subcon

melinda17...

that's not exactly true. dogs understand schedule and routine. if they're let out at 6am, they expect to be out by 6am. if they're fed at 4pm, they'll expect to be fed then.

thay also understand companionship. if they're used to seeing you from 6pm through 6am, then they'll miss you if you're not there.

the degree of one's attachment to the animal (and vise versa) is the key as to the angst of separation. we had two dogs who basically grew up together. one wouldn't eat very much while we were away and the other wouldn't come home until we did after being let out.

this severly freaked out the house sitter until she got used to it.

dln

It is such a relief to read this thread! I hate to leave my cat as much as I love to travel. Sad predicament to be in, huh?

I worry endlessly about the cat before the trip. The bad thing is that she really doesn't like travelling with us--hides under the bed in strange houses--so we have to leave her behind. It doesn't stop me from going on a trip, but like the rest of you, I feel like a bad mother!

omalley

Its always a dilemma for me what to do with our two cats when we travel. Our orange cat literally trembles when we take him to the kennel and he always comes home with a cold. When I leave my husband in charge of the cats my tabby gets offended when my husband tries to feed him and he runs out of the kitchen. I'm thinking of hiring a pet sitting service when we go to Ireland this summer. They come by a couple of times a day to feed the animals and check on them but I do worry about them getting lonely.

Marilyn

omalley, we have always been able to find someone to stay at our house with our cats. A co-worker, a friend, a college-age kid or relation to a friend. Often we have found someone through just asking every one we know. Of course you want to check some references, but it's such a better solution for cats. As you know, they don't like to leave their territory, and they do miss the human companionship if they are used to it.

daph

I have written about our cat Daphne before but couldn't resist the way this question was put. She is a Siamese who started cutting through our yard in 1989. My guess is that she was about 3 or 4 then. She had only a flea coller with no name tag. I advertised in the paper but couldn/t find her owners. She was traumatized while homeless and never recovered-is very jumpy and the catsitter never sees her! But she is very loving with us. Last vacation we had to board her and she just burrowed into her bed for one month. Thought that when we retired we could really travel but we hate to leave her. She used to ignore us for a few days when we returned but not in the last year or two. She will be our last cat.

Marilyn

Oh daph, that is exactly how we feel! We thought we would travel for months at a time, but we miss our kitties too much. Ours are only 4 and 5, so if they live to a ripe old age (our last was 18) we'll be getting up there by the time they're gone. I cannot bear to think of ever having a "last" cat. My life would be so impoverished without them.

platzman

This is a ridiculous topic! Does anyone feel badly about leaving their kids when they travel? Doesn't seem so.

SeaUrchin

platzman, feel free to open a thread about missing one's children! This one is about missing one's pets.

Marilyn

platzman, I don't have kids. Does that entitle me to miss my cats as much as I want? Thanks.

omalley

We always took our kids with us when we travelled. Needless to say, we didn't go too far. They were all a handfull. Travel out of the country would have been a nightmare. Now they are all adults, so all I have to worry about is my kitties.

WanderingTexan

I left my outside cat for 23 days once with the neighbors feeding her and they told me that 2 days before I came home, she disappeared. The good news is that she reappeared as soon as we got home, but I felt terrible. She thought we had abandoned her and just gave up. Now, I have inside cats and have someone stay in the house with them for long trips. Mine usually gets in the bed with me and bites me to let me know she wasn't happy, even after a 3-day weekend trip.

mcgeezer

RebeccaM,
We know a couple of people who will pet sit. One lives in an apartment and loves to visit our house, especially since we installed jacuzzi tub.
The other, owes us big time because I frequently pick her dog up at the groomer and doggie sit as she never leaves her dog alone. Even if she's only going to a play for the evening. Some dogs are just spoiled. But the dog in question is my dogniece.
Then we have a friend who likes to come to our city on vacation. It has a lot to do with our wonderful climate in So. Calif and the jacuzzi tub.
Sso in answer to your question. We don't pay - we barter and are very blessed to have wonderful friends and relatives.

We really miss our pets if we're gone more than 11 or 12 days.

Cole

No

LoriNY

I'm in agreement with 39Steps. When our dog was young I had no problem, but as she got older it was harder and harder to leave her. We are now sadly dog free. Hopefully, not for long and all those guilt feelings will come back

Underhill

I always liked Garrison Keillor's idea of a miniature cat that could travel with you, using hotel ashtrays as a litter box.

Nomadic1

I don't feel guilty because I never leave my pet at home, especially when traveling to Europe. I always carry my Springer Spaniel when I travel around Europe. We ventured to 13 different countries in 2002 and we encountered no problems. Dogs are allowed in many restaurants and hotels.

Folks went the extra mile to please us, even when they didn't have to. I fondly remember, a manager of a posh hotel in Belgrade sneaking my dog upstairs to our room, because they didn't accept pets. Erin, was the first dog allowed in this hotel in 2 years. Also, I recall the inn owner in Verdun, France who cooked a huge steak every night and she brought it to my room for my dog.

There are many places here and abroad that handle pets. Seek out such options and take your cat with you, don't stress out when your kitty can be with you. I have many great memories of traveling with my pet and you can too.

Final note,I wish the Americans would adopt the same attitude toward pets as the Europeans.

orangetravelcat

Well, just returned from a week in the Bahamas, and our cats did fine. They were both under the bed when we got home and didn't come out for a few minutes, but this time they actually had some interaction with our nephew. One of them even slept on the bed with him. Of course, right now they are acting like holy terrors, running around, meowing, and knocking things off tables and counters. But they seem none the worse for our week's absence.

ndf321

I am glad your guilt proved to be unfounded! Hope you had a great vacation!

chardonnay

paraphrasing a letter to the editor in my local paper, from your dog:

My life is likely to last ten to fifteen years, that is a long time to love me.

Give me time to understand what you want of me. Place your trust in me, it is crucial to my well-being.

Don't be angry at me for long and don't lock me up as punishment.

You have your work, your entertainment and your friends, I have only you.

Talk to me sometimes, even if I don't understand your words, I understand your voice when it's speaking to me.

Be aware that however you treat me, I'll never forget it. Before you scold me for being uncoorperative, obsitinate or lazy, ask yourself if something might be bothering me, perhaps I am not getting the right food, enough water, I've been out in the sun too long or my heart is getting old and weak.

Take care of me when I get old, you too, will grow old. Go with me on difficult journeys, please dont say "I can't bear to watch it" or "let it happen in my absence", everything is easier for me if you are there.

Remember, I will always love you.

Amanda23

I bring this thread back because I leave in 3 days for Italy for 3 weeks and am feeling AWFUL about leaving my two fur-children alone. My mom is going to come every day to spend an hour or two with my kitties, but I still feel bad. I have instructed her to stay overnight if they seem to be getting emotionally scarred or are wrecking things. It's funny how attached you become to them so quickly!