Leaving cat home alone for 48 hours

[zurigo]

We've had DCat since 2020 and this will be the first weekend we've been away and left her alone at home. DFriend is coming to feed her while we're away, but I'm still worried, particularly as friend is going away herself on Sunday, so DCat will be on her own from Sat eve until we get back on Sun late pm. We usually put her in a cattery when we go away, but the cattery has very strict entry/exit times and is anyway full for Easter. DS (18) would be quite happy to stay at home, but we're going to see my family and they'd love to see him and will be sad if they don't (the last time they saw him was just before Christmas). WWYD? Is this okay and am I worrying unnecessarily? She will have access to food and water while we're away and we will lock the cat flap to keep her safe.

It'll be fine. I leave mine for up to 2 nights, just with extra food and water, and 2 extra litter trays, as the boy cat is a fussy bastard. No longer than that though.

As fellow cat owner I think this is fine - after your friend has visited on Saturday it's just over 24 hours until you're home. Cats seem to spend most their time sleeping if owners are away.

We regularly leave our cat for several days with a robot feeder. We have a little camera on her eating and litter tray areas so we can check she is eating.

Yes of course it’s fine. You aren’t leaving her 48hrs either as someone is coming in to feed and check them

Okay, thank you! Four responses and all say I'm worrying unnecessarily

The cat will probably enjoy the break without their humans around to annoy them!

The only negative I've found is that boy cat displays his displeasure when we get back by ignoring us. Girl cat is overly pleased to see us return and impersonates a limpet.

I fully expect to get a nip when we return and for her to sit on me all evening and give me a dead leg!

You can also buy a water fountain that keeps their water fresh.

@zurigo - we left out cat 3 weeks recently. As in with a full time cat sitting living in our house so he was fully pampered
We came home and he wasn’t a slightly bit interested that we were back until the next day.

It'll be fine. We also have a robot feeder and a cheap camera off amazon so we can spy on her. She is usually a bit pissed off with us but she gets over it.

We have one, unfortunately the motor seems to have broken this week, which is annoying as I only got it at new year.

How annoying! I'd just ask your friend to put down an extra bowl on the Saturday evening.

Kitty will be fine just leave food and water 😊💕

This should be fine. Just make sure there's nothing that your cat could endanger herself with if she's bored and decides to investigate, eg trailing headphone wires. My cat once put her head through a bag handle and then couldn't reverse out of it and was running around quite scared, dragging the bag - luckily I was home and could untangle her. It might be easier to cat-proof a couple of rooms (including her water bowl and litter tray) and close the doors to all other rooms.

I’m an anxious person and would probably chat up a neighbour to pop in in the morning. We do have a timed feeder etc but I’d rather we had someone come in twice a day - usually MIL does it but we are lucky that our neighbour has two cats and is happy to come in. Last time he came back at bedtime just to give him a cuddle and say goodnight!

That said, per pp I’m sure your cat will be absolutely fine, as I’m sure ours would be too.

Fine but I’d keep the cat flap open.

We leave ours all the time- usually for 4 nights at a time but longest was 2 weeks. Friend/teenage kids comes in every single day and feeds him and most days stays a good few hours to watch tv so the cat has company but often the cat doesn’t even bother hanging around for the strokes- just says hello and then goes back to napping elsewhere in the house!

Unfortunately our next door neighbour (who I asked first) is away this weekend too. That's the problem with Easter - everyone goes away because it's a lovely 4-day weekend off work!

My friend goes away for up to 2 nights without having anyone able to come in to see his 3, with a 3rd night if he can persuade his NDN to drop in part way through. He tops up the dry & puts extra bowls out, and makes sure the 5(!) litter trays are spotless before he goes. He leaves the cat flap open & they are always fine - though one of them glues himself to friend for as many days after as friend has been away.

I would (genuinely) love to see the footage of her pottering around.

There are two reasons why I want to lock it:

1. It's linked to her microchip and she doesn't always wait for it to unlock before she tries to get in. Sometimes she does, but not always. If it doesn't unlock and she bumps her head on it she won't try again and then gets locked out. I don't want to risk her being locked out all night.
2. We live on a busy road. She is very road savvy and I've never seen her go near the road, but if she was locked out at night and got spooked, by a fox or another cat, I'm worried that she may get chased onto the road. This could also happen in the day or when we are home - I realise that - but there is more danger of it happening if she was locked out of the house for hours.

@zurigoI understand but a cat that’s used to outdoor access will be more stressed being locked in the house without you there. At least if there is access outside they can entertain themselves.
Fundamentally you’ve got to be comfortable with whatever you do so if it would bother you whilst you’re away, lock the cat flap.

I leave mine from first thing one morning to late the following evening. They're absolutely fine. Any more than that my lovely neighbours come and sort them.

although saying that my dopey ginger boy has trained my neighbours exceptionally well and if his bowl(s) aren't completely topped up he goes and sits by their door meowing until they come around anyway. 😬 (I'm generally away one specific night each week and the car being gone is an obvious I'm not in, so they come and sort him anyway).

I leave mine for 3 nights about 4 times a year.
He is a house cat so him staying in isn't a issue.
He has a automatic feeder and slow drip water feeder.
He barely even seems to notice I have gone !