How Long Have Any Cat Owners Felt Comfortable Leaving Pets at Home

When we had indoor only cats that used kitty boxes, we did fine with having someone come in every third day. Just leave enough food and spill proof water.

I think you're forgeting they are cats not humans. Cats spend most of their time in hiding anyways, so I'm sure they'll do just fine. You might want to put a little more $$ back just in case they have abandonment issues and have to go see a cat psychologist when you return. Just kidding on that, but really, they'll be just fine!!

We left our cat home a week when we were at the lake. We had a friend come over every couple days to feed and water him. My parents have also left their cats even longer, so Im sure everything wil be ok as long as you have someone checkn on them!

We have left our cats much longer than we ever did our dogs. We left our cats for as long as a week. We had a neighbor come in every day and make sure the water was fresh and they had food, he also scooped the box each day. They did just fine. When we came home they were always a little affectionate for about an hour or so, then it was back to being a cat again.

I have been a long time cat owner. My husband and I frequently take long weekends away in Chicago. If I am going to be gone more than 48 hours I make sure someone is coming over to refill the food bowls, clean cat pan, and refresh the water. I have never had a problem. I usually leave out an extra cat pan if I am going to be gone for a long weekend. That seems to help with any accidents or odors.

The longest we've left our cat was just over a week. My mom came by and checked on her a few times. I just left out a few really big bowls of water and a few big bowls of food just in case my mom couldn't make it to check on her for whatever reason. And I also picked up an extra litter box, just in case.

This is why cats are superior to dogs, hehheh. I've left my fur babies for a week, with a neighbor coming by to check on them, bring in the mail, that kind of thing. I got yelled at in cat-speak when I got home, but only because one of my cats is a one-human feline, and he missed me. :P The other one couldn't care less, as long as there was food, she was fine.
Have a safe trip!

Any time I left my cat, or cared for a friend's cat who had been left for more than a couple of days, I found they begin to exhibit some anxiety. You may find they vomit, and tear things up around the house. They sometimes even stop eating and drinking.
Especially your indoor cats will do this, because to them, your companionship is just as important as food and water. They get bored and lonely.
You might ask around and see if there is someone willing to take them into their home while you are gone. If so, take them there for short visits before you leave them, so they can become familiar with the home and family. Things will go much easier this way.
Another option might be to ask someone to stay in your home while you are gone, though that might be as expensive as boarding your kitties.
I wish you well.

When our cat was alive, we left him for a week to go to Gulf shores. A friend of ours swung by the house once a day to check on him and make sure he had food and water and to scratch his head and say hi. He was fine. We have done the same for a friend up the street when she would leave. If you have someone coming in to make sure they are okay, then you should be fine leaving them for how ever long you are gone. Good luck and God Bless.

We have a cat and leave her at home all the time, we have left her like 4-5 days before and everything was fine. They should be fine as long as they are not the kind that will tear things up. We have a big self feeder and self waterer and just clean the litter box before we go and you may get another litter box to sit out depending on how long you are going to be gone. We don't have anyone close to check on our cat, but since you do it might be good to have someone stop by for a few minutes each day and check the food and water and just spend a fe w minutes talking to and petting the cats. Becuase sometimes cats do go a little nutso when left alone if they are not used to it and will tear things up even when they are usually not that way.......revenge Iguess!

Good Luck!
S.

Hi B.! I know it's tough leaving your cats alone for any length of time, but they really will be ok. This summer we had to leave them for 2 weeks. We left extra food and water bowls and our neighbor girls came over every other day to refill and love on them a little.

One thing we have to do besides the neccessites is either prop open or close doors to certain rooms. One of our cats is silly and has locked himself in the bathroom several times! So we make sure all bathroom doors are closed and the others are propped open, if they are allowed in them. They will be fine and very happy to see you when you get home!
Blessings,
C.

We leave our cat at home all the time. She is pretty independant anyway, but even when I had a dog. We would board the dog, and leave our cat home. I just make sure her litter box is clean, and I have an autmatic feeder and waterer that I use for our trips so I know she has plenty to eat/drink. I have left her for a week before. She is fine. She likes to cuddle more when we get home, the same as if she is home alone all day. But otherwise, I let her be!

As long as you plan for someone to check on them every other day, to make sure that they have enough food, give them a litle love (if they are sociable) and to check on the litter box, you shoild be able to be gone for as much as a week or two. I was gone to Paris for two weeks and our cat was just fine.

S.

I have two cats and found I can leave them up to a week by themselves with a self feeding food and water bowl and two litter boxes. I figured this out buy filling the food and waters bowls and seeing how long it took for them to run out (about 2 weeks for my two cats) My son is in charge of the litterbox so I know it has probably gone at least a week before. LOL

Anything longer then a week I have my neighbors daughter come every 2-3 days and check on them and play with them for a little while. The longest we have been gone is three weeks. Don't be surprised your cat don't "talk to you" for a few days when you get back. I find that they are a little ticked off and ignor me for a day or two to "teach me a lesson" LOL

Oh and I always leave at least one set of blinds open with a chair or something they can sit on so they can look out side. Since I have two cats they pretty much keep each other company.

