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

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

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!

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.

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

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.

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!

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

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

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.