Question about leaving cats alone?

[gini]

I will be going away for just a few days, Saturday through Tuesday, a total of four days.

My friends are going to leave plenty of food and a big bowl of water for their cat - no one will visit the house.

I would never tell them this, but I wouldn't dream of leaving Rascal alone for four days. I have made arrangements with a Pet Sitter for Rascal to come every day. I have made separate arrangements with my neighbor's children for Annie and Emma to be fed in the evening and to be given fresh water. Annie and Emma for the most part, live out of doors.

What do you do? I just wondered if I am the only person who is so protective. I want to feel comfortable that Rascal and the girls are well taken care of while I am away.

[Nomilynn]

Four days would be about the maximum I would leave my cats alone. They have five litter boxes for the three of them, and I would also leave out lots of food and extra water. Any longer than that, though, and I have my grandparents come in and fill their dishes, clean the boxes and give them some play time :)

But, I don't have a problem leaving them alone for a weekend. They have each other for company, and have never done anything to cause me to worry. :)

[Uabassoon]

I worry about my kitties only because they are destructive. I worry that they would break something and get injured on it. When I took a weekend trip I was only away for 2 days and 1 night but I still had a pet sitter come over and check on them to make sure that nothing had been destroyed. Even if they weren't destructive I don't think I would leave them alone for 4 days. I think maybe a weekend would be the longest I would go for.

[Logan]

Gini, I'm with you. I prefer having someone check in, once a day, just to make sure all is ok. Of course, my petsitter comes often these days to check on everyone, but when I only had a cat, I still had a neighbor drop in once or twice a day to check on Mimi and give her some attention. I would leave her inside on these occassions.

My sister has left food for a week at a time for her cats and they have always been ok. But they had each other to play with too. A single cat, in my opinion, needs that human touch more often.

Logan

[jazzcat]

I've left Ripley alone for up to 4 days but now that I have Jazz and Scout too I've never left them all yet. I dread when that time comes. I won't know what to do. I have a sister in law that will come in a check on them but I'll be so afraid she or her kids will let one out. I just really dread my next vacation - isn't that awful?

Anyway, Ripley always did just fine when we left him and if anything he was just more affectionate when we got home.

[lbaker]

I'm fortunate in that I have a few friends that love to house sit when I go away. They love animals and all my furkids feel comfortable around them (I'm thinking of two friends in particular that appreciate my filling the fridge for them and the fact that I have cable :rolleyes: ). I have left the cats overnight before when I've taken all the dogs camping but only for one night. Never for four days. Wouldn't one want someone to check on the house anyway :confused:

[cubby31682]

When I got married hubby's mom got us a hotel room for a night. But we didn't want to stay and leave the cat there. Cubby has alot of promlems if I'm not here when he wants to go to bed. He gets mad at me. :( I always think about going some where then not go because I don't want to leave Cubby here by him self.

Katie

[bisi.cat]

I know Nellie is spoiled rotten, but when we've been on holidays last time my mom would come to look for Nellie...I said it would be okay if she'd visit in the morning and evening...but my mom loved to care for Nellie and she visited her three times a day!!!

My mom and I phoned each evening...just to be sure that everything is okay...I know I am always too worried, but that was the first time we've been away since we got Nellie seven years ago and she never was alone before...

Well, that's me...:rolleyes:

[Edwina's Secretary]

I, too, would be worried about what I would come home to find. And four days would be longer than I would want ANYTHING to be left undiscovered.

We go for weekends -- Friday and Saturday night but any longer than that and we get a house/pet sitter.

[catlover4ever]

My husband and I go away all the time BUT we have my mom who comes up to our house twice a day to look in on them, feed them and do whatever else needs to be done for them.

Now my in-laws on the other hand think nothing of leaving for a week with nobody to check on the 3 cats that they have. They do not pay their cats any attention either, I don't understand people like that, but then again they do not understand me with treating my furkids like they were my own real children. To me they are my children...and I would not have it any other way. :D

[K & L]

We never leave our cats alone. We have someone check on them on a daily basis. What if one would be critically ill and no one to rush him to the vet?

[Randi]

We have left Fister alone in the flat once. We put extra food and water bowls around different places. I think he was sleeping most of the time.

If we're away for more than one night, we board him in a cat hotel - so far, we've tried 5 and have decided which one is best. That's of course where he goes next. :)

[rosethecopycat]

What if he knocks his water bowl over on day one?

I have a pet sitter come as often as three times a day, if necessary. Usually only if there are meds involved.

Remember not to leave them alone with collars on.

[nodgeness]

Are they leaving Sat and coming home on Tues? If so the cats would really only be by themselves for 2 full days. That might not be so bad?
I know I would have a hard time leaving mine but if it was only two full days they wouldn't have me there I think i would be ok.

