Cat lovers know that their feline friends aren’t nearly as solitary as conventional wisdom would tell them. The truth is, cats also love to socialize, hang out around their people, play with toys, and just explore! But since most pet-owning households are a revolving door of people coming and going from work and other obligations, how long is too long when it comes to leaving your cat alone?
Am I Leaving My Cat Alone for Too Long?
Before we get into it, understand that there’s a very big difference between cats and kittens. If you’re raising a kitten under four months old, then you should never leave them alone for more than three or four hours — they’re just too delicate and needy! By the time a kitten hits six months, it’s ok to leave them alone for the typical eight-hour workday.
Now, adult cats are another story. Since cats don’t need to be walked every day, or let out to do their bathroom business, they’re much lower maintenance. As long as your cat has food available and plenty of fresh, clean water, then leaving your cat alone for a typical 8-hour workday is no big deal. In fact, as long as you’re giving your cat plenty of facetime and stimulation when you’re home, most cats can live perfectly content lives around their pet parent’s full-time schedules.
Where things get more complicated is when you’re going to leave for a day or more (consider a cat sitter, just to be safe). If your cat will be alone for 24 hours, there’s a bit more to take into consideration. For instance, if your cat eats wet food, bugs might get to it within that timeframe, making it unpleasant or inedible. Water may also get dirty, and your cat’s litter box may get too full or smelly to use.
More than that, the home will just feel so empty! You simply being present is stimulating for your pets — and they really, really notice it when you’re gone. So, if you’re going to leave your cat alone for a day or more, make sure you give them plenty of play time, companionship, and entertainment before you go — and make sure you do these five things.
Five Things to Do Before You Leave Your Cat at Home
You can’t take your cat everywhere, unfortunately! While leaving your cat alone for 24 hours at a time is mostly ok, it shouldn’t happen frequently. That said, there are a few things you can do to make your stay-at-home cat as comfortable and happy as possible! Here they are:
Air Conditioning: What’s the temperature going to be while you’re gone — especially if it’s for one to two days? Make sure your set the thermostat to a comfortable level. For your cat’s sake, don’t turn it off! It can get really cold or really hot faster than you think.
Additional Litter Boxes: While you’re gone, there won’t be any litter scooping, so your cat’s litter box can fill up and, more importantly, get really unpleasant really quickly. To make sure your cat can use the bathroom without distress, put out a second litter box in a visible spot a day or so before you leave.
Leave on Music or TV: I know it sounds a bit silly, but cats are social animals just like us. They need stimulation, and there’s nothing more dispiriting than days in an empty, silent household. At a low volume, play a calming music channel or television channel to spice up your cat’s atmosphere. It really does help — just not too loud!
Lay Out Dry Food: Wet food, as I’ve mentioned, can get pretty gross left out in the open for too long — especially if there are bugs around. If you’re going to leave your cat alone for a day or so, make sure you have dry food they’re acquainted with available. It’ll stay fresh, even if it isn’t as tasty as those wet canned foods!
Go Overboard on Water: As a rule of thumb, overestimate how much water you should leave out. Fill up your cat’s typical bowl, and then leave out a few more bowls in different rooms. Automatic water bowls are a nice amenity, but they aren’t necessary as long as your cat has plenty to drink!
Thanks for Taking Care of Your Cat!
It’s hard to part from our furry companions, but they’ll be glad to know that you’re taking care of them even from afar! Did you know they can take care of you too? If you’re a cat lover, then you might be interested in learning about emotional support animals or animal-assisted therapy. Well, I’m here to answer any and all of your questions! Feel free to send a message.