Cat Protector wrote:

I am considering a sitter come in but
don't know any I could trust as they would
be strangers to my cats and me as well. I
also would be worried that if I did hire a
sitter to come in twice a day to check on
them that they might not get food or
water.

Call vet offices in your area and ask for a recommendation for a
catsitter. Vet offices have a reputation to uphold, and therefore a
stake in who they refer, and have to make sure the services they
recommend honest and reliable. Get several references from any potential
catsitters you interview and check them all. It would be extremely
irresponsible to leave your cats alone for several days with nobody
checking on them (and having to use a dirty litterbox.) Many things can
happen and even a day could mean the difference between a live cat and a
dead one.

I am a professional catsitter and just yesterday a cat I'm caring for
got sick and I ended up taking her to an internal medicine specialist
where she is at this very moment hospitalized with a feeding tube and an
IV. What would have happened to her if she had been that sick for days
with nobody to help her? I've had a couple of instances where a cat I
was caring for developed a urinary blockage. Fortunately in each
instance I was very aware of what was going on in the litterbox and the
cats behavior and was able to get him to a vet immediately. If any of
those cats had been left alone for several days they'd be dead now. Any
number of other things can happen-fires or break-ins for example.

At the very minimum you should have someone come in at least once a day.
I refuse to accept jobs where someone wants me to come every other day.
My cats require a lot of specialized care and the few times I have had
to go out of town I have paid someone not only to care for my cats twice
a day, but to live at my house as well.

It is in the best interests of your cats and worth the peace of mind to
know that they are being looked after every day while you're gone.
Hiring a catsitter is the best and safest option.

Megan.



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