Thinking of going out of town...

Long drive to a cottage in the mountains at the end of the year. They don't
accept pets, unless you count leaving the back door open which might
encourage raccoons to wander inside

I've never left Persia anywhere before and I'm a bit concerned about it.
She dislikes other cats immensely so if I leave her at the vet she will be
most unhappy. But I have no other place to leave her. My friends all have
dogs and that won't do at all!

I don't quite know what to do. On the one hand I could sure use a getaway
for a few days. On the other hand, I'll miss Persia terribly and worry
about her, which would mean I won't have a good time. I don't know anyone
reliable enough to come in and feed/water Persia while I'm away. So I'm
torn; do I drive to the mountain retreat or stay home with the cat?

Jill

in article , jmcquown at
wrote on 11/24/03 10:09 PM:

Long drive to a cottage in the mountains at the end of the year. They don't
accept pets, unless you count leaving the back door open which might
encourage raccoons to wander inside

I've never left Persia anywhere before and I'm a bit concerned about it.
She dislikes other cats immensely so if I leave her at the vet she will be
most unhappy. But I have no other place to leave her. My friends all have
dogs and that won't do at all!

I don't quite know what to do. On the one hand I could sure use a getaway
for a few days. On the other hand, I'll miss Persia terribly and worry
about her, which would mean I won't have a good time. I don't know anyone
reliable enough to come in and feed/water Persia while I'm away. So I'm
torn; do I drive to the mountain retreat or stay home with the cat?

Jill


Interview pet sitters. If you can find a good one, you can't believe how
much better you'll feel.

Karen

Less than a mile from us, next to our vet's place, is our "cat hotel" where
the Evil 3 stay at their resort when the hoomin slaves are out of town. The
vet is a part-owner, is 24/7 "on call" for "guests" of the "hotel" in case
of illness or accident during their stay. The Evil 3 would be flying balls
of fighting fur if they were all kept in the same quarters, so they each
have their 3-story "room" with shelves to jump up to. Walls of the little
"rooms" are opaque so their view is only of the cats across the room facing
them, far enough away to not be an "in-your-face" threat. D-pets are also
guests, but not near the cats; the d-pets are on the other side of the
sprawling building, where there are long runs of exercise chutes for them.
I never thought of Memphis as a small city; isn't there something like this
somewhere in town? Our cat hotel is clean as a whistle, and we get a group
rate for the Evil 3, 10% off the total bill. Food, treats, water, and litter
boxes are provided by the "hotel" for the guests.


"Karen" wrote in message
...
: in article , jmcquown at
: wrote on 11/24/03 10:09 PM:
:
: Long drive to a cottage in the mountains at the end of the year. They
don't
: accept pets, unless you count leaving the back door open which might
: encourage raccoons to wander inside
:
: I've never left Persia anywhere before and I'm a bit concerned about it.
: She dislikes other cats immensely so if I leave her at the vet she will
be
: most unhappy. But I have no other place to leave her. My friends all
have
: dogs and that won't do at all!
:
: I don't quite know what to do. On the one hand I could sure use a
getaway
: for a few days. On the other hand, I'll miss Persia terribly and worry
: about her, which would mean I won't have a good time. I don't know
anyone
: reliable enough to come in and feed/water Persia while I'm away. So I'm
: torn; do I drive to the mountain retreat or stay home with the cat?
:
: Jill
:
:
: Interview pet sitters. If you can find a good one, you can't believe how
: much better you'll feel.
:
: Karen
:

How long are you going to be away? We have left Vino for 3 nights before
with no problems. Just make sure you extra cat-proof the house and take
away any potentially unsafe objects. Put out a big bowl of dry food and
lots of dishes of water around the house. Have a clean litter box.
One or two times we've even left him for 4 nights, but I felt really guilty
about it. Now we have the maid come in every morning or evening, but of
course we couldn't do that before we moved to Thailand. But if it's just
for a few nights, the person wouldn't have to be too reliable, as long as
they did manage to make it in at least once a day or every 2 days. And as
long as you could be sure that the person didn't let Persia out without
realizing it! That's always my big worry.
It is always better to leave the cat in your own home where she is
comfortable, rather than moving her to somewhere else, if the time away is
relatively short.
Good luck with your decision.
--
Britta
ROT13 to reply
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on Vino and "friends" album


"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
Long drive to a cottage in the mountains at the end of the year. They
don't
accept pets, unless you count leaving the back door open which might
encourage raccoons to wander inside

I've never left Persia anywhere before and I'm a bit concerned about it.
She dislikes other cats immensely so if I leave her at the vet she will be
most unhappy. But I have no other place to leave her. My friends all
have
dogs and that won't do at all!

I don't quite know what to do. On the one hand I could sure use a getaway
for a few days. On the other hand, I'll miss Persia terribly and worry
about her, which would mean I won't have a good time. I don't know anyone
reliable enough to come in and feed/water Persia while I'm away. So I'm
torn; do I drive to the mountain retreat or stay home with the cat?

