Leaving kitten alone for three days?

[Attica1962]

I have a 4 month old kitten, I rescued him when he was just about 8-10 days old. He sleeps for most of the afternoon, but he gets very playful in the morning and in the evening. He sleeps all the night, though. Now we have to be out for three days, and I'm considering several options:

1) Kitten stays at home, and a niece of my husband can stay at home these days. My only concern is that lately, since she came back from Netherlands, she's got into drugs. She was nice girl just few months ago, but since she came back, she's changed and I still don't know if we can trust her.
2) My sister will willingly take the cat for this period, but I'm afraid the kitten can be too much for them (they are both retired) when he wants to play. Furthermore, he will not recognize the house, he will not know where to pee or where to eat.
3) I can ask my nephew to come and check on him for about one or two hours a day. I don't know if that would be enough, as he has always be with us most of the time.
4) As a last resort, we can take him to one of those "cat and dog" hotels.

I would appreciate your advice, since this is my first cat and I'm still very green.

 

[FeebysOwner]

If you can make arrangements to check in daily (maybe more than once a day) with your husband's niece, you might want to go that route, unless you truly believe she will use drugs in your home to the point of being irresponsible. Maybe set up some Zoom/Skype sessions, so she has to face you and you can explain it is your way of getting to see your kitten while you are gone - and, to check to make sure she has no questions for you. Will she be around similar to the hours you are normally? Can she be counted on otherwise, in terms of making sure she will play with your kitten? I presume things aren't so bad with her that you would worry about her taking care of the basics of giving the kitten food, changing the water, and cleaning out the litter box?? If they are, then go to Option 2.

If you go with Option 2, the kitten should have all of his necessities (food, water, his dishes/bowls, his litter box(es), and other amenities he is used to such as a cat bed/toys/blankets) in one room and that he is introduced to them when he gets there. It isn't necessary for him to be isolated there but he should be supervised in other parts of the home and taken to his litter box a few times over the course of at least the first day to make sure he learns where it is at. Is play time really going to be that hard for your sister to handle? You might clear this with her beforehand.

I don't like Options 3 or 4. The kitten is too young to be spending most of his time alone, and I am never an advocate of pet kennels.
You could, however, have either your sister and/or your nephew visit your husband's niece and the kitten - and say it is to give her a little break from babysitting the kitten full time.

Make sure you leave worn, unwashed clothing of yours with your kitten so he has your scent as a form of security blanket, so to speak. And leave contact information for the vet, just in case.

 

[Seymour]

I would either leave him with your sister (I agree with FeebysOwner that everything should be in one room) or confine the little fellow to one room and have your nephew check on him. I would not under any circumstances have someone you suspect of drug use stay with him. I am not saying it would happen, but you have no way of knowing who she might allow in your home and what kind of hazardous behavior could take place. Plus you don't want the little guy to be handled by someone who could be high and not in full control of their faculties. Kittens are easily hurt or accidentally let outside.

He's going to be fine for three days as long as the person minding him is sober and trustworthy. Pass on the niece. It's not a good idea to have her in your home if you aren't sure you can trust her, even without taking the kitten into consideration.

 

[Sarthur2]

I agree with above. I would go with your nephew checking in. I would not be inclined to trust the niece one bit.

 

[Kris107]

For the age, I say #2. Sister's but confined to one room. We left our 9 month old alone but with someone checking in each day, but 9 months is a big difference than 4 months. At such a young age, I don't think a temporary change of scenery will be too huge of a deal but also depends on the personality of the cat.

 

[IndyJones]

I would either leave him with your sister (I agree with FeebysOwner that everything should be in one room) or confine the little fellow to one room and have your nephew check on him. I would not under any circumstances have someone you suspect of drug use stay with him. I am not saying it would happen, but you have no way of knowing who she might allow in your home and what kind of hazardous behavior could take place. Plus you don't want the little guy to be handled by someone who could be high and not in full control of their faculties. Kittens are easily hurt or accidentally let outside.

He's going to be fine for three days as long as the person minding him is sober and trustworthy. Pass on the niece. It's not a good idea to have her in your home if you aren't sure you can trust her, even without taking the kitten into consideration.

Have to agree with the above. Plus you don't want a kitten to get into that sh!t either, and they will. They are babies and stick everything in their mouths.

 

[FeebysOwner]

If your husband's niece is as bad as everyone seems to think, go with your sister. I would hope she can accommodate some play time for the kitten - give her some hints on how to make it easier on her to do so.

 

[Attica1962]

Thank you for all the advice. We haven't made any decision yet. Of course my husband would prefer his niece took care of the kitten, but I'm not so sure about it. He has suggested his mother and niece come together to check on him twice a day, but still I'm not convinced.

