How Long Can You Leave A Cat By Herself In An Apartment?

[aforumuser]

My cat is great, but it has come to my realization that at some point I'd have to leave her on her own for more than 48 hours when I travel or visit family for extended periods of time. With that being said, about how long can I leave my cat alone in my studio apartment? I'm looking at pet services that can visit once a day to change the litter and refill the food bowl which would solve the problem. I've also thought about investing in automatic food/water dispensers as well as an automatic litter box cleaner. Would I be able to leave the cat for extended periods of time with that set up? The litter box will be changed and fresh food/water will always be available. The cat may just get bored staying in a studio apartment for 2 days+ but she will have all her necessities to be comfortable, thoughts?

 

[MeganLLB]

Ive left my cats alone for as long as four days (three nights) with a self feeder and they were fine. I wouldnt be comfortable leaving them longer than that.

The automatic cleaners only remove the solids right? You cant use clumping litter.

 

[aforumuser]

not sure about the automatic cleaners, would have to look into that. in your case that would mean for four days the litter box was not cleaned and the cats were still using it?

the food/water should be easy to do, get a self feeder and measure out however much dry food for x days and put it in the feeder. this way you know that the cat is getting the appropriate amount of calories while you're away and not overfeeding. for the water use a self feeder and fill it up so fresh water is available all the time. only issue is the litter box. if there is a way to effectively clean it daily i don't see why it's not possible to leave a cat alone for let's say a week with this set up? i would equate it to being kept in a house with fresh water/food and a clean bathroom for a week, it may get boring but the necessities to live are there. my cat in particular is 3 years old, very independent, and well mannered. i'd like to think that she would behave herself when alone for extended periods of time

 

[orange&white]

When I used to feed kibble, I didn't worry about leaving the cat(s) 3 nights/4 days. I did have one cat who would pee in my favorite chair if I left for one night though. The rest of them were fine.

 

[aforumuser]

When I used to feed kibble, I didn't worry about leaving the cat(s) 3 nights/4 days. I did have one cat who would pee in my favorite chair if I left for one night though. The rest of them were fine.

what about the litter box though? the cat will still use it if it hasn't been cleaned for 3 nights straight?

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

what about the litter box though? the cat will still use it if it hasn't been cleaned for 3 nights straight?

My guess would be .... No.

You mentioned in your OP that you were looking into pet services which could come by daily. Personally, I'd locate a good licensed, bonded, insured pet sitter/services in your area, and I could feel like my cat was in good hands. Plus it also helps if the pet sitter knows some pet first aid, just in case.

 

[LSpector]

OP, one thing I would suggest is to maybe look into getting a self-cleaning litter box. I purchased one for my previous girl and in my opinion, it is worth its weight in gold. I got the ScoopFree Self-Cleaning Litter Box made by Petsafe. I will be honest though that it is more expensive than using traditional litter. A three-pack of the litter boxes is around $60 CAD, and for me each one lasts about a month (less if you have multiple cats).

There are pros and cons, like you can only use the crystal litter in the prepackaged trays the manufacturer produces (I know some kitties are fussy with litter types), and it doesn't work super well if your kitty has soft stool as it will stick to and accumulate on the rake. It has mixed reviews on Amazon, but just with my experience I will never go back to scooping a litter box again. Definitely worth the extra money, especially if you will be gone for periods of time frequently.

 

[orange&white]

what about the litter box though? the cat will still use it if it hasn't been cleaned for 3 nights straight?

Aside from that one cat who did not like to be left alone for even one night, I never had any pee or poop problems with any other cat I owned. It depends on the individual cat...doesn't everything?

 

[tabbytom]

Hello A aforumuser , here's an article on your query:-

How Long Can You Leave Your Cat Alone For?

 

[Elfilou]

If she's a single cat I'd say not a single day. Cats do need some form of interaction daily. The pet sitter is your best option, and if they can I'd also ask if they can play with the cat for 20 minutes when they visit. Maybe put up a bird feeder outside the window for some mental stimulation, if that is an option!

 

[danteshuman]

You can buy extra cheap or throwaway litter boxes to stretch it for 3 days. The max I would leave my cats alone. The longest I left mine alone was 2 weeks, and given that I have roommates that they know (and one of them took care of them while I was gone) they were clingy but fine.
I would recommend looking for a good pet sitter if it is going to be longer than 3 days. If you plan on making a lot of trips I would recommend looking for a good pet sitter who you can hire every time you need to travel; so your cat can get used to them.

 

[josiegirl]

Please hire a pet sitter. They're not expensive and coming just once a day can make a huge difference in their health.

I'm a professional pet sitter and I have encountered animals getting sick while owners were away for just a few days. A few were cats.
It can happen quickly and a professional, certified sitter will be able to take kitty to the vet. I only charge $10 a day for cats and I do 2 visits per day. You can find a sitter in your area with good prices, too.

