If you are planning on going on a vacation for more than a few days, then you will need to get someone to take care of your cats. The best idea is to have a friend or family member come to your home once or twice a day to feed the cats, change the litter, and just relax with them for a while, to provide some companionship.
However, not everybody lives near someone that they trust enough to allow into their homes. In this case, many people choose to go with cat boarding. Many veterinarians and animal trainers offer pet boarding. There are also some providers who specialize in it. You may also find people who will simply take care of your cats for you. I do not recommended the latter, because if anything happens, they will not be covered by insurance.
Ask the provider what type of food they will feed your pet. If you do not like it, or if you cat has a special situation (like feline diabetes), then you should provide your own food, enough for the entire stay, as well as instructions, like how much food and how often.
Most cat boarders will provide a place for your pet to sleep in, this may be a cage, or a cat carrier. You may wish to ask the provider to see where you cat will be spending most of her time. There should be a playroom of some sort with toys, where they can socialize with humans and potentially other cats that may be staying there as well.
You will also want to ask if your cat will have her own litter box. This is recommended. You cat should not be sharing a litter box with strange cats.
Before choosing a cat boarder, you will want to ask any people you know for recommendations. You may also want to ask any potential provider for happy past customers that you can contact.
Do you know of any good cat boarders?
Click here for a great resource of pet sitters.
I know that my vet, who is affiliated with VCA animal hospitals is a great place to board animals.
