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Holiday home for cat

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  • 27-12-2005 8:21pm
    #1
    Jess11
    Registered Users Posts: 76 ✭✭


    I would love to get a cat for the family as we are all animal lovers. My problem is that we go abroad for 6 weeks every summer.
    Does anyone know of an animal loving family that would look after a cat for six weeks during Jul / Aug. Preferably in the Dublin or Wicklow area ?
    How much would it cost?
    Jess


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    #2
    Arcadian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 498 ✭✭Arcadian


    Can't you use a boarding cattery? It's much safer to board a cat in a secure kennel environment then a family home from which it may escape.


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    #3
    thatkindofgirl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 103 ✭✭thatkindofgirl


    When I was a kid, we always had the neighbour's kids come over and feed the cats, and spend some time playing with them, and paid them a few bob for it.

    We never went away for that long though.

    Arcadian is right about a cattery, though. We left our cat once with a friend, and he got out, and arrived back at OUR HOUSE three weeks later, with a broken leg.


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    #4
    Goffie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 152 ✭✭Goffie


    Having been owned by a cat for 10 years I know they HATE being moved about. My cat jumped in thru the window of my ground floor flat and decided to stay (the chicken I gave her for dinner may have had something to do with it :) ). Posted ads everywhere but couldn't find her owners, so that was that. I had to move flat three times before I bought my house and every time she was traumatised. had to keep her in one room for a few days then accompany her round the garden till she she got her bearings.

    I worried myself sick that she'd get lost when I finally let her out on her own, but she was a clever puss. I was lucky enough to be allowed install a cat-flap in one flat and left a small bathroom window open in another (I know - lucky I wasn't burgled)

    Whenever I went away I got someone to 'house-sit' (and cat-sit) thru the vets - would this be a possibility? Saves upheaval for the cat, worry for you and extra security for your house as you'll be away for so long.
    Personally I'd never leave a dog or cat in a kennels for that long no matter how good they were.
    Just a thought.
    Goffie


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    #5
    LegacyUser
    Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    Jess11, I have 2 cats. I don't think what you are suggesting would be fair on the cat.


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    #6
    Irish-Lass
    Registered Users Posts: 363 ✭✭Irish-Lass


    I have 3 house cats I would consider putting them in a cattery if I was going away only that my tom cat is nervous outside of his comfort zone so just panics I did try it once so it works out better for me having someone mind them in our home.

    But you will know your cats better and will soon know if they are suitable for a stay in a cattery if they are going to be spending 6 weeks in the cattery makes sure that they stay together that they have access to an outside run and that they get daily interaction with humans. You should visit a few catteries and you will soon see the standards some are great while some I would run a mile from.


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    #7
    luckat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,366 ✭✭✭luckat


    You might be able to get a pet passport, though they're *very* fussy about making sure the injections and tests are completely up to date when you come through any borders. If they're even one day late, your cat would be quarantined for six months - like a five-year jail sentence for a human, considering the length of a cat's life.

    What you might consider would be something like Intervac, where you swap houses with people abroad and in some cases mind each other's pets.


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    #8
    Arcadian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 498 ✭✭Arcadian


    luckat wrote:
    You might be able to get a pet passport, though they're *very* fussy about making sure the injections and tests are completely up to date


    It's hardly fussiness !!


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    #9
    Nasty_Girl
    Registered Users Posts: 1,327 ✭✭✭Nasty_Girl


    Hi there,
    if your cat is an outdoor cat and has a shed or kennel to sleep in and you are friendly with your neighbours or have a relative who lives near by your holiday shouldn't be a problem as such.
    Perhaps if you had two cats they could keep each other company? 6 weeks would be a long time without your family.

    You would want to be really sure that the person would look out for the cat and leave money with the carer in case of any vetinary issues that may arise.

    We had to put our cats in a cattery when we had no where to live one summer they were in there for nearly two months. One is a little more nervous now as a result but all in all it didn't upset them too much and they took to the new house instantly.
    I still didn't like the fact they were cooped up in a small area for so long though.


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