Cat sitter advice?

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kalyv

kalyv

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Since the holidays are fast closing in, I am looking for advice about cat sitters.

If I go home to visit my parents for about a week over the holidays, I am considering getting a cat sitter to come in and feed my kitties. I have used this kind of service several times before and it has always worked out well. But now that Lucy needs insulin shots twice a day, the standard of care by any cat sitter is obviously going to be much higher.

So a couple of questions:

Is using a cat sitter a good idea or should I just board them with a vet?

Does anyone have a reliable cat sitter they can recommend in the TO area who has experience administering insulin shots?

I would love to hear people's thoughts on these two options. Thanks.
 
I have the same problem. We are going away at xmas for 2 days. He was diagnosed in July I was going to find a pet sitter but I'm afraid that he won't let a stranger near him let alone poke him so I have decided to board him out. Which he has never been. But I will feel better knowing that he is getting good care. It will be at my vets not a doggy daycare. I'm working on starting my own pet sitting business and will specialize in this. I live in the Madison wis area. When I start it I will come to the house for free a couple of times to get the pet used to me. I found that alot of them want to charge for each visit. It's hard enough finding someone to take care of a healthy pet let alone someone that needs special care.
 
Sometimes you can find a vet tech who is willing to test and give shots coming to the house. They have the expertise and are not paid a lot, so money comes in handy.
 
debby le I think starting a business that specializes in this kind of cat care is a great idea. There certainly seems to be a growing need for it.

I have the same problem with Lucy in that she is terribly shy at the best of times and usually hides whenever everyone comes over so the chances of a cat sitter actually being able to catch her and give her shot is pretty slim.

Mind you, if she is hungry enough, she will come out looking for food and maybe they can give her the shot while she is eating. That seems to work best for me.

Boarding her is the other option but I hate the idea of her being stuck in a cage for a week. At least if she is home, she will be relatively comfortable and stress free. But I guess it is contingent on finding someone who I can feel comfortable with, giving her shots.

Sue That's a good idea. Thanks.
 
Thanks cellosmom. I will definitely ask around about a vet tech.

I have a couple of calls out to cat sitters whose websites say they have experience with shooting insulin so I will interview them and see how that goes.
 
I had my vet techs come out also. One was great, the other sketchy. Definitely make sure they visit your kitty at your home before you go. Mine were $35/day (twice daily) in California.
 
kalyv said:
debby le Boarding her is the other option but I hate the idea of her being stuck in a cage for a week. At least if she is home, she will be relatively comfortable and stress free. But I guess it is contingent on finding someone who I can feel comfortable with, giving her shots.

Sue That's a good idea. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Cedric was dx'd about 2 weeks before I was scheduled to go out of town for my sister's college graduation. He was scheduled to stay at the Best Friends Pet resort at Walt Disney World for a week, as I was going to Boulder for 3 days then coming back to spend 3 nights on property with friends. They would not test him or give him insulin. Happy Paws, the other kennel I have used, wouldn't do it either, so Cedric was boarded at the vet's from Wed night (i left thursday am) to the following Monday (I came back Saturday night, but they wouldn't let me pick him up Sunday). He got a dental while he was there, and they told me he was let out of the cage (he was the only cat there, so he was allowed to roam the cat room, but it's no where near as nice as the kennels). he then went to BF for the rest of my "vacation" and I had to go over there twice a day to test & give him his insulin.

When I rescued Dallas on 9/1, he stayed at the vet's for 12 days, due mostly to his aweful hematoma in his left ear. He was drugged at lot, but they did let him out much like Cedric. They even had him up at the front desk. So staying at the vet, if the last resort, might not be as bad as you think...
 
Yeah, I was thinking of just letting her board with the vet this time around but it turns out they are not boarding over the holidays for some strange reason. I have spoken to two other cat sitters who are also not available over the holidays.
 
That's strange - it's extra money for them (at least the vet's). Pet sitters should realize that is part of their business? Heck, I'll be working on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (probably at 5am) at my part time job and get to buck it up! I'm planning on going home for a week at the holidays next year, and if worst comes to worst, I'd board one and take one home. I am still mulling over what I will need to do, since I don't know how Dallas would handle going to a kennel or if they were to stay at home, keeping him from eating Cedric's food (he's getting better, but they are seperated during the day still due to this).
 
Yeah I don't know why they are not accepting boarders over the holidays.

Anyway, I am still working on it but some of the prices I have been quoted so far are ridiculous.
 
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