Find a less expensive sitter? Reading this without the extra info my first thought was the in home sitter will cost less.. it surprises me more than a little that it doesn't. I'd likely just have a friend come feed and water them maybe spend a few hours over watching a movie for some quality time. Most of my friends wouldn't charge me anything to do such a simple task, even if you did pay them i would think it would be far less than a kennel. Your cats don't need someone there 24 hours a day.

I think that's a personal decision.

Before choosing either of them, do your homework.

If thinking about a pet sitter, ask for recommendations from friends/family and check their references. Have them come to your home and see how they interact with your pet and talk with them a bit. Make sure to ask how often they will come check on your pet, what time of day, what exactly they do (feed, water, walk, groom, play with, etc).

If thinking about a kennel, again, ask for recommendations from family/friends. Visit the kennel without an appointment and see the conditions for yourself. Are the cages cleaned? Do all pets have access to water and a place to potty? Are drop off/pick up times convenient for you?

Also think about whether your pet is likely to be more comfortable in your home. Does your pet travel well? Is the kennel likely to cause more anxiety after an already traumatic ride in the car?

You can ask your veterinarian what they recommend too.

$40 an hour to pet-sit? Wow. I might have to go into that business myself!

Another advantage to using a kennel is that the cats would be constantly supervised and less likely to get into harm's way than if a sitter only spent an hour a day in your home. You'd have to weigh those risks against the chances that your cats' personalities would suffer. It would be easier on the cats if they got used to being kenneled gradually, perhaps drop them off for just the day a couple times before their long visit, so they will get used to the environment and know that you will return for them. Being kenneled together will help, since they'll have company they know! It would add to the expense but since the kennel is cheaper, it might not end up costing any more than if you hired the sitter. Personally, if I were going to kennel a pet this is the way I would do it. I'd feel more secure while I was away knowing that my cats had constant supervision and were safe from physical harm.

First I think you would have to take your cats personality into account because mine go psycho when I try to take them anywhere. There's also the health care side of it, will there be a veterinarian at the kennel or on call? In my case if you could find a competent pet sitter it would be worth the money. I agree that it is a personal decision what ever makes you and your cats comfortable.

I wouldn't board your cats in a kennel for all the diseases they can get. Look into pet sitters through your vet. Alot of vet offices now also run pet sitting services in their office, where your cats can be watched by people you already know and who have dealt with your animals before or they can recommend someone good.

If they don't do this then see if you can find a friend or family member that can come over to your house and take care of your cats while you are gone. Cats are pretty self sufficient as long as they have food and water and company once in awhile. You can leave shirts that you've previously worn out for them so they have the scent of you that they can lay on while you are gone. Put another kitty litter box somewhere else so they have an additional place to go to the bathroom. Leave their toys on the floor, hide treats before you leave on the floor, it is only necessary for someone to stop every couple of days to check on them to give them fresh water or food. You can also buy one of those self feeders that holds alot of food and only drops when needed. They have water dishes that are that way also that you can find at any pet store in case someone can't get there that often. As the saying goes there is no place like home and that is for cats included.

I always advocate leaving your pets at home. Whether this means you have to pay a sitter or ask friends, I feel strongly that this is better for your animals. This is probably because the times I have boarded my pet (a dog), he has come home nervous and upset, and ends up sick for the next couple of days. Granted, some animals enjoy being boarded - the social aspects, having someone with them 24x7, etc. - but most seem to get more upset about being in a strange environment with strange people then just being home alone.

If your friends are unreliable, then definitely pay for the in-home sitter. Another option is to ask your friends to supplement your pet-sitter. This way you do not have to rely on them to fully care for your pets, but if they can stop in to give your animals a little more people time, all the better.

I would prefer the pet sitter. The point brought up earlier about it serving the dual purpose of checking in on your home is quite valid too. Would it be possible to have a neighbor check in once or twice, thereby reducing the billable hours for the in home pet sitter? I can't really see the cats being much happier in a strange place, but I guess they could adapt to it and actually be quite satisfied anyway.

I know how attached my 2 cats are to us, and how they don't "get it" if we're gone for, say two weeks. That's our usual vacation each year. It's more than worth it to hire someone to stay in the house. The additional security is a plus as well. In addition, we have some "exotics" that require special care from someone who isn't freaked out by - well - snakes. Also two tortoises.

So, after trial and error, we found a cat loving reptile expert who also enjoys the serenity of our house to himself as opposed to his apartment with roommates. He's in his twenties.

We pay him $20.00 per day. I don't know what kennel fees run, but I think that's probably cheaper. So we get all the benefits of someone who knows how to take care of our animals, plus the cats are so NOT neurotic when we return. It makes it a great deal easier to enjoy our vacation.

The photo is of my son and our snakes at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire.

That depends on your cats, actually. If your cats prefer to be at home and you trust the sitter, consider not removing your cats from their own element. It is worth the additional cost to not cause unnecessary stress. The problem is, if you don't know the sitter well, bad things can happen. A kennel is better equipped in this case to make sure your cats stay safe, healthy, and don't run off trying to find you. I have heard of cats being neglected by pet sitters. Good luck in making this very difficult choice.

I would have to know someone personally to be comfortable with them in my house taking care of my animals. My sister's in laws runs a kennel and if none of my family was able to come feed my animals I would take them to the kennel.

I recently switched over to using a professional pet sitting service, which I thought I'd never do -- it sounds so yuppie! But I was able to find a great pet sitter and I couldn't be happier with the decision! If you decide to go with a pet sitter, get as many references as possible and ask them a lot of questions, and only go with someone you really feel comfortable with. Your vet might be able to recommend someone, and sometimes the vet tech's do some pet sitting on the side. Here's a link to a web site for professional pet sitters (and the pet owners), with some lists of questions to ask any potential pet sitter: http://www.petsit.com/ --
Yes, there are actually professional associations for pet sitters, if you can believe it.

The pet sitting service I ended up choosing is a small company of about 5 people, and they're fabulous. The person who was going to watch my 2 cats came out ahead of time to meet my cats (and me), get all their information, and have me show him where all the food, litter, and favorite toys are. He asked a lot of questions about their personalities and what each cat's favorite toy was, etc. They have all my contact info. and emergency info. on file, so if anything serious happens and he can't come, whoever fills in for him will already have all my information. I always ask for the same person, and he's gotten to know my cats well enough that my super-shy kitty (who many visitors have never actually seen because he runs and hides under the bed) will actually come out from under my bed and walk around a bit when the sitter is there.

I have him come once a day and it actually costs a bit less than boarding. They'll also brings in the mail and take your trash/recycling to the curb on the appropriate days. They'll water plants if you want, and even turn on/off lights so it looks like people are home. They're trained in pet first-aid and CPR (yes, you can be trained in pet CPR, apparently). They'll call every couple of days (or more if you want) with an update. They ask you to call them when you arrive back home so they know your pet isn't stranded home alone.

Whatever you do, ask a Lot of questions and only go with someone you feel comfortable with. If someone seems annoyed or defensive when you ask questions, then they're probably not the right sitter for you. Be sure to "pet-proof" your home before you leave. You know best what sort of trouble your pet is most likely to get themselves into.