My sister is 69, and her husband 72. And I'm afraid we spoiled our kitten very badly. In the morning he's very playful, but if I'm at home he just runs and hides and keeps himself amused. After lunch we have our siesta time together (me and him), and then in the evening he wants to play hunt prey. My husband keeps him entertained with a ball making him run up and down the stairs until he's tired. He sleeps in our bedroom (he was soooo small and sooo cute when he was a baby!!!)

So, the only thing that concerns me is the play hunt prey. I don't think my sister, or her husband, will have the stamina he requires. Or maybe if he's in a unusual environment, he just won't be so bold?

He's big for his age, and very brave and defiant some times, and then other times he looks like that old baby that just wanted to go to sleep sucking my fingers!!!

 

[FeebysOwner]

So, I read that he runs and hides and keeps himself amused if you are at home, and that your husband throws a ball making him run up and down the stairs until he is tired in the evening. Is the latter what you are calling 'play hunt prey' time? Does your husband have to run up and down the stairs to retrieve the ball? How about a dozen balls that your sister/husband could throw his way and then only have to go pick them up all at one time?

Does he go after toys on strings that might not require so much effort on your sister's part?

It is very possible that he will be subdued a bit being in someone else's home and might not be quite as energetic in your absence. Is your sister willing to try to take siestas with him, maybe along with a piece of your clothing (for scent) to see if that would make him feel a bit at home?

I am sure he will get more attention overall being with someone 24/7 than he will get from anyone coming into the house once or twice a day.

 

[Attica1962]

My husband usually just throws the ball up, and he chases it. He loves his cat tunnel, but doesn't care about toys on strings.

His favourite play, though, is to chase our hands. Fortunately (for us) he's changing teeth and doesn´t bite hard enough. I cut his nails from time to time, but he doesn't use them to play hunt. I got him when he was just 8-10 days old, we're the only referent he has as to "feline family" but yet he has all the instincts of a feral cat (as his mom).

 

[Sarthur2]

You know what? This 4-month-old kitten will be fine if he’s looked into a couple of times a day by someone you trust. If his food and water are there, he’ll be fine. You’re not going to be gone very long, and the minute you’re back, he’ll forget you were gone and all will be well. I’ve been there and done that, and their memories are very short.

Stop over-thinking and have your nephew check in. All will be well. Kittens are very resilient and they can skip a day or two of being played with. He’ll be fine until you return. It’s a blip. You’ll see … he’ll be fine when you get back and he’ll be ready to play.

 

[Attica1962]

Thank you for all your replies. This last week he has become more independent, he doesn't come to have siesta with me. Now that the time is cooler he prefers to doze off by the window in the other room. So maybe he will be allright with someone checking on him twice a day.

If we were travelling on our own I would rent a room in a place that allows pets as we did when we had the dogs, but since this is more of a work thing, the hotel is already booked for us and we're expected to attend lunches and dinners with our colleagues.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Sarthur2]

Best of luck, and do let us know how things go!

 

[imogen]

I think it will be harder on you than it will on him.

I think your nephew checking in daily will be fine. I think staying in his own, familiar space would be best for him. Have your nephew turn on some Mozart for him.

I think staying in a single room at your sisters would be my second choice. While he loves his play time with you, he doesn't HAVE to have the same play while you're away. But, relocating is a lot of change for a short period of time. And then moving back...

He'll be so glad to see you when you're home!

 

[Attica1962]

Well, in the end it was my husband's niece the one left in charge of the kitten. My husband insisted, and since it was him who had told me about her "doing drugs" and "change of mood" after her travel, I decided to give it a try. I spoke with her the day before our travel, and she was the good girl she has ever been, but more independent and mature. She didn't stay at home, though. She stayed with my mother-in-law, and she came in the morning to ensure everything was ok, and then after work she came to check on and play with him. I had found out by then that what my husband meant when he told me she was now into drugs, was that she smoke some weed while she was in the Netherlands.And what he meant when he told me that she was changed, he meant that she was more independent and didn't want to come back to her parents.

When we came back yesterday evening, my kitten's first reaction when we saw us was to "hide" into a plastic bag and "wait" for us to find him. I must admit, it shocked me somehow, because I always had dogs, and they would make a terrific "welcome back"!!! After a little while he became hyper reactive, running up and down all around the house. But when we went to sleep, he became again my little baby kitten and slept and purred by my side the whole night.

Thank you all for your advice and assurance!!!

 

[fionasmom]

So glad that it all worked out and we appreciate you letting us know.

 

[IndyJones]

Good it worked out. For future vacations you may want a nanny cam just a thought. Even if just on the front door. Some even let you talk through them.

I have a wyze v3 on my door. Works well just to see whats going on on the porch.