New Owner: Question About Seperation

[theblackswapper]

Hi,

First off, I'm sorry if this isn't the right place for this, but I wanted to put it somewhere.

About five weeks ago I adopted two kittens.  I grew up around cats, but these are the first cats that I have ever owned.  They have profpundly changed me.  I am a happier, braver, and better person because of them.  It's odd to feel so happy; I'm not used to it, but I love every second of it.  Everything is going so well.

Here's the thing; I wasn't really planning on going wnywhere for a vacation this summer with the exception of a bachelor party which would basically be a leave-on-Friday-and-come-back-Sunday situation.  

I'm not saying I'm actually planning on going on a trip this summer, but I feel like . . . I'm just so happy around my cats that I feel a certain degree of anxiety about going somewhere and leaving them.  I have a support structure in place.  They would/will be very well taken care of and loved by trustwothy people that they know, but I can't deny that the thought of actually not coming home to them at night--even for a night or two--kind of makes me unhappy.

I don't want to give the impression that I'm a shut-in.  My day-to-day routine has not been disrupted, and I'm still a pretty social guy . . . but I do feel like this is a situation where eventually I'm going to have to deal with it, so I'm just asking for help.  Has anyone else ever dealt with anything like this?  Is this just going to sort of fade with time or am I just going to have to bite the bullet?

Thanks.

 

[misterwhiskers]

Aw!!

Can you have your pet sitters send you videos every day? That'll help.

There's nothing wrong with showing concern for these two little lives you have bonded with. Shows you're a normal healthy person! [emoji]128522[/emoji]

The first time I went on vacation without my little guy was tough, but getting pictures and videos helped. Second vacation was a little easier.

 

[handsome kitty]

The first time I left my cat, my kids watched them and sent pictures. 

When my daughter and I went on a long weekend, we would text my son for a picture of the cat a few times a day.   Turns out he took a bunch of pictures and kept them in reserve so he wouldn't have to go looking for the cat. LOL

The 3rd time I went away I only asked about the cats a couple times.

It does get easier.

 

[three cat night]

Dear Blackswapper,
All I can say is welcome to this great site, and I'm so happy you are happy. Cats, pets well they bring a lot of joy to us humans. Since they are still young I just hope you have a caregiver that will spend a little time with them, you know , play , pet and the usual needs.
I also found that leaving my tv on or stereo really helped them not feel alone. Some folks thinks cats are so easy, just throw a huge bowl of food & water and they are fine. Research has shown they DO feel separation anxiety when left for longer periods of time and when they are the only cat. So don't feel bad as they have each other, just tell the ones who comes in to spend some time, heck it will be fun for all. Good luck enjoy the kitties and the party .
Keep us posted too, love to hear how things go as you guys bond.
3 cat night

 

[Winchester]

We've had cats for a good 40+ years now and I still get nervous when we go away overnight. I don't like leaving them alone, even though we have a petsitter come in twice a day as well as my sister and BIL who come in every night for about an hour or so (not to feed them, just so the cats aren't alone). It does get better, but there's always a sense of anxiety when we go away. We have two old cats, too, in our clan and we always worry about them.

It does help that I can call my petsitter every night for an update on how the cats are doing. And my sister will check in with me, too, even if it's just to tell me that Mollipop and Muffin haven't killed each other yet. 

Having somebody who you really trust to come in to feed the cats and scoop their boxes makes a big difference. So often we read that people get somebody to come in and find out later that the people never bothered. So make sure you know the petsitter or know that your friend or relative will really take good care of your furkids. That helps, too, knowing that your cats will be in good hands while you're away.

Welcome to TCS, TheBlackSwapper! 

 

[LTS3]

How about a remote wireless web cam so you can check on your cat via your smartphone? There's the Petcube.

 

[theblackswapper]

I want to thank everyone who took the time to reply here.  It's been a real help.  I think the videos are a fantastic idea, and the Petcube sounds like it might be worth it too.  It's great that technology can connect us back to our cats.  It's really great to hear it will get easier as well. 

When I was a kid we did have those people that said they would take care of our cats.  I know that--sometimes--food and water was replaced, but yeah, there are some people out there who pay lip service only to taking care of cats.  The people I would get to take care of the cats would be real cat people that know what is expected.  

Thanks again for the help.  I'm sure I'll be back with other questions as well.

 

[lallorona]

Someone sent me the link of your post because I posted something similar. I too had to leave my cat for 3 days, except I left Thursday afternoon and came back today. It isn't my first time leaving my cat alone. First time was really hard. She was about a month and a half old and I was forced to go out of town. When I came back she didn't even bother to "greet" me. Lol after that I only left her one night which was easier for me to cope with but then we stopped visiting for a while. This was almost 4 years ago. Then my parents forced me to go to Mexico with them for 3 days. I was ANGRY. Since then I've somewhat grown a grudge every time there are plans to visit Mexico. It never got easier even if I've left her for 2-3 days. I always panic, & assume that something bad might happen to her. I think of worse case scenarios (house getting on fire, someone breaking in, her magically learning how to unlock doors and getting out lol) I have anxiety so being far from her and not seeing her for a few days are the end of the world for me. Every time we leave as we pull out of the drive way I cry lol sadly j don't have anyone to watch my cat. The nearest vet hospital for some reason boards dogs and cats in the same kennel room. So leaving her in a kennel where there are also dogs is a big no. I want to buy a cam just to check up on her while I'm away. It would at least let me know how she's doing, what she's doing, and where she is.