House-sitter vs. Drop-ins for cats

[Anonymous]

I will be traveling for a month over this summer, so I am starting to think about care for my two cats. I don't usually go away for such a long time, so I'm hoping some fellow travelers and cat lovers can offer advice on the best way to leave home and not traumatize the cats too much. I'm weighing a few options, but I don't love any of them:

- I'd love to find a person who is willing to stay at my house for a month and take care of the cats. Rover sitters' daily rates were $50-$100, meaning a month would easily cost a couple thousand dollars. And it would be a person I don't know; I don't love the idea of paying a lot of money to have a stranger stay in our house.

- Maybe a responsible person/college student needs a place to stay for a month, in exchange for cat care? I'm open to this but don't know many young people, let alone responsible ones.

- Another option is to pay for a daily (or twice daily?) drop-ins. That will cost $25-$50 per day, and is that enough human interaction for my adorable and personable cats?

- My SIL lives kind of close by. She has two small dogs but might be willing to have the cats at her place for a month. The cats and dogs have not met, and I'm not sure if she's open to this at all or if it's even worth asking.

- Any other options that I am not considering? Should I cancel the trip altogether? Or shorten it? I feel guilty in advance for leaving them!

[Anonymous]

Is your house in a desirable location? If so, you can try joining/posting on Trustedhousesitters.com. You pay one flat annual fee (<$200). The person gets a free place to stay, and you get a low cost pet sitter.

But if there's nothing that special about your house (location, etc) then it may be harder to find someone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is your house in a desirable location? If so, you can try joining/posting on Trustedhousesitters.com. You pay one flat annual fee (<$200). The person gets a free place to stay, and you get a low cost pet sitter.

But if there's nothing that special about your house (location, etc) then it may be harder to find someone.

Thanks for this tip! Our house might get hits ... it's a nice neighborhood with access to metro, restaurants, hiking trails, etc.

[Anonymous]

I leave my cat without thinking much about it, but not for a month. That's a little long; I would worry about him getting lonely. But you have two cats and so they have each other, so I guess that is better? I would worry about Rover sitters I don't know; I have heard too many horror stories of animals not being cared for.

Not sure where you are, but if you are in FFX, McLean, Falls Church area, KSR Petcare is very trustworthy for the drop ins and for overnights -- but they are very expensive.

Another option is to board them. Your vet likely boards animals, and there are plenty of pet hotels available as well -- Old Dominion Health Center/Capital Canine Club has boarding. It's expensive, but they are very trustworthy. The problem is that cats are really sensitive to boarding -- mine got furious and stopped eating. YMMV.

[Anonymous]

Good luck! I don't know what to suggest. Just doing drop-ins might not be enough for a full month. The cats may need more human interaction (but they do have each other). What about someone in the neighborhood (like a HS kid) who could come over to your house and just hang out for an hour or two with the cats every day?

[Anonymous]

I would do a drop in pet sitter with a few overnight stays. My cat hates to leave the house.

Another thing you could try is negotiating a discounted rate with a Rover sitter. Their rates are probably based on shorter stays. You could also see if they are willing to have your cats live with them--it's probably a cheaper rate than having the sitter move into your house for a month.

Finally,maybe cast a wider net with friends/family a little further away but still in driving distance.

[Anonymous]

I’d find someone to stay at your house. That’s a long time for drop in care and will end up being the same price.

We pay $100/day for 3 dogs. She is a vet tech at our vet’s office who does this on the side. (It helps that I’m literally 2 blocks from the vet, so I think commute is a plus!) She stays at our home.

[Anonymous]

We have three cats and I would definitely get someone to stay in the house if I were going to be gone for a whole month. It's expensive, but this is what you sign up for when you become a pet parent. I think some PPs have suggested interesting options to see how you can get that cost down.

[Anonymous]

I agree with finding someone to stay at your house.

For shorter trips (2 weeks or less) we pay for someone to come and do drop-in visits. For a long trip like that, we plan ahead to make sure it's one of a handful of cat sitters who know our cat, so he'll have a known person coming by, as I think this makes it more comfortable for him.

For long weekends or overnights, we get drop in visits but I'll hire random people on Rover for this (with good reviews) because if it's a few days, he doesn't seem to care who comes to feed him.

I would never board him, whether at a friend's house or at a boarding facility, because he would HATE it. He would much rather be home alone than in a strange place with someone he barely knows, and he would especially hate being around other animals and being in a house full of their smells.