For a nervous cat, territory is usually the deciding factor
Cats anchor their confidence to place far more than to people. A nervous cat's safety map is built from her hiding spots, the furniture that carries her scent, and the predictable sounds of her own home, so a live-in sitter preserves nearly all of that map while a cattery replaces every part of it at once: the carrier, the car, unfamiliar smells, and the voices of strange cats nearby. That is why, for a genuinely anxious cat, staying home with a calm sitter is normally the smaller stress, even if she hides from the sitter for the first day. She is hiding in her own home, on her own terms, and that difference matters.
What a live-in sitter has to get right for a shy cat
Home care only wins if the sitter works the way a nervous cat needs. The right person will let her approach in her own time, keep feeding, litter, and play in the same places and order she is used to, and never drag her out for a reassuring cuddle she did not ask for. Ask how the sitter has handled shy cats before, arrange a visit while you are home so your cat hears and smells them once without consequence, and be honest about the worst case: a cat who may not appear at all, whose wellbeing is judged by food eaten, water drunk, and litter used. A sitter who finds that prospect worrying is not the right sitter for this cat.
When a cattery is genuinely the better answer
A cattery earns its place when supervision matters more than territory. A cat who needs medication given reliably, close monitoring after illness, or secure housing because your home has building work, no available sitter, or an escape risk may be safer in professional hands. Judge the cattery through a nervous cat's eyes: individual units that do not face other cats, solid hiding space inside the unit, staff who speak about shy cats with patience rather than pity, and a willingness to follow your feeding routine exactly. Visit in person, listen to the noise level, and ask how they handle a cat who will not eat on the first day. A kitten-confident, dog-friendly facility can still be entirely wrong for her.
Run the comparison against your cat's actual history
General advice matters less than evidence from your own cat. How did she cope with her last house move, vet stay, or period of visitors? A cat who recovers within hours of disruption may manage a good cattery perfectly well, while a cat who stops eating when a suitcase appears is telling you to protect her routine at almost any cost. Consider trip length too: a single night may not justify briefing a live-in sitter, while a long holiday multiplies every day of cattery stress. Also weigh your own peace of mind honestly, because an owner refreshing a phone all holiday has not solved the problem either.
Prepare the handover so the choice can succeed
Whichever option you choose, its success depends on the detail you pass on: where she hides, how she likes food served, the litter arrangement, the evening routine that settles her, and the signs that mean she is coping versus the signs that mean she is not. Leave worn clothing that smells of you, keep her food and litter brand exactly the same, and agree how often you want updates and in what form. Book early enough that a refusal or a bad visit still leaves time to switch plans.
Writing those hiding places, feeding quirks, and settling rituals into a KinsLe Care Pass means the sitter in your home or the staff at the cattery follow the same familiar script your nervous cat already trusts.