I Have An Irrational Aversion To Leaving My Cat Alone At Home.

[catalinacat]

I’ve been able to work online to stay at home but not sure how long that situation will continue.

Most likely she could end up staying home For 8 hours or so by herself on certain days.

I live with other people who come and go inside this house.

I’ve been able to stay with her from her kittenhood, and I realize other people leave their cats home alone all the time without any problems yet I have major anxiety over it.

My other family members don’t always listen when it comes to shutting doors properly. Which annoys me to no end.

My cat isn’t chipped so I guess that’s the first place I should start.

Idk what else I could do to lessen my anxiety. I just feel better when I know where my cat is at all times even if it’s irrational. Maybe it’s more about me seeing her as my emotional support
than anything but what can I do to lessen this anxiety?

 

[KarenKat]

I think many people have anxiety over that, and I’m sure more people will come by with good ideas.

Can you get a camera, maybe aimed at the door or her favorite nap spot so you can see she is doing ok?

Or maybe start leaving the house for longer periods of time - if you are working from home you can go work at the library or a cafe for an hour and then come back. Then slowly increase the time away so you don’t have to jump to 8 hours at a time?

 

[daftcat75]

A pet camera could help a lot.

I have the Pet Cube Play. I like this one but it's fixed (no pan or tilt) and the laser pointer doesn't really work as well as it should so don't let this be a selling point.

I also have a Dlink camera that does pan and tilt. But everything about this camera including the switch from normal to night vision makes a noise. I got this one so I could cover some blind spots from the other camera and also keep tabs on my cat sitter. But because this one makes all kinds of noises, I just have to point it and leave it. I save the pan and tilt for when it's just the cat to creep out.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Could you possibly put up signs near the doors that 'reminds' the house members to keep the doors shut and to watch for the cat when they open them?

Your cat will probably adapt better than you, should you have to be gone for 8 hours or so. But, you could also start to train her to be in your room, with the door closed, when you are not at home. Kind of like her safe haven?

 

[tabbytom]

but what can I do to lessen this anxiety?

Like what the above posters said, anxiety is in everyone of us especially if we are very attached to our cats. But since it's only leaving your kitty for a few hours, it is easier to manage the anxiety.

As what the posters said, get a camera and you can monitor what your kitty is doing but most of the time, she'll be sleeping or resting.
A good practice is what KarenKat mentions, leave the house just for one or two hours everyday and slowly increase the timing. This will help your kitty to get use to your gong out and being left alone and she'll know that you'll come back and also lessen your anxiety. Slowly increase the timing and after a few weeks, she'll get use to it. Do not disappear for many hours immediately. Build it up gradually.

I have a camera too and have it on when I go out. Sometimes I'm out for 12 hours But of course, my by got use to it over the years.

 

[amethyst]

I'm not sure if it's a option where you live, but what about getting a GPS collar for the cat? That way if she gets out you can see where she is.
A camera could also work, as others have mentioned, I got one (and plan to get a few more) to keep an eye on my animals when I go out. There are even pet cams that you can play with and/or give the cat treats remotely using a smart phone.

 

[Notacrazycatlady]

Even though both of my cats are chipped, they also both have collars with id tags on them that they wear at all times. Not everyone thinks to check cats for chips--if they see a cat out and about, people just tend to assume they're strays. Seeing a collar is a visible statement that the cat has a home. As far as leaving them, I do work long hours and some days can be gone for ten hours while other days I'm home for lunch. I do leave the TV on low tuned to a children's channel--BOOM or Nick Jr. so it's not silent although I don't know how much the actually care one way or the other about the TV being on. Angus was an only kitty for several months when he first came along and he did fine being alone although he does insist on being in the same room I am whenever I'm home so play time with him was something he needed from me a lot more before he got a playmate.

 

[catalinacat]

Hi. Could you possibly put up signs near the doors that 'reminds' the house members to keep the doors shut and to watch for the cat when they open them?

Your cat will probably adapt better than you, should you have to be gone for 8 hours or so. But, you could also start to train her to be in your room, with the door closed, when you are not at home. Kind of like her safe haven?

Thanks. I wish a sign would be all I needed, but no matter how many times I tell them they say things like, "Oh no it's fine" and still leave the door open. It angers me (sorry I'm venting because it just happened again). She's already went out a couple of times (stopped at the steps) but it'll only take one curious whim for her to bolt right into the street, which is close enough for me to have a reasonable worry about I would think.