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#11
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Cats Home Alone
My thanks to Karen D. for responding with a bit less emotionalism than
the other folks who entered this discussion about "leaving cats home alone" while on vacation. I would like to hear from some other cat people who have successfully done this without any problems --- to balance out this discussion. I plan on leaving 6 clean litter boxes in my basement on the day that I leave for a week in Ireland! Figure that my 2 feline girls will have plenty of choices there. Normally I clean their boxes every other day. Knowing cats, they'll use all the different boxes and things won't get too filthy. The fresh water issue ... well they will have many bowls of water set out so they won't go thirsty. Hey, I'd drink it. The bottled water that I drink all the time isn't what I would call "fresh" either. Did you ever think of that? Perhaps cats would prefer aerated water but when you are thirsty you will drink what you've got. About stress - STRESS for my cats is traveling in the car, going to the vet, STAYING at the vet clinic, strangers in the house. Stress from boredom is the least of my concerns for them -- they might scratch up the carpet when I am gone (oh yeah, that's happened when I'm at work!). I intend to "cat-proof" my house before leaving = remove all house plants, plastic bags (which one cat likes to chew), un-plug electrical cords. Am leaving a couple of empty cardborad boxes and a paper bag or two (for playground equiptment) in addition to all their cat toys. My perception of this is that being left comfortably at home for one week is much less stress than being boarded in a kennel or at a veterinary clinic in a cage. If I return home and discover that somebody pee-ed in the wrong place because she was bored --- well, I'll just clean it up! By the way, these feline girls have been home alone for 4 days at a time previous to this without any problems at all. We were all just glad to see each other when I returned - no hostile cat feelings involved (they really aren't like people). - Nancy |
#12
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Cats Home Alone
Nancy Prentice wrote:
Am considering leaving my 2 indoor cats at home alone while I go on a 7 day vacation. Nobody available to do the pet-sitter thing. If they have the run of the house, plenty of food and water, extra litter boxes, toys, and each other -- do you think that this is a feasable plan? I don't see any problem other than the fact that they will be a bit "anti-social" for a day or two once I return. Cats seem to get over it much easier than people! When you say no one is available, I take it you mean neighbors, friends, acquaintances, family, etc? Look in the Yellow Pages for a professional pet sitter, or bette ryet, ask your vet's office if they have a list of recommended professional pet sitters (perhaps ones they use themselves, when out of town). Not only will the cats be taken care off - fresh food & water, litter scooped, cats played with, etc., but a pet sitter will take in the mail, water any plants, & so on. Cathy |
#13
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Cats Home Alone
Possibly just give them, to your local Humane Soceity. If they were my 2
cars I woud worry about them already getting on the plane. The Humane Soceity should pretty much tell you what you are doing the inhumane thing anyway. You have no one- or too cheap to hire? Teenager in school- anyone!!! "Nancy Prentice" wrote in message ... Am considering leaving my 2 indoor cats at home alone while I go on a 7 day vacation. Nobody available to do the pet-sitter thing. If they have the run of the house, plenty of food and water, extra litter boxes, toys, and each other -- do you think that this is a feasable plan? I don't see any problem other than the fact that they will be a bit "anti-social" for a day or two once I return. Cats seem to get over it much easier than people! |
#14
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Cats Home Alone
abby8226 wrote:
Possibly just give them, to your local Humane Soceity. Oh, please. If they were my 2 cars I woud worry about them already getting on the plane. The Humane Soceity should pretty much tell you what you are doing the inhumane thing anyway. You have no one- or too cheap to hire? Teenager in school- anyone!!! Today I was gone for several hours! I went out and played music with my two-legged friends, then ran some errands. When I got home the furry friends were glad to see me, and me them, but... ....pets are a part of our lives, not the entire sum of our beings. HTH --Karen D. |
#15
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Cats Home Alone
Thanks Karen for your rational comments about our pets.
It might surprise the hysterics who are sure that I am a torturer of animals to know --- that I have had several healthy, happy feline friends over the past 35 years who have lived contendedly as indoor cats while I (a single womin) have worked full time. Small towns like mine don't have professional pet sitters available to hire - that seems to be more of a big city phenomenon. I would really be worried if I left home without using the security alarm system - just so some acquaintance could peak-in on my cats once or twice. I think that both of my cats would probably hide if a stranger came inside the house unexpectedly. - Nancy |
#16
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Cats Home Alone
Nancy Prentice wrote: Am considering leaving my 2 indoor cats at home alone while I go on a 7 day vacation. Nobody available to do the pet-sitter thing. I would not do it. Any number of emergencies could come up. Fire, storms, broken washing machine hose, that kind of thing . But also health emergencies. A blocked urinary tract, a wound that gets infected, a lot of things. You may not find professional pet sitters by looking in the yellow pages but check at your vet or look at the bulletin board at the pet store.There are knowledgeable animal lovers who take on the occasional job. |
#17
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Cats Home Alone
just read this post about leaving 2 cats for 7 days....
