Cat staying home alone

[agentzero]

I would like to ask if anyone here has experience of leaving the cat home alone for 3 ~ 4 days.

Reason:
We're going to be away from home (to bf's parents house) during the weekend for Christmas and our roommate would be gone too. We would bring our cat along with us but:

- She's super timid cat and we brought her along with us during Thanksgiving to our parent's house and she barely ate/drank and overall acted scared/crazy. Don't think she had a good 4 days there.

- There might be a dog there during Christmas and he's really loud and obnoxious, I doubt my cat would enjoy being in the same room with him.

So I plan on getting a water feeder and a food feeder just for the weekend, and maybe set up a webcam so we can see her. Everything, including her will be in a large crate so she can't get into trouble. (She already sleeps in it anyway, she likes being in there)

I'm asking because I personally feel that she would be happier and better off staying home where she is comfortable, and would eat/drink. She seemed really stressed out during the car ride too (1.5 hour drive), what do you guys think?

Also I can't find anyone to come by to feed her etc since it would be holiday and everyone I know are gone.


Here is a picture of her, she's a lot happier/healthier now and the dark spot from the surgery is finally less visible

 

[carolina]

It is usually ok for a couple of days, even though I personally don't do it... I would not recommend crating her though... Just make sure to kitty proof your house before you leave and she should be fine. I travel all the time and even though I have a sitter come in 2x a day to check on them, they are mostly alone - never had any issues. I have been out for over a week at a time. Once one of them got an UTI upon my return, but that was due to stress when I had a friend staying over...
Make sure to get the feeder and the water feeder well in advance so she can get used to it; otherwise you will run the risk of her not using it when you leave. Watch her closely to make sure she is eating and drinking off the new feeders.
Leave a used t-shirt on the place where she sleeps so she can have your familiar scent, and plug in a feliway diffuser a week or so before you leave.
Good luck!

 

[agentzero]

Thanks for the reply

Esp with the new feeders, I will order them soon so she can start using them.

As for the crate, I have to leave her in there unfortunately, because she's not allowed in our bedrooms (I have very bad cat allergy so I try to keep my bedroom cat free) But she's now pro at opening our bedroom door......no locks on the handles either.

She might get a little lonely at home but I think it's better than her being super stressed out somewhere else

 

[carolina]

Originally Posted by AgentZero

Thanks for the reply

Esp with the new feeders, I will order them soon so she can start using them.

As for the crate, I have to leave her in there unfortunately, because she's not allowed in our bedrooms (I have very bad cat allergy so I try to keep my bedroom cat free) But she's now pro at opening our bedroom door......no locks on the handles either.

She might get a little lonely at home but I think it's better than her being super stressed out somewhere else

It cost me $40, don't know if you want to do it... A set of 2 baby gates at big lots... you can put one on top of the other so it is really high... she won't be able to jump over, and will also have the run of the house... just a thought...

 

[white cat lover]

I have screen doors purchased in menards for $15.....I use them to keep cats in/out of certain rooms.

 

[skullman80]

I was just going to post something similar. I'm only going to be gone for approx 24 hours. Saturday mid-day to Sun Mid-day. I'm not worried about her wrecking my apartment, but I just worry about her being alone that long. I know its less than a full day, but she is so used to me being around 24/7 I don[t want her to think I have abandoned her.

 

[mystik spiral]

Your cat is a cutie!

I have never left mine alone for longer than 2 days/nights. I did the same thing as you last Christmas when I stayed with my mom for 4 days (it was also about 1 1/2 hour drive). It was a pain lugging along the litter box, small scratching post, toys, food and treats, but it was worth it to me. I think having a little setup of her own things helped her with the visit too.

I know you've tried before, but I thought I'd let you know what I did with Holland last Christmas to see if it might help. She is also a very timid cat, and there were dogs in the house as well. I kept her in the bedroom I was staying in with her food, water, toys, litterbox and scratching post. I would visit her several times a day and she slept on the bed with me at night. I was fearful that the trip would traumatize her, but she did just fine with it. She was happy to get home though!

 

[darlili]

I agree with everything - or maybe see if there are some sort of baby locks or whatever to keep the bedroom doors closed.

I'd also leave some music playing softly (radio or on demand or whatever) - I usually leave on the new age station - very quietly, I can hardly hear it, but it seems to keep the kitties happy. I'm usually gone 12 hours or so a day.

PS - maybe an extra litter box or two with nice fresh litter in it; just in case she gets picky about her box not being cleaned in its usual fashion.

 

[agentzero]

Thanks for everyone's input, as for the baby doors, I rather just spend money to change out the door handles to the round ones so she cant open them anymore, I don't really want to get more giant objects for my small apartment

Also, we thought about keeping her in our bedroom during the day if we bring her along but she can't be in there at night when we're sleeping, my allergies didn't get any better and spending the night with her in the room, I'm afraid I will start getting asthma attacks again. Also the dog is free to roam at night so I can't bring the cat out when we sleep. Bringing her just doesn't seem to be good for all parties involved.

It's pretty much decided that we will leave her home by this point, and it's not because we're too lazy to carry her and all her stuff around but she just doesn't seem all that happy when we bring her there. I will leave the radio on or something and blinds open, she likes to watch birds and what not. Hopefully she won't get too lonely

 

[catbehaviors]

We've left Wessie alone inside for 3 days, coming back on the fourth day. We left him with a big bowl of food and water, two litter boxes, and a cushy place to take a nap.

I think your cat will be fine. Wessie did miss us, though, he acted really excited to see us when we came home and loved us more. Your kitty is adorable, BTW!

