Leaving 2 Cats Overnight

[auntie]

We are going out of town this weekend and will have to leave our two cats alone overnight. I am concerned because I usually feed them wet food 3x per day, although they always have dry out for extra food if needed. I clean their litter boxes several times a day. Also, I have always closed them into a certain half of the house at night, so they don't roam all over (esp into the bedrooms, where they are not allowed). If I leave, they won't get their wet food and they won't have somebody closing them into the "nighttime" half of the house.

I don't think it makes sense to ask a neighbor to come feed them or clean their boxes (they will have their dry cat food to eat, of which I will leave out extra, and hopefully it will be okay with the litter boxes) since it's just 1 overnight, but what else can I do to make it easier for them? The cats are LK a 4-year-old and her friend Ruby, a 7-month-old kitten. They get along well most of the time and seem to enjoy spending time together.

 

[KarenKat]

When we were free-feeding our two boys only dry food and going out of town, this is what we would do:

• Place lots of extra food and water bowls out in more than one location (in case one bowl spills, they have a backup)
• Cat-proof the house so they don't get into anything dangerous or eat something they shouldn't
• Put a clothing item of yours someplace they like to nap for comfort
• Leave out any toy mice or non-interactive toys

Since it's only one night it shouldn't be too bad. Hope this helps!

 

[Kieka]

They should be fine for one night. Just do a double check that you don't have any plastic bags, blind cord hanging, or anything they can get in trouble with while you are gone. They won't starve to eat just dry food for the (assuming) 24 hours you are gone. They might give you an ear full when you get back, but health wise they will be fine with some extra dry food.

 

[auntie]

KarenKat & Kieka
Thanks for the advice...we have auto-waterers so that is usually good; I'm paranoid about them running out of water. I'm glad to hear you think it's workable. I don't need an extra litter box, right? I feel like that would be confusing to them when we remove it. I only have 24 hours away planned, but what's the longest humane time to leave cats alone?

 

[Kieka]

I wouldn't do more the 36 hours with the cats alone; 48 hours is usually acceptable though to a lot of people. Beyond two days you do need someone to come over and check on them.

Since your cats are used to frequently cleaned litter boxes it might be wise to get a disposable one as an extra just in case box next to an existing one. However, it is a *need* thing and I'd probably do it just because I am cautious. Only to get home and find it untouched. Water should be fine, you could always put out an extra bowl of water to be safe but if you don't have to refill the existing water every day then it should be fine. You can test it now by not topping it off for 24 hours just to make sure.

 

[KarenKat]

We also use water fountains, which definitely gives me peace of mind. We don't add any extra litter boxes, we just make sure the litter is new so it's as clean as possible.

As for how long, we've left our adult cats (at the time they were 5 and 8 years old) up to 48 hours with a lot of extra food, water and litter without anyone coming by. We knew their temperaments well, and knew they wouldn't get up to shenanigans in our 1-bedroom. They were definitely lonely and stressed though and it was the limit of what we would want to do. Since your kitten is 7 months, I wouldn't want to be gone that long in case she gets up to an adventure and gets stuck or hurt.

We have a petsitter come by once per day for 30 min if we are leaving for more than 48 hours. She takes care of food, water and litter and then in whatever is remaining of the time she plays with them and cuddles them. A bonus is that she will send photos to us when she visits so we know they are taken care of. It's totally worth it, and the cats are happier.