here's my 1st response to this post..... WHAT THE !!!!! am i more shocked and/or disgusted about what kind of animal owner would even question the idea, LET ALONE POST IT! I MEAN C'MON... common sense should tell you NO! (as i'm still in awe that a person would even post this question, can only lead me to believe they are lacking common sense totally) or is it the other post by this person replying to all the replys from everyone where she commented about NOT seeing any good reasons so far for not leaving them alone (again... WTF? do you know how to read? good grief! if not, the amount of people who replied to your post alone should be some type of warning sign to not leave them ESPECIALLY when all the replys were against your idea) at 1st i considered perhaps you might be new to cats (or any animal) and honestly didn't know any better... but when you blatantly reply to everyone that you aren't seeing ENOUGH GOOD REASONS to NOT leave them alone.... (HELLO ALL THE REPLIES WERE AGAINST THE IDEA) i just figured that you are totally ignorant!!!! you should really read up about your animals and gain some very useful knowledge of your pets.... perhaps you'll have the time to read during your vacation, meanwhile your cats will be at the least of things that will and could happen STRESSING out about you abandoning them im stressed just reading your post "Nancy Prentice" wrote in message ... Am considering leaving my 2 indoor cats at home alone while I go on a 7 day vacation. Nobody available to do the pet-sitter thing. If they have the run of the house, plenty of food and water, extra litter boxes, toys, and each other -- do you think that this is a feasable plan? I don't see any problem other than the fact that they will be a bit "anti-social" for a day or two once I return. Cats seem to get over it much easier than people! |
#18
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Cats Home Alone
Do cats really think and feel like humans? I don't think so. I also do
not think that they calculate time in the manner that we humans do. This is said with all due respect for felines -- I don't see my cats as little mini-people. They are more resilient in many ways and I admire them for that connection with their wildish ancestors. Am especially interested in the strong emotions expressed by those of you who are adamant about stressed out cats, left at home (inside their familiar house/territory) for a week (with adequate food and water). I suspect that the abandonment issues which you mention are coming from your own personal fears - seriously. Have you considered that? Have you ever heard of the term "anthropomorphizing"? I want you to get rational here ... think about all the people who turn their cats loose outside every day/night, to roam where they please, encountering who knows what? THAT is what I call subjecting your pet to potential serious distress. Think about all the cats that are left outside in cold, nasty weather etc. - that seems distressful to me. Being a little bored for a week in a familiar, safe, comfortable environment is not a big deal in my estimation. Am encouraging some positive comments from people who have successfully left cats at home alone while away on vacation. Would like to hear about your strategy concerning food, water etc. -- Nancy |
#19
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Cats Home Alone
you who are adamant about stressed out cats, left at home (inside their
familiar house/territory) for a week (with adequate food and water). I suspect that the abandonment issues which you mention are coming from your own personal fears - seriously. Have you considered that? Have you ever heard of the term "anthropomorphizing"? Am encouraging some positive comments from people who have successfully left cats at home alone while away on vacation. Would like to hear about your strategy concerning food, water etc. You've had many people give you several excellent reasons why it is not a good idea to leave them alone for 7 days, but you choose not to listen to anyone. Only ONE person thought it would be okay and she said she left her cats alone for several HOURS at times, not DAYS. Then you come back on and call us "hysterics"; pretty insulting to call people names who are taking time out of thier day to help you with your question. So why in the world do you say you're still interested in hearing from people who have left their cats alone for a week or more, obviously if you haven't had a positive reply in 3 weeks since you originally posted, then not many people on here have done it. Unlike you, most of us would be worried to leave them alone for that long. -- Message posted via CatKB.com http://www.catkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/cats/200605/1 |
#20
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Cats Home Alone
Anna via CatKB.com wrote:
You've had many people give you several excellent reasons why it is not a good idea to leave them alone for 7 days, but you choose not to listen to anyone. Only ONE person thought it would be okay and she said she left her cats alone for several HOURS at times, not DAYS. ... Actually, when I wrote: "I run off and leave the kids regularly due to the demands of gainful employment..." I did not add "for several days at a time," which is the case. Longest work-related trip was ten days. They (one existing, one former) were very happy to see me, as they'd managed to drop a play ball into the water dish and couldn't get it out. More recently I took a ten-day trip (driving) and took the newer kitty with me, where we learned about camping, thunderstorms, car travel, what fun it is to look out the window (longhorns! bats! we went to Texas), mom's relatives, doggy cousins, and more. The older kitty stayed home, and I had a friend drop in to play "Spot," the laser pointer. My human friend is a dear and I love her to pieces, but she decided that the animal running to greet her was starving. So older kitty blew up like a balloon and was hugely fat when we wanderers got back. Same thing happened on my first 4-day trip last fall; although both of them were home this time, they got bored and ate all the food. I left two cats who were reasonably-sized, and returned to two fat cats. I don't see a solution other than getting a roommate or other human family member. (The kids often follow me around, scream at me through the window if I dare go outside and sit on the porch or collect the mail or take my bike out. Become a recluse for the sake of the cats, yeah right.) For that matter, I live alone, not many people know my street address, and there's no one who sees/hears from me every day. I could be dead on the bathroom floor for weeks. But my cats would be happy! HTH --Karen D. |
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