We left our cat by herself for about 5-6 days and she was fine, but she's a bit of a loner. We regularly leave her for a weekend with no problems at all. We have a feeder for her and left several bowls of water, plus left the tub on a very slow drip. She was fine. We would also close off doors or put up gates to keep her out of areas we didn't want her in. With just one cat and a large litter box, she was fine for 5 days, but with 2 cats, you'll probably need to have someone come by to clean the litter box or get one of those automatic ones. They're alittle pricey, but probably cheaper than boarding the cats.

Good Morning B., I think the only thing you might have forgotten is your Babies are going to be Ticked off when you get home...lol Our cat Sami always had her ears laid back flat and would grab our ankles when we walked by her. Bite them lightly then lick us to death.

Since your neighbors are closer maybe one of them would check them daily. If they are trust worthy that is.
Cats are so independent its hard to say what is a good length of time to leave them. Some can take a week some only a couple of days.
Good Luck and Have a great time away.

K. Nana of 5

It is nice to find a fellow cat lover! I have always had a cat (I got my 1st cat when I was 3 years old). We have also always left our cats at home alone & have never boarded a cat. We have left our cats alone for about 3 days without anyone checking on them & about 5-7 days with friends checking on their food & water. We just pour a lot of food in a dish (we only have one cat right now & he gets 1 cup of food a day) - 1 cup per day that we will be gone & a large bowl of water. We also have a litter maid cat box, so we don't have to worry about his cat box when we leave him for a long time. I would be comfortable to leave my cat for about 1 1/2 weeks with people comming to check on him (he's a bit of a loner - as most cats are)
As long as your cats are not destructive then I wouldn't worry about leaving them alone. The will keep eachother company & if you have people come check on their food & water they will be fine. All cats really need are a few toys, food, water & a cat box. They will be very happy to see you when you come back, so try to enjoy your trip & not worry about your cats.

God Bless!

i think they will be fine. as long as someone will be checking on them periodically, they might be grouchy with you for a day or two when you come home, but they'll be just fine, and there's two of them so they can keep each other company. trust me my cats have been through a lot (hurricane, fire, several moves, a baby who has now turned into a two year old!), and i think a week alone would probably be a relief to them sometimes!

I have owned cats my entire life and I would say that they should be just fine staying home, especially since you have more than one where they can keep each other company. I currently have 2 tabbies who are litter brothers and had to be adopted together due to their dependency on each other, and it worked out that when I went to the animal shelter, I was looking for 2 kitties at once. Anyway, I have left mine for 3 days straight once and they were just fine. I made sure that I left out extra food for them, extra water, and I left the radio on a station that was half talk, half music so that they wouldn't feel alone. The first thing I did when I got home was check their food and water and then loved on them. They were just fine. If you are only going to be gone for 24-36 hours, they should be just fine and waiting to see you when you get home.

Cats are pretty independent. The only time i actually had a sitter for one of cats is when she had a double whammy of a surgery and was still loopy from the anesthesia. I have left my cats alone for long weekends. I made sure their kitty letter box was clean, their self feeders for water and food were full and that any areas i did not want them to access was unaccessable to them (for the 2 males anyway, my female cat knows how to open doors so it's a why bother situation). If i know it will be longer than 3-4 days, i had my sister come over to check on the cat(s) to make sure all is well in their world. Of course when i come home, they give me a nice welcome home greating :)

I think my cats would be more mad at me if I left at a boarding place than if I left them at home. We have left them for at least 5 days and just leave extra food and water and an extra litter box. My neighbor checked on them 1 or 2 times and they are just fine they always have food and water when we get back and of course they are so excited to see us they run around the house like kids do with excitement. Relax and have a great time on your vacation.

I have only one cat and he's a lover and needs loving. I have left him for up to a week with someone stopping in daily to pet him and make sure he has water and food. He's done great. With two cats you should be fine they have each other to pla with. So don't feel bad just having someone stop in and enjoy your time away. They will love you just as much when you get back!

We left our 2 cats home for almost 2 weeks just last summer. Our neighbor who is also a cat lover came over every couple days just 2 make sure they had food and water. We have never had a problem leaving them and they always welcome you back!! When we do leave for more than a day we do turn on a radio for them, just so it seems like someone is here!! Go buy a couple of new toys to put down just as you leave and the kids now hide kitty treats around the house.

