Should I board my cat or hire a sitter?
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Anonymous
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Newish pet owner here. I'm trying to figure out how long I should reasonably leave my cat alone. We have a trip coming up where we'll be leaving on a Sunday night and returning Thursday evening. Cost is not a big concern. I worry about her being bored or lonely at home without the family and only having someone drop by for 30 minutes. But I also worry about her being nervous in a new environment or picking up a cold, which happens every time we leave her at the vet.
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Anonymous
Keep her in her home environment. She'll be happier (even though she'll deny it). 
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Anonymous
| I'd keep her at home. That's what we have done with our cat. We hire a neighborhood tween to come and feed her and play with her a bit. I don't think boarding her would be much of a solution to her being bored and lonely--she'll still be bored and lonely just in an unfamiliar and cooped up enviornment. |
Anonymous
| I'd say definitely hire a sitter rather than board. If you think she'll be lonely, hire one to stay for the days you'll be gone. |
Anonymous
| PP here. I meant to add that travel in the car/ an unfamiliar setting/ being in a cage can be very traumatic for cats (and a majority of other animals). If you got her from a shelter or pound, she might think you're never coming back. |
Anonymous
| Definitely keep her at home. |
Anonymous
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I would never leave my cat with a stranger of any kind.
Suppose he is a pervert and interferes with her? The thought of anyone messing about with my cat in that way makes me sick to my stomach. I would cancel my trip. |
Anonymous
 
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Anonymous
| Many Pet Sitting company offer "sitting" services in addition to feeding, watering, and changing the box. You can pay for as long of a visit as you think the cat will need as many times a day as you want. Ask around to find out who friends and neighbors use. |
Anonymous
I took that post as a joke. |
Anonymous
| As a pet sitter, I say have someone come to your house to care for your cat. Make sure they meet the cat with you there first. When I cat sit, I bring a book and spend a solid two to four hours on a weeknight and most of the day on a weekend with a cat. I pet them, talk with them, play with them, etc. cats get. Lonely. Sometimes they get angry at their people for going away. |
Anonymous
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I had a family pay me in high school to do my homework at their house when they were away, which was a lot. Apparently they were worried that the cat would be lonely, but frankly she didn't come out much so I'm not sure she cared that I was there.
I went twice a day, for a brief time in the a.m., and for longer in the evening. I also cat sat for some people in college who had me spend the night. |
Anonymous
OP here thanks for all responses. We actually went out of town for a few days earlier in the year and had a friend (who has since moved) stop by while we were gone. My friend is admittedly not much of a cat person but was willing to play with her for a little bit. The cat hid the entire time friend was there and was super clingy when we got home, so it had me thinking maybe she would have been better off at one of those pet resorts. Looks like we should stick with leaving her in her home and hiring a sitter...as long as we avoid the pervs 
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Anonymous
| In college I'd stay overnight in a guest room to take care of pets. |
Anonymous
| I boarded my cats once...paid extra for the largest kitty condo and they hid under the little bed the entire week. Since then I leave them home. I leave out lots of food, fresh little box. If I am gone more than 2-3 days, I'll have the neighbors upstairs check on them, but my cat only really socializes with me so there's no point to having someone come to play. |