Leaving A Cat At Home For A Week With Someone Checking Him Twice A Day

[peugeot206]

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to go on vacation In November. I'm wondering if it's ok that I leave my cat at home for that duration with dependable family members/cat sitter come in twice a day to feed him, clean his litter box and play with him.

Does anyone have any experience with leaving a cat home alone for that long? Any advice is appreciated!

 

[Kieka]

There shouldn't be any problems. When I was a kid we went on vacation for two weeks and did the same thing.

I would do a complete toy check and make sure there are no toys with tears or bits that he could accidentally swallow. Also, anything that he could drop or break should probably be put away in case he gets bored and knocks things around. I'd also turn around toilet paper rolls so you don't come home to a pile of paper. And I would make sure any blind or curtain cords are tucked away or tied up too high to reach. Basically toddler proof the home before you leave so that a bored cat doesn't get himself in trouble; but my cat tends to get into extreme mischief so I might be a little more overally cautious.

There are also the camera systems like PetCube or Nest that might be good to invest in a single camera just so you can take a peek in if you get worried. But that is more a peace of mind thing than anything else.

 

[peugeot206]

Thanks, Kieka for the quick response! I'm grateful that my cat doesn't play with toilet papers or chew on wires or play with the curtain. So I guess I'm good with leaving him to a sitter!

 

[Kieka]

Thanks, Kieka for the quick response! I'm grateful that my cat doesn't play with toilet papers or chew on wires or play with the curtain. So I guess I'm good with leaving him to a sitter!

Yup, you should be good.

 

[Freedom]

Consider setting a clock radio; most come on for 1 or 2 hours and then automatically reset for the next day. So there will be some noise in the home when there is just the cat present. I've done that. I usually set it for music in the morning and / or classical in the afternoon (catnap time) if I have 2.

And otherwise, sounds like you have it all covered.

 

[peugeot206]

That sounds like a really good idea too, Freedom! Thanks. Now with all your suggestions, I guess my cat should have a less stressful time staying at home

 

[daisyd]

I've been looking at all options myself as ive not left our kitten for a night since getting Her 10 months ago ,. I've read it's better to leave them in their surroundings and have a cat sitter / somebody popping in rather than them going elsewhere ! A collegue it mine put his cat in a cattery and he said the cat wouldn't go near him for weeks when he returned

 

[petercotton]

I got my cat 11 months ago and until this week had only ever left her alone one night from 6pm-6am. This week, however, I am house sitting for my sister and taking care of her two dogs. My cat and I live with my parents and they say that all this week she just walks around and meows a lot. I still come spend about 4 hours with her each night and my parents are with her all day, but when I am gone they say she is sad and cries. Haha. Makes me feel bad, but good at the same time because she is definitely not a cat that likes to be pet or held and just acts like she does not care one way or another about me. I dread the day that I have to leave her for longer than a day

That being said, I hope all goes well with your kitty and he adjusts well to the situation!

 

[danteshuman]

If possible can your future cat sitter come in daily and meet your cat while you are there ... and give your cat treats? That way your cat kinda knows them I left my cats for 2 weeks once .... after a week my bud/super needy punk cozied up to my cat loving room mate. However after being gone that long I decided not to travel for longer than a week

 

[elle.paco.cloey]

With two visits per day, I think you can feel confident that your feline friend will be fine

 

[ileen]

I'm currently cat sitting for two cats upstairs in my apartment building. Earlier in the month there were four, but my neighbor came back from a far away vacation & took two of them for a nearby vacation. They have very different personalities; the shy one (Ling) doesn't appear to want any contact at all. Maybe four times in a couple of weeks I've been able to pet & brush her. The other one (Charlie, I've posted a photo of him elsewhere), is always under a chair when I come in, but he comes out and wants to be brushed so much I swear he's doing it himself. I just have to hold the brush in place & he moves the side of his head along the bristles. He also likes playing with a rod/string toy. I think he enjoys not having the other two cats around, particularly the one who is a bit of a bully. As long as the food is gone & there is stuff to clean out of the litter box, I know things are running smoothly.

 

[anziani]

I'm currently cat sitting for two cats upstairs in my apartment building. Earlier in the month there were four, but my neighbor came back from a far away vacation & took two of them for a nearby vacation. They have very different personalities; the shy one (Ling) doesn't appear to want any contact at all. Maybe four times in a couple of weeks I've been able to pet & brush her. The other one (Charlie, I've posted a photo of him elsewhere), is always under a chair when I come in, but he comes out and wants to be brushed so much I swear he's doing it himself. I just have to hold the brush in place & he moves the side of his head along the bristles. He also likes playing with a rod/string toy. I think he enjoys not having the other two cats around, particularly the one who is a bit of a bully. As long as the food is gone & there is stuff to clean out of the litter box, I know things are running smoothly.

 

[anziani]

We have had the same "kitty wrangler" for years who is also our housekeeper so she knows our cat(s) well. She comes in twice a day, feeds them, brings in the mail and tidies up the litter box. We also leave a radio on low to keep kitty company. We have gone for 2-3 weeks at a time with no serious problems.

 

[jade14]

I think that is actually ideal as opposed to boarding a cat. Last year my husband and I went away for 2 weeks and a coworker of mine who is a good friend and knew my cat came at least twice a day and hung out with him. It worked out great. We recently moved and didn't know anyone close enough to do that this past month when we went away for 2 weeks, so we had to take him to a family member's to stay. It worked out fine but I much prefer someone coming to the house..makes it much easier on the cat I think!