Cat Question: How long is too long to be alone?

3 days ok or not?

Published on December 22, 2005 By Ziggystyles In Life Journals

Well, talk about short notice...jeesh. I have a second job so Im working during the day and at night most of the time and I dont seem to notice the time flying by. Now Christmas is only a few days away and Im working so much that I dont even notice it or feel excited like I normally do. Normally I wouldnt post something like this on here, but I need some advice quick, lol, since I forgot that in less than 24 hours, we will be on the other side of the state.

Anywho...My girlfriend and I are in southern MN and we are going to northern MN (first the east side....then the west side before I come back down alone on Sunday night). Anyways...we are planning on leaving Thursday (as in...today, lol) after school gets out. That means Cleo (our cat) would be alone for the rest of the night, friday, saturday and sunday until I came home late that night.

What do you think...do you think she would be ok for this long or not? I could take her and Im thinking about doing that...but both our moms have a cat and dog (mine has a cat and a beagle and her mom has a pest aka untamed kitten and a big ol chocolate lab). I do have a cage I could use, but I dont know how much it would stress her out if we decided to take her along; although on the other hand, she could have a blast, lol.

Ideas? Suggestions? We just moved to a new town so we dont know anyone to come and check on her. I think she would be fine as far as food and water...I'd just hate to have her go three days without some sort of interaction.

Thanks,
Ryan

ps...I am still blogging, probably to the dismay of some on here, I just am working alot at night when I normally hop on here. I have a few threads Im working on at the moment so stay tuned.

Comments (Page 1)

marchrhyme

on Dec 22, 2005

I think that's too long, especially if you're not going to have anyone else come in to feed her. Plus, cat's foodbits that are left too long in their plates grow stale and then they won't eat it (unless it's a matter of life and death). Try to bring her along. We take our cat on three - four hour drives if we need to visit our in-laws and he's perfectly ok. Once he's in the car, we open his travel hatch and either he stays inside, finds the courage to explore his surrounding or find it comforting to sit on someone's lap. If it's not feasible for you, the next best thing is to find a pet kennel where you can put him in as a weekend resident. My only thoughts of this would be that if your cat is anything like ours (somewhat paranoid), being in a strange surrounding with strange people and other strange animals and being constantly in a cage can be stressful. I'd still opt for taking the cat along.

dharmagrl

on Dec 22, 2005

I think that's too long as well. Overnight is okay, but I wouldn't leave her alone for 4 days and nights.

ps...I am still blogging, probably to the dismay of some on here

Why the heck did you do that? You were doing so well up until that comment, then you had to go and spoil it. Why you feel the need to remind everyone of your victimhood I'll never know......but I do wish you'd get over and and just press on.

SSG Geezer

on Dec 22, 2005

If you had two cats rather than one, 2 days with food and an extra litter box would be "Just OK". Cats like companionship too!

The cat would probably be OK but would ignore you for thwe first few days after your return.
My worry would be if the power and heat went out while you were gone. I know what Mn winters are like.

Ziggystyles

on Dec 22, 2005

I suppose you've never heard of a kennel?

Why as a matter of fact LW, I have heard of them...the reason I didn't mention them is because that simply is not an option. I don't know of any in the area...and if there where, I would not take the cat there. I've brought a couple dogs to kennels before and just the way they look when I pick them up really freaked me out...its really stressful for them to be in there, at least my dogs...and dogs are pretty easy going as well so its harder for them to get that way. Last place I want Cleo to be is in a cage in an back room surrounded by umpteen dogs and cats barking and meowing constantly.

Taking her in the car is stressful, as would exposing her to strange animals on their own turf, and the possibility of her escaping in a strange environment is a tragedy you may have overlooked.

Granted, this would be true, if I had overlooked it. My Beagle is 11 years old...he has no problem with other animals and he actually gets along and plays with the cat (dusty) up there. Dusty is around 12 years old...and he is very calm and laid back, nothing bothers him at all....while he might not like having another cat around...its happened before and he has been perfectly fine with it. At Marcies house...they have a young kitten that Cleo would straigten out in a heartbeat so Id actually look forward to that. The only thing Im worried about there is her lab which is a larger 70lb dog. Not worried about a fight or anything....Cleo just hasnt been around a dog that big before.

Pet ownership carries with it something called RESPONSIBILITY, Ziggy, and the fact that you....

Right...thats why I don't ask (or take) handouts and pay my vet bills, thanks for the lesson on responsibility. Ill have to remember that when I work from 7 am - 11 PM every night so I can pay the bills. I've also had pets for the past 20 years and I havent been in this situation before...that compiled with the fact that the time slipped by faster than I thought...I wasn't as ready as I wanted to be.

Lol....I certainly didnt mean to imply im a victim...I just said that contrary to the hopes (read past LW comments on other threads about Christmas wishes), that I am not gone. Thats all I said, nothing more, nothing less.

Zoomba

on Dec 22, 2005

My rule of thumb with my cat is she can be alone for up to 3 days (a long weekend) but beyond that I have someone come in every other day to play with her for a bit. I free-feed my cat dry food, so a full bowl of food and water will last a few days no problem. The only concern I have with leaving her alone is she is a very people-oriented cat and loves to play and be petted. Cats can do just fine with no one around so long as there's food, water and a place to take a crap, they may just not be too happy about it.

You could always ask a neighbor to poke their head in every other day while you're gone for 5-10min just to freshen up the water and pet the cat a bit. Most people would be happy to do it since it's easy and this is the season where people feel unusually nice. Failing that, offer then $20 for the time, it's not much of a sacrifice on your part and it ensures the cat is taken care of.

