Yes they run loose...they sleep under my bed or in the middle of the hallway looking down the steps...planning their getaway!! I am still looking for a pet sitter but I figure if I buy those disposable litterboxes, whoever comes to feed them can just get the litterbox and drop it in the trash and I will have more already prepared, just like their food. And as long as someone comes and rubs them and feeds them, they will be ok. Now they won't get the care like their mommy gives them but they won't be confined to a cage either.