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Feeling guilty about going on holiday

(16 Posts)
Biker Mon 06-May-13 05:58:24

Does anyone else do this?
As much as I love my little place on Anglesey I have found the 6 weeks without driving after this hip op has left me with cabin fever and I do need a break from these four walls.
Now I can drive again (only the car - sadly no motorbike until July) I have booked a couple of days away.
Trouble is, I feel terrible about leaving Rossi (my cat) in our local cat hotel. He has really got used to me being around over the past few weeks.

LizG Mon 06-May-13 07:28:51

Cats are very resilient and he will soon settle down but will be very pleased to see you upon your return. Go away and enjoy ourself and look on this as a practise run for Rossi when you go on your bike trip in July smile. Hope your hip operation is (and was) a success.

absent Mon 06-May-13 07:52:18

Biker Cats are shocking tarts and, unlike dogs, transfer their affections easily to whoever is providing for their needs. That said, my three went into feline boot camp for three months last Saturday and I haven't stopped worrying about them yet.

Gorki Mon 06-May-13 08:14:30

Yes, ours are always very stand-offish when we go to pick them up. Almost to say "we'll stay where we are thank you."

HUNTERF Mon 06-May-13 08:58:53

I book holidays a few weeks in advance and something always comes up which makes me say I wish I had booked the holiday at a slightly different time.
I have a dog so he just comes with me and enjoys himself.
He has never been to a dog hotel and he has never complained about this.
I am not sure if he really gets a holiday as he walks more and sleeps more.
Obviously he has to give me the same amount of love on holidays as when he is at home.
I do notice however when we are by the sea and walking along the sea front he keeps looking at the sea.

Frank

dorsetpennt Mon 06-May-13 09:42:05

I'm lucky I have never had to put any of my cats [now only one left] into a cat hotel. I go up to see my DS and family often and a good friend feeds Milly for me. Luckily Milly adores her and makes quite a fuss of her when she visits me, so when my friend feeds her she just doesn't feed and run but spends time with her. If she and I go away then my DD has to come to stay. Another friend went away for a week and it cost her £280 for both of her cats for one week - she has friends and neighbours but wont ask them to feed her cats. Though my friend hasn't a cat for me to feed I always take her out for lunch or something as a thankyou.

gracesmum Mon 06-May-13 10:39:14

Gracie seems to like her kennels and they love her there. She stayed there when she was first up for rehoming and I suppose being brought up in kennels it doesn't feel too strange. I, on the other hand, feel an absolute traitor when she leaps about at the sight of her lead - not for a walkie this time ,but into the boot of the car - I put it off as long as possible, driving her over there at the last possible minute and simply hate the whole process!! Her predecessor was quite happy to go right until the moment when we went through the door, when her tail and ears would suddenly droop and you could see her thinking Oh No, here we go againsad!

whenim64 Mon 06-May-13 10:56:22

My dog Nell loves boarding as she goes to the doggie daycare owner, who she sees a couple of times a week at daycare. She has five dogs of her own (mainly rescue), and looks after them in a spacious farmhouse and a safely fenced field, where they are free to wander and play under her supervision. If she stays on weekdays, she gets extra playtime because she accompanies all the other dogs to daycare, which is like nursery for dogs. When I return to pick her up, she's happy.....but not as happy as when I drop her off! hmm

Tegan Mon 06-May-13 11:14:36

I'm going away for a few days soon and am wittering about leaving my dog. After years of keeping my dogs in the kitchen [I've always had two at a time because of being at work for long hours sometimes] I've now got an 'only dog' and I've relented and allowed her to stay in the living room. My daughter is coming round to walk her a couple of times a day [I worry about using professional dog walkers as I think that burglars clock where they're going]. I wish I could find somewhere like you use, when, as I want to start going away more in the future. I'd be worried about leaving her at someone's house because no matter how experienced people are with dogs sight hounds are a bit of a law unto themselves. I've even thought about getting a companion for her so I can go away and leave both dogs in kennels, but if I have the expense of two dogs I can't afford the holidays [Catch 22 ].

Biker Mon 06-May-13 14:17:54

Thank you everyone - it seems that dogs are slightly luckier in joining in with the holidays.
Cats are more of a problem for holidays but much more independent at home being quite happy to guard the house while I am at work but not needing to go for walkies when I get in (he nips into the next field and decimates the mouse population)
Aaaaargh grin

Charleygirl Mon 06-May-13 14:50:53

4 years ago I broke my ankle and was in hospital 11 days having it pinned and plated. On discharge a friend came to stay with me for 6 weeks bringing her German Shepherd. My cat went into a cattery all of that time and at £10 a day, was not cheap.
When Tara was brought home, she could not believe that she was back in her own house. I think she thought that she had been abandoned as she had been x2 before and then I rescued her from the local Cat Protection.
A few months ago I had a total knee replacement so again, in a cattery but only for a couple of weeks. She has hardly left my side since she returned. I am sure she thinks I am leaving via the kitchen window when I go to make myself a cup of coffee. She is 2 paces behind me most times.
I hope that you are progressing well after your THR Biker.

LizG Wed 08-May-13 16:41:44

I have just chosen kennels for our Lurcher. It was more difficult than buying a house. What I would have liked is an hotel for her but sadly they are too expensive. sad. Hope she will cope with our final choice.

shysal Wed 08-May-13 17:12:58

Enjoy your break biker. You can be sure that your cat will punish you on your return by ignoring you for a while!

york46 Wed 08-May-13 17:50:28

Last year, my husband and I book an out-of-season holiday and booked our 2 cats into the Cat Hotel. By the time we had paid for their jabs, as required, and paid for a week's boarding for the two of them, the cost of their "holiday" was greater than the cost of ours!!!!!

merlotgran Wed 08-May-13 18:00:17

Our dogs go to a friend who has built little Wendy House style kennels in her very large, fenced in garden. They're farmers so there is plenty of land for excercise. The Wendy Houses have toy boxes, sofas with throws, radios tuned to radio 2 or classic FM and the one nearest the house even has a TV!! Our dogs love it.

Flowerofthewest Wed 08-May-13 18:41:26

Is there not a neighbour who could pop in and feed her. They do love their own places but will soon settle down if they are away for a while. She will, definitely ignore you for a while but will soon come round. We leave ours in the care of our neighbour who is also a cat lover, for the last two years though our son has been here so he does the deed. They still ignore us for a couple of hours when we return.

Go and have your holiday and enjoy yourself. If you want a house/cat sitter any time on Anglesey (love the place) we are happy to do so. grin