Cat Sitters?

So Hubby and I are planning to go on vacation for a week, and abandon our poor kittee Mr. Humphreys. I very worried about boarding him. The last cat we had used to get quite sick when we boarded her at various vets (probably sheer density of being exposed to lots of critters). I am a worry wort about having a sitter come by an unattended house. Poor Mr. Humphreys is an extremely social kittee, and yells at us when we are gone for more than a day--partly because he's a rescue kitty and was abandoned by his previous owner. We've only had him for a year, and he doesn't like being left alone. I think he gets abandonment-complex when he's alone, thinking it's going to happen all over again! Our friends, who we think would be good pet-sitters, either live too far away, or have dogs!

Any suggestions or does anyone know any reliable and trustworthy pet-sitters near Burlingame? Sorry to post something so random, but I am worried about our kittee (even though he's 5 years old )

 

Poor kitty.

That's a tough one. I only trust relatives to watch my animals if I cannot take them with.

Good luck.

 

Does he come with the hat or any other accessories?
I hope you find someone who will take good care of him.

 

Yes, comes with carrot-top hat (removeable, one size fits all) and comes with third eye (especially useful when kittee is getting sleepy!)

 

First recommendation is to get him a buddy. Life is so much better when you have someone to hang with.

Second, we use a pet sitter and are very happy with her. Ask around your neighborhood and see who everyone uses. Schedule a consultation and make sure to ask plenty of questions like what he/she would do in an emergency, pet medication, insurance and bonding, etc.

Pets are so much more comfortable in their home than being boarded. Your kitty will thank you, I promise!

 

My cat Buster (white with brown and black coloring) used to cry every day until we brought home "lil' Tivo."

He has not cried since- over 5 years.

These pics are from their first day together.

 

Your cat has crazy colored eyes.

 

Lol. Not to derail the thread further, but today is Buster's 15th birthday. He was my first cat, and I adopted him from a veterinary hospital where he was kept as a feline blood donor for over 5 years. And partly because he spent so much of his early life in a cage, he was diagnosed early on with heart failure, so needless to say birthdays are a big deal for him. I also think his little buddy has helped to keep his ticker going.

 

Scott, that is so awesome I dont know what else to say.

And Mr. Humphreys would be welcome at our house if you lived in Japan! The more the merrier!!!

I really do hope you can find someone nice, we have the same trouble and its scary to not know what will happen to the fuzz when you are not home.

 

Thanks everyone for the friendly advice!
StealthTank, you are a wonderful person for adopting and saving the poor blood-donor kittee! Happy Birthday Buster! It must have been very stressful for the poor cat to be penned up and milked for blood . I know he probably helped to save other kittees, but it seems harsh--to be caged for so long. Excellent advice to adopt a buddy, but Hubby thinks one is enough . I wish I could adopt a whole bundle. Everytime I stop off at Petco to get Mr. Humphreys more grub, I always stop by to check out the kittees who are in the adoption pens. So sad, they are always so friendly, and I want to take them all home! I think now that the economy has taken a dive, more pets are being given up or abandoned when people lose their homes .

Baikin! Thank you so much for your offer! What a generous heart you have . I hope one day to visit Japan, I've always wanted to.

Thanks again everyone, nice to see a lot of animal lovers here. We're still thinking of what to do with poor Mr. Humphreys. As a last resort, we will probably board him at the vets, but I am not too keen on that. I'd rather find a nice responsible person who loves animals.

Oh, and if you haven't seen this, it's worth a gander... Happy Friday!
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/2369949/7403850

 

I heart Buster.

 

We've got a lady here in Seattle who is just awesome. The daily status updates get to be a bit much...

I find myself being able to really enjoy vacations when I know my pets are being looked after by someone trusted.

 

Thank you for the reference Brian!
I'm such a worry wort Kittee Mom, I'm actually dreading going on vacation

 

Oh well, now I know that Mr. Humphreys will have the best of care... me! Can't go on vacation with bronchitis . Hubby is still going, but I'll stay behind to shower our kittee with love. He also seemed to have just caught a cold (poor kittee ). Does anyone know if a human can transmit a cold virus to a kittee?

 

Zoonotic diseases can be transferred from animals to humans so I am sure there are some viruses that can jump from human to animal. But I don't know for sure.
Check this out:
http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/pbs/zoonoses/

 

Whoa! Thanks for that reference Melek_Taus!!! Lots of interesting detail on that website, very informative!
Looks like transmitting influenza between kittee and humans is not ruled out. So, I did give my cold to the kittee , now I feel very guilty. He's got an appointment with the vet tomorrow. Poor kittee

 

Also check out Icanhazbronchitizz.com for more info.

 

First thing the vet said was, "Wooooooooooow! He's grown a LOT hasn't he"

So, vet said it was more than likely that I infected Mr. Humphreys, but he's recovering nicely. They have these neato new thermometers, that they stick down their ears (instead of other uncomfortable orifices ). Good gums, good teeth, good vitals, good ears, but it's official, poor Kittee is on a diet. This is going to be really hard on both of us. How can you resist your kittee when he is smushing his entire face on the back of your calf (with very wet nose too!), purring loudly, and continually licking your legs when it's feeding time. I'm just gonna feel awful about cutting treats down to nearly nothing . The doc said to think of treats like feeding potatoe chips to yourself (hey, I've been guilty many times of eating an entire giant size fully-fatted, super salted, ridged chips super-sized bag, in one sitting ). It's going to be emotionally traumatizing for both of us .