Question of the day November 25th!

We all have pets, or you wouldn't be on this site. I guess this question probably applies more to dogs but I'm sure there are pets out there that present the same types of problems as with having a dog. When you have to leave your pet for extended periods, like 6 to 9 hours, what special considerations do you have to make? Can the pet be trusted alone in your home unattended or does it have to be boarded or crated , or maybe it becomes an outdoor pet for the duration. Describe your situation and what is requiredd to keep every body happy.

I have two cats and my dog Koko. The cats pretty much take care of themselves as long as there is plenty of food and water. When Koko was younger we had to crate her or leave her on the front porch or we could expect to have damage to something in the house . She is 4.5 years old now and has become the perfect leave at home pet. When we are leaving we ask her whether she wants to stay in the house or on Porch. The porch is 600 sq feet with a roof over it. When it is hot she always want to stay in the house. This time of year it is alway the porch because she loves the cool weather. We never worry about any damage or accidents(potty).:D

The special consideration for my cats when I'm gone for long periods of time is me coming home to feed them.

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Originally Posted by moosmom

The special consideration for my cats when I'm gone for long periods of time is me coming home to feed them.

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He hee, applies to the dogs as well!

I make sure the water bowl is full, that is all. But in 3 years the longest they've been left is 4 hours. And OH the barking and ankle rubbing when I returned!

They are fine as long as they have plenty of water. They have both house and outside access all the time so that is no problem :).

All three of our dogs behave wonderfully when left alone for an extended period of time so they all have free roam of the main rooms in the house. We used to have to crate Ethan when we first got him, but he grew out of the "destructive" stage.

For the cats we just make sure certain items of interests are put away. Also, if we do not shut the laundry room door my sister's cat will drag out all of our unmentionables and scatter them about the house. :o She only does that if she is missing my sister, though.

I always make sure my ferrets are put up in their cages before I leave, though. They normally have free-roam of my room, but I don't trust the pesky little weasels to stay out of trouble if I am not somewhere nearby.

Well, the cats are fine, but the dogs, not so much. Vallis and Marta are usually ok, but cannot left be together or they act like idiots. The times Adele has escaped from her crate while we were gone are very, very memorable (not in a good way!) so we never consider leaving her loose. In general, I've found it's best to separate all the dogs to keep them out of trouble. Marta and Vallis are usually ok if left in separate bedrooms, but Adele must be crated while we are away. Luckily the dogs aren't left alone for long stretches.

If I leave Fister (cat) for more than 6-8 hours, I make sure he has enough food and water. I also put an extra large bowl of water in the kitchen sink, in case something happens. I do that at night too.

I can always tell if he thinks I've been gone for too long, because then he'll open all the cupboard doors he can. :D

Most of our pets are easy, they get food and fresh water in the morning and they're fine until we get home.

The 6 dogs are the only 'difficult' ones. They have their own bedroom with their crates, beds, blankets, toys, water, and all of their comforts. They stay in there when we leave. Nacey (pug) has on a couple occasions attached Bitsy (pom), while we've been home, so for Bitsy's safety Nacey gets crated while we're away.

When we leave the house the dogs usually go outside. Unless it is extremely hot or cold and rainy. In that case Zoee goes in the bathroom and Taggart goes in his crate. This is only if we are going to dinner or going to be gone for just a few hours. If we will be gone all day and they must be in the house I block off the hallway so they have the hall and bathroom to be in. That rarely ever happens though.
When we leave over night the dogs go to my brothers and the cats get their automatic feeders set up and the gate goes up at the end of the hallway so G can have our bedroom, his room and the hallway to explore and Paizly has the rest of the house.

When I was still working and gone all day, then the dogs stayed in the kitchen. I have a big kitchen, so it's not like they were penned up in a small area. I have a permanent swing away gate between the kitchen and dining room. Now that I'm no longer working, it's a rare occasion that I'm gone all day, and if I only go out for a few hours, then they stay in my bedroom. For longer periods, they still stay in the kitchen.