Jill

badwilson wrote:
How long are you going to be away? We have left Vino for 3 nights
before with no problems. Just make sure you extra cat-proof the
house and take away any potentially unsafe objects. Put out a big
bowl of dry food and lots of dishes of water around the house. Have
a clean litter box.

I was thinking about 3 nights, 4 days. And it all hinges upon whether or
not the roads are icy heading up to the Ozarks. (You don't have to worry
about that in Thailand )

One or two times we've even left him for 4 nights, but I felt really
guilty about it. Now we have the maid come in every morning or
evening, but of course we couldn't do that before we moved to
Thailand. But if it's just for a few nights, the person wouldn't
have to be too reliable, as long as they did manage to make it in at
least once a day or every 2 days. And as long as you could be sure
that the person didn't let Persia out without realizing it! That's
always my big worry.

My other big worry is coming home to find a truck had been backed up to the
door and all my belongings stolen! I'm very hesitant to turn over a key to
anyone.

It is always better to leave the cat in your own home where she is
comfortable, rather than moving her to somewhere else, if the time
away is relatively short.
Good luck with your decision.

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
Long drive to a cottage in the mountains at the end of the year.
They don't accept pets, unless you count leaving the back door open
which might encourage raccoons to wander inside

I've never left Persia anywhere before and I'm a bit concerned about
it. She dislikes other cats immensely so if I leave her at the vet
she will be most unhappy. But I have no other place to leave her.
My friends all have dogs and that won't do at all!

I don't quite know what to do. On the one hand I could sure use a
getaway for a few days. On the other hand, I'll miss Persia
terribly and worry about her, which would mean I won't have a good
time. I don't know anyone reliable enough to come in and feed/water
Persia while I'm away. So I'm torn; do I drive to the mountain
retreat or stay home with the cat?

Jill

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
Long drive to a cottage in the mountains at the end of the year. They
don't
accept pets, unless you count leaving the back door open which might
encourage raccoons to wander inside

I've never left Persia anywhere before and I'm a bit concerned about it.
She dislikes other cats immensely so if I leave her at the vet she will be
most unhappy. But I have no other place to leave her. My friends all
have
dogs and that won't do at all!


Jill



Jill,

I suggest that you check with your vet and other friends who have pets. Ask
for recommendations for good pet-sitters. I used a pet-sitter last summer,
and it worked out beautifully. My two cats were able to stay in their home
environment, and the pet-sitter came in twice a day to check on Holly and
Duffy, feed them, and give them some companionship. She told me later that
she loved coming because I had encouraged her to feel free to use the TV,
have some snacks at the table and watch the birds, etc. She said that's
just what she did -- which was pleasant for her and in my opinion also gave
my twosome more of a sense of normalcy.

I strongly disagree with the person who said you could safely leave your
cats alone for 3 or 4 days. It's true that many people have done this with
no problems, but just think of all the emergencies that could occur in that
length of time. I would never leave mine for more than one night without
having someone check on them. If you can't find a professional pet-sitter,
maybe one of your friends would be willing to do this for you (for a fee if
it involves extra distance for them). But do make sure whoever you use is
super-reliable, both from the standpoint of knowing that he or she would
come to your home regularly and also from the standpoint of knowing that the
person would be very careful not to let Persia out of your house or
apartment.

Please check around ... there are many people who do pet-sitting. It would
give you peace of mine and would maintain a more normal environment for
Persia. I have followed a number of your posts, and I know she is very
special to you. Incidentally, I used a couple of plug-in Feliway diffusers
while I was gone, just in case there would be any stress.

MaryL
(take out the litter to reply)

Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o'
http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly)
http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in")

Hey, where do you get these "plug-in Feliway dispensers"? Never heard of
Feliway till I frequented this ng......am thinking if I had one of these it
might contribute to better relations between our "girls" (who hate each
other), and the occasional skirmishes that go on here between conflicting
feline purrsonalities. Is Feliway catnip or some kinda drug? Plant?


"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote in message
...
:
: "jmcquown" wrote in message
: ...
: Long drive to a cottage in the mountains at the end of the year. They
: don't
: accept pets, unless you count leaving the back door open which might
: encourage raccoons to wander inside
:
: I've never left Persia anywhere before and I'm a bit concerned about it.
: She dislikes other cats immensely so if I leave her at the vet she will
be
: most unhappy. But I have no other place to leave her. My friends all
: have
: dogs and that won't do at all!
:
:
: Jill
:
:
:
: Jill,
:
: I suggest that you check with your vet and other friends who have pets.
Ask
: for recommendations for good pet-sitters. I used a pet-sitter last
summer,
: and it worked out beautifully. My two cats were able to stay in their
home
: environment, and the pet-sitter came in twice a day to check on Holly and
: Duffy, feed them, and give them some companionship. She told me later
that
: she loved coming because I had encouraged her to feel free to use the TV,
: have some snacks at the table and watch the birds, etc. She said that's
: just what she did -- which was pleasant for her and in my opinion also
gave
: my twosome more of a sense of normalcy.
:
: I strongly disagree with the person who said you could safely leave your
: cats alone for 3 or 4 days. It's true that many people have done this
with
: no problems, but just think of all the emergencies that could occur in
that
: length of time. I would never leave mine for more than one night without
: having someone check on them. If you can't find a professional
pet-sitter,
: maybe one of your friends would be willing to do this for you (for a fee
if
: it involves extra distance for them). But do make sure whoever you use is
: super-reliable, both from the standpoint of knowing that he or she would
: come to your home regularly and also from the standpoint of knowing that
the
: person would be very careful not to let Persia out of your house or
: apartment.
:
: Please check around ... there are many people who do pet-sitting. It
would
: give you peace of mine and would maintain a more normal environment for
: Persia. I have followed a number of your posts, and I know she is very
: special to you. Incidentally, I used a couple of plug-in Feliway
diffusers
: while I was gone, just in case there would be any stress.
:
: MaryL
: (take out the litter to reply)
:
: Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o'
: http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly)
: http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in")
:
:

