How long can a cat stay home alone?

How long can a cat be alone?

A business trip, a long weekend, a hospitalization, you are thinking of leaving your cat at home and wondering how long a cat can stay alone? Can you leave your cat alone for 3 days, 1 week, 15 days?

People who know cats know that they are nowhere near as lonely and independent as they are made out to be. And although cats need their owners less than dogs, your presence is undoubtedly important to your cat. Leaving him alone at home for too long could make him miserable ...

So if you want to prevent your cat from being sad all alone, if you want him to be safe and in good shape during your absence, then you should not exceed a period that would be too long for your cat!

Organizing everything well in advance and calculating the right length of absence according to its age and environment is the key to leaving your cat alone at home. This is what I will explain to you below!

Can we leave a cat alone for 15 days?

Can a cat get depressed if left alone?

Before knowing how long you can leave your cat alone at home, it is important to know if a cat is unhappy when it is aloneand a cat has feelings, if he suffers from loneliness, if he is anxious when he is separated from you?

Well, you will be happy to know that if you accustom your cat to staying alone at home during the day, he will not be unhappy if you have to leave him alone at home for a few days.

On the other hand, if you have never left your cat alone all day indoors, as cats do not like changes, then your cat may be unhappy if suddenly he finds himself alone in your home. .

In fact, in general, it is not the fact of being separated from you that will make him anxious or sad, but it is simply because his habits have suddenly changed and he no longer finds his bearings (time, territory, routine…).

"A recent scientific studies published in the American journal PLOS ONE, shows that adult cats are not anxious when their master is away. "

source: Science and Future

How long can you leave a cat alone?

How long you can leave an adult cat alone will depend on the cat's age, personality, diet, and environment.

  • For the majority of cats, leaving them alone for several days can go very well without them being affected.
  • For other cats, 2 or 3 days of solitude can make them unhappy if their emotional bond is very strong with their owners.

See also: How long can a cat stay in a cage?

How many days can a cat be left alone?

Here is an estimate, based on its age, of the maximum number of days you can leave your cat alone:

  • For a kitten under 4 months old, you can leave it alone for about 4 hours at a time.
  • For a 4 to 5 month old kitten, you can leave it alone for about 5 hours at a time.
  • For a 5 to 6 month old kitten, you can leave it alone for about 8 hours at a time.
  • For a kitten over 6 months old, you can leave it alone for up to 48 hours.
  • Plus one adult cat and in good health, you may consider leaving it alone 3 days (if he is used to being alone and according to your relationship with him).

These maximum times only apply if the sanitary situation is optimal, that you leave enough food and water for him to eat every day (kibble and water dispensers ) and that your cat is in a suitable environment (see my recommendations below).

And even if a cat can see in the dark or rather in the dark, it is better to leave it at least one room with light so that it does not stay several days in the dark.

How many days can we leave a cat alone?

Leave a cat alone for 3 days

Here are some tips for organizing your departure and making sure everything goes smoothly when leaving your cat alone 3 days :

  • Provide food and water for 3 days: It is easier to leave a cat that feeds on kibble on its own because there are kibble distributors that will allow your cat to eat for 3 days. Ditto for water that can be stored in large distributors. On the other hand, if your cat has a diet without kibble, it will be more complicated to leave him alone for more than 24 hours because he will not be able to feed himself.
  • Provide one or two boxes with very good quality litter (see recommendation below);
  • Predict the temperature of your home (put on heating in winter or air conditioning in summer if it is too hot);
  • Plan for the worst: Ask a friend or neighbor to drop by every now and then to make sure your cat isn't stuck, locked up somewhere, or sick; Leave your veterinarian's contact details visible on the kitchen table (useful in an emergency);
  • If there is a risk that your cat could come out on its own and run away: Use a Tractive GPS tracker which will allow you to find it if your cat got lost ;
  • Prepare him a suitable interior for let him not be bored alone in your absence:
    • Don't leave your cat in the dark (leave the shutters open or the lights on);
    • Leave the television or radio on to keep your cat company;
    • Protect your home to reduce the risk of injury (securely close any openings to the outside, remove dangerous chemicals, sharp objects, undersized toys and plastic bags from your cat's reach);
    • Place empty boxes where your cat can hide, scratching posts, cat trees to let off steam, empty plastic bottles and lots of toys (see below) to distract and keep him occupied while you are away .

Leave a cat alone for 1 week or more

If you need to leave your cat alone for 1 week or 10 days, here are the suitable alternatives to leave your cat alone video games at home.

  • If you are only away some days and that you have a good neighbor, your family or trusted friends who do not live too far away, you can ask them to free themselves for a while every day to go and take care of your cat (food, water, litter and cuddles).
  • If you have to be away Longer, you can hire a catsitter or house-sitter. They are volunteers (retirees or students) who keep houses and the animals that live there free of charge, simply for the pleasure of discovering new regions and spending holidays away from home. See the contact details and operation of the guards in my article: How to keep your cat at home?

Arrangements for leaving your cat at home

In both cases (trusted person or cat sitter), you will need to prepare a list of important information to leave them:

  • Your name and contact number
  • Cat's name
  • Feeding hours or unlimited feeding
  • Medication information if needed
  • How often to change the litter
  • Personality traits of your cat
  • Veterinarian name and number
  • Name and number of your emergency contact

Leave a cat alone for 15 days or more

Because now the majority of hotels and vacation rentals accept pets, if you are going on vacation, why not take your cat with you?

Here are some great vacation rental plans where cats are welcome: Which rental to choose with a cat?

Equipment for leaving a cat alone at home

  • Good quality litter;
  • Great toy to distract your cat when you leave him alone;
  • Cat tree so that he can let off steam in your absence without damaging your furniture.

The joy of finding your cat

You left your cat alone for 2 or 3 days and finally found him! You want to cuddle him, to hold him against you.

But be careful: The welcome may be tense when you return! Your cat has character and will perhaps show you that he did not appreciate your absence.

If this is the case, it is up to you to compensate with signs of affection, with patience and by doing everything possible to make your cat understand that you love her !

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