Macaulay Culkin made being home alone famous for kids everywhere, but what about the cat that’s left home alone? Is it safe? What things should you plan for if you want to leave your cat home alone for a few days? Read on to find out!
What and how to feed?
Many cats are dry food addicts. While you may be tempted to fill up a bowl with kibble and take off for the weekend, consider an alternative approach. Many cats will gorge themselves on dry food when left to their own devices, but canned food isn’t a great choice either, since it tends to go bad quickly when left out.
First of all, let’s just agree that three days is the maximum amount of time you should leave your cat alone with no human interaction. If you’re going to be gone any longer than that, hire a pet sitter to come by and feed and interact with your beloved at least every other day.
Automatic feeders are useful when you need to feed a cat reliably over several days. Consider investing in a quality model, and be sure to give it a test run for at least a week before you leave, to ensure that it opens and offers food as you expect it should, based on the way you’ve set it.
Water, water, everywhere
Cats tend to drink very conservative amounts of water. Especially if you feed a completely dry diet while you’re gone, you can count on your cat drinking more in your absence. So be sure and leave plenty of fresh water out in easily accessible locations
Up your litter box game
Since you’re not going to be around to clean the litter box, it stands to reason that your cat will likely need one or two additional boxes to use in your absence. This is especially true is your cat is known to be picky about how clean the litter box is kept. Add an additional box to ensure that you don’t come home to a mess, especially since bad litter box habits are easily developed but hard to break.
Keep a friend up-to-date
I had an elderly client once who owned two beautiful Siamese cats. He became suddenly and seriously ill, and spent many days in a coma. The EMT’s took him to the hospital, and presumably his cats hid during the noisy and stressful event, so no one knew they were there for several weeks, until my client regained his senses and asked about them. At that point, both cats had been without food and water for nearly 2 weeks.
When you’re traveling, anything can happen, so make sure that you tell a friend or family member that your cat is at home alone. That way, if something happens that results in your being detained from returning, they can step in and make sure your cat is cared for.
Cat boredom: the struggle is real
We’re starting to understand more and more about what causes many of the behavioral problems we routinely deal with in our feline friends. One of the reasons that cats are so popular as pets is the perception that they don’t need much in the way of interaction; however this is untrue for many of them, especially the young ones.
Cats need regular play and interaction with their owners, in the form of brushing or snuggling, and they’ll be missing that interaction while you’re gone. So make sure there are plenty of ways for him to keep himself entertained in your absence. Regular cat toys, especially those loaded with catnip, if your cat likes catnip, are a great choice. If you want to go really high-tech, consider something like the PetCube, which allows you to play laser pointer games with your cat while you’re away.
Consider the world from a cat’s eye view
One of my professors in veterinary school was the world-renowned animal behaviorist, Dr. Temple Grandin. One of the many things she is famous for is redesigning the way animal slaughter facilities are designed, and her work was fueled by her ability to consider these facilities from the same level that a cow or pig would – almost seeing things through their eyes.
Dr. Grandin’s research may not seem applicable to housecats on the surface, but it’s relatable, because considering your cat’s world is important to keeping him safe and happy while you’re gone. Walk through the areas your cat will have access to while you’re away. Consider what hazardous items might be easily accessible by your cat (plants, the cords to Venetian blinds, additional food stores), as well as those items that your cat might want access to but can’t reach without assistance (window viewing perches, water and food bowls, litter boxes that are kept behind closed doors).