Is it less stressful to travel with my cat or use a pet sitter?

I am glad your kitty is bonding so well with you. I would think, however, that a flight and trip in a strange place would be more stressful than staying home without you. You may consider having your pet sitter come over a few times to meet your kitty before your trip. You can also use a Feliway diffuser https://www.feliway.com/us#redirected and a calming supplement like Zylkene http://www.vetoquinolusa.com/content/zylkene or Composure to try to decrease stress while you are away.

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!

Most cats do best in familiar environments, and since you will be gone short term, it is probably better for Olivia to stay at home and have a sitter or neighbor come in when your husband can't be there. That way she isn't dealing with the stress of a new place in addition to being away from you. I highly recommend adding in some calming devices such as pheromone diffusers that can help her relax some while you are away. Leaving behind a shirt or blanket that smells like you that she can also snuggle may help as well. Some cats may also respond to voices via phone or voice chat, but it depends on the individual cat.

I think you need to prioritize what is most comfortable for you and your cat. Some cats are very stressed by changing locations, others enjoy it. Personally, I leave my pets at home and have someone trusted check on them daily to make sure they are eating and drinking.

I think it is very stressful for a cat to travel like this. Cats are not dogs and so they don't adapt well to be taken all over the place. I think it is best if he stays home but ultimately it is up to your friend.

I think the bigger question for me is whether being away from you for a few days would be a bigger stress than the change in environment. if so, then I would take her with you. If not, then leave her in her current environment so she doesn't stress out and ask your housemates to take care of her if you think they wouldn't mind. I hope this helps!

I would not recommend such a journey in an older cat especially if her routine will be changed from a free ranging cat to an indoor cat as this would provide an ongoing environmental stress even after the journey. Contact local humane societies and shelters to see if they can help provide a foster home for her or inquire of your neighbours if anyone is willing to monitor her and take responsibility for her ongoing care and health needs as she gets older.