Cat Sitting vs Cattery: Why In-Home Care Wins for Most Cats

TL;DR

Most cats are significantly less stressed when they stay in their own home with a visiting sitter rather than being transported to a cattery. Cats are territorial animals whose sense of security is tied to their environment. In-home sitting preserves their territory, routine, and comfort while a cattery — no matter how well run — requires them to adapt to a completely foreign space. For the majority of cats, in-home sitting is the better choice.

Understanding What Makes Cats Different

Dogs are social animals. They bond primarily to people and can transfer that bond to new people in new environments relatively quickly. Cats are territorial animals. They bond to their environment first and to the people in it second. This fundamental difference in psychology means that the care approach for dogs and cats should be fundamentally different too.

When you move a dog to a sitter's home, the dog loses their familiar space but gains a new person to bond with. When you move a cat to a cattery, the cat loses everything — their territory, their scent markers, their hiding spots, their windows, their routines, and the person they are bonded to. The psychological impact is not comparable.

This does not mean catteries are cruel or that no cat should ever go to one. But it does mean that the default should be in-home care, and cattery boarding should be the exception for cats with specific needs.

The Case for In-Home Cat Sitting

Territory Preservation

Your cat has spent months or years mapping their territory. They know every surface, every hiding spot, every warm patch of sunlight, and every escape route. Their scent is on everything. This territory is their security blanket.

In-home cat sitting preserves all of this. The sitter visits your home — typically once or twice a day for drop-in visits, or stays continuously for house sitting — and your cat remains in the environment they know and trust.

The difference in stress is visible. A cat in a cattery often:

Hides in the back of their enclosure for the first 24-48 hours
Refuses to eat for one to three days
Over-grooms or stops grooming entirely
Shows signs of urinary stress (inappropriate urination, blood in urine)

A cat with an in-home sitter typically:

Continues their normal routine with minor adjustments
Eats normally within the first visit
Maintains their grooming habits
Shows curiosity about the new person rather than fear

Routine Maintenance

Cats are creatures of extreme routine. They eat at the same time, sleep in the same spots, patrol the same windows, and expect the same sequence of events each day. Disruption to this routine creates anxiety that manifests as behavioural changes.

A good in-home cat sitter can maintain your cat's routine almost perfectly:

Feeding at the usual times in the usual spot with the usual food
Litter tray maintenance in the same location with the same litter
Play sessions at the times your cat is most active (usually dawn and dusk)
Medication administration at the correct times in the familiar environment where your cat is calm enough to accept it
Environmental consistency: the same temperature, the same sounds, the same smells

Reduced Disease Risk

Catteries house multiple cats in proximity. Even with excellent hygiene protocols and individual enclosures, the risk of disease transmission is higher than in your own home. Common cattery-acquired illnesses include:

Upper respiratory infections (cat flu): highly contagious in multi-cat environments
Feline calicivirus: spreads through shared air space
Ringworm: fungal infection that thrives in facilities despite cleaning
Stress-induced cystitis: not contagious, but extremely common in cats stressed by environmental change

In-home sitting eliminates these risks entirely. Your cat is in their own germ environment, around no unfamiliar animals, and not exposed to the pathogens that circulate in multi-cat facilities.

Multi-Cat Households

If you have more than one cat, in-home sitting is almost always the better option. Taking two or three cats to a cattery means:

Multiple transport journeys (stressful for all cats)
The cats may need to be separated at the cattery (breaking their social bonds)
Each cat must individually adjust to the new environment
The cost multiplies per cat

With in-home sitting, all your cats stay together in their shared territory, maintain their social hierarchy, and experience minimal disruption. The sitter simply cares for all of them in one visit.

The Case for Catteries

Despite the strong case for in-home sitting, catteries serve a legitimate purpose in specific circumstances:

Cats With Medical Needs

If your cat has a medical condition requiring frequent monitoring — diabetes needing twice-daily insulin with blood glucose checks, kidney disease needing subcutaneous fluid therapy, or post-surgical recovery — a cattery attached to a veterinary practice can provide the level of medical oversight that a visiting sitter cannot.

Very Long Absences

For trips of three weeks or longer, in-home drop-in visits may not provide enough social interaction and environmental monitoring. A cat left alone for 23 hours a day in an empty house can become depressed, even if their physical needs are met during visits. In these cases, house sitting (where the sitter lives in your home) is preferable, but if that is not available, a cattery with daily handling and interaction may be better than isolation.

Cats That Genuinely Enjoy Company

Some cats — particularly certain breeds like Ragdolls, Burmese, and Siamese — are more socially oriented than the average feline. A small number of these cats genuinely enjoy the stimulation of a cattery environment. If your cat has previously stayed in a cattery and showed no signs of stress, they may be in this minority.