Sitters also provide peace of mind while you're gone. They can give daily updates and send cute photos.

I don't know about you but if I left my kitty alone I'd worry about him the whole time and that's no fun!

 

[madzoya]

I will not leave Bruce (only cat) alone for more than 24 hours. He's very human dependent and social and I suspect he would get depressed if he was left alone more than that.

A petsitter is great and in most countries not all that expensive. I'll use one if it's just for a weekend out. Longer vacations he gets to be tended my his "grandma", and is spoiled rotten!

 

[DeannaF]

I will not leave Bruce (only cat) alone for more than 24 hours. He's very human dependent and social and I suspect he would get depressed if he was left alone more than that.

A petsitter is great and in most countries not all that expensive. I'll use one if it's just for a weekend out. Longer vacations he gets to be tended my his "grandma", and is spoiled rotten!

Ditto.

My 10 month old kitten is pretty attached to us and doesn't like to be alone so I wouldn't leave him alone for more than 24 hours.
We are leaving for a week on vacation Saturday and we have a friend coming over to feed him and scoop his litter. She's also going to come over a few times each day and watch tv and play with him which I love her for.

 

[MeganLLB]

I've left and they still used the litterbox for 3 nights not being cleaned. 3 nights is the max I would go. And then I don't even bother scooping it, I just dump the whole thing out and put fresh litter in.

Me personally, I would be afraid to let a stranger into my house to watch my cats. It would have o be someone I know and already trusted. I just don't trust people and that's how I am.

 

[josiegirl]

If she's a single cat I'd say not a single day. Cats do need some form of interaction daily. The pet sitter is your best option, and if they can I'd also ask if they can play with the cat for 20 minutes when they visit. Maybe put up a bird feeder outside the window for some mental stimulation, if that is an I mostly have doggie clients.

I've left and they still used the litterbox for 3 nights not being cleaned. 3 nights is the max I would go. And then I don't even bother scooping it, I just dump the whole thing out and put fresh litter in.

Me personally, I would be afraid to let a stranger into my house to watch my cats. It would have o be someone I know and already trusted. I just don't trust people and that's how I am.

I get clients by word-of-mouth only. My client's friends or co-workers need a pet sitter and they highly recommend me. Doing a "meet and greet" session beforehand always helps. You get to see how the sitter interacts with your pet. I also bring references and cards from thankful pet owners, along with a copy of my certification and insurance.

 

[happilyretired]

I have a 12-hour limit on leaving my cat without a sitter. How do you know that an automatic feeder doesn't malfunction or that your cat got closed into some room (that happened once when I was just at work--a door swung closed on the cat in a room with no food, no box).

Fortunately, I have a wonderful sitter, and I can understand your reluctance to use a stranger because I've had bad experiences in the past with sitters--e.g., one of them, knowing I'd be gone for 3 days on business, didn't do anything until the 3rd day! I found out because I got an earlier flight and arrived home before she could fill the food dishes and clean the litter box. It was apparent that the box hadn't been cleaned since I left! Another sitter who I'd asked to come 'the day after Christmas,' forgot--and never came!

So what you might do is find a sitter via 'word of mouth' (cat people you know) OR always 'try out' a sitter for a day or two before you plan any extended absence.

 

[josiegirl]

I have a 12-hour limit on leaving my cat without a sitter. How do you know that an automatic feeder doesn't malfunction or that your cat got closed into some room (that happened once when I was just at work--a door swung closed on the cat in a room with no food, no box).

Fortunately, I have a wonderful sitter, and I can understand your reluctance to use a stranger because I've had bad experiences in the past with sitters--e.g., one of them, knowing I'd be gone for 3 days on business, didn't do anything until the 3rd day! I found out because I got an earlier flight and arrived home before she could fill the food dishes and clean the litter box. It was apparent that the box hadn't been cleaned since I left! Another sitter who I'd asked to come 'the day after Christmas,' forgot--and never came!

So what you might do is find a sitter via 'word of mouth' (cat people you know) OR always 'try out' a sitter for a day or two before you plan any extended absence.

Yes, I've heard of that happening. Which is why I always offer to text at every visit. Giving updates and sending cute photos can really give them peace of mind.

And if you suspect they're lying about being there, ask them to send a photo. Photos have date and time stamps on them!

 

[lalagimp]

the longest we've been gone is from about noon until 4am. Our feeders have webcams on them, a control dashboard to do a manual feed if the feeder doesn't go off, text notifications that the feeder has gone off, and then boyfriend set up the other webcam to spot light the dining room to watch the boys at their feeders so we know if one of them ate from the others' feeder bc the cams on the feeders really only show us a big dark splotch to know they're being eaten from. They are given different amounts of food. The boys are on wet food as well.
If it's dry food that's another story. I'd just put out a gravity feeder. We have 2 fairly large capacity water fountains and 3 litter boxes.