Stace - have you actually asked your neighbours if they would help? You could share your concerns with them. Perhaps one lot could do the morning feed & the other at night. It wouldn't take 5 mins a day. It's not as if they are dogs and need to be walked.

If you are registered with a local vet have you checked if they know of any 'home visit services'? Our vet has one, a vet nurse who calls in once or twice a day (as necessary) to feed, water and walk pets.

Personally, my neighbour looks after our dogs whilst we are away and we (even though we are 'getting on') look after theirs when they go away. All the dogs are used to each others house and go for walks together so there is no stress for any of them.

If you do need to use a cattery make sure you pay a visit first as that will set your mind at rest - also ask family and friends if they can recommend anywhere.

Good luck and enjoy your hols.

Make sure your cats have had their vaccinations/boosters if you're thinking of boarding them at a cattery as no cattery will accept them without seeing valid vaccination certificates.

Agree with Pippy about the injections!

We have had to leave our cats into a cattery for years - my mum disliked cats and my mum in law had two dogs............I used to feel really disloyal leaving them in there!

But they were fine - I would agree that it is important to look at the accommodation they will be staying in -

One year we tried a new cattery and they refused to let us look at the accommodation - My husband and I wouldnt leave them there - what on earth had they to hide??

The one we use now lets us take the cats right in in their boxes and settle them before we leave. It had tree branches inside also for them to climb - they also asked what food we gave them and we even brought them a blanket from home so they had a familiar smell!

But saying all that I still would have preferred them to have been looked after in their own home

thanks guys...no we havent asked the neighbours, the majority of the houses on our street are rented and only on 6 month contracts so people tend to come and go. The older couple are the only permenant residents that we speak to regularly, I didnt mean it to sound bad when I said they were 'getting on a bit' I would just worry about them being able to cope. Our cats are only young (they will be 6mnths and 1yr when we go) and are very lively.
I think to save me worrying about the neighbours AND the cats we will have to opt for the cattery, I just hope that they enjoy their 'holiday' I know its not as much hassle as a dog but at least with a dog they can stay at a family member/friends house, cats would just do a runner!

I know what you mean by feeling bad about leaving your pets. Previously my mother or sister would look after my dog but last year we all went on holiday together and had to put her in kennels. I asked friends for recommendations and visited the kennels first to rest my mind a bit. At the end of the day your priority is to ensure your pet is safe, fed and looked after, it's not going to be like home but it's only for 2 weeks out of the year. Look on it as them having a holiday too and instead of thinking of their face when you leave them, think instead of how happy they will be to see you again.

My little dog was fit and healthy when I picked her up , she is going back for her "holidays" this year again and I feel a bit easier about it this time as I know she will be perfectly fine. Once you get a cattery sorted out you can start to look forward to your holiday knowing they won't come to any harm and at least they have each other for company:)

My two cats have a lovely cattery to go to and although it costs a fair bit I am happy to know they are safe . I think my elderly neighbours would find it a bit worrying if I asked them for more than a weekend. Any reputable cattery will be happy for you to make a prior visit. The Feline Advisory Bureau has a list of member catteries who have to adhere to very strict standards of cleanliness etc to be able to belong. It might be worth looking on their website. My cats are fine when they get back, although they are keen to re-explore the garden as soon as possible!

Thanks, I would be worried about the neighbours as one of the cats is huge and although very friendly is a bit of a bugger to get in at night. (I cant see them being too willing to drag him off the shed roof at midnight like I have to!) The kitten is having is 1st vaccination tomorrow and we actually decided to get a 2nd cat so Alfie wouldnt be on his own when we do go out for longer periods or away.
I am sure they will be fine in a cattery, and I will try not to worry too much. At least I know they are safe and fed, even if they are not very happy! I just need to find one thats decent and doesnt cost a bomb.

Our cat is now almost 18 and has been going into a cattery ever since we had her 17 years ago. For a long while she went into the same one but the owners retired so we had to search for another good one which we were fortunate to find.

Always go and visit and if at all possible go on recommendation.

We pay £7 per day for Rosie but you should get a discount if 2 cats share.

Rosie is perfectly happy in a cattery - she has a routine (different from home routine) and settles in very well - she is a very laid back cat and also very nosey!!

Pippa

Why don't you let them have a trial run.......book them in for a weekend and see how they get on? If they really don't settle (and to be honest it'd be quite unusual as most settle after a day or two) then you can re-think your options.