Home Environment Concerns

If your home has security issues (unreliable locks, ongoing construction, pest treatment) that make it unsuitable for leaving a cat during your absence, a cattery provides a controlled, secure alternative.

Cost Comparison

In-Home Cat Sitting (Drop-In Visits)

Per visit: $15-30 depending on location and visit duration
Typical schedule: one to two visits per day
Weekly cost (two visits/day): $210-420
Multi-cat discount: usually no extra charge for additional cats in the same household

In-Home Cat Sitting (House Sitting)

Per night: $30-60 depending on location
Weekly cost: $210-420
Includes: continuous presence in your home, care for all your pets, basic home maintenance (mail, plants, bins)

Cattery Boarding

Per night: $20-45 per cat
Premium catteries: $40-70 per cat
Multi-cat: most catteries charge per cat, so two cats at $30/night = $60/night
Weekly cost (one cat): $140-315
Weekly cost (two cats): $280-630

For single-cat households, catteries can be slightly cheaper than in-home sitting on a per-night basis. For multi-cat households, in-home sitting is almost always more economical because you pay per visit or per night regardless of how many cats you have.

On The Pet Sitter, cat sitters set their own rates and keep 100% of their earnings with our 0% commission model. This means prices reflect the sitter's actual valuation of their time, not a rate inflated by 15-20% to cover platform fees.

How to Choose an In-Home Cat Sitter

Not all pet sitters are equally suited to cat care. When browsing sitters for your cat, look for:

Cat-specific experience: a sitter who primarily boards dogs may not understand feline behaviour, body language, or stress signals
Understanding of feline independence: the best cat sitters know when to engage and when to leave a cat alone
Medication experience: if your cat takes medication, choose a sitter who has experience administering it (pilling a cat is a skill, not an instinct)
References from other cat owners: reviews that specifically mention cat care are more relevant than general pet sitting reviews
Willingness to follow your routine: a good cat sitter will ask detailed questions about your cat's habits and preferences

You can search for cat sitters in your area on The Pet Sitter and filter by the services you need, whether that is drop-in visits or house sitting.

Preparing Your Home for a Cat Sitter

To help your sitter provide the best possible care:

Leave detailed written instructions: feeding amounts, medication schedules, litter preferences, favourite hiding spots, and any behavioural quirks
Stock up on supplies: food, litter, and medication for the full duration plus a buffer
Show the sitter around your home: where the cat food is, where the litter trays are, where the nearest vet is, how to operate any relevant appliances
Leave your vet's details prominently: on the fridge, on the information sheet, and in a message to the sitter
Secure anything fragile or dangerous: cats with free run of the house can knock things over, so put away anything irreplaceable
Test the cat flap (if applicable): make sure it is working correctly and the sitter knows how to lock and unlock it

FAQ

How often should a cat sitter visit each day?

For healthy adult cats, two visits per day — one in the morning and one in the evening — is the standard recommendation. Each visit should be at least 20-30 minutes to allow time for feeding, litter tray cleaning, play, medication if needed, and general companionship. Kittens, elderly cats, or cats with medical conditions may need more frequent visits or a house sitter who is present continuously.

Will my cat bond with the sitter and forget about me?

No. Cats form their primary bonds over months and years of shared experience. A sitter visiting for a week will be accepted (at best) or tolerated (at least), but they will not replace you in your cat's attachment hierarchy. You may notice your cat being slightly aloof when you return — this is not rejection. It is a normal feline response to the disruption of routine, and it typically resolves within a day.

My cat is very shy and hides from strangers. Is in-home sitting still better than a cattery?

Yes — usually even more so. A shy cat in a cattery will likely spend the entire stay hiding in the back of an unfamiliar enclosure, which is profoundly stressful. A shy cat at home will hide from the sitter initially but will come out on their own terms because they are in their own territory. Many sitters report that even the shyest cats begin appearing during visits by day two or three. Instruct the sitter not to force interaction and to leave food and treats near the cat's hiding spot.

What about cats that go outdoors?

Discuss outdoor access with your sitter before the stay. Some owners prefer to keep their cat indoors while they are away to reduce risk. Others want their cat's routine maintained, including outdoor time. If your cat uses a cat flap, ensure the sitter knows how it works and whether it should be locked at night. If your cat is let out manually, confirm the sitter's visit times align with your cat's preferred outdoor schedule.

Can a cat sitter handle multiple cats with different dietary needs?

Yes, but clear instructions are essential. If one cat eats prescription food and another eats regular food, label everything clearly, explain the feeding arrangement (separate rooms, supervised feeding, timed feeding), and make sure the sitter understands the consequences of a mix-up. Experienced cat sitters manage multi-cat households routinely, but they need you to set them up for success with unambiguous instructions.