There are life situations when your beloved pet cannot go with you. This can be a trip, the period of festive family visits, but you might also be forced away from your home due to illness. It is important that even at such times you take proper care of your cat.

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Responsible pet owners likely already raised their eyebrows at the title, since who would leave their beloved companion alone for several days?! However, not every owner thinks this way; this is confirmed by the experiences of veterinarian Dr Ákos Gyuricza, who said in response to Cat-O-Lodge’s question that they are often brought cats to the surgery who developed health problems after being alone for several days.

Your cat can cause numerous problems without supervision

This is why it is forbidden to leave the cat alone for days

As we highlighted in an earlier article, in the case of cats, 12 hours is the psychological limit they can bear alone. However, this does not apply to those who are chronically ill or to kittens.

Prolonged loneliness can have many negative consequences for the animal:

• anxiety may develop, and in time depression may appear;
• out of boredom they may begin to destroy things;
• they may lack many needs;
• an accident might happen to them;
• behavioural problems such as aloofness or aggression may occur.

So for the protection of the cat, your home, and your relationship, you must avoid your pet spending too much time alone.

Many people think it is enough if they leave out several days’ worth of food and water for the kitty, who will ration it themself. In most cats’ cases, this is a vain illusion. In addition, the litter tray also gets dirty if not scooped at least once a day, and cats are particularly sensitive to this. Because of this, it may happen that they will honour another part of the home with their little and big business. Furthermore, the animal’s emotional needs cannot be fulfilled by a full food bowl either.

There is also a huge risk that the animal might become unwell or get injured, and this only comes to light after days.

You must not leave an outdoor cat alone for days either

Animals who live outside must also not be left without supervision for days. Their feeding and checking up on must be taken care of the same way as for an indoor pet. It is a different matter that outdoor keeping hides many dangers. Because of this, as much as possible, it is worth considering at least a semi-outdoor lifestyle, that is, ensuring that the cat can go inside the flat or another protected place during the night or day, according to their needs.

The street holds many dangers

What should you do so that your cat is not left alone

There are several solutions if for some reason you have to spend a longer time away from your home. One of the most obvious is that you ask a relative or a friend to take care of your kitty. Ideally, they should be able to go over at least once a day – even better if both in the morning and in the evening – to feed the animal, clean the litter tray, and check that everