Leaving your cat in Bangalore: boarding or a sitter at home?

Why most cats are better off at home

Many Bangalore cats live their whole lives inside one flat, with a favourite window and a litter tray in a fixed corner. Their sense of safety comes from smell, routine and the places they can hide. Moving them to another house — even a kind, quiet one — often means days of hiding, skipped meals or a refused litter tray before they settle.

That is why Wiggie does not board cats. We board dogs, who usually travel and adapt more easily, and we look after cats in their own home through pet sitting. A background-verified sitter comes in, the smells stay the same, and the balcony latch stays the way you left it.

What a good cat sitter does

• Feeds at the times your cat already expects, with the food they already eat.
• Keeps water fresh and the litter clean, every visit.
• Spends real time on the floor — a wand toy, a brush, or just quiet company.
• Gives medicine only if it has been agreed and shown in advance.
• Notices the small things: an untouched bowl, a hiding cat, a tray that has not been used.
• Sends a photo and a line on WhatsApp if you ask for updates.

Brief your sitter properly

Write down the facts that are easy to forget when you are packing: they must not go out; they hide under the bed when someone new arrives; they only drink from a running tap; the tablet goes in a paneer cube, not in cheese. Show the sitter where the food, litter, carrier and vet’s number are kept.

Meet first. Let your cat come out when they are ready, and watch how the sitter handles that. A sitter who waits patiently is usually the right one.

Visits or an overnight stay?

For a confident adult cat and a short trip, one or two visits a day can be enough. For a long trip, a nervous or elderly cat, or one who needs medicine at night, an overnight sitter is kinder. Tell us your dates and your cat’s routine, and we will suggest a plan and share a quote.

When home is not an option

Sometimes a building will not allow visits, or you would rather not give keys. A trusted friend’s or relative’s home can be the alternative. Treat it as a big change: send the usual food and litter, a worn T-shirt or bed, and keep the handover slow — unpack the tray and bed before you open the carrier. If you need a calm ride, ask about a pet taxi.

After you come home

Give your cat a quiet evening. Keep the litter where it usually lives, offer the usual food, and let them hide if they want to. If they do not eat, or the litter habit looks wrong the next day, give it a little time, then speak to a veterinarian if you are worried — this note is not a diagnosis.

Related: pet sitting, cat grooming at home, leaving a cat alone.