You might be surprised about how Renfield might respond to someone coming in to pay attention to him. It might just reassure him to have a human checking in - he might not feel absolutely abandoned. Our cat Indigo always keeps herself scarce when people come to visit - unlike her sister Beauty, who is like a bad two-year-old showing off for guests. But when we go away, Indigo gets attached to whomever is coming over to feed and look after the cats. One time, we had my sister-in-law stay (she was in between houses), and Indigo became so attached to her that the attachment never wore off. Of course, with Indigo, you have to be sharp to discern the attachment: it consists of her turning upside down and curling her feet in the presence of my sister-in-law - a submission and invitation greeting to melt the heart. One of our previous cats, Tzigane, would take her emotional revenge on her favorite, my husb., by not speaking to him for two weeks after we returned from an absence. Once she greeted him by biting him on the hand - gently - and then not speaking to him for two weeks. Cats have their ways!!