Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

How long would you leave your cat home alone?

60 replies

MidnightMeltdown · 09/05/2022 15:18

I'm wondering how long I can leave my cat home alone when I go holiday.

Would you leave your cat at home for a week? Or would you put them in a cattery?

I have a cat flap and my friend will pop in twice a day to provide food and water and clear up dead mice

OP posts:
helpfulperson · 09/05/2022 15:21

I'll happily leave mine for two weeks with my cat sitter coming in for half an hour in the morning and evening. They have free access to the outside duties day but are shut in at night.

AntarcticTern · 09/05/2022 15:21

Yes, if friend is popping in every day I would leave them for a week. Mine would hate going to a cattery!

Mungojerry69 · 09/05/2022 15:24

We leave ours for a week ..someone goes in to feed twice a day. She would hate a cattery.

DisplayPurposesOnly · 09/05/2022 15:25

Will your friend spend any time with your cat? And check he/she is OK?

My last cat would have found that very lonely. You know better than us how much human company your cat likes.

Asimhereanyway · 09/05/2022 15:32

No, I wouldn’t.

shocked that people think this is acceptable tbh.

gingercat02 · 09/05/2022 15:33

We have left ours for a long weekend with either my Mum or the cat sitter popping in. Any longer they go to the cattery mainly so we know they are safe. They would probably choose to stay at home 🤣🐱🐈

Toddlerteaplease · 09/05/2022 15:33

Mine are ok for 24 hours. But i wouldn't leave them longer

LauraNicolaides · 09/05/2022 15:37

We leave ours happily for two weeks with cat-flap access and someone dropping in. The only reason it's not longer is we don't go away longer Grin

I suspect they would be much more stressed by temporary relocation to a cattery away from all they know and surrounded by strange cats.

MrsTerryPratchett · 09/05/2022 15:40

Asimhereanyway · 09/05/2022 15:32

No, I wouldn’t.

shocked that people think this is acceptable tbh.

Depends on the cat, surely. We had one that barely tolerated us and was out of the house most of the time. When she wasn't she was in random places in the house waiting to attack idiot humans.

Then my other cat who thought she was a dog and followed you around. Slept with me and all that. I wouldn't have left her.

Clymene · 09/05/2022 15:42

I go away and leave my cat with a sitter coming in. She spends time with him as well as feeding him and he's always perfectly happy when we get home (pleased not to have the dog about I guess)

Cervinia · 09/05/2022 15:43

I don’t have a cat flap so I’ll leave them home for a couple of days inside with four litter trays and timed food bowls but any longer they go to the cattery. They’ve gone since being kittens so whilst they aren’t impressed they are used to it now and just get on with it. The cattery has outside space and is a farm so there’s horses and cows in the yard to watch.

Neverreturntoathread · 09/05/2022 15:50

If a friend is visiting twice a day then they aren’t alone and I’d be happy to do that for up to a month. Mine would hate a cattery.

If genuinely alone with just dry food on a timer then my max is 48 hrs.

Original poster
MidnightMeltdown · 09/05/2022 15:53

DisplayPurposesOnly · 09/05/2022 15:25

Will your friend spend any time with your cat? And check he/she is OK?

My last cat would have found that very lonely. You know better than us how much human company your cat likes.

If she got the chance, but my cats don't like strangers so tend to vanish whenever someone comes to the house.

However they like to spend time with people they know

OP posts:
Mumsnut · 09/05/2022 15:53

My neighbour goes away frequently for a long weekend and we feed hers. He also pops in for some fuss and chat when he's lonely.

ChaseTheSun · 09/05/2022 15:59

We have 2 cats and leave them for 10 days when we go on holiday. We have a cat sitter who comes in twice a day to feed them and give them some attention and they are quite happy. We leave the cat flap open so they come and go as the please and they much prefer it to the cattery that we used to take them to as one of the cats used to get very stressed by this.

Original poster
MidnightMeltdown · 09/05/2022 16:00

Thanks all for replies. You've reassured me.

I've left them for 4 nights before and they were ok (but very pleased to see me when I got back!). I was just a bit worried about leaving them for a whole week.

However, I agree with others that they would absolutely hate the cattery. Especially as they spend a lot of time outside this time of year, and our local cattery is indoor only.

I think I'll leave them at home this time, and consider the cattery if I go away for 2 weeks+

OP posts:
Original poster
MidnightMeltdown · 09/05/2022 16:02

I should have said, I have two cats so they will at least have each other for company.

OP posts:
Original poster
MidnightMeltdown · 09/05/2022 16:07

ChaseTheSun · 09/05/2022 15:59

We have 2 cats and leave them for 10 days when we go on holiday. We have a cat sitter who comes in twice a day to feed them and give them some attention and they are quite happy. We leave the cat flap open so they come and go as the please and they much prefer it to the cattery that we used to take them to as one of the cats used to get very stressed by this.

Yes when I was a kid we had a cat who refused to eat anything when he was at the cattery, as he was so upset. This is another thing that has put me off them.

OP posts:
Girliefriendlikespuppies · 09/05/2022 19:34

I'm going to leave our cat for two weeks this summer with a cat sitter coming in every other day.

She has a cat flap and would hate to go in a Cattery.

PurrBox · 09/05/2022 19:37

I think almost all cats much prefer being at home with a visiting sitter, even for 2 weeks. They don't like catteries.

waitingpatientlyforspring · 09/05/2022 20:03

We leave ours for a week with neighbours popping in at least twice a day. They often come in more than that to have a play with them (they are both huge cat lovers).

KittyMcKitty · 09/05/2022 20:06

I leave mine for 2 weeks with a neighbour coming in twice a day. I have sent her to a cattrry in the past but she hates them so much and would much rather stay at home. She has a cat flap and access to the whole house.

Fluffycloudland77 · 09/05/2022 20:20

We left the Bengal alone overnight to get married, he was NOT impressed. He went when Mil cat-sat. We put him in a cattery after that.

Theres nice catteries around, it’s not a kitty Guantanamo bay.

Fluffycloudland77 · 09/05/2022 20:21

Awol ffs

AwkwardPaws27 · 09/05/2022 20:26

Ours are much happier at home.
We have a catsitter who visits twice a day to feed, give medication, clean litter trays etc & care for our rabbits & guinea pigs.
Longest we've gone away for was 2.5 weeks, our petsitter at that time was a qualified veterinary nurse which did help reassure me. She no longer does it unfortunately, but our current sitters are a lovely local couple who've been doing it for a few years. I book them through Cat In A Flat as then we are both covered by their insurance.

Swipe left for the next trending thread