When I'm gone for holidays, either the property manager's daughter looks after my cat, or this year for Christmas, my girlfriend has agreed to stop in every few days to check up and refill food and water.

KarmaGirl

on Dec 22, 2005

thats why I don't ask (or take) handouts and pay my vet bills, thanks for the lesson on responsibility.

Responsible people are smart enough to graciously accept money when needed. She didn't ask for money, it was given as a gift. Some people actually get joy out of helping friend who are in a pinch. It's called selflessness.

Leaving any pet for that long by themselves is not being a responsible pet owner. That is too long for even a cat to be alone.

MarcieMoo

on Dec 22, 2005

With all due respect, he was asking for advice, not a snide response. It was a simple question: Do you think it's okay to leave the cat alone for three days?

We're new at the pet thing, and we know that lots of people here have had pets for a lot longer than we have. We also cannot afford a kennel at this point in time.

It was a simple question, and all it required was a simple answer.

KarmaGirl

on Dec 22, 2005

I've also had pets for the past 20 years

We're new at the pet thing

I'm so confused.....

Ziggystyles

on Dec 22, 2005

I free-feed my cat dry food, so a full bowl of food and water will last a few days no problem. The only concern I have with leaving her alone is she is a very people-oriented cat and loves to play and be petted.

Cleo scarfs down food fairly quickly...have to fill up her bowl every day and a half or so....we could just give her a larger bowl for food and water...Im just concerned about the fact that she is like your cat...very people oriented. She doesnt really play unless we start it or she gets on a sugar buzz...but she always hangs around either myself or Marcie or both of us when we are in the same room.

LoL, I actually look forward to your posts, Ziggy. Why? Because they remind me to be grateful for the natural intelligence, empathy, and compassion that I was born with, simply due to the fact that these worthy traits are so glaringly absent from your own persona.Please, dear, never leave JU! Gratitude is a good thing, but I do need gentle reminders to *be* grateful from time to time, lest I fall into the self-absorbed, self-satisfied, narcissistic mind-set that you display every time you open your petty, ignorant mouth.

Interesting...I could say the exact same and apply it towards you...with the addition that if you have nothing of value and worth to contribute without making some side comment or negative remark...then what is the point of replying other than to see your own words?
On the contrary Sabrina, I welcome all comments from anyone who has something to say, including you...but constantly belitteling me is growing old...Im sorry but I grew up a long time ago and Im too old to put up with that crap.

Zoomba

on Dec 22, 2005

The key is to get the cat used to being alone for 2-3 days at a time. Take long weekend trips or something at least once every other month or so, that way she gets accustomed to it.

I've left my cat alone for 4 days at a time before, and aside from being VERY affectionate when I got back, she didn't suffer any ill effects. Plenty of food and water and a cat will be just fine.

Ziggystyles

on Dec 22, 2005

I'm so confused.....

She can reply to that.

We are new to having a pet on our own so in a sense we are new to it...but Im also aware of all the responsibilities associated with owning a pet. Living up north...at my dads house on the lake...we just left out a bunch of food. If the dog needed water and her bowl was empty...she just drank out of the lake or ate snow and she lived outside all of the time anyways so we didnt need anyone to look over her unless we were gone for more than a few days and she needed more food.

At my moms...when we left..we brought my dog out to my dads house at the lake and my dad would take care of him. Now, my mom has a pet sitter come and take care of him...but we dont have any extra $$ to pay for a sitter.

If our place was even larger, I wouldnt mind it as much because the cat would have more to roam around...but there isnt much to do up here in such a small place.

Now that we have a pet on our own, we are...like everyone...realizing certain things about pet ownership and the winter break snuck up sooner than I thought and next thing I know...Thursday is here. I know that cats are fine for 1 or 2 days by themselves...but this is going to be 3 full days and one night that she is by herself alone and I wanted some advice on what others thought.

I hope that clears things up.

Ziggystyles

on Dec 22, 2005

The key is to get the cat used to being alone for 2-3 days at a time. Take long weekend trips or something at least once every other month or so, that way she gets accustomed to it. I've left my cat alone for 4 days at a time before, and aside from being VERY affectionate when I got back, she didn't suffer any ill effects. Plenty of food and water and a cat will be just fine.

Right, she has been by herself for 2 days before a couple of times, and she went with me on a 3 day trip from Vegas to MN which Im sure she loved on her kitty prozac. The thing is that I just worry about the unexpected...

One time a few years back when I was living at my moms...we went to Duluth for the day and came back and there was Dusty our cat at the door. I picked him up and his fur was all wet and I couldnt figure out why. I looked at his mouth and his mouth was open a good bit. While we were gone, he had managed to get his collar half off...but it slipped into his mouth and he couldnt get it off so...for he had his mouth open like that for however long and was drooling on himself while he was laying or sitting down. That really bothered me and that kind of stuff makes me worry about what could happen if Im gone for that long...just the unexpected.

shadesofgrey

on Dec 22, 2005

but we dont have any extra $$ to pay for a sitter.

Do you have any neighborhood kids? When I was about five I used to watch my neighbors cats, go over and make sure that they had enough food and water and some play time. Granted, they lived next door, so it wasn't a big deal. I think they would either give me $5 for the week, or bring back something fun (and inexpensive) from their trip. Their daughter would also watch our cats while we were gone.

MarcieMoo

on Dec 22, 2005

Ry...can you call your mom and tell her we're not coming till tomorrow?

Ziggystyles

on Dec 22, 2005

Shades,
Normally, that would be a option...however we dont know anyone around here. Its surprising...I really dont see any kids in our neighborhood...at least on our block.

Mousie, Yep, I can call her during my break...will leave a message on the machine.

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