I actually responded many years ago to a request from someone in a neighbouring village to look after their cats (they had several), I went in twice a day and fed them and also kept an eye on the house while they were away and I was paid nicely for doing so. Of course, there's the trust issue but perhaps a vet nurse at your local practice might be willing to take on such a job....worth asking anyway but I'd say give the trial run a go first, you kight be surprised at how well they adapt.

Ours is £6 a day for one cat, just £1 extra a day for 2 cats and has everything they could possibly want.

cool, thanks guys I am going to have a look for a respected local cattery and check it out myself. I think I might take them for a weekend..at least then they will know whats happening when we go to Thailand. I am probably being silly but I worry about them when we go away just for 1 night...God knows what I will be like when we have kids- I suppose we will have to take them with us actually!

My 2 dogs go into kennels at least 3 times a year,they share a large kennel so have each other for company,I would put your cats in for a weekend first so that they recognise the place but you will know that they are safe,can't get run over so will be there on your return.It costs us £14 per night but the peace of mind is worth more.They also have a vet to call if any dog is unwell,I think they are insured for that event and the owner does not have to pay the bill.T.

We dog/house sit for my daughters 2 friends when they go on holiday.
They dont like putting their dogs in kennels and we love looking after them.
It started by looking after one of her friends cat for 7 weeks when she went to Australia but unfortunately I didnt know I was allergic to cats until 3 weeks into the stay!.
We now look after 2 dogs 4 times a year in their own home and are often asked by others if we will mind their pets.
Is there no one who will come and stay and look after them in your home while you are away?
Someone may do it for free like we do as they may have relatives living nearby.
I was lucky that I had my Mum to look after my dog when we went on holiday.

I'd go with the trial suggestion. Over nighter and then a weekend (after a look round first). Your own sense will let you know when you drop them off/pick them up if it's good enough. Whilst they're young is an ideal time to get them used to the cattery - it's harder to do when they're older. This way too you won't have to worry about whether any sitters you could get this time won't be able to do it again (then you go back to square one with the worry!)

What to look for in a cattery - points to consider (and a bit of reassurance in there too!)
http://www.darwinvets.com/cats/cattery.htm
http://www.timberscattery.org.uk/whattolookfor.htm
http://www.leicesteranimalaid.org.uk/petCare/kennels.htm

Hi stace,why not ask for any recommendations for catteries or sitters in your area,we always recommend the kennels that we use.

The first cattery I used my cat hated, changed to another and he loves it. Comes back with a glossy coat, really fussy and meows the whole way home as though he's telling me all about his hols! He can be quite a nervous cat but he's definitely fine.

I once left him at home and a friend went round to feed him etc... Never again. Whilst the friend was fantastic - went twice a day, used to sit in the garden sunbathing for an hour with a book to give him some company! - he obviously felt lonely and got bored towards the end. I came back to find he'd been in a fight a day or two before I got home, which resulted in a massive abscess above his eye and a trip to the vets.

Any decent cattery will be happy to let you look around and see their facilities. The first one I used had indoor and outdoor sections to each pen, but the current one is indoor only.

Putting them in the cattery for a weekend is a really good idea. It will be long enough for them to settle in, but short enough for them not to feel abandoned. The cattery I use has pens that house 1, 2 or 3 cats, so if you find a similar one they will be able to stay together.

You will definitely need vaccinations as any reputable cattery won't accept cats without them. If you let us know the rough area you live in, we may be able to give you some recommendations.

We have a veterinary nurse from our local vet that comes down twice a day when we're on holiday to look after our 2 cats. She only charges us £10 a day & for that price she does their tablets & insulin & food. We've also got husband's nephew house-sitting for us, so he can give them lots of attention, but fortunately he's quite a responsible 18yr old (I hope!)

cheers, we are in Ledbury, Herefordshire.
My brother said he would look after them for me but cant stay as he has 2 cats of his own and its too far for him to commute to work. I just dont think they would like being on their own for 2 weeks with someone just popping in for 10 mins a day. They go nuts when we return from a night away. I appreciate that being in a cattery wont mean 24/7 attention but at least there will be people around and things going on most of the time and even if they are not happy at least they will be safe. Also we dont have a cat flap (it would have to be fitted in the window) so we keep a small kitchen window open during the day. However this means at night I have to bring the cat in after dark and when the kitten is big enough we will have to drag 2 cats in at night, not something I would expect a neighbour to do!