Feeling Guilty..

Kitty_mom

Does any of you feel guilty for leaving your pets in the cattery/kennel when you go for a holiday?? I feel extremely guilty especially when they give a sad mew and look at me . How do you deal with this??

I always worry about them when i am on holiday. I dream that they are not eating or perhaps not taken good care of, etc etc. Does everybody feel like this??

SeekUp

I actually prefer to leave her at home when we go on holiday. We have an automatic feeder and water dispenser, and I much prefer giving keys to neighbors/friends for someone to check in on her/change her litter box than leave her in a kennel. I agree with you; I wouldn't feel the best about leaving her with strangers, and I don't feel too guilty when I know she's at home with all of her comforts and toys.

'course, cats are a bit easier in this way than dogs!

Puddleduck

Why do you feel guilty? They get a holiday too, walked every day, sometimes twice a day, loads of toys, has company around him/her all day and night, usually the people running the kennels are lovely.

Maybe you dont feel 100% about the particular kennels you left her/him at?

Plascebo

A few years back I left my boxer in a recommended kennels for two weeks while the wife and I went on holidays.
Sounds silly but felt like I had left a child at home for the two weeks. And matters weren't any better when I got him back, he just wasn't himself, he even did a poo in the kitchen that night, not like him at all. So took him to the vets and he said the dog was probably doped up but nothing unless we wanted to go down the road of having his blood tested, which would be excessively expensive.
To top it off the kennels rang up a few days later and asked did I want to buy their special food mix that they feed the animals in their care. Needless to say she got an earful and abrupt hangup!!!!:mad:

PurplePrincess

The first time I left my kitten in to the cattery at my vets I felt so guilty, like I was abandoning her (I'm such a sap).
As soon as I brought her in the vet and 2 of the nurses came out to see her and they were fussing over her (they remembered her from when she was found in a bad state as a tiny kitten) so that completely put my mind at ease. When I collected her, she was grand and there hadn't been any problems.
At the end of the day a cattery is my only choice as nobody is near me to feed her so I'm glad to have found one I'm 100% happy with and trust. Nobody wants to think of their pet spending a good few hours a day in a cage but once they're fed and have a nice cozy bed and some toys they don't really seem to mind.

About the guilt thing, I think its the way the cats look at you, they seem to know how to play on your emotions and make you feel guilty

iguana

Puddleduck wrote: »

Why do you feel guilty? They get a holiday too, walked every day, sometimes twice a day, loads of toys, has company around him/her all day and night, usually the people running the kennels are lovely.

Animals don't understand the concept of a holiday. They don't understand that you will be back in two weeks, as far as they know they have been put in a cage and the rest of their family has left them. Obviously once you go away a few times they understand that you will come back, but the first few times they will be very unhappy, especially if they have come from a rescue. And even once they understand you will be back, sitting in a cage most of the day when they are used to being in their home with you is not a lovely holiday to them.

I'm not trying to upset anyone, I have occasionally put my dogs in kennels and I hate, hate, hate it. I used to have good dog sitter, but their circumstances changed and I haven't managed to find anyone else I trust yet. Over christmas we left our dogs in a highly recommended kennels, drove miles out of our way to get there and while our dogs weren't mistreated they weren't loved. I found leaving them there to be miserable. All the other dogs were freaking out everytime someone came in and out of the building. At least the dogs which came as a pair had each other, but those that came alone were really not happy.

Any time our dogs come back from kennels it takes them several days to relax, they just have this manic-ness that it takes quite a lot of work to get out of them. When they came back from the sitters they used to be relaxed and happy, although they had a couple of bad habits as the sitters used to spoil them, but that's ok as I'd rather them spoiled when we're gone as opposed to left alone most of the day.

If you have a kennel that you are happy with that's fantastic. But if you feel unhappy with the kennels you've used then it's worth looking online for a sitter. Then meet them with your pet a couple of times before you go away. I certainly prefer knowing my dogs are in a home environment when I'm away. (Now I just have to find a new sitter, so if anyone lives in London and is interested in taking care of a pair of highly strung springer spaniels, just let me know.;) )

Kitty_mom

I have 2 cats and they are of the bigger breeds. they weight about 6 kg each. Even though the cattery was clean, etc etc. The cages are small for both of them.

Where would you get a sitter?? How do you know that they are reliable??

I live in dublin 15. anybody knows any sitter around that area?? And if anybody in that area needs a sitter, i will be glad to take care of your pets?? Maybe we can swap services.. I will take care of your pets during your holiday and you can take of mine..

anybody interested??

Puddleduck

Iguana not all kennels are like this. In fact my other half brings his dog to a kennel when he goes away and when he comes back the dog dosent want to come home. I brought my dog to a kennel and he was happy as larry, not a bother on him when he came home either..other than he seemed to forget the layout of home...

Do what your comfortable with OP. There are good kennels and catterys out there that have nice staff that dont leave your pet in a cage all day. If you really feel uncomfortable doing it then look at getting a sitter, go down to the vets, they may know of some, ask for reccomendations off of the sitter.