Advice for Other Cat Carers 189
● What other pets are there in the home? Could they be a risk to the cat or could
the cat be a risk to them?
● If the cat has had previous outdoor access is there provision for this to continue,
i.e. access to a suitable and secure outdoor space, with minimal or manageable
risk from neighbouring cats, other animals or other potential threats, e.g. traffic.
● If the cat’s known history indicates that it has always been an indoor cat, are the
owners also happy to provide indoor litter trays and sufficient environmental
enrichment if the cat is reluctant or too fearful to go outside?
Cat Sitters (Advice for Sitters and Owners)
An arrangement between a pet owner and a pet sitter, someone who stays in the home
and cares for the cat while the owner is away, can be an ideal solution for both the
owner and the house/pet sitter.
● The owner has continued care of their pet(s) and their home while they are away.
● The house/pet sitter often has free accommodation and many sitters combine
looking after other people’s pets and houses with travel.
The welfare of the pet(s) should, however, always be a primary consideration.
Being sent to a cattery can often be stressful for cats because it involves being
transported away from familiarity and the sense of security associated with the home
environment. The cat sitter arrangement, which allows the cat to stay in its own
home, can therefore be the least stressful option for many cats. This is not always the
case, however, and even if this arrangement does cause less stress for the cat than
being sent to a cattery, it might still involve some degree of stress, usually connected
with being apart from familiar and bonded people, having a stranger living in the
house and disruption to normal routine.
For some cats, the cattery option can actually be the least stressful option. Such
cats include, for example:
● Fearful and poorly socialized cats that always hide away from and/or are aggres-
sive to visitors.
● Some cats may hide initially but after a short while become accustomed to
new people in the house. But if the cat remains fearful and/or aggressive
around strangers in their territory, the pet sitter option is unlikely to improve
the cat’s fear and defensive behaviour and may exacerbate the problem.
● If the cat is fearful of strangers and is allowed outdoor access, the cat may
choose to ‘leave home’.
● It is unfair to expect another person to live with a cat that could cause them
injury. In a cattery situation, precautions can be put in place to protect work-
ers from attack from aggressive cats.
● Cats who have become accustomed to travelling and to visiting the same cattery
on a regular and frequent basis. If a good cattery is visited repeatedly and often,
the environment and carers may become familiar and comforting for the cat.
If the cat sitter option does appear to be the better option, there are a number of
things that the owner and sitter can do to help limit stress for the cat, and help to
encourage a good relationship between the cat and the sitter.