Is a cat sitter better than boarding?

What a sitter gives you

A sitter comes to your house, feeds the cat, cleans the litter, plays and checks that everything looks normal. Your cat does not have to travel, which many cats find stressful, and it does not share air or space with animals you do not know. You also get a home check: someone brings in mail, turns a light on and notices a leak.

The downside is time. A sitter is there for a visit, not all day. If your cat needs hourly care, or does poorly alone between visits, ask for more visits a day or an overnight sitter, or consider boarding.

What boarding gives you

A boarding facility can give attention all day, with staff on site and often a vet nearby. For a cat on a complicated medication schedule, or a very young or very old cat, that may matter more than staying home. It also helps when no one can reach your house, or when you do not want anyone in it.

The downside is the move. A carrier ride, a new room and the sounds and smells of other animals are a lot for some cats. Ask to see where cats are kept and whether they are housed away from dogs.

What Virginia law says about each

Virginia law does not set the same rules for both. In the Code of Virginia, a boarding establishment is a place other than an animal shelter where companion animals not owned by the proprietor are sheltered, fed and watered in exchange for a fee, and it does not include a private residential dwelling that shelters, feeds and waters fewer than five companion animals not owned by the proprietor.^[1] That means a sitter who comes to your house is outside the definition, and so is a person who keeps fewer than five cats in their own home.

The care standard is the same in practice. Virginia law says the owner must provide adequate feed, adequate water, adequate shelter that is properly cleaned, adequate exercise, and veterinary care when needed to prevent suffering or disease transmission,^[2] and the section also applies to every boarding establishment.^[2] Whatever you pick, those are the things to ask about.

Vaccines and paperwork

Virginia law requires the owner of every cat four months of age and older to keep it currently vaccinated for rabies.^[3] A facility or a sitter will usually ask for the certificate, and the law lets an animal control officer or another official ask the owner to furnish it. Other vaccines are a decision for your vet and the boarding facility's own rules, so ask both.

How to choose

Think about your cat, not the average cat. A confident cat that uses the litter box and eats on its own is a good fit for visits. A cat that bolts for a closet when someone arrives, or that needs daily treatment, may be a better fit for a place with staff on site. If you cannot tell, ask your vet.

Then compare costs on the same basis. A sitter's per-visit price and a facility's nightly rate cover different things, so ask each for a written quote for the whole trip. Our guide to what a cat sitter costs in Virginia lists what to ask.

Stop and call a pro if

You do not need a licence to hire a sitter, but some cases need your vet before you decide. Call your vet if your cat is ill, takes medication or injections, is very young or old, or has never been left alone. Ask which option your vet recommends and who can safely provide the care.

Next steps

Once you have decided on a sitter, read what to leave out for a cat sitter. Browse more pet services answers or find pet services near you.

When you are ready, describe what you need once and local sitters can respond.