Good weather is coming and with it vacations and trips. There are many families who ask us at the end of the year what to do with their cat during the vacation period if they decide to go on a trip or to a second home.
The answer in each case will depend on how you approach your vacation, the mood of your cat, how many days you are going to be away, where you are going to be, etc.
A priori you have to keep in mind that from the point of view of stress, it is always best to leave your cat in its territory, that is, in your house. To do this, you must have someone you trust who can come into your house to make sure everything is going well, at least once every two days and ideally daily.
In some cities there are already home cat sitter services and it can be a good option for those of you who do not have family or friends nearby who can take care of your cats.
In any case, you must worry about providing all the necessary information to the person who is going to take care of your cat (type of diet, personality, preferences, etc.)
As far as possible, we will avoid traveling with them because the general trend is that it is very stressful for the cat. Surely we have all seen those friendly traveling cats on networks, who accompany their humans everywhere and seem to greatly enjoy this type of stimulation, but these cases are the exception and not the general rule.
Also We will avoid leaving him in dog residences unless it is strictly necessary (a cat stressed by a change of territory can easily become ill from pathogens in the new environment against which it is not immunized)
- weekend absences: In these cases, it is recommended that the cat is already perfectly adapted to your home and is no less than seven or eight months old. From that age onwards, he will be able to stay alone at home for a maximum of two nights and two days without supervision, as long as you make sure that he has clean water and food available and that you leave his sandbox in a perfect state of cleanliness so that he does not you find it uncomfortable to use. In these cases, water fountains or video surveillance cameras can be very useful. If someone you trust can also check on how everything is going, even better.
- Seasons in a second residence: If we have a second residence where we are going to spend a few seasons a year, it would be advisable to take the cat, as long as the stay is more than a week. This minimum period must be taken into account because an adaptation to the new territory must be made following the necessary protocol. Notwithstanding the above, let's use logic: if your cat is excessively shy and has a hard time traveling by car, train or plane, it is better that you leave him at home; If the second residence does not have the necessary security means and there will be a lot of hectic during your stay there and there is a possibility of escape, it is also better to leave it at home, to give some examples.
- Long distance trips, by plane or car, etc.: In these cases it is always advisable NOT to take the cat unless it is strictly necessary. Security checks at airports, train stations, long hours in the car, etc. They can greatly stress a cat and we will always avoid it as much as possible. Again, if there is no other option, we must implement an adaptation protocol upon arriving at our destination and pay special attention to our cat and its emotional and physical state.
The main recommendation is always to leave the cat in its territory and maintain its routines as much as possible. It is clear that your absence will imply a change in your daily life and therefore we must make special efforts to ensure that the rest of the resources remain as little altered as possible.