 

[cruisermaiden]

We leave the boys alone for weekend trips all the time. I don't LIKE doing it, but if its not more than 4 days-ish we will leave them. We take several precautions:

I have a hopper style free kibble feeder and matching waterer. To test how long they would have supplies I've let them run until they were empty, and found that with a full hopper of kibble and water, with normal use they don't run dry for a whole week, even though I won't leave them that long. When I leave for overnight I also put down one of my glass/pyrex casserole pans filled with extra water, which I know gives them enough water for another 5-6 days, just in case something happend to the other one.

I have come home and found one or more of them has closed themselves into a room, away from the food, water and/or litterbox. To prevent this from happening we use baby finger pinch guards on all the doors that lead to cat friendly areas. These are just little "U" shaped pieces of plastic that go over the edge of the door, preventing it from closing all the way. Any rooms that they don't need access to, I close off (they can't open those doors).

My boys each have two buddies to play with at all times, so they don't get too lonely with us being away for short times. I don't leave any sound on for the boys but a single cat may like it. I would be concerned your baby would get lonely if she's an only kitty. Also I turn out all the lights except in one room which they have access to, that way they can have light or darkness.

I would second (or third?) not leaving her in a crate. Instead get one of those baby-proofing locks they sell to prevent children from opening lever style doors, or just change the handle on your bedroom door to a round one, they aren't expensive, then make sure the house is kitty proofed and give her the whole apartment to run in.

Good luck!

 

[otto]

I agree your kitty is better off at home, but leaving her closed up in a crate for four days is just not a good idea.

Cats need exercise.

What if she dumps her water? Then she will have to live in wetness for four days, and have nothing to drink.

Imagine having to eat and sleep next to a full litter box for three days. That would be awful for her.

Please don't keep her shut up like that. Find a way to block the doors and hire someone to come in and check on her every day.

 

[ducman69]

Leaving home alone is no big deal, and preferable IMO as cats are territorial animals and prefer their own house with their own scents over the stress of travel. For more than a day though, I'd just have someone pop a head in even if just very briefly to make sure everything is A-OK.

However, I would highly highly advise finding some other solution than keeping a cat confined to a crate for that long. Best of luck.

 

[kara_leigh]

We've left Nora for a few long weekend trips. We just have my MIL come over once a day just to pop her head in and make sure everything is okay and to give Nora a little company so she doesn't get too lonely (even though Nora doesn't care for my MIL too much b/c she smells of *gasp* DOG...she has a Golden Retriever).

We just make sure to leave her a HUGE bowl of water, and quite a bit of food (she's good a self regulating and won't eat it all at once), plus, my MIL checks to make sure she hasn't run out of food.

I agree, that I would change the door knobs, or do something to figure out a way to keep her out of your bedrooms, but don't crate her up.

Nora has always been fine when we return.

Good luck!

 

[bastetservant]

I'm with the consensus here. Leave her home. Don't crate her. Find a way (gates, locks, handle changes) to keep her out of where you don't want her.

AND hire a pet sitter. They are really not expensive, and well worth for your peace of mind. Mine charges $16 per visit. They give written reports and are available for calls and e-mail reports. They are bonded and insured. I found mine through my shelter, but your vet may be a good source.

I have left cats home for 2 days (and maybe 3 in the distant past). But really I just worried about it too much to enjoy myself. Having someone come by to check is really worth it. Maybe a friend could just stop by and see that your cat has food, water, and isn't into something it shouldn't be.

Robin

 

[Winchester]

Very pretty cat!

When we go away for longer than a day, we have a pet-sitter to come twice a day. Even if it's just for the weekend. I feel better knowing that somebody is coming in to check on them.

If we leave early in the morning and know we won't get back until 7:00 or so that night (or even later), it's OK....they won't starve. But anything longer than that, and our sitter comes in.

My sitter charges $18 per trip and, when we're gone, she makes two trips every day. She feeds, she scoops the boxes, she gets our mail and newspapers, and, in the summer, she'll turn the pool pump on in the morning and then off at night. I can call her at any time and get a good update on how the cats are doing. To me, she's well worth the money.

 

[agentzero]

So we're leaving tomorrow and I thought to check back on the thread.

I see a lot of you guys posted to not crate her, I guess I didn't mention. The crate is REALLY big, plenty room for her to stretch and it's right next to the windows so she has a window view at all times. It contains a box (her cave), a raised bed, scratcher, her food/water and her litter box. She stays in there during the night or when we're not home anyway.

We got her PetSmart feeders and the food/water should last her through the weekend, we'll zip tie them to the bars so it's less likely for her to tip the water over.

We already changed the door handles so she cannot open them anymore.

 

[carolina]

Originally Posted by AgentZero

So we're leaving tomorrow and I thought to check back on the thread.

I see a lot of you guys posted to not crate her, I guess I didn't mention. The crate is REALLY big, plenty room for her to stretch and it's right next to the windows so she has a window view at all times. It contains a box (her cave), a raised bed, scratcher, her food/water and her litter box. She stays in there during the night or when we're not home anyway.

We got her PetSmart feeders and the food/water should last her through the weekend, we'll zip tie them to the bars so it's less likely for her to tip the water over.

We already changed the door handles so she cannot open them anymore.

If you already changed the handles, why are you crating her? She will already have the stress of being alone... I still say do not crate.. but then it is just me...
Good luck anyway you choose, have a good trip and Happy Holidays!

 

[ducman69]

Even if the crate is the size of a bathroom, I'd consider that a confined space for an extended stay.

Cats aren't people, don't get me wrong, but they aren't goldfish either. Get a lot more exercise and mental stimulation if allowed to run about IMO.