Hopitus2 wrote:
Hey, where do you get these "plug-in Feliway dispensers"? Never heard of
Feliway till I frequented this ng......am thinking if I had one of these it
might contribute to better relations between our "girls" (who hate each
other), and the occasional skirmishes that go on here between conflicting
feline purrsonalities. Is Feliway catnip or some kinda drug? Plant?

They're called "Feliway diffusors", and you cna find them online or at
larger pet stores like Petsmart and Petco.

They contain a sythetic version of the stuff contained in cat's facial
glands - the stuff they are smearing all over you when they rub their
faces and chins all over your clothes.

It's a syntheic pheramone that mimics the mark cats put around with their
face, which calms them. I get them locally at Petco. The vet has them too.
Someone said valleyvet.com sells them more inexpensively.

Karen

"Hopitus2" wrote in message
...
Hey, where do you get these "plug-in Feliway dispensers"? Never heard of
Feliway till I frequented this ng......am thinking if I had one of these
it
might contribute to better relations between our "girls" (who hate each
other), and the occasional skirmishes that go on here between conflicting
feline purrsonalities. Is Feliway catnip or some kinda drug? Plant?


"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote in message
...
:
: "jmcquown" wrote in message
: ...
: Long drive to a cottage in the mountains at the end of the year. They
: don't
: accept pets, unless you count leaving the back door open which might
: encourage raccoons to wander inside
:
: I've never left Persia anywhere before and I'm a bit concerned about
it.
: She dislikes other cats immensely so if I leave her at the vet she
will
be
: most unhappy. But I have no other place to leave her. My friends all
: have
: dogs and that won't do at all!
:
:
: Jill
:
:
:
: Jill,
:
: I suggest that you check with your vet and other friends who have pets.
Ask
: for recommendations for good pet-sitters. I used a pet-sitter last
summer,
: and it worked out beautifully. My two cats were able to stay in their
home
: environment, and the pet-sitter came in twice a day to check on Holly
and
: Duffy, feed them, and give them some companionship. She told me later
that
: she loved coming because I had encouraged her to feel free to use the
TV,
: have some snacks at the table and watch the birds, etc. She said that's
: just what she did -- which was pleasant for her and in my opinion also
gave
: my twosome more of a sense of normalcy.
:
: I strongly disagree with the person who said you could safely leave your
: cats alone for 3 or 4 days. It's true that many people have done this
with
: no problems, but just think of all the emergencies that could occur in
that
: length of time. I would never leave mine for more than one night
without
: having someone check on them. If you can't find a professional
pet-sitter,
: maybe one of your friends would be willing to do this for you (for a fee
if
: it involves extra distance for them). But do make sure whoever you use
is
: super-reliable, both from the standpoint of knowing that he or she would
: come to your home regularly and also from the standpoint of knowing that
the
: person would be very careful not to let Persia out of your house or
: apartment.
:
: Please check around ... there are many people who do pet-sitting. It
would
: give you peace of mine and would maintain a more normal environment for
: Persia. I have followed a number of your posts, and I know she is very
: special to you. Incidentally, I used a couple of plug-in Feliway
diffusers
: while I was gone, just in case there would be any stress.
:
: MaryL
: (take out the litter to reply)
:
: Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o'
: http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly)
: http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in")
:
:

Hey, where do you get these "plug-in Feliway dispensers"? Never heard of
Feliway till I frequented this ng......am thinking if I had one of these it
might contribute to better relations between our "girls" (who hate each
other), and the occasional skirmishes that go on here between conflicting
feline purrsonalities.

Try the Feliway. I think it'll affect the mood of the girls. My daughter used
it for a particularly anxious cat who would spray everywhere and tear up blinds
and such every time she worked multiple night shifts. She even consulted an
animal behaviorist who suggested he had separation anxiety. It honestly
settled him down a lot.
This was before the availability of diffusers. It was just a spray bottle. It
was expensive, IIRC around twenty dollars for a tiny bottle.

Sherry