Hi, B.!
As a former Vet assistant who worked in a hospital that also boarded, I can tell you that your babies will be fine at home. Animals are always more comfy in their own enviornments than they are being boarded. If you have someone to come in to feed/water and pet them, that's great. Cats sleep most of the day anyway, so they will be fine. I would advise you to leave a t-shirt, towel, pillow or something else that you use everyday and smells like you laying around where your pet can lay with it or on it. I have found that a pet who has a little lovey that smells like their "mommy or daddy", the do much better on their own. They will be fine for several days, but they can sometimes be cranky when you return. If you are really concerned, hire a pet sitter to come and check on them a couple of times while you are gone. I used to do that for some of our hospital clients, and it worked well, especially if you have a pet that needs special attention or meds. Enjoy your time away, and your babies will be just fine.

S.

Hi B.-
We have 2 cats also, and for vacation we have friends that come by every day or 2 and make sure they have food and water, scoop boxes, and try to play a little with them. We've left them for just over a week and they do fine. I've always preferred to leave them at home instead of boarding because at least they are in their normal environment and not caged up, even if they do get a little lonely. Good luck, have a great trip!
M.

Hey B.!

I also have two fur babies and I've left them alone in the house for a week before many times. I think your cats will be fine, having someone check on them once or twice a day. We've had friends, neighbors or babysitters check on them and they're always fine. :)

One helpful hint is take a couple soft t-shirts that you have already worn and lay them in your kitties' favorite nap spots. It's comforting for them to have something that smells like you while you're away. Also, I'd recommend one of those automatic water dispensers if you don't already have one, not the mechanical kind, just the regular one. Feel free to email me if you have any questions!

I know it's nerve wracking to leave them behind, but I've always felt kitties are more comfortable in their own homes and reassure myself that it's nice for them to get a break from out kiddos for a few days. Peace and quiet to nap! :)

Good luck and enjoy your vacation!

I have another suggestion...I had left mine for 4 or 5 days and had a friend come to check on them. I thought I was being nice and left their plastic food container on the counter so she could find it easy. My cats ended up knocking it over some how onto the stove and some how turned the burner on low...so it melted through the plastic container and the house smelled of burnt cat food. I know it was a freak accident, but make sure you dont leave anything next to the stove. Have a good trip.

When I my cat was alive I was known to leave her for weekends at least once a month. I would make sure that her litterbox was clean as well as she had lots of food. I had also left her for a week about once a year as long as someone would come over and change the litter box and give her more food and water. I usually had whom ever just stop by once or twice. I guess it all depends on how offten you change your cats litter boxes at home as to what you will need to do when you are gone.

You have it made with someone willing to feed and water them. That is what we do on extended trips. We have been gone up to two weeks. The worst part is the litter box. It is worth setting up a second litter box to help with that problem. We have had our cats for more than five years now and they don't seem to upset when we leave them.

I've left mine for several days at a time & they've been fine. Just make sure they have a super-clean litter box and either an automatic feeder/waterer or several dishes in different places in case they knock one over. Mine have always hated being boarded and are much happier staying home. Oh, and make sure you put up any plants or cleaning things they might get into before you go.

I am a pet sitter and there is such a wide variation in what people are comfortable doing with their cats when they are gone. I have some people that have me visit their cats 3 times a day! Then, I have a client that goes to Mexico for 3 months and only has me come over once a week. So, I think it just depends on your cats and how "feisty" they become when you are gone. If they are pretty mellow, a few visits a week are probably fine. If they get mad and destroy things, best to have someone pop in and give them some attention once a day. Hope this helps!

My family has always had 2 cats. When ever we went on vacation, (some 2wks, some less) my Aunt or Gramma came over to check on them every other day or so. We have also always had an automatic feeder for our cats. You could buy one of those, and even an automatic water dispenser, or just set out a couple extra bowls of food or water. Also investing in an extra litter box why you're gone couldn't hurt, unless your Mom & sister are willing to scoop the poop! LOL Cats are very independent and are fine left alone. You could also set a radio or tv to go off at a certian time every day and your Mom or sister could turn it off, or you could buy a timer plug in? Or just leave the radio on full time... Try not to worry to much! As long as somebody is stopping in to check on them, they'll be fine ; )

I had to leave my cats for 6 weeks beacuse of work and someone can by just once a week to feed and change the litter box. I left music on for them and that seemed to keep them compnay. I did come home to lots of messes of fur and some throw up but they over all were okay. I have boarded my cats before for two weeks and they came back with Kennel cough so bad that I spent another 200 on top of the baording to get them heatlhy again. We left our 1 week with noone coming in at all and they were fine that time too.

I left all 4 of my fur-babies for almost 2 weeks. I left an extra bowl of food and water out and I had someone come by and check on them and scoop poop every other day. They will be fine, they have each other! Good luck!

I have two cats and I go for as long as a week at a time, I leave a bowl of food for everyday I am gone and Plenty of water, but just incase they knock over the water bowl for some reason,
I always leave the toilet seat up, sounds gross I know, but that little extra gives me some security.
I dont use those toilet cleaners cause I have caught them before trying to get a cold drink there.
A cat will always find a way to survive, you can even leave your sink to do a slow drip and they will find it.
I have family or friends come and clean the liter box maybe once while I am gone.
hope this helps...good luck