Elderly cat

Hi Nour98 forgive me if I sound patronising, but you are adding to a lot of old threads, even resurrecting several.
Obviously you like cats, as your advice is feline based. Perhaps start a new thread. In some old threads, the OP has already taken action and in others, circumstances might well have changed.

In both France and Spain we've seen people on campsites and motorway services their cats for a walk on leads. Not an uncommon sight.

Can you take cat with you? We take our dog when visiting family , when we go camping and airbnbs.... we've taken him to a few hotels too .....we leave him with family if we go to London or go abroad, otherwise he's with us

If you plan to extend your stay down their with this chap then take the kitty with you.

Sometimes it's inconvenient being a pet owner. But that's what we sign up to isn't it.

Oh I feel for you beautybunble.
I have an elderly cat and luckily have my sister living nearby who pops in twice a day if I’m away for a day or 2.

But I had a 6 week trip visiting family earlier this year and had an amazing cat sitter who gave me a fixed price as her “per visit” price would have been prohibitive.
I didn’t want to ask my elderly sister as it was winter and possibly bad weather and dark nights. Not a job I felt I could ask her to do.

So the cat sitter came and it started off well. Day 3 and she was feeding him treats and he let her brush him. But he ended up with breathing issues and a few vet visits so I’m glad I had the cat sitter as she was great, going above and beyond. The vet thought the issue was stress related. It cleared up after I was back a few weeks, and I weaned him off the meds he was on.

You know your cat. It might not be an old boy (16) with health issues like mine is. In which case I’d try for a cat sitter. Could you try one out for a day or two as a trial run?

It must be frustrating for you but I think asking your friend to visit you is a good idea.

We use a local pet sitter for our cats. R is brilliant and loves the cats and they love her. She comes in twice a day to feed them and stays to give them some attention. She also feeds out outside rabbits. Her cost is very reasonable and the cats prefer staying in their home, I’ve never used a cattery.

Lots of sound advice for you beautybumble. Do hope you get to Cornwall, a cat sitter seems a perfect solution. I have used a cattery for an elderly cat - she was fine! Sadly no longer with us but our current feline companion always goes to the same cattery when we go away ( although it is expensive) but I like the security of knowing she is safe. Just find care somehow for you cat and enjoy Cornwall!

Or if you don't want somebody to 'live in' try this site.

catinaflat.co.uk

We have found a lovely cat sitter who comes in once a day to feed and check on our three. You can arrange for the to call as little or as often as you wish (each visit is charged of course, but much cheaper than boarding cattery) and they don't have the stress of travel to the cattery and the strange environment.

sassysaysso

Do hope you manage to resolve this and you get to spend some time in Cornwall. In the meantime it reminds me of this feminist cartoon from the 80s:
Scene - man, woman, cat
Roger: Either that cat goes or I do
Thought bubble from cat: Bye Roger, we'll miss you, close the door on your way out.

OP - not suggesting this is how you resolve the situation!

Neither am I, but I could be and am afraid that your friend, Beautybumble might just say something along those lines.

If the gentleman means something to you, which I assume he does, you must find a solution.

If you cannot afford a cattery and really have neither a friends nor a neighbour who will feed the cat and change his litter tray ´, then advertise in one of your local shops for someone who will pop in and feed the cat.

Or go for a long weekend, having put out plenty of food and water for the cat and two clean litter trays.

I left two young cats, closed in the house with the cat-flap locked overnight, and had a friend come in on the morning of the day I was coming home to give them more food and open the cat-flap.

I was very dubious about my welcome when I came home, but the tom-cat purred delightedly when he saw me and rushed to eat some of the food he apparently had been saving for later - sister tried to be huffy and didn't quite manage it, but the following day forgave me and brought me a mouse at dinner-time!

Can you take the cat with you?

Is there anyone local who could pop in twice a day? Perhaps a neighbour with teenagers who would help out in the school holidays for a small payment.

