luck are , you do n’t guess double when you bequeath your cat home alone due to a recollective workday or even an drawn-out weekend holiday . Book a pet sitter , will them pile of food and water , and you ’re good to go .
While cats may be more equipped than their canine counterparts to handle a longsighted stretch of alone time , it ’s important not to overestimate their coping skills . Cats are social fauna , and they note when you ’re gone .
So , how long can you provide a khat alone and what does yours need while you ’re away ? Read on for everything you need to know about leaving CT alone , include ten thingsnotto do before you go and what to do instead to prepare your computerized axial tomography up for success .
Do Cats Get Lonely?
“ Yes . Cats can and often do get lonely when their guardian are go for varying lengths of meter , ” pronounce Dr. Marci L. Koski , certify feline behavior consultant and founder ofFeline Behavior Solutions . “ Cats are n’t nearly as sovereign as people have historically thought them to be . ”
In fact , inquiry shows thatcats bond to their owners . They feel safer and more secure when their pet parent are around , and may even experience tenseness and detachment - related anxiety when you ’re gone ( 1 ) .
While a lonesome guy can be unmanageable to name , severe desolation or cat separation anxiety could cause house soiling or other behavior changes in reaction to stress , saysDr . Heather Graddy , a relief veterinarian and cat behavior consultant in Englewood , Colorado .
Boredom can be another job for CAT , and kitten are specially prone to it . With nothing to do and no company all day , a blase cat might just find her own ways to nurse herself , from bat a roll of toilet newspaper to destroying your houseplants ( 2 ) .
to keep your cat out of trouble and free ofanxiety , it ’s key to screw just how long is too foresightful when it come to go out cats alone .
How Long Can You Leave a Cat Alone?
Every Arabian tea is alone , but most healthy adult cats are fine to be left alone for the average eight - hour workday , says Koski . However , if you ’re regularly get for 10 to 12 hours a day and do n’t have much fourth dimension to drop with your cat when you are home , your cat may need subsidiary care .
When travel , verify that someone can check up on your cat every twenty-four hour period to refill intellectual nourishment and urine , maintain their litter box , and allow for them with some sure - to - be welcome aid . Koski urge hiring a professional pet sitter if possible , since they ’re typically more responsible and prepared in the case of an emergency .
Before you leave , make certain all of your base are covered and avoid some of the most rough-cut mistakes favored parent make when they provide their cats home alone .
What Not to Do When Leaving Your Cat Alone
When you ’re leaving cats alone at home , you require to ensure they ’re comfortable and at ease . Sometimes , though , your go - to checklist before a trip can really congeal your cat up for increased stress and anxiousness .
On this note , here are ten thing to stave off doing when leave behind your cat home alone and what to do instead .
Don’t Neglect to Arrange a Pet Sitter
You might be tempt to let your cat “ unsmooth it ” because it ’s only a weekend stumble or she seems just hunky-dory when you descend home late from piece of work . But for your peace of head and your cat ’s well - being , you should hire a pet sitter .
If you regularly do work 10 - 12 60 minutes days or you ’re headed out for a vacation , find a professional best-loved sitter who seems trustworthy and can furnish references , suggests Koski . It never smart to have a back - up preferent babysitter just in example your veritable pet sitter is booked up , too .
Another option : Ask around in your neighborhood for a reliable pet sitter or rally favors with a acquaintance who ’s also a pet parent , says Graddy .
Don’t Forget to Clean the Litter Box
It ’s simple : No one require to use a dirty toilet , says Graddy . When you ’re gone , the last thing astressed catneeds is a dirty litter box , as it can be yet another cause of anxiousness .
The hole : Make trusted to clean your cat ’s litter box before you leave , and instruct your pet babysitter to trump the box day by day . If that ’s not potential or you ’re often gone for an drawn-out geological period of time , mark up an extra box or two around the house , suggests Graddy .
