Leaving cat home alone during vactation

What do people think about leaving a cat home alone for 4 days?

I have a cat water fountain and a feeder.
My cat only likes me and I have no one to watch her.
Boarding her is not an option.
When left with room mate during other trips she hides in my room.

Is this safe?

This is just me but I've had cats for years, have 5 of them (indoor only) and even when one of them wasn't diabetic, I'd never leave them home alone longer than overnight, but I'm a worrywart.

The concerns might be that kitty is so stressed out to be completely alone for that length of time that she could stop eating altogether and that puts her at great risk for health issues, name Fatty Liver Disease (which can be very serious and very costly to diagnose and treat). What if for some reason your fountain stopped working?

A lot of people will hire a pet sitter, there are many pet-sitting companies where the people are bonded, insured, it's a business.....and they come into your home once or twice a day (once should be enough) and ensure your pet is okay, ensure fresh water, ensure food, scoop the litterbox, etc. It's generally pretty affordable. I've used these services many times in the past. You meet with them first in your home...they meet your pet, and you, and you ensure they're someone you have a good vibe with......confirm what services they provide and cost....and if you feel comfortable you provide them with a key, your contact info, ensure you let them know who your kitty's Vet is, in the event that kitty needs to see a Vet (eg: becomes injured, stops eating, etc)........ This is a lot better than boarding a pet because the pet can remain in their own familiar environment.

You could call up local Vet clinics and ask them if they know of any pet-sitting companies they'd recommend; sometimes you might even find that some of the staff do this on the side for extra money (like a vet assistant, vet tech, etc).

how old is your cat?

Personally, I don't leave my cats home alone. They travel with us, but they are used to that. If you had someone that was able to stop by, even if just for a few minutes a day or every other day, and scoop your box(es) and make sure that there are no problems, that would be ideal. My grandmother used to leave her cats alone. She had a kiddie pool for a litter box that she used while on vacation, and had her neighbor or the housekeeper check on them twice a week. They were always fine with that set up.

I would never leave my cats home alone! I always pay for a kennel for a variety of reasons. If there is a medical emergency, then at least I know there are staff who can tend to my cats. I know it sounds like I am overreacting but my roommate's cat died of cardiac arrest while she was vacationing. Fortunately, I was in charge of babysitting the cat, so I was able to take her to the emergency vet at 3 AM in order to have her euthanized. If I wasn't there, the cat would have died a very painful and slow death.

It sounds like your cat wouldn't do well in a boarding situation. I leave my cats alone for a few days at a time, but if it is to be an extended break, I just get a petsitter to come in. It's pretty cheap, and even if your cat is hiding, at least the food, water, and litter is being checked. I leave my TV on, and lights to make it look like someone is home from the outside.

I agree that a petsitter should come by to change the litter and replace the water and food. My boys don't know to ration their food even when I'm only gone for 24 hours, so I could never leave them alone for 4 days--they would eat all the food in the first day and be hungry for the next three. They have also been known to tip over their water dish or to knock food into it, which would leave them without clean water for far too long. Even if she doesn't get the social interaction from a petsitter, she would still have her basic needs met. Don't forget to adjust the heat while you're gone so she doesn't get too cold.

Originally Posted by cloud_shade

I agree that a petsitter should come by to change the litter and replace the water and food. My boys don't know to ration their food even when I'm only gone for 24 hours, so I could never leave them alone for 4 days--they would eat all the food in the first day and be hungry for the next three. They have also been known to tip over their water dish or to knock food into it, which would leave them without clean water for far too long. Even if she doesn't get the social interaction from a petsitter, she would still have her basic needs met. Don't forget to adjust the heat while you're gone so she doesn't get too cold.

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Mine would eat all the food the first day, puke and then go hungry for the other three days

I wouldn't suggest leaving them alone more than 1-2 days. We have an automatic feeder & water fountain and I still have someone come in at least every other day to give them people-time and make sure all the automated stuff is still working.

I just used a petsitter a few weeks ago while I was out of town for 6 days. I decided on a petsitter for numerous reasons...mainly I had to take one of them to the vet after she ate some string and she was just terrified. Trembling etc. and I just knew I couldn't leave here there for a week and I figured even if it was 30 min of sheer terror while the petsitter was there, at least it wasn't a whole week of terror at the vet! Third, it was cheaper for me vs. boarding (2 cats tho). They ended up doing OK. I could call and check on them. Mia didn't do so well with the petsitter (under the bed everyday) but at least I knew she was alive and Marble, the same one who was terrified at the vet, came out and got lots of play and brushing time.

Thanks for the replys.

A friend will stop over twice.
The thing is my only likes me and gets really strange when i'm gone.

I hope she's ok!

She's a 13 yr old cat.

Glad someone is stopping by. 4 days is a long time, or would be for my cat.

I dont like leaving Lily home alone because she is a typical needy Siamese She needs attention too much! But the Domestic Shorthair we had a few years ago we would leave her alone over the weekend with a couple bowls full of food. But if we were gone longer then 2 nights and 3 days we would ask someone to come by and feed her 2 times a day (or once a day).

You might even be able to get away with someone just stopping by once.

You can always add extra litter boxes so that there are more clean places for the cat to go while your gone. In addition to the water fountain, I'd leave a few bowls of water around the house in case something happens to the fountain.

Your kitty should be fine

I have 5 cats, and will leave them for about 48 hours. For them, the issue is the litterbox.

A couple ideas: if you have an automated feeder, make sure you change the batteries right before you leave. And at the very least, leave the toilet lid up just in case the water fountain goes SNAFU. Your kitty, especially at the age of 13, will mostly likely do a lot of sleeping anyway.

as long as you are sure that she has enough food and water i dont's see a problem with this expect maybe let someone come check on her maybe everyday or two days just to scoop the litter box and make sure everything is okay