I don't think I'd ever allow Fuzzy to put our cats or dog into a cattery or kennel. In the past I've used catteries and never had good luck. Years ago I lived on the west coast and didn't know many people, so I would have to put my babies in the "kitty hotel" when I'd travel. They were so stressed and weirded out when I got them home, it usually took days, sometimes a week, to get them settled back down. Sometimes they'd come home sick and I'd end up having to treat them for some little something-or-another (ear mites, conjunctivitis, upper respiratory infections, diarrhea, allergic reactions). During those years I think I used every reputable kitty hotel I could find, but always ended up with problems.

I've had much better luck using pet sitters. My cats can stay in their home, with their food, their litter boxes, their toys, everything that's familiar to them, and someone comes in to check on them as often as I request. At first I was tentative about having someone in my home, but a neighbor checked on the service when they visited and (probably not a pleasant thing to do since the service was bonded, but...) I had someone from the service meet me at my home when I returned in case anything was amiss. After that first time of coming home to happy, unstressed cats, I was sold.

I'm lucky now that I don't have to travel much (seldom more than a couple of nights) and our cats can handle being by themselves.

[This message has been edited by Vi Co Bi (edited February 28, 2001).]