Hi All

We are going on holiday in a couple of weeks and whilst normally we would have a friend stay out our house to look after our 2 cats we can't get anyone this time so we've booked them into a cattery.

I have no idea how they will react to this - but the younger one does tend to be very nervous so I am a bit worried about her.

Do you have any hints or tips on things we can do to make her feel a bit more at home whilst they are there. Obviously we will be taking toys, etc. for them

Thanks

Hugs,cuddles,toys,bird porn and Classic FM cheered my Impossible Princess up.

You could also try taking their own beds, or some old (unwashed) clothes of yours, their own feeding bowls plus the same food that you normally feed them.

Other than that & checking out the cattery & ensuring that the owners of the cattery are kind, caring & are happy to feed them whatever food you take in, there's not much else you can do at this stage.

Have you ensured that your cats will be kept together?

It may help if you let the cattery owners have a short written fact sheet for each cat, e.g whether they're nervous, or like human company, playful, timid, enjoys/hates being groomed etc etc. Obviously the cattery owners may not take any notice & think you are a neurotic, worried, obsessed owner but it can't do any harm.

Hope you have a great holiday!

Its a cattery that was recommended by our vet and we are going over this weekend to look at it. After much debate we decided to keep them together (despite the fact that occasionally they will take swipes at each other).

The cattery provide the food and they have asked which brand we use so all should be OK there.

I was considering taking a couple of t-shirts from the wash-basket with us when we go to line their boxes with but wasn't sure if that was just stupid!

This is recommended by cat charities.

I agree with Wilimena, definitely take some of their own possessions with them. Bed, something which smells of you, toys etc. and any good cattery will ask what their food preferences are. I help out in a cattery and it is always a good idea to send in a fact sheet about your cats, that way the owner will know how to deal with your cats. TBH I have always used catteries and found that I can relax knowing that they are safe and cared for and can't get run over etc.

I have never seen my cats in the cattery, but when I have gone to pick them up they have barely noticed me or haven't even woken up!

From helping out in one I notice that they tend to sleep most of the day anyway and adjust really quickly. Day 1 may be strange but by day 2 they will be fine and be more than happy. Your more timid cat may take a few days to get used to the person looking after them, but in time they will be fine.

Viewing the cattery is definitely recommended. What I would look for is how clean the place seems, whether or not there is a really strong smell of disinfectant,(possibly covering up a not clean place) there should be some smell because after each cat leaves a pen it should be thoroughly disinfected, the walls, floor, chairs etc, there should hopefully be some evidence of this, wet floor etc. It is good to see that there is a chair, scratch post and some different heights of shelves for the cats to sit on, the inside should have a heat lamp etc for the winter, and lastly see how all the cats react to the owner. If the cats are happy they will immediately react to the owner and come outside to say hello.

Good luck!

Our cats have been to four catteries at various times, and I'd only go back to two of them. At one, the people were very nice, but the cats always came back smelling of disinfectant and sawdust, and I don't think it was very clean. Their current cattery is brilliant, they all go in together, they have a little "cat house" high up to sleep in, and ramps and ladders to play on. I think they get better attention there than at home, and they're always in great condition when they come back.

OK - all noted. Thanks for the advice!!!