[RedHedd]

I haven't left my new two alone for an extended period of time (yet), but when Goldie was alive at first I'd board her at a local shelter or the vet's while I was away. The last time I boarded her, she came back with fleas and and a UTI so that ended that. Ever since then I've always gotten a "critter sitter." Now it's my building manager; he lives right downstairs and has two cats himself and loves mine so I know they're in good hands. They will be checked at least twice a day, food, water and litter will also be taken care of. I always leave enough food out to last the time I'll be away -- I have a food "tower" and a water tower so they won't starve or go thirsty.

Of course my two are so "voluptuous" right now, I don't think they'd starve anyway ... :rolleyes: :D

[2kitties]

I always felt guilty with Taz, even just for the day. That's why we got Rocky in the first place. Now, I feel very comfortable leaving them alone. 4 days is a stretch, though, I'm not sure, I'd have to think about it.
But we've done three day weekends with no problem. I just make sure there are several feeding and watering stations.

Anything longer, I've got a great neighbor.

But my boys are very independent. Some cats are moreso than others.

[jazzcat]

I just remembered something about leaving Ripley alone. The first time we did this was in 2001 when we went to the beach. We left Monday afternoon and got back Friday afternoon. Ripley had not touched his food and had lost weight. I was worried about him but he recovered quickly. The next time we left him like that was the following year for 3 days and he ate everything in sight.

We always leave several bowls of food and several bowls of water around the house. On top of that I leave the two bathroom sinks full of water because those are his favorite places to drink anyway.

Up until 2001 (from 1992-2001) my parents would come and house/pet sit for me. They called it there mini- vacation. Unfortunately due to their health problems they are no long able to do that. I've had to board Disney at a kennel and leave Ripley alone but now with two more cats I'll have to rethink that plan.

[Fox-Gal]

A long time ago we went away for the weekend and a friend was to come over and check on my cats. Well she thought is was the next weekend so she didn't show up.

We get home and the water bowl was knocked over and no food in the other bowl. I was so upset. Then I noticed that they had riped open the cat food bag. I set it out on the table, for my friend to feed them and.....for the first time... happy that my husband left the toilet seat up, that how they got a drink. Not the best drinking water, but better then nothing.

So no I wouldn't leave them that long, you just never know what can happen. I just think thats to long to leave them. A short over night is all I have ever left my babies without someone coming over to check on them, even then I worry.

If you can, atleast tell them to set out several bowls of water and a big bag of food. And to leave the toilet seat up. LOL ;)

[NoahsMommy]

Originally posted by gini
I just wondered if I am the only person who is so protective.
Nope, you aren't the only one. :) I swear I piss my cat sitters off as soon as they read my two paged (typed) instructions on how to make my cat's lives perfect while I'm gone.... ;)

They are my children and deserve the very best, with or without me at home. :D

[krazyaboutkatz]

The longest that I'd leave my cats alone is overnight. During my last vacation, I had a co-worker coming over every day to feed them, clean their litter boxes, play with them etc. On work days, she was coming over during her lunch break.

One day only Sky came to greet her and she thought that this was strange. Well some how Storm, Sunny, and Cirrus had gotten locked into my spare bedroom.:eek: The door must not have been shut the whole way and one of them must have pushed it open. Thank god they were found by my pet sitter.

I don't know how long they were in there but it was long enough for them to try to dig there way out. They had clawed at the carpet under the door to try to get out or maybe Sky was trying to dig his way in.

I have a roommate now so if I go away, this kind of thing wouldn't happen again. I also consider my cats to be my children and I want them to have the best care when I'm gone. Luckily I'm not gone very much.

I am totally with you Gini!!
A few monthe before our Sydney died, we went away for 4 days too, and left him upstairs with plenty of food and drinks. He was okay; but when he died four months later, it gave me such a bad feeling that I had left him on his own...! What if it had happened then??? Horrible feeling!!
I swear you, I will never ever do that again, not even for 2 days!!

[Barbara]

I have no idea how many litterboxes I'd have to put in, 3 per day I suppose.

I never let Filou and Tigris alone not even overnight -mostly because if Filou doesn't like the litterbox he looks for other places (he did not do that for 4 years now so I am very proud of my cleanliness:) but when we are here he asks us to clean it:eek: )

When we are in holidays, they get 2 visits per day and they get along very well - up to three weeks. For a longer time we had my parents come over. This is no longer possible as F+T don't accept my parents' dog -so we won't leave longer than 3 weeks.

[momofcats]

I agree...weekend isn't so bad when you have multiple cats.
The max I have left my two alone is four days...and again my mom coming in and spending some quality time with them.

Be prepared even with visitors stopping by with them, to have them keep you up that first night. Mine act as though they have been deserted for years by the time I get home on a Sunday night after leaving Friday night.
They spend the night fighting to sleep on my back, head, anywhere they can snuggle up to make sure I will be there when they wake up.

[Cataholic]

Overnight is one thing. Longer than 24 hours without a visit just wouldn't sit well with me. With Tex and his 2xday meds...well, it just wouldn't work.

[Felicia's Mom]

I would not leave my cats alone for 4 days without having someone check on them once a day.