Don’t Put the Toys Away
It ’s tempting to put everything away before you leave your Caterpillar alone because it ’s nice to return to a clean house . But your cat needs opportunities for enrichment while you ’re gone — a bored cat will regain her own reference of amusement if need be .
What to do : Leave out a few toy that you hump will excite your cat-o'-nine-tails and grade them in area they visit throughout the day . you may also teach your pet sitter to have interactional play sessions with your cats while you ’re gone to ensure they get some exercise , says Koski .
Just do n’t leave out baton toy with strings while your hombre are n’t being supervised , as they could be a choking hazard or get tangled around your cat .
Don’t Close Your Shades
It ’s another common before - you - go task . After all , closing your shade can keep your energy card down and keep outsiders from look in .
Why you might not want to do that : “ For many big cat , a window perch can be an eternal source of entertainment , ” says Graddy . If your cat loves taking in birds and squirrels outside or basking in the sunlight , exit a few of your shades loose for her benefit .
Don’t Turn the AC or Heat Way Down
It ’s another cost - efficacious choice if you ’re going to be decease for a retentive clock time , but it could also be a severe move . Cats may be susceptible to heat stroke or other complicatedness if they have pre - existent wellness condition , explain Koski .
While it ’s fine to will the household a few degrees fond or cooler than usual , indoor bozo are accustomed to mood control , so aim to keep the temperature of your dwelling house in a comfy mountain chain , say Graddy .
Don’t Turn Off the TV or Radio
Some cats enjoy see television , and others may find consolation in listening to relaxing classical music or talking radio while you ’re gone , enounce Graddy .
For an easily accentuate bozo , some amusement — albeit , at a somewhat low mass — may help keep their anxiousness down until you return or a pet sitter checks in .
Don’t Leave Food in One Big Pile
Of naturally , you need your khat to have admittance to plenty of nutritious solid food while you ’re gone . But if you pile a weekend ’s worth of intellectual nourishment into your quat ’s bowl , she may overeat and become sick or run for out of food on the final day of your trip , say Graddy .
Instead , have your pet baby-sitter bung her allot to her unconstipated docket and distribute snacks in multiple nutrient toy and hiding places . A “ treasure hunt club ” of sorts willkeep your cat busyand ensure that she does n’t exaggerate it in one sitting , either .
Don’t Change Your Cat’s Routine
Just as you love your morning loving cup of joe and tiffin jailbreak , computerized axial tomography thrive on predictability and routine . If your computed tomography be given to be unquiet , attempt to detect a preferred artist’s model who can stick to to her normal function as much as possible , says Graddy .
For example , if your cat is feed three fourth dimension a day , verify that still happens . Here , an automatic feeder can be helpful , but you still want to ensure that your pet artist’s model is coming in to check on your qat , play with them , and clean the bedding material box accord to a set schedule every solar day , say Koski .
Don’t Board a Cat Who Is Better Off With In-Home Care
Keep in head : Sometimes , boarding your cat in a dog house is the best selection , peculiarly if she has a aesculapian stipulation that require veritable medicine or monitoring . If you ’re give-up the ghost to be gone for an elongated full stop of time , you might also reckon a Arabian tea hotel with a large rooms and scheduled play time in monastic order to ensure that your cat is getting the societal interaction she call for throughout the day , says Koski .
That say , most cats are understandably happier and more comfortable in their own place , hem in by conversant scents , toys , and hangout spots . Ultimately , whether or not you board your cat or keep her at home is a personal decision . Make certain to weigh your cat ’s social and physical want and the duration of your clock time aside before you engage a pet Willem de Sitter or room your cat , suggests Koski .
Don’t Panic
A stressed Arabian tea is no fun , but neither is a distressed favorite parent . Remember : Your Arabian tea will probably be just fine while you ’re move , and leave behind her with an enriching environs and professional pet sitter or boarder is a great way of life to make trusted she ’s in good hand while you ’re aside .
