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Original poster

Leaving cats alone for 36 hours?

141 replies

grannysmiff · 25/10/2017 19:52

Would you feel comfortable leaving cats alone in the house with lots of food and water around, leaving at say 10am one day and returning at tea time the next?

OP posts:
reetgood · 25/10/2017 21:53

Hahaha @whooo your cat sounds amazing. I was just coming on here to say I’d fret about leaving our needy rescue Cat for 36 hours... quite a contrast to Cat Bastard. I keep rereading the paragraph about his jaunt to Stanmore park and laughing again...

MrsJayy · 25/10/2017 21:59

Little slippercat sounds a handful Grin

Jonsnowsghost · 25/10/2017 22:16

Oh, also -- a healthy, non-overweight cat can survive a WEEK without water or food with no ill effects, so "what if the water dish overturns" is very OTT for a 36 hour absence

This is wrong, cats can develop fatty liver disease as soon as 24 hours without food (especially if obese) which can be fatal if left untreated. This is why advice for cats when they are sick is to give plain chicken or fish rather than fast them for 24 hours like you would a dog. Some cats may seem fine after being shut in somewhere for a few days but I would never risk it!
I personally wouldn't leave my cat for 36 hours but if you leave enough food/water around they should be fine.

LolaTheDarkerdestroyer · 25/10/2017 22:21

It’s fine why? Do you think the cat would do a dirty protest because you’ve fucked off for s couple of days? Cats are independent she will survive!

Toddlerteaplease · 25/10/2017 22:23

I’ve done it. My cats are unbelievably well behaved and I leave loads of food out as I know they won’t gorge it, and extra water. They are indoor cats so not bothered about going out. I wouldn’t leave them any longer without someone popping in to see them.

C0untDucku1a · 25/10/2017 22:24

I never put my two in catteries. We have a sureflap so they have access to the outside world at their desire. No other cats can come in.

If we have gone away for one night we leave food and water down. Theyre fine.

If we go away for longer we have cat sitters come round once a day, add food, and stroke them and talk to and play with them for a while.

When we get back one of the cats will be pissed off with us, but thats no different to any other day Grin .

Toddlerteaplease · 25/10/2017 22:25

I had a camera connected to my phone as well.

EvilRinguBitch · 25/10/2017 22:26

I’d happily leave mine from 8am one day to 8pm the next - we only normally feed them once a day so they’d just have a slightly longer than usual gap. Leave an extra couple of water bowls just in case they pollute/overturn one and make sure all the relevant doors are wedged open or shut as applicable.

thegreylady · 25/10/2017 22:27

I leave mine for up to a week. They live indoors and my neighbour comes in twice a day to feed and do litter trays. I wouldn’t leave longer than 24 hours without anyone though.

skunkrat · 25/10/2017 22:27

Leave dcat for 2 day stretches periodically- plenty of food and a cat flap though

LadyDeLaFuente · 25/10/2017 22:28

They'll be fine! I've left my indoor cat for up to 2 nights when no-one was able to pop in and he was a bit lonely but absolutely fine.

Actually, my mum left her 2 outdoor cats for 10 days with a brand new food timer thingy and when she got home she realised it hadn't worked and had an error message!!! They must have lived off birds and I seem to remember they managed to knock the lid off and get some of the food out out of the top. Something to keep in mind though... Confused

BertrandRussell · 25/10/2017 22:29

"There'll be poo everywhere and your house could get trashed. They could spill the water within 5 minutes of you leaving them and eat all the food"
We're talking about cats, not teenagers!

VivaLeBeaver · 25/10/2017 22:30

Done it several times. Always been fine apart from the time one was shut in my wardrobe for a weekend! I can vouch that cats can survive for 48 hours with no water, however there was an inordinate amount of cat shit everywhere!

VivaLeBeaver · 25/10/2017 22:30

I must add I didn't intentionally shut her in the wardrobe!

Ollivander84 · 25/10/2017 22:30

Depends on the cat I guess. I wouldn't leave mine overnight because he would be frantic looking for me. But then he's not the most normal cat, and the complete opposite of Cat Bastard Grin
Basically he wants to be hugged to your side like a baby 24/7, lick your nose, blink adoringly at you and be bear hugged. I accidentally threw the duvet on him today and whacked him with my arm and he just sat there blinking at me "lub yoooooo human" Hmm

Toddlerteaplease · 25/10/2017 22:33

Olivander, I have a friend who carries her Cat round in a baby sling. I bet Ollie would adore that!

WhooooAmI24601 · 25/10/2017 22:36

I want a Cat Baby, Ollivander! I demand a refund on the defective Cat Bastard immediately!

Cary2012 · 25/10/2017 22:37

I've lost count of the number of cats who have owned me over the years.

I would certainly do this. Except I wouldn't leave the tortie. She has special powers.

ethelfleda · 25/10/2017 22:38

Ollivander your cat sounds similar to my girl. She can't see very well so climbing the stairs is a bit of an effort but she still does to follow me up... then sits outside the bathroom waiting for me to finish my bath so she can follow me back down again! She has a thing for climbing on to your chest and burying her head in to your neck. Soft as shit she is!

catbas · 25/10/2017 22:39

Personally I would have someone coming in for a little bit to check on them / spend some time with them if they were In but I am clearly in the minority

steppemum · 25/10/2017 22:40

No. There'll be poo everywhere and your house could get trashed

what a strange comment.

My cat has never pooed all over the place, or trashed the house!

yes, I often leave him for 24-36 hours.

Ollivander84 · 25/10/2017 22:40

Cat baby

Leaving cats alone for 36 hours?
Ellendegeneres · 25/10/2017 22:52

I actually left bathroom tap dripping when I left for a couple of nights, it was considered a treat of the highest form!
Two nights was the max for me though. More than that and someone would go in. Poor kitty hated anyone besides me so would invariably refuse to come back because my soft beautiful fluffball would rip them to shreds

feral · 25/10/2017 22:57

Yes I’ve left my 2 overnight say 8am to following evening 8pm ish and they were fine, although one sulked!

Any longer and someone comes in to feed them.

NobodyKnowsTiddlyPom · 25/10/2017 22:58

We regularly leave our cat for 2-4 nights alone with no other outside interventions. She only eats dry food for some reason and we leave a massive bowl of it, plus a giant bowl of water. She's never managed to get through either yet. She has a catflap and so is free to roam (and go to the loo).

When we go on holiday, we get someone (neighbour or my mum) to come in and say hello to her, top up food and water for her and the chickens, and to do a cursory sweep of the house for half-eaten rodents.

Our cat hates catteries and is much more content to be at home, even if there's no-one to say hello to her for a few days at a time.

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