Whenever we travel, we have to leave Lacy behind, and I'm sure it's such a struggle for some cat person to leave their cat just like us. Whenever we leave him behind, we have to find someone who will be willing to take care of him while we're gone - usually a family friend. We have to keep in mind the fact that Lacy's personality might not fit with some people and also how some people might be afraid of him since he's HUGE; and yet again we're gonna be traveling for a few days again and the time has come yet again....
There's alot of precautions we usually take when leaving Lacy behind and most of it is finding the right person to take care of him and we can fully trust that he will be ok.
Here's the process that we go through while finding the right person to take care of him.
Tip #1 - Find the right person who can align with your cat's personality and traits.
It's clear that to leave your cat behind you MUST find the right person. Lacy, for instance, is a free soul - he will strongly show his opinion and need and will definitely fight for it. He's also not a social butterfly like some cats and he needs one-on-one sessions with a person to fully bond with them and once he does, he's gonna love you and show it. This is why we try finding someone who doesn't have kids who want to go all over him right from the start so he can take time to get to know the person; so it's crucial you know your cat well enough to find someone who will be able to deal with those traits. It's all about making the cat and caretaker familiar with each other.
Tip #2 - Decide if you want to leave your cat at home or give to the caretaker
Sometimes, you will be compelled to give your cat to the caretaker while you're gone, so it won't be lonely. That's all good and well, but keep in mind some cats get stressed in new environments and it can be a fearful experience for them; so it's advisory to take your cat to the new house beforehand so it can get used to the place and also as an opportunity for you to tell the caretaker the rules and guidelines for taking care of your cat. But, if you're only traveling for a few days, it's better to leave the cat at home and tell the caretaker to come over every day to feed or spend time with your buddy.
Tip #3 - Specify all the rules to the caretaker
After you've decided on someone you trust, it's wise to tell that person all the stuff they need to do to take care of your cat, like how we always do. We tend to leave Lacy at home while we're gone because he's perfectly capable and we tell the caretaker how much food to give him, to clean his litter etc. Also tell the caretaker how many times you prefer him/her to come over to feed your cat if you don't have an automatic feeder.
Tip #4 - Leave enough behind
Always remember to keep enough food stored behind so the it won't run out while you're gone; also leave disposable bags for the litter and guide the caretaker on how to clean if it's their first time.
And that's basically it!
This is the process we usually go through whenever we have to leave Lacy behind, and the most thought always goes into finding the right and trustworthy person, so he would be safe while we're gone :)
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