cat left home alone for a few days

McKneff

Fridaycat wrote: »

I think I am going to dip out of this debate as I clearly see my cats differently to some others who have contributed to this discussion.

It may sound cheesy, but I genuinely see my cats as part of the family and not just some independent beings who happen to share the same house as us. I am sure they miss me and my husband when we are not here.

My Friday cat is more like a dog - she has to be sat on me whenever I am seated; if I am stood doing something she needs to be there in the same room or in the garden with me. (the only exception being when I am vacuuming as she hates that!)

My four other cats are not quite as bad, but all are generally in the same room as either me or husband; and they like a play and a cuddle on a fairly frequent basis.

Therefore, I could not imagine just leaving them to fend for themselves for several days at a time, just as I could not imagine leaving a young child to do the same.

I agree entirely, i only wish out cat thought the same about us, she has part feral in her, comes and sits on the settee, never get on our lap. if i put the bottome up on the recliner she will climb over and lie on that part and put 2 paws and her nose down my slipper boottee, thats as much affection we get from here lol. She will be petted up to a point, a few strokes on her head, then she will take a soft swipe to tell you to 'stop' ignore it at your peril and I have the bite miarks to prove it, but she is part of our family, I put her in a cattery once for 2 days, she never ate a thing and just cowered in a corner the whole time, never again.

geri1965_2

McKneff wrote: »

Yes, but did you leave any provision for feeding them.

Well, they ate dried food so I just put enough down for the weekend. I don't do it now though as my older one has wet food, and I have a more reliable friend who is happy to pop in every day.

rita-rabbit

Before my Tomcat has bladder issues - my two used to have dried food all the time with ocassional wet for treats. I left them for a long weekend (Thurs-Mon) & just set the pet feeder(s) & water dispensing thing, putting `long life crystal litter' in both their litter trays & they were fine. Note: I also `locked' the catflap so I knew they wouldn't go wandering whilst I was away.

Now I ask a relative to check on them every other day - they are both senior cats now (approx 12 & 10 yrs old) - refueling the feeders & removing `solids' from litterboxes.

mouseymousey99

I'm shocked. Sorry but if you lived next door to me and left your cat for days on end I'd call the RSPCA. Why the heck have a cat and treat it so badly? I'm not joining in this thread as I can't bear to read any more of this. Horrible.

Abbafan1972

When we go away and relatives come and feed Mia and Jasper, they come at least once a day. Feed them, put fresh water out and clean the litter.

bacardi66

I think all cats and owners are different and different things suit different people.

My brother will go away for up to 3 weeks and leave his cats with someone popping in every other day (which I have never done and couldn't do!) When my cats were young I would get a friend or catsitter to come in every day but I never went away for more than a week - for a weekend I would leave them with an automatic feeder.

Now my cat is 17 now and seems to seek out my company a lot more than he ever did when he was younger - I feel awful leaving him overnight but I have done so and left him plenty of dry food and an automatic feeder. Since he has been on his own when his brother died 3 years ago I haven't gone away for longer than 3 nights (when Ive employed a catsitter) I know some of my friends think Im mad not going on holiday because of him but I just wouldn't be happy leaving him for a week.

Having someone coming in daily isn't always a guarantee of them spotting something is amiss with your cats -
ive had people feed my cats for a week and never see them once as they spent so much time outside. Ive fed my friend's cats for 10 days in the summer and never laid eyes on one of them! I was so relieved when my friend came home and the cat reappeared!

But Ive always had indoor/outdoor cats with free access to a catflap and the outdoors - I imagine house cats probably need more human interaction and stimulation.

rita-rabbit

mouseymousey99 wrote: »

I'm shocked. Sorry but if you lived next door to me and left your cat for days on end I'd call the RSPCA. Why the heck have a cat and treat it so badly? I'm not joining in this thread as I can't bear to read any more of this. Horrible.

Hoping your post is a joke! I am home with my 2 most nights & the catflap is only locked when I am not coming home to them every evening. My neighbours have no idea that I am not there as I leave the car parked outside & Feliway plugged in. Cats are v happy if a little bored - that their freedom has been restricted (for their own safety & my peace of mind).

I tried taking them away to family before & they didn't enjoy the drive - most cats prefer to be in their home environment.

gettingready

Went away for a week last Xmas - 4 cats at home at the time, young too as they were born in August so were around 4 months old then.

Dog - went to stay with my then dog walker for the whole week.

Cats - had a neighbour coming in twice per day every day to feed/clean trays/play with them and the dog walker coming once per day, with the dog after the walk to feed/clean trays/play with them.

Sorry but I am one of those people who does not believe in using catteries.

Cats are happiest in their own home and as long as one has someone responsible to check on them at least once per day - IMHO this is fine.

Fridaycat

I agree that cats are happiest in their own home, and that if you are going away for a few days then it is your choice to either use a cattery or to have someone coming round at least once a day to check on them and feed/water them etc.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages: cats are without doubt less happy in the cattery as compared to in their own home, but they are well looked after and given plenty of love and attention (at least they are in the one I use). The cattery owner will give them any medications, mine will clip their claws if I ask and as she is a trained vet nurse, she is also adept at picking up any signs of illness (though this has thankfully never happened).

They may still get this if at home depending on who is coming in, and how familiar they are with the cats. I know personally that my Harry cat and probably my Bengals would hate and be scared of a stranger (to them) coming in to their territory when me/DH are not there. Also, there is a real risk of an injury not being seen by an occasional visitor - particularly if the cat has access to the outdoors: this happened to my neighbour last year. They were only away for 5 days, and someone was coming in twice a day to feed them, but (through no fault of anyone's) did not notice that one of the three cats had an injured paw. The vet said if it had been left much longer, then serious damage could have been done (e.g. amputation).

So this debate is not about whether to leave in a cattery or have someone come round, as either are up to the individual and their circumstances, but rather it is about people leaving their cats for several days on end without either of those two things.

geri1965_2

mouseymousey99 wrote: »

I'm shocked. Sorry but if you lived next door to me and left your cat for days on end I'd call the RSPCA. Why the heck have a cat and treat it so badly? I'm not joining in this thread as I can't bear to read any more of this. Horrible.

Then you would be just wasting the RSPCA's time.