How long can cats be Home Alone?

[Brokenheart]

How long would you feel comfortable leaving two grown cats (around 9 each) home with plenty of food and water while you went away?Normally I'd have a cat sitter but now the little one's gone sort of psycho.

[DawnofSierra]

I never leave home overnight without taking my girlies with me.

[laureen227]

i've left mine for up to 5 days... which is about how long the automated litterboxes will stay 'fresh'. after the receptacle gets full, they don't work as well. i leave lots of dry kibble [i measure out how much i give on a daily basis, & leave that much for each day] plus make sure the fountains are completely filled & running.

i did get a 'cat sitter/visitor' last year when Firefox was a kitten so that she'd get her supplemental formula [my nephew visited & would give her the formula]. he also checked on the boxes to make sure they weren't too full [we were also gone more than 5 days that time].

[lee]

I wouldn't leave without someone checking on them every day, at least every 24 hours. Even if kitty is psycho, can the sitter come in and feed/water them without interacting much with them? Just to make sure they haven't turned over their water bowl or hurt themselves while you're gone?

[Brokenheart]

Originally Posted by lee

I wouldn't leave without someone checking on them every day, at least every 24 hours. Even if kitty is psycho, can the sitter come in and feed/water them without interacting much with them? Just to make sure they haven't turned over their water bowl or hurt themselves while you're gone?

No, it's a small apartment, so I have to leave them with the run of it.

[Zane's Pal]

I've left Zane over a long weekend, but I have a neighbor come in and check his water bowl and generally see that he's OK.

[J_F_A]

Not longer than 12 hours

[rapunzel47]

I'll leave them overnight, if I don't have anyone to see to them, but more than one night and I'd be beating the bushes -- or changing my plans. Fortunately, it's never come to that, because some combination of coverage has always been possible.

[emmylou]

Ideally, once a day is best. But in cases where you can't get someone, I think two or three days at the outside.

[Jack31]

We've gone for 3 days at the most.

Unfortunately since Harley's arrival Jack has become much more litter box picky and even with extra boxes would not so much as dream as allowing any box go longer than 18 hours without being scooped--otherwise he stands outside it hollering and then pees on the mat in front of the box.

We now have someone come at least once a day.

Leslie

[madara]

I have babysat for about 3 dozen cats and find that on the fourth day they all show signs of missing their owners at very noticeable level. Four days is the max I ever left my cat as well.

[HappilyRetired]

Personally, I have never left either of my cats without a sitter for longer than a brief overnight--IF I were coming home by 6 a.m. Normally, I always get a sitter. In fact, my current boy is VERY social, and if I'm going to be away for an entire day (i.e., 12 hours or longer), I have a teenage neighbor who comes in to play with him and pet him, even though I've taken care of all the cleaning of the litter box and feeding. My former cat was very anti-social; nevertheless, my sitters told me that she sought affection from them when I was gone, so I know that cats need that human contact.