Leaving cat in a cattery for 5 weeks

I'm going abroad for about 5 weeks in the summer to see family and have to leave my 1 year old ragdoll cat / kitten behind. Unfortunately there's no one I trust enough to look after her where I live, so I have to send her away for 37 days.

Will she be depressed and think she's been abandoned? Or might she forget me or not be as cuddly once I get her back? I'll miss her 1st birthday while I'm away :frown:

It's just when I google this online, people tend to leave cats in catteries for a much shorter period of time.

Reply 1

the bear

20

Cats are less clingy than dogs. Your kitteh will be fine in her temporary home.

Reply 2

SilverstarDJ

18

Original post by thisistheend

I'm going abroad for about 5 weeks in the summer to see family and have to leave my 1 year old ragdoll cat / kitten behind. Unfortunately there's no one I trust enough to look after her where I live, so I have to send her away for 37 days.

Will she be depressed and think she's been abandoned? Or might she forget me or not be as cuddly once I get her back? I'll miss her 1st birthday while I'm away :frown:

It's just when I google this online, people tend to leave cats in catteries for a much shorter period of time.

I used to work at a cattery. Yes, most people would only go away for a weekend, or a week, but you would sometimes get cats who stayed in for longer than this. Most of the cats were very happy and the ones that liked attention would get a few extra cuddles from me during my lunch break. You would sometimes get a few nervous ones or those who didn't want to see anyone and for these cats I'd respect that too. You can take your own cat toys or scratch post so your cat has something familiar with their/your sent on. Not all catteries will let you take your own blanket as if they get dirty they may well get lost in the washing machine. I doubt she will forget you - cat's dont have the memory of a goldfish! She may well hold a grudge for you for a while (my pets do every time they go to the vets) but it'll pass with time. Try not to worry to much - she'll be OK!

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 3

thisistheend

OP

2

Original post by SilverstarDJ

I used to work at a cattery. Yes, most people would only go away for a weekend, or a week, but you would sometimes get cats who stayed in for longer than this. Most of the cats were very happy and the ones that liked attention would get a few extra cuddles from me during my lunch break. You would sometimes get a few nervous ones or those who didn't want to see anyone and for these cats I'd respect that too. You can take your own cat toys or scratch post so your cat has something familiar with their/your sent on. Not all catteries will let you take your own blanket as if they get dirty they may well get lost in the washing machine. I doubt she will forget you - cat's dont have the memory of a goldfish! She may well hold a grudge for you for a while (my pets do every time they go to the vets) but it'll pass with time. Try not to worry to much - she'll be OK!

Thanks that's really nice to know. I'm not putting her in a cattery exactly, well the lady does have a small cattery, but she breeds Ragdolls and she said she'll take my cat in even if her cattery is technically full because she's vaccinated and is of the same breed. So hopefully, kitty will have a nice time running around with her own kind in a house, she won't be put in a cage or anything.

Reply 4

MrKappa

6

Cats don't give a **** about their owners. She'd eat you and dance on your bones if you died.

Reply 5

SilverstarDJ

18

Original post by MrKappa

Cats don't give a **** about their owners. She'd eat you and dance on your bones if you died.

Why do you need to be so rude? Although cats are independent and adaptable they can form attachments with their owners!

Reply 6

ChaoticButterfly

20

Original post by MrKappa

Cats don't give a **** about their owners. She'd eat you and dance on your bones if you died.

ye... It's dogs that do that.

Not syaing a cat wouldn't, but dogs definitely have done.

Reply 7

thisistheend

OP

2

Original post by MrKappa

Cats don't give a **** about their owners. She'd eat you and dance on your bones if you died.

If I had to decide between running you over or my kitty, I wouldn't hesitate for a second.

Reply 8

Spongebob0303

Totally agreed that cats are very loveable and I would choose my cat over any human any day
and to answer your question my cat hates it when we leave her :frown:

She wails all the way there and then when we go and pick her up she purrs all the way home and then doesn't stop for another couple of days aww
But then again I work at a cat shelter (and we do take cats when people go on holiday if we have space) and some cats love it, they play with the others, and hardly have to move when they want food :P
It also depends on whether you've left her before or not some are really not bothered because they are left so often.
We have 3 cats in at the moment who are going to be shipped to Africa to join their owner and you can tell they're missing the attention as all three jump on you and want cuddles when you open the run door.