Indoor cat… one visit a day?

[heidiwine]

Hello - I don’t have cats. A neighbour had to travel overseas (family emergency) before Christmas and I offered to help with her cat when the cat sitters couldn’t - it’s an indoor Persian cat .
For various reasons (not related to the cat) one of the cat sitters can no longer help AND the cats owner has to be away for at least another 4 weeks (unexpectedly).
I am sharing the cat sitting - going in every morning with another neighbour who goes in at night. I can’t continue to do this for another 4 weeks. Cats owner has suggested dropping visits to once a day.
Each visit is about half an hour - feeding, grooming, litter trays, bathing eyes, putting eye drops in and then playing with the cat (it’s playful). It’s happy to see me but slinks off when he’s had enough play…
I have zero experience with cats and the cats owner is just a neighbour (we’re not friends she just lives on the street and I say hi to her and stop for brief chat - not sure that’s really relevant).
Anyway - if you have a house cat or know anything about cats is going in once a day instead of two for four weeks acceptable?
thanks!

Once a day should be fine for an indoor cat. I used to look after a friends indoors cats while she was away and never visited more than once a day.

No I don't feel the owners are being reasonable. If it's a friendly cat that being indoors is used to having likes people around, I don't think they should be suggesting it is left alone for a huge part of every day for so long. Contrary to popular belief cats do get separation anxiety and can feel lonely. Certainly current TemporaryCat would be absolutely miserable with that arrangement, even for a few days less alone 4 weeks.

The owners need to find a paid catsitter to take on the visiting if you can't commit to that (and fair enough, I wouldn't do it for someone else either, not even a friend I knew well - litter tray scooping is bad enough for your own cat! ).

It's really nice of you to have done it so far. I hope the owners sort something out.

For short breaks we had a cat sitter once daily, but longer breaks he went to a homestay type cattery. It depends on the cat. It might be a bit bored, but it's not forever

Personally, I think two for an indoor cat, or one for an outdoor..I have indoor cats so have experience in cat behaviour.

And give the animal the run of most of the property. There are some idiots out there that think shutting the animal in a bathroom all the time is appropriate 🙄

I have Persians and once a day is fine. They are not the most dynamic of beasts. If they as long haired though, their coats will need looking after.

Although I think four weeks is too long to be left. I would not leave mine for longer than a couple of days. Any more and they go to a cattery. The owner needs to think about that.

My cat would be distraught to have no human company for so long. One half hour visit a day really isn’t enough.

Our cat has outdoor access but no catflap - we let her in and out the back door and she is always in overnight. We generally have MIL come in morning and night if we’re away, and sometimes our neighbour pops in mid-afternoon for a cuddle too. She’s used to company and even when she’s just sleeping she wants to be in the same room as one of us. I wouldn’t want her having one visit a day and definitely not for a long period.

Not enough. I have 2 cats and even if I go away for 1 night we have DSD stay here cos I feel bad leaving them.

It seems very hard on the cat to leave her for that long. Mine is quite needy regarding company, the most I leave her with once/twice a day visits is 5 days. She seems ok with that i.e. virtually ignores me when I get back so I know she hasn't been too bothered about me being away.

Any more than that I get her a live-in sitter as she has been visibly bothered when I have been away longer than 4 days.

Not sure how that helps you though OP, sorry, the owner should be thinking of all this. A cattery would seem a reasonable option in this circumstance.

If it's you and the neighbour, what happened to the other cat sitter? I think you're being very kind and assuming she's not paying you and the other neighbour she's being very cheeky. She should find a professional cat sitter company or place in a cattery. Has she already gone? If not, then say you won't be able to help with the cat as it means you can't go anywhere for a month which is unreasonable. I think the cat would survive one visit a day if it's a one off but it's not ideal. But it's not your cat at the end of the day. How about say you'll pop in when you can but can't guarantee it. And say it's the last time for anything more than her going away a few days.

That poor cat.

I used https://www.pawshake.co.uk to find a sitter for my two, maybe mention it to your friend.

Thanks everyone. Neighbour has already gone and isn’t likely to be back for another 4 weeks so options are:

1. carry on as is with 2x a day visits (there are two of us sharing it)
2. drop to 1x a day visits
3. cat goes to a friend in another town who also has indoor cats (so cat will be kept separate)

i agree neighbour should have thought this through and should now find (and pay for) a cat sitter. I think broad consensus here is that it’s not OK for 4 weeks but that cat will manage. If I didn’t have a dog I’d take the cat in but I can’t.