit of an infestation problem, so by time I got back food was long gone and the tapeworm had the cat a lot skinnier than he should have been. Also had to give him more time than he wanted under water for a impromptu flea dip as it looked like a swarm going over him. The moving camouflage effect to his fur was rather interesting though.

 

[Maridon Tier]

I had to watch a cat before for my girlfriend for couple days. I honestly didn't play with it i just fed him and checked on his litter box every day. Ungrateful cat still tore up the carpet, which she told me not to let do. Sometimes i just don't understand cats and why they do the things they do.. was the last time i did that though lol.

 

[Carson Dyle]

A free pair of shoes? Seriously? Was he going barefoot prior to you gifting him those shoes?

Do you really have zero friends with whom you can drop the cat and have them look after it? Maybe even not so "close" by?

I think I'd trust my instincts about the upstairs neighbor. That wasn't a good reaction.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Don't you have any family that you interact with every now and then that you could ask? Just seems hard to believe there's nobody that could help. What about a coworker?

 

[John Connor]

I'll do it for that and bring this and take care of that feline problem. :twisted:

 

[John Connor]

They're nothing but a pain in the ass. Been around them too long and I'm sick of it!