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Cats/Leaving on vacation for 5 weeks

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Expert: - 11/16/2009


Question
We adopted 2 adult cats 1 year ago last September. Our male calico Chester is very loving and purrs constantly. However we believe he was abandoned by his previous owners and has refused to go out since we got him. He seems content to stay inside all the time. We give him lots of love and attention.
Our other cat is a white female Persian mix that is deaf. She is a little younger, very curious and likes attention as well. She goes outside on a leash and a harness and enjoys it.

We have left them before for a 1 week vacation and a 2 week vacation without any problems. We paid a neighbor to keep an eye on them.

We are leaving soon on an extended vacation to China and decided to use a service that comes every day for 1 hour to take care of them. My sister and her kids will be at our home for the Holidays while we are away.

I believe Chester is better off staying at home while Snowball wouldn't mind the extra company if she could be with my sister.

My spouse believes it is not a good idea to separate them.

Any recommendations?

Thank You

Daniel

Answer
Daniel,

I agree that Chester should stay in his home territory.  I also agree with your spouse that Snowball is also better off at home.  If Snowball has not seen her sister in some time, they wiil have to go through all thet "getting to know you" ritual that cats go through with all the requisite hissing and spitting and posturing that goes along with it.  Also, cats seem to pass time differently than we do and tend not to find long periods of time with nothing going on at all bothersome.

So with the service coming in an hour a day, they will do just fine until you get back.  As long as the service has someone responsible to talk to in case some problem comes up.

Have a great trip.

Best regards... Norm.  

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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