Do you stress leaving your cats at home alone?

Im a stress head - let's get that straight now.
But I want to know if you think I'm just being outright paranoid and unreasonable.

Up until a few months ago I was living with my mother and siblings and as such when I went out there was usually someone home.

Now if we want to go out, there's no one home and I become ultra paranoid that the house is going to get broken into and either a) the cats escape or b) a sicko does something to them.

I have read news stories about houses being broken into and the cats/pets being hurt and this is my ultimate nightmare. I've been slowly adding good security doors and window security, but the more stuff you do like that the more attention your house gets - they will want to know what you're trying to protect.

I realise the chances of it happening are slim but STILL, does it ever weigh on your mind?

Are you comfortable leaving the house for an entire day?

It's really sad that the most I ever get out now is a couple of hours at a time because I just worry too much and don't enjoy myself. I could not even visit my family on Xmas day because it would require being out for 12 hours (I live far from them).

Am I going crazy?!

Hi there,
I understand your worry, but please, don't let such a wonderful thing as being a meowmy be ruined because you are worrying about your kits. You should be truly enjoying your fur babies, and if you are worrying about them it makes it harder.
As you leave them home alone more, you will get better at it and worry less.
I know exactly what you are going through, because I went through the same thing. To be honest, your kits will be sleeping most of the time you are out.
You can't worry about something you can't control. How does your worrying change in any way what is going on at home?

I try to tell myself that! I figure if Im worrying or not it will be the same outcome. Doesn't seem to change it though! I guess I am just going mental.

Im not worried about what the cats do while there's no one home, its what might happen to them. Basically if someone breaks in, the cats escape and thats it, they're gone. They have never roamed free, dont know the area and aren't the types to come back.

I certainly enjoy my cats when I'm home with them (pretty much all day everyday), I just fear for their safety when I'm out.. its kinda like leaving your kids home alone.

I don't worry like I did when we were renting. Our last couple of apartments, management was in at least once a month for some reason. I was so worried they would let the cats out. Neither was a secured entry place either. If we had enough notice we were putting them in our bedroom for the day while we were gone.

I feel a lot safer where we live now, and with no landlord no one can go into our house but us.

I do worry about the house getting broken into and the cats escaping. We usually only leave them alone for a day or two at a time and our neighbors keep an eye on the house.

If we are gone longer, I take them to my Mom's house and they stay with her. Then I don't have to worry!

I think I worry most about things like fire or pet sitter accidentally letting a kitty out. Or someone getting pinned under something just after pet sitter left and isn't back for hours.

Fire would be such a terrible thing to imagine I don't even want to really think about it. What would poor kitties do home alone. Some neighbours know we have cats but while a lot of people acknowledge the importance of rescuing (barking) dogs, not so many are really into looking for specific ways to get cats out.... Maybe I should post a big sign on front door: IN CASE OF FIRE: PLEASE BREAK THE BASEMENT WINDOWS AND CALL FOR SCARED KITTIES!!!

I've always had dogs so I dont really worry about it. Right now I have a Great Dane that's over 6ft tall if he stands on his back legs and 140lbs+ so I've got a pretty good security system

I don't stress about leaving them home for a day, but I do worry about them when I have to leave them overnight or longer, especially when I was in the hospital. It was such a rush, rush thing and I didn't really have anything solid in place for them. My brother would come in every day or two and the caretaker too. But I still worried.

I only ever worried about my kitties when they were young'ns and just brought home. I was paranoid the first day we had Katina and Monte - thinking they were going to bite a wire on the computer or hang themselves on something or get stuck somewhere etc. When we got Nero, I was the same way all over again for a few days.

Now that Katina and Nero are older (1.5 years & 9 months) I rarely worry about leaving them home alone. Katina goes outside during the day (she refuses to use a litter box these days, only will go outside, which is like how Rob's RB baby Tigger was) and sometimes walks over to the in-laws house (they live behind us) to hang out if she wants to be inside. I don't worry about my crazy little boy Nero, because I figure with how active he is when we get home, he probably spent most of the day sleeping.

I've never worried about someone breaking in and hurting them, but I guess it's because I've never heard any stories like that around here, nor have I really thought about it.

I worried a lot when I was a new meowmy.
I left the webcame on all day and saw she slept all but two hours while I was gone all day. I stopped worrying so much after that

I will say though, smart thing to do is to let as many neighbors as possible meet your babies and know they are indoor only (if they are) or whatnot. I hope that one of my neighbors who knows Smidge would worry if they saw her walking around, and would take her inside until I got home. We look out for each other.

Originally Posted by MonaxLisa

I've always had dogs so I dont really worry about it. Right now I have a Great Dane that's over 6ft tall if he stands on his back legs and 140lbs+ so I've got a pretty good security system

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Thanks everyone for your replies!

This is looking like a good option
Was thinking of getting a German Shepherd or two.. beautiful dogs + great at guarding.

I live in a good neighborhood... with several cops for neighbors and dogs, lots of loud dogs that bark at everything.
I don't worry about the cats. If I'm away for more than a day I have family who can come feed them. The cats are trained to get away from the doors when they are opened (and will run and hide if they don't know who it is at the door), they will also go to the bedroom if the command is given for them to do so. I shocked a carpenter here working on something the other day with that, he'd never seen a cat follow a command.

I worry more about leaving DH home alone. There's no telling what sort of mess I can come home to! At least the cats behave themselves.

I work a 12-hour shift and with driving time and not getting out on time I can be gone for 14-15 hours at a time. When I first got Shareena I worried about leaving her, not so much that somebody might break in but that she would be scared all alone. Now with 5 cats I figure they can keep each other company---when they're not sleeping.

If I'm going to be gone more that 36 hours I have a friend who comes in to check on the kitties. She worries about them more than I do and I know she'll never let them out and always makes sure nobody is locked in a closet before she leaves.

When I leave the cats at home with Todd (my husband), Minka won't leave the bedroom. Todd even has to put her food in there! She's my baby girl.

As soon as I come home, she starts running around the house, meowing and begging to be pet. She loves her mamma!

OCSD anyone?
(Obsessed with Cat Safety Disorder)

I am the EXACT same way, except another worry on my list is the house catching fire when I'm not home to save everyone.

Originally Posted by kittybernard

OCSD anyone?
(Obsessed with Cat Safety Disorder)

I am the EXACT same way, except another worry on my list is the house catching fire when I'm not home to save everyone.

Click to expand...

Thanks for putting a name to my disease

Fire is another concern but if everything is turned off that is a very remote chance - break in is my biggest concern.

We may need an OCSD anonymous group

Actually, when I was a new cat owner, yes I worried alot, especially as he was an outdoor cat at the time. Then he came indoors and I worried that he'd be bored. And slowly that feeling of desperation to get home and make sure he was ok waned and it just became a nice feeling of coming home and being greeted with a sleepy little face peeking up from somewhere comfy that he'd found to sleep the day away!

Now that I have Milly (she's 8 weeks old) I was terrified of leaving her home with Pip before they'd got to know each other - mainly because Pip hadn't really taken to her by the time I went back to work after getting her and was really protective over all of his spaces! Luckily though, I came home to my little precious babies playing happily on the spare bed!