How long would you leave a cat home alone for?

gettingready

I really do not see a problem leaving cats alone for even 48 hours as long as it is not on regular basis, they have enough food/water and trays.

Nobody would be able to keep any animals if to follow the 4 hour rule, it is simply not realistic.

I have seen an interesting article today, unfortunately in Polish and long so can not link/translate but - it was to encourage working people to adopt shelter animals proving that even 10 hours per day alone is way better than 24/7 in a shelter for years. And I totally agree with it, Pity that most UK organisation flatly refuse to allow working people/people living in flats to adopt rescue dogs/cats - instead they mass PTS as no "suitable" homes can be found.

Dogs need more interaction than cats but both much prefer regular meals in THEIR bowl without having to fight for it, comfy warm sofa to relax on, nice walks with THEIR human - even if that means few hours a day alone.

Your cat will be fine, do not stress xx

tamuril

I have two cats and have left them for 24 hours with plenty of food and water. On a normal working day I can be out of the house for up to 10 hours.They keep each other company and they have plenty of toys to keep them amused. Any longer though and I do tend to ask a neighbour to drop in or a cat sitter if they are available. I would only take them to a cattery in a dire emergency.

Peter333

GwylimT wrote: »

No, animals should not be left for long periods, the longest ours is left is four hours, in which case we put her in her room where she cannot get tangled in wires eg fairy lights and harm herself.

We have a pet sitter come in daily during the week to feed her and keep her company. If we went away for the night we would hire a live in sitter if a friend was unable to do this.

Not only will she be lonely, she would need four or five trays, otherwise she would be forced to use a very dirty tray.

What a bizzare post. And a very melodramatic response! You never leave your cats alone for more than 4 hours?!

Dogs are a bit needy and clingy and need people, and struggle with being left alone, but even THEY could go more than 4 hours without supervision! And as for cats?! No way do they need someone there within 4 hours! Most of the time, they don't even care if you're there! I mean, they sleep half their life!

As long as it's occasional (like no more than 2 or 3 times a year,) cats can EASILY be left for a couple of days at a push. Ours have a catflap (like most cats do,) and don't even use the litter. Even if they were indoors all the time, you could leave them from say the morning on the one day, to the afternoon or evening on the next.

GwylimT wrote: »

Everytime she uses it, you wouldn't flush a toilet once a day, so why should an animal be given a dirty toilet. We both work, we employ a pet sitter as otherwise we couldn't have animals as they would be alone too long.

Empty the litter everytime your cat uses it? WTH? :huh: WHY? Litter is made specifically to absorb wee, and the poo can be scooped out. No of COURSE we wouldn't use the loo with wee and poo in it, but then as I said, regarding the litter, the wee is absorbed and the poo is scooped out anyway. You do realise they're cats and not humans right? Should we even be feeding them cat food, or should we give them salad and chicken and fish and chips and whatever else we eat. :huh:

Also, my cats have never ever become 'entangled in anything...'

You are acting like your cats are small infants.

Oh, and how nice for you that you can afford a pet sitter, while you're at work

Can you see that nobody is agreeing with you? Does that not tell you that you MAY be in a VERRRRY small minority here?

Oh and to the OP. They will be FINE for a day! Don't worry. Just leave them plenty of dry food. We have left our cats for 2.5 days a couple of times. They were fine oddly enough!

fairy_lights

During the week my cat is left alone for up to 12 hours a day, every day. I don't think he even notices we're not there, as long as he's had his breakfast before we leave for work he's got a lot to keep him occupied - different things to sleep on, windows to stare menacingly out of, the garden to potter round in.
The longest he's ever been left alone was around 36 hours, when we've gone away for a weekend. He was happy to see us when we got back but not at all distressed by the experience.

HappyMJ

I've left the cat alone for a couple of nights in a row before with more than 2 days of food and water left down. Also had 2 litter trays as well which prevented the use of the floor as a tray. Cat's are usually fine on their own for some time. I would always leave her alone for 12 hours a day while I was out at work from 6.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday.

Deep_In_Debt

Both my cats were regularly left for nearly 15 hours a day due to my work and long commute. They were always fine and even when young, they slept most of the day. Mine are both old ladies now but even in their younger days they were fine being left.

I have a cat flap so they can go outside but due to laziness, they choose to use the trays! They like to go outside to drink manky water out of flower pots as well but it doesn't seem to affect them.

They always have plenty of food and water and have always spent most of their days sleeping so I don't have a problem with leaving them for 24 hours or more if I have to.

I just come home to a few smelly poos!

Feral_Moon

gettingready wrote: »

I really do not see a problem leaving cats alone for even 48 hours as long as it is not on regular basis, they have enough food/water and trays.

Nobody would be able to keep any animals if to follow the 4 hour rule, it is simply not realistic.

I have seen an interesting article today, unfortunately in Polish and long so can not link/translate but - it was to encourage working people to adopt shelter animals proving that even 10 hours per day alone is way better than 24/7 in a shelter for years. And I totally agree with it, Pity that most UK organisation flatly refuse to allow working people/people living in flats to adopt rescue dogs/cats - instead they mass PTS as no "suitable" homes can be found.

Dogs need more interaction than cats but both much prefer regular meals in THEIR bowl without having to fight for it, comfy warm sofa to relax on, nice walks with THEIR human - even if that means few hours a day alone.

Your cat will be fine, do not stress xx

I wholehearted agree with you here and I think UK rescues need to relax their re-homing protocols so they can actually match dogs/cats appropriately. Some cats & dogs actually thrive in an environment whereby owner is out working most of the day!

Not many, agreed, but some will thrive on the few hours a day they receive much love and affection from a dedicated owner. They'll NEVER receive that in a kennel environment. Strict rules = dead animals

TBagpuss

OP, I think your cat will be absolutely fine.

I have left mine overnight when necessar in the past and there have never nben any issues.

Onething I will do is leave a couple of extra water dishes and a couple of extra dishes with dry food - that way, thye won't get hungry or thirsty if they should happen to spill something, and it is more interesting for them as they get to find unexpected treats!

It's far less stressful than being taken to a strange place.
Depending on your cat, you may want to leave an extra litter tray so that she doesn't need to use an un-scooped one if she doesn't wish to, although unless she is very fastitious I'd expect one to be OK for 24 hours.

Enjoy your day, and give the cat some eextra attention when ou get home

gettingready

ANY cat/dog will be better off in a loving home than in a shelter.
And it is people that create loving homes, not ownership of a garden or "someone at home all day".

tea_lover

Exactly. Even when I am at home all day the cat ignores me anyway! He sleeps upstairs, then turns up when he's hungry - I might as well be at work :rotfl: