Who to leave your cat with on vacation: 4 options compared
Planning a trip is fun until you remember the cat. Cats are attached to their territory and routine, so the right choice depends on your cat’s character, the length of the trip and how much care it needs. Here are the four usual options and when each one works best.
Friends or neighbours
Free and familiar, and fine for a weekend if the person is reliable. The risks: they may come less often than needed, miss signs of illness or forget about medication. Agree on a schedule and ask for a photo after every visit.
A cat hotel or kennel
Staff are there every day and the cat is never alone for long. But a cat hotel is a noisy place full of strange smells, and many cats spend the first days hiding and eating little. Check that cats are kept apart from dogs and how often someone actually plays with them.
Cat boarding at a sitter’s home
Your cat lives with a cat sitter in a calm home, usually with one or two other cats at most. It gets individual attention, feeding by your routine and someone nearby all day — a good fit for social cats and trips longer than a week.
Cat sitter home visits
A cat sitter comes to your home once or twice a day to feed, clean the litter box, give medication and play. The cat stays in familiar surroundings, which suits shy and senior cats best. For long trips, choose two visits a day.
How to decide
- Shy, older or easily stressed cat → home visits.
- Sociable cat or a trip of more than 7–10 days → cat boarding at a sitter’s home.
- Medication or special diet → a sitter who explicitly accepts it, either format.
- Several cats → home visits are usually simpler and cheaper.
On CatStay you can compare cat sitters near you by price, reviews and distance on the map, message them before booking and receive photos of your cat every day.