Ask your neighbours if they could pop in to feed him? Or if someone could house sit?
Investigate all avenues before you make your final decision.
I have done both, atm I'm on holiday and the 14 year old next door neighbour (with support from her mum) is doing the honours. I will pay her as she is saving up for a school trip to Disney Paris.

Thank you for introducing me to the Trusted Housesitters website!

I have a wedding to go to and have 2 dogs that need to stay at home, this looks like a great idea!

We have two cats which didn't start out as ours, so their vaccinations aren't up to date and the cattery won't take them.

At the moment we're fortunate that we have a friend who feeds them and fusses them for us when we're away. If we didn't have her, I'd certainly contemplate a house sitter (annual membership isn't astronomically expensive when you consider the help that you're getting, so worth investigating) or one of the local companies that offers pet-sitting (i.e. going in and feeding them and checking they're OK).

Op check your local fb page for cat sitters. Or possibly google cat sitters in your area. I did just that and actually found a local person as trustworthy as a good friend. I realised I had seen her dog walking too. She’s brilliant. She’ll send me a short video clip of our 2 to show them eating, etc. She’ll clean up any dismembered mice, and follows my instructions to rinse out food pouches before putting in pedal bin (so not smelly) and will bag up any leftovers & put them in outside bin. She charges £8 per visit in our area, so for us £16 per day. When she was going away when I needed her too, she put me in touch with another sitter, whom I’ve found to be just as trustworthy. So much better for ours than a cattery, as one is particularly nervous.

Do hope you manage to resolve this and you get to spend some time in Cornwall. In the meantime it reminds me of this feminist cartoon from the 80s:
Scene - man, woman, cat
Roger: Either that cat goes or I do
Thought bubble from cat: Bye Roger, we'll miss you, close the door on your way out.

OP - not suggesting this is how you resolve the situation!

My daughter has just organised a house sitter for her cat using that website. It’s the first time but I believe the process has been quite simple. She has had to pay to join the website but after that everything has been free. The arrangement is that someone has free accommodation in return for feeding the cat. A win all round!

Read your post carefully bb and you’ve said you’ve no-one to help and even if a cattery would take your puss, you couldn’t afford it? I’m aware of house-sitters, but presume you have to pay their expenses?
I don’t know where you are, but presumably there’s a cost for you to get to Cornwall too?

Maybe I’m over simplifying, but why not ask your long distance man to come and stay with you for a few days?

I haven’t been on holiday for years because for my rescue dogs kennels = being abandoned. I have taken responsibility for their welfare and they come first, always.

I use to leave my aged tabby in a cattery quite regularly. Apart from making her so furious that she flicked her tail and glared at me for a day or so after I picked her up, she was fine.

My beautiful cat lived until she was 20.5 years old. She had diabetes for the last 9 years of her life and she went into a cattery every time we went on holiday. The staff were great and they used to inject her twice per day. Find a good cattery and leave your cat there and go on holiday. Sadly I had to have mine euthanised because her breathing got so bad. Don’t beat yourself up.

I also have an elderly cat (18 years) and am just about to go away for a few days. Luckily my neighbour will come in to feed her. Surely there must be a solution for you. Are you sure there is no-one you can ask to pop in once or twice a day? Have you considered that maybe the expense of a cattery would be worth it so you can go to see your friend? or have you found out how much Animal Aunts (or similar) would charge to come in? Is there any way you could take the cat with you to Cornwall? I hope you get to go.

Check the forum to see how it works for other people -
forum.trustedhousesitters.com/

www.trustedhousesitters.com/how-it-works/find-a-sitter/

I am friends with a couple (him - Australian, her USA) and they strongly recommend this company when they've had extended visits home. It's an annual subscription, I believe, but - without knowing where you are - I think you'd have no problem finding someone who would be happy to stay for a month or more?

Why is your cat too old for a cattery, how old is he? I don`t go on holiday anymore, but would have no hesitation in boarding my 15 year old cat at the cattery I`ve used several times, it`s a lovely, clean place.
I hope you get to go on your holiday, and enjoy it.