# How long have you left your cats?



## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

How long have you left your cats before? Until now we hadn't left the cats for more than 4 days at a time, but on the 12th we are going to Seattle for a whole week and I'm worried about my little fur devils. I know they will be fine physically, we will have my mom coming once a day for treats, food, water, litter box and lovings and the boyfriend's sister will be in once a day for more loving and play time. I am more worried about them emotionally. Will they be depressed the whole time? Will they be mad at us when we get back? I really want to enjoy our first adult vacation together but in the back of my mind I keep worrying about the babies. Have you all left for a week before?


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## furryfriends251 (Jan 1, 2009)

I've left the farm cats before for 16 days. My aunt came each day and fed them though, so I knew that they were in good hands, but still was worried constantly about them.

BTW, have fun in Seattle! And...bring a raincoat:wink I live near Seattle and the weather lately has been rain, rain, and more rain. Granted, it is sunny today, but that giant bright orb thing in the sky is so bright I can hardly see


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## Vivid Dawn (May 31, 2010)

I have a horrible memory... but usually no more than 7 days.
Every year my family goes to a ski resort for a week. Then when I had my stroke, I was in the hospital for 5 days. Last summer I went on vacation to Yellowstone for 6 days (I think? maybe it was 5 or 7, I can't even remember exactly!)

On vacation my sister visits the house once a day to scoop litter and refill food/water bowls. I know they're in good hands, because my sister called me after the 3rd day to say she kept finding vomit on the floor. "Oh, that's just Paizly's" I told her. Then the 4th day she said "I can't even find Paizly! She didn't go hide somewhere to die, did she??" (as Paizly is technically 'old'). Nope, she was just hiding under the couch (or that's where she was when I got home and looked for her)

I'm sure they'd be okay for 2 weeks, but unless I'm in the hospital, I usually don't like to stay away that long anyway.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

The cats will miss you, but they'll be fine. Plus they have each other. I've left Blaze alone for up to 7 days at a time before, there have been times when I couldn't come and see him more often than that, it happened a lot for a while before we moved him to where we're living now.

We just made sure his litter box was cleaned, he had a lot of dry food out, a full dish of water, left the toilet seat up just in case, and made sure any doors left open had a door stopper so he couldn't somehow trap himself in a room.

Seattle... I've never been there, but I live about two hours away across the border. There's been a LOT of rain the last while, more than normal... the backyard was flooded a few times recently and that NEVER happens. Today is sunny, but bleh, I hope you bring the sun with you!


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## Vivid Dawn (May 31, 2010)

I wish I had rain. It's snowy today... big huge fluffly flakes


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## Oshan (Aug 17, 2010)

I have been thinking about this recently myself as I will be leaving Oshan alone for the first time this coming fall for about 10 days. I am sure cats left alone will be fine as long as someone pops in everyday...but what state will my house be in when I come back :yikes:yikes


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

Yea I'm more worried about them being sad . They are very spoiled gatos and since my boyfriend and I work opposite schedules someone is usually home to give them lovins.


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## tigressbythetail (Dec 1, 2010)

Five days max. They're always fine but I'm not.

Have a good time!


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

Last Summer, my daughter and I went to the UK for 10 days to hunt for an apartment for her, since she was moving back to the UK in the Fall. My son stayed at my place with Muffs and Abby on weekends and I had a professional cat sitter come twice a day during the week when my son was at work. The girls were fine. When I came home, I found them in my bedroom, snuggled up together at the foot of my bed. What a nice welcome home present! 

Whenever I'm away (I travel 2-5 days at a time on business a few times a year), Muffs always comes right up to me when I get home. She's always happy to see me. Abby sniffs me at first and isn't quite sure it's me...but she's always fine after about an hour or so. 

I'm sure your two will be fine. Enjoy your vacation!


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## dweamgoil (Feb 3, 2010)

We went away for 9 days and left the kitties in a kitty hotel. They were VERY happy to see us when we got back.


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## Fyreflie (Mar 5, 2011)

We left Wicket for 14 days in February when we went to visit family--had a local girl come in every afternoon after school to love him up, play Playstation, feed, litter, etc. He was happy to see us when we got back but didn't seem overly put out! We're going away again for 8 days in May but I think we will board them this time because the kitten still needs frequent feedings. I'm sure your kitties will be fine!


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## Time Bandit (Aug 17, 2010)

I've only left mine for as long as I've had to work...so maybe 10 hours max? Samantha will never be left alone if I leave for an extended period...we're so bonded (and she's so tolerant of everything) that she gets to come everywhere I do.


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## RowdyAndMalley (Aug 9, 2010)

We left the kitties for a week in December. We had a very good friend house sit. To be honest, I think I was more sad about being away from them, than they were about us not being home


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## tghsmith (Dec 9, 2010)

we have left them in the care of good pet sitter for over 3 weeks.. have joked about calling the house to yell over the answering machine "no stop that and get down from there" way back when, when we had the original 3 and would leave them for about 3 days we we get these responces on return
baka: I missed you I love you
michele: I missed you, I'm mad at you
scooter: you were gone?


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## MeowMiaow (Feb 20, 2011)

Two weeks is the longest we've left them, which is the usual amount of time we are abroad. We've never needed catteries, our friends from round the corner feed them, so we know they're in good hands, but I do miss them while we're on holiday. We always get a very excited welcome when we come back


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Wow, you guys are all so healthy..... I'm not sure which one of us (MowMow or I) suffers worse from separation anxiety.

I've never spent more than maybe 12 hours at a time away from MowMow. If SO and I travel we stay in places where MowMow can join us. Whenever I come in the door he spends the first few moments yelling at me.


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

I have separation anxiety too, I'm so upset I'm leaving them! I am just picturing MowMow lecturing you while you apologize.


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## Abbie (Jan 13, 2011)

We have yet to leave the girls having adopted them in January and February, I've been too worried, BUT... We have just booked a 10 night holiday abroad for July, so there's no chance the girls can come with us. I've spent about 5 hours looking up catteries and cat sitters, 2 hours visiting places (one which was 30 miles away!)... I can't decide what to do for the best. I'm just so worried about them!

So, I am definitely suffering from separation anxiety here!


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

We now have a point of contention over taking care of the cats when we are gone. My SO's sister wants to have full responsibility over them but I had to put my foot down and make my SO tell his sister no. The last time we left it was only for two days so I didn't necessarily tell her to do certain things, but I asked her to check in on them. When I came back they were out of food and almost out of water. I know I didn't ask her to but it still makes me uncomfortable that she wouldn't think to check on their food and wonder why their water fountain was making a horrible noise (it spits when it is low on water). Also, I know for a fact that she only cleans her cat's litter box every three days. I understand why she only has one for two cats (the apartments we live in are super small) but I clean mine 1-2 times a day and I couldn't let my cats wait that long. I KNOW my mother will clean it everyday, because she cleans hers everyday. I also know she will give them tons of treats and food and water. I know my SO's sister would take good care of them if I gave her detailed instructions but I feel more comfortable with my mother doing it and SO's sister coming over to play Da Bird every night, so now my SO is irritated at me because I said no. However, I am the main caregiver of the cats so what I say goes, or he can start cleaning litter boxes . Sorry that was kind of a rant, I just know you guys will know where I'm coming from about feeling more comfortable with certain people caring for your animals.


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

Well we are down to the wire and these cats know something is up!! They are rolling around (literally) trying to get our attention constantly and they keep trying to get into our luggage. Nutmeg also wrecked Da Bird last night while we were playing, so I have to get them a replacement today!! I couldn't leave them without their favorite toy.


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## Arkadia (Apr 11, 2011)

Oh man, I've left my kitties multiple times for three months, and it killed me every day, every time. My partner and I had a long distance relationship (me in Australia and him in the US) for 2 years, and I went to visit him each year for 6 months (3 months there, 3 months home, 3 months there, 3 months home, etc). Luckily I live with my mom and so she was able to take care of the cats, but I was still TERRIFIED of how they were doing and thought about them every single day. Unfortunately the last time I left for three months my mom did a pretty terrible job of looking after them (despite me giving her more than enough money to cover 3 months worth of premium cat food she changed to the cheapest Whiskas cans because they 'really liked it', and she for whatever reason was feeding my 9 year old and 14 month old kitten food, not to mention didn't notice my 14 month old had bad worms - her coat was absolutely AWFUL and she was noticeably unhealthy) so I won't be going anywhere ever again (okay, maybe in the distant future, when I can afford a top-of-the-line petsitter).

With regards to how they do mentally - it all depends on the cat, really. They all are reported to have been a bit mopey for the first week or so when I left, and apparently slept on my bed the whole time, with some of my more attached kitties insisting on having some unwashed clothes of mine to sleep on. When I got home the reactions differed - the cat I was most bonded to, my 'special' one, would usually act like she wanted nothing to do with me except for the fact that she wouldn't let me out of her sight for weeks and would scratch furiously at the door if I went to the bathroom and locked her out. One of my other cats will start howling if I leave her sight after being away for a while, but she suffers from separation anxiety and gets flustered if I'm away for 8 hours. Despite being gone for 3 months multiple times, not one of them ever forgot me, and they were always extremely happy to see me, even if they pretended to be in a bad mood that I had left for so long  

So if you're only leaving for a short period of time, you have nothing to worry about  I used to have someone put me on speakerphone so I could coo to the cats, and I even webcammed with them a few times, so those are options if you get particularly stressed out =D


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## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

12, maybe 14 hours


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

Sinatra-Butters said:


> Well we are down to the wire and these cats know something is up!! They are rolling around (literally) trying to get our attention constantly and they keep trying to get into our luggage. Nutmeg also wrecked Da Bird last night while we were playing, so I have to get them a replacement today!! I couldn't leave them without their favorite toy.


Have a great vacation and try not to worry!


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## konstargirl (Feb 4, 2011)

When I leave to go to school, it's usually 6 hours that Misa is by herself.


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

Thanks Susan!


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

Have a wonderful vacation! It sounds like the kids will be in capable hands. Have a good time!


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Enjoy your vacation!


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## Digikid (Feb 27, 2011)

MowMow said:


> Enjoy your vacation!



Ditto!


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

Thanks guys!

Well I am back from my trip and the kitties are fine- just a little upset. Sinatra won't let me leave a room without him in tow and Nutmeg cries every time Eric leaves!


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Welcome home! I hope you had lots and lots of fun!


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

I did- thanks!


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

Welcome home! Not to worry...it always takes Muffs and Abby a day or so to get back to normal. I'm sure Sinatry and Nutmeg will be fine. Glad to hear you had a nice vacation.


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