Is it less stressful to leave my cat home or take her on vacation?

Question

Our 10 year old cat Bitsy is a very happy, well adjusted, healthy cat. Ok, my husband and I are going to visit our daughter for 4 1/2 days. Bitsy has never been separated from us for 9 1/2 years. She is extremely attached to me. Is it ok to have my best friend come over and feed her and clean her litter box once a day, or should we take her with us to the Hotel? Which would be less stressful on her? Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed | 10 years and 8 months old | 9 lbs

Destini R. Holloway, DVM · Accepted Answer

Cats generally don't do well either way, but taking them out of their environment is typically more stressful to cats. I would suggest keeping her there in the house and let your friend take care of her needs while you're away. You can also look into a supplement called Zylkene which is a natural way to treat anxiety in pets. It is available online and in some veterinarian clinics. It is a capsule tht can either be given by mouth or potentially sprinkled on your pets food daily. If you are interested in this approach, I would recommend trying it first at home with Bitsy while you are still there to ensure she still stays interested in her food, especially if you decide to sprinkle it on top. A good tip here is to mix it in with the food to hide it well. If you are using dry kibble then adding a small amount of water will help to mix in the contents. Other options for stress management can be discussed with your veterinarian, but most require giving the medication by mouth and I'm not sure how comfortable your friend would be with this approach. I hope that this information proves helpful. Best of luck with your pet Bitsy moving forward. Take care!

Is it less stressful to leave my cat home or take her on vacation?

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