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The litter tray

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

Original poster

For how many hours do you leave your cat home alone?

77 replies

Clara9283 · 01/07/2023 13:05

A bit of background, I had a cat for more than 10 years, she was a very affectionate cat and loved to cuddle, but also was entirely ok on her own for some hours. That was more than 10 years ago and I consider getting a cat again. The first rescue I checked asked me whether the cat would be alone at home for 4 hours or more at any point at all...apparently this is one of their vetting criterias before they consider me to adapt any of their cats.

I wouldn't leave my cat on her own over night and I wouldn't adopt a cat if I was regularly out all day (I'm not, I WFH full time), but I probably wouldn't have thought twice about going out for an afternoon and leaving my cat at home for a few hours.

I'm happy to be told that I am wrong, it's been some time since I had a cat so I rather do some research and see what is considered the best thing to do now before getting a cat again. I wouldn't get one if I can't give it a good life.
How many hours on its own - occasionally, not regularly - would you consider ok for a cat?

OP posts:
Toddlerteaplease · 01/07/2023 13:51

I work 13 hour shifts. They are fine. They don't care if there or not. As I discovered during covid when I was at home more. They are Persians though. So pretty undynamic'

longwayoff · 01/07/2023 13:58

If cat has food, water, litter tray and somewhere snug to doze he or she wont care or notice.if you're there or not. They are solitary animals.

HopelessEstateAgents · 01/07/2023 14:20

Two weeks.

Fiddlerdragon · 01/07/2023 14:22

Fallenangelofthenorth · 01/07/2023 13:24

I've left my cat for weeks alone! Just get a neighbour to call round and feed him/change litter if he's used it, which is rare. He's feral really, spent his first 4 years on the streets so I really don't think he cares where I am as long as he's fed and has a comfortable place to sleep.

Was going to say the same. Longest for me was 16 days, had a cat flap and a neighbour check on I’m twice a day.

KnittedCardi · 01/07/2023 14:25

Bonkers question. These rescues are a breed apart. Most cats are left daily. Many cats are left for weeks with a neighbour popping in to feed. One of our cats was left for the entire summer, just with the company of the next door neighbour. They kept each happy, the human was a retired gentleman, and Claude was an old man in his dotage. They spent many happy hours in the garden together.

Tiredmum100 · 01/07/2023 14:27

I have 3 cats, we leave them alone Monday- Friday, 08.20-15.30. They can access water, food and have a cat flap. I don't think they muss us much as they have each other for company, plus we watch back our outdoor cameras and they seem bust entertaining themselves during the day. One of the cats loves the kids trampoline 🤣

MirandaWest · 01/07/2023 14:28

Both DH and I work from home so during the week DCat is unlikely to be on her own much (and she will quite often come and be with us) but if we go out for the day we don't think twice about leaving her for all the time we're out.

HuntingoftheSnark · 01/07/2023 14:29

One of the reasons I have always had a cat and never a dog is that I can leave a cat all day while I'm at work. Current cat is 18 and has always been happy with being left as long as she has food, water, litter tray. Very strange question!

AnnaMagnani · 01/07/2023 14:36

I used to chuck the cats out of door in all weathers when I went to work, and get them in when I got home, however late that was.

Now DH is at home all day the current cats are spoilt. Although one regularly goes and checks out if he'd getter a better deal in a new address.

dancemom · 01/07/2023 14:51

2 house cats, left for 6 hours max twice a week and never overnight. I leave them food and water, they are happy to see me when I get home if they are awake but usually they are snoozing in beds and don't even notice

JoanOgden · 01/07/2023 16:40

My cat is very affectionate and I get catsitters to stay if I'm away more than one night as I think she would get lonely by herself.

But I still go into the office twice a week, am regularly out in the evenings (I told the rescue this when I applied to adopt) and once a week or so I'm out for 12 hours or more. My cat would probably prefer me not to do this, but she is absolutely fine and lives a very happy life as far as I can tell.

Floralnomad · 01/07/2023 16:49

longwayoff · 01/07/2023 13:58

If cat has food, water, litter tray and somewhere snug to doze he or she wont care or notice.if you're there or not. They are solitary animals.

This is not true of all cats . Our son has Siamese and they love people and company , always come to see who is coming in the door from wherever they are in the house / catio .

amylou8 · 01/07/2023 17:03

Mine get left every weekend. A neighbour pops in an feeds them. They look proper peed off that their peace is shattered when I get home. I've never heard anything so ridiculous as not leaving a cat for more than 4 hours.

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 01/07/2023 17:05

I'm going away next week mon-Fri and the neighbour is popping in to feed and say hello to my cat.

The whole point of having a cat rather than a dog is that they are more self sufficient and independent 🤷‍♀️

The rescue sounds nuts, I would smile and nod whilst quietly thinking 'don't be so ridiculous'

ArcticBells · 01/07/2023 17:17

This is why I bought kittens. Rescue centres didn't approve of me leaving a cat on its own while I work full time. No wonder these rescue places are so full

BungalowBuyer · 01/07/2023 17:52

I've left mine overnight with plenty of food and water down.

ColdHandsHotHead · 01/07/2023 18:02

I was turned down by a very famous rescue centre and I’m convinced it was because I was out from 7.30 to 18.30 five days a week. Ridiculous because cats sleep all day anyway. They are crepuscular!

Icequeen01 · 01/07/2023 18:09

My 3 cats (2 from a rescue centre) are treated like the new messiah in our house. However, DH and I both work full time in schools so they are left all day. They have a cat flap and come and go as they please,which in this lovely weather means they are mostly outside only returning to eat.

We are going away soon and leaving them with my neighbour popping in twice a day to feed them. They are best friends with her cat so will no doubt go over to the neighbour's house if they feel lonely. I must confess to being a little anxious about this as my DS would normally be at home to feed them but he's coming with us this year and my DM who lives next door also used to feed them if DS wasn't around but she's elderly and frail now so has to go and stay with my sister while I am away. This will be the first year they don't have a member of the family around so I am feeling a bit guilty.

bellac11 · 01/07/2023 18:11

We leave ours when we go on holidays, just leave dry food and water out for them.

Caspianberg · 01/07/2023 18:13

More than 4 hours? All the time.

Today we have been home all day and I haven’t seen either cat, bar in the distance one walked along fence at the bottom of garden. They couldn’t care less that we are in ( or out)

Bananas1350 · 01/07/2023 18:13

Think mine prefers me to be out to be honest

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 01/07/2023 18:16

The two adults are left about six hours on a daily basis while we work, but they'd happily go much much longer. When we go on holiday, they're left 24/7 with a cat sitter popping in twice a day to feed them and change their litter.

We've just got an 8 week old kitten so I pop home halfway through the day to check on him as he's currently on his own while they all get to know each other. He's quite happy and is normally fast asleep or playing with his toys (or his tail!).

almostoverthehill · 01/07/2023 18:18

Bananas1350 · 01/07/2023 18:13

Think mine prefers me to be out to be honest

I was going to say the same thing 😀

Doyouthinktheyknow · 01/07/2023 18:23

Dcat is a bit precious and likes her slaves around but not too close. DH is retired so around most of the time. We go out for part of the day regularly and whole day occasionally she copes but would prefer we were here.

If she wasn’t so antisocial I would get another cat but she hates cats🤣

oobladay · 01/07/2023 18:32

I've left mine a few times for a weekend with someone coming in to check on her/feed, water etc. She's quite timid and wouldn't cope in a cattery. She never seemed particularly bothered or stressed on our return. But I wouldn't do more than a night or two.