Not sure what to pack for cat boarding? Use this complete checklist from our Gillitts cattery to keep your cat comfortable, calm, and fully prepared.
An honest breakdown of both options, including when a boarding cattery makes more sense, when a pet sitter is the better fit, and what every cat owner should consider before deciding.
6 minutes | Cat Boarding
We run a cattery, so you might expect this article to lean heavily in one direction. But the reality is simpler than that: different cats need different things.
Some cats thrive with structured care and supervision in a boarding environment. Others feel safest staying at home with a trusted sitter. This guide is designed to help you make the right decision for your cat, not just the most convenient one.
Let's start with a side-by-side. Not marketing, just the actual differences between a reputable cattery and a good pet sitter.
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Factors
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Boarding Cattery
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Pet sitter
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Environment
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Away from home. New smells, new sounds, new space.
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Cat stays in their own territory. Familiar and scent-marked.
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Human supervision
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Staff present all day. Someone always nearby.
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Typically 1 to 2 visits per day, 20 to 60 minutes each.
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Emergency response
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Immediate. Staff on site, vet contacts established.
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Depends on how quickly the sitter can attend and respond.
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Routine consistency
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Structured daily schedule. Feeding, play, checks at set times.
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Varies. Good sitters maintain routines. Others less so.
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Risk of illness
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Some exposure risk in shared facilities. Mitigated by vaccination requirements and separation.
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No contact with other animals. Lower infection risk.
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Security
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Enclosed, escape-proof facility. No risk of doors being left open.
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Open home environment. Risk of escape if sitter is not careful.
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Anxious or shy cats
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Can be harder initially, but experienced staff know how to handle them.
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Staying home often easier for anxious cats who are strongly territory-bonded.
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Multi-cat households
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Cats from same household can board together or be seporated if they fight
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All cats stay home together. Social bonds maintained but
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Home security
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House sits empty. No added home security benefit.
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Regular presence at your property. Plants watered, possible sleepover.
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Accountability
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Registered business, insurance, clear policies, written agreements.
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Varies widely. Informal arrangements can lack structure or recourse.
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Medication administration
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Experienced with daily meds, special diets, supplements.
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Depends on the sitter's experience and confidence.
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Cost
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Transparent and predictable. Daily rate per cat.
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Per-visit or daily rate. Can be cheaper for short trips, more for longer ones with multiple visits.
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For most cats, a well-run cattery offers something a pet sitter simply cannot: someone who is actually there. Not dropping in for half an hour and leaving, but physically present and able to respond if something changes.
Cats on daily medication or with health conditions
Administering medication takes experience. A cattery with trained staff handles this confidently and consistently, twice a day if needed, every day without fail.
Longer trips of more than a week
The longer the stay, the more a consistent, structured environment matters. Twice-daily visits start to feel thin over ten days. A cattery provides the same quality of care on day one as day fourteen.
Cats who have escaped before or are skilled at finding exits
Escape-proof facilities are exactly that. A pet sitter, however careful, is working in a home environment with multiple potential exit points and the pressure of limited time per visit.
Cats who have escaped before or are skilled at finding exits
Escape-proof facilities are exactly that. A pet sitter, however careful, is working in a home environment with multiple potential exit points and the pressure of limited time per visit.
Cats adapting well to new environments
Some cats are genuinely curious and resilient. They explore their suite, interact with staff, and settle in within a day. For these cats, boarding is a non-issue.
There are real scenarios where staying home is the kinder option. A good pet sitter, doing the job properly, can be excellent. The key words there are "good" and "properly."
Highly anxious or territory-dependent cats
Some cats are so strongly bonded to their home environment that removing them causes more stress than the disruption of a sitter visiting. If your cat has a history of significant distress outside the home, staying put may be better.
Very short trips of one to three days
For a weekend away, the disruption of travel to a cattery and back may outweigh the benefit. A trusted sitter visiting twice a day for 48 to 72 hours is often perfectly adequate for a healthy, settled cat.
Multi-cat households where the cats are closely bonded
Separating bonded cats adds stress. If you have three cats who groom each other and sleep in a pile, keeping them together at home may be a kinder option than boarding, even if catteries can accommodate groups.
Cats with a complicated history of illness or stress in new environments
If your cat has previously stopped eating, developed stress cystitis, or shown significant behavioural changes in new environments, your vet may actively advise against boarding.
Stress cystitis (also called feline idiopathic cystitis) is a real and painful condition that can be triggered by environmental changes. Cats prone to urinary issues are often better off staying home. If your cat has a history of this, talk to your vet before making any boarding decision.
Let's be direct about the most common arrangement: asking a friend, family member, or neighbour to check in on your cat while you're away.Sometimes this works perfectly. Often it doesn't, and the problems tend to emerge at the worst possible moments.
No real accountability
A friend doing you a favour has no professional obligation, no insurance, and no training. If they miss a visit, forget to lock up, or don't notice your cat has stopped eating, there is no recourse. This isn't a criticism of friends. It's a structural problem.
They may not know what normal looks like
Spotting that a cat is unwell requires knowing what healthy behaviour looks like for that specific cat. A professional sitter or cattery staff member notices the subtle signs. Most friends don't, and it's not their fault.
If you go the informal route and get your helper/domestic worker to look after your pets brief them thoroughly: show what normal eating looks like, normal litter box output, normal behaviour. Give them your vet's number, a local emergency contact, and written authority to seek treatment if needed.
If you've decided a pet sitter is the right choice, do this properly. The difference between a good pet sitter and a poor one can be significant, and price is not a reliable indicator of quality.
A sitter who can answer all of these confidently and specifically is worth paying for. One who hedges, gets defensive, or hasn't thought about emergency procedures is a red flag, regardless of how much your cat seems to like them at the meet.
Most owners want the same three things: their cat to be safe, their cat to be comfortable, and their own ability to relax on holiday without a background hum of worry. A reputable cattery and a professional pet sitter can both deliver that. An informal arrangement with someone who isn't prepared often cannot, and the gap only becomes visible when something goes wrong. Know your cat. Know their history. Ask the right questions of whoever you choose. And if you're genuinely unsure, your vet's opinion on what your specific cat can handle is worth more than any general advice.
Image reference: Photography by Meruyert Gonullu
