Family emergency = guilt for leaving cat at home

[MadCatEnthusiast]

I've got a family emergency which means I've been left with no choice to go abroad for a month from Friday morning onwards. Could be 2-3 weeks but more like 4.

I've never left my cat for longer than 14 days but even then she was with someone at home. Now, no one will be home. But I will still be worrying! But please look at my plan and reassure me that I'm not because my mother thinks I'm being a bit much .

I've stocked up on food, litter, and laid out all my scenty clothes on my bed so she feels comforted? She meows a bit at night when no one's up so.. I want her to know she's not been left.

I've made sure that my cousin, who is a cat owner, visits every other day to clean the home, bowls and litter tray and top them up if necessary and check on her if she's alright.

My step dad will feed her in the early hours of the morning when he comes home from his night shift in weekends, will feed her in the morning before doing the school run and in the evening once he finishes his school run job in the weekdays.

Two of my aunties will come in and top up anything in the midday/evening if said step dad is running late.

It sounds good on paper because I've made them repeatedly promise me that they will check on my cat. I might even call and grill themcheck if they've done so everyday at every point of the day

I think it's me feeling a bit guilty and nervous about leaving.

Are you keeping her indoors whilst you are away?

I wouldn’t want her let out as she might think you are not coming back.

I have 5 cats and we have a system when we go away that they are in one section of the house which because of the house design it is easily locked off from the front door and hall area.
We pay someone to come in daily and feed them and ask that she makes sure they are all in the correct section before she closes the door between the sections and leaves so when she returns she doesn’t have a bunch of cats running out the front door.

I think you’ve set up a really good team for your kitty and she’ll be ok. Cats cope much better at home, than they do in a strange environment, such as a cattery or different house. I hope your emergency is not as bad as you expect and things work out for you. Don’t worry too much about kitty, she’ll be fine.

@Oliversmumsarmy , thankfully she's an indoor cat but I'm definitely making sure everyone lock windows/supervise her, if they need to air out the room, to avoid her getting ideas to jump out of the window and chase flies if the weather gets nicer whilst I'm gone. Thank goodness she's not a fan of going out from the front door too.

Thanks, @S1naidSucks, I think she'll be fine too. It's just the rush of it all. I know she wouldn't like a cattery and it's better to have people she knows as they've all visited her before and knows their scent. Hopefully my trip won't take as long as expected!

I would make sure people know to secure the windows after opening.

One of mine was watching as I closed a window (slightly dodgy lock). Knew he was watching my every move

We went away for a few days and got someone to come round to feed them.

2nd day they rang to say they had all gone.

The window was open and apart from my the 20 year old girl who wasn’t able to jump up the others had jumped out of the window.

I had to come back to get them in.

Managed to retrieve all bar one who spent the next 2 weeks evading us. Kept seeing him over walls and in other peoples gardens.

Eventually he appeared flanked by his 2 mates as they jumped over our garden wall

You've managed to line up 4 people. Sounds like a pretty secure back up system to me.
Kitty may be pretty miffed with you when you get back, but it sounds like she will be fine.

I hope you manage yo sort things abroad

From what they’ve told me, she’s, so far, so good.

I’m currently in Kenya and there is this approx 3-4 month stray long haired kitten who keeps meowing for food and sitting by us in the house. I would love to take him/her to the vet if I could afford it and they were healthy 😭