Cat Boarding Versus Cat Sitting: Which is Best for Your Pet?

Posted on: 17 January 2017

If you're going on holiday, you'll want to be confident that your beloved cat will be well cared for while you're away. You have two options: cat boarding or cat sitting. So, which is best? Read on for a helpful comparison.

The Cattery

Catteries come in different sizes. Some are large, taking up to 50 cats, whereas others are much smaller with room for only a dozen or so. Very large catteries may work out slightly cheaper than small ones, but your pet won't receive the same amount of one to one attention, which could be an important consideration, depending on your cat's temperament.

 There are a number of advantages to putting your cat in a cattery while you are away:

  1. Your pet will receive around the clock care and supervision.
  2. The cattery will have an emergency vet on call 24/7.
  3. The cattery staff will be fully-insured and professionally trained.
  4. Cattery fees usually work out cheaper than pet sitter fees.
  5. All cats staying in the cattery must be fully vaccinated, so you won't need to worry about your pet catching a dangerous disease.
  6. You have the peace of mind that your cat is safely contained and won't run away or be injured on the road.

The main disadvantage of taking your cat to a cattery is that he probably won't receive the same amount of one to one attention that he would get at home. If your cat is easily stressed, he may find being away from home a frightening experience.

The Cat Sitter

A cat sitter is someone who comes to your home to look after your cat while you are away. Cat sitters will either live in your home or call in at pre-agreed times to feed your cat and check that he's okay.

There are some advantages to using a cat sitter:

  1. Your cat won't have the stress of being in an unfamiliar environment.
  2. A pet sitter who is living in your home can provide 24 hour supervision for your pet as well as added security.
  3. Your cat is guaranteed individual attention and care.
  4. Cat sitters can be more flexible than catteries, which could be useful if you are going to be away for a long period of time.

Cat sitting also has a number of disadvantages. You need to be absolutely confident that you can trust the person who has access to your home and to your pet, and you need to be sure that they are reliable.

A cat sitter may not have the same level of training as staff at a professionally run cattery. You will need to be very confident that the cat sitter will know what to do in case of an emergency and that they will recognise if your cat becomes unwell. In addition, a cat sitter may not be insured to look after your pet.

In Conclusion

When deciding on the best way to provide care for your cat while you are on holiday, consider the above comparison between cat sitters and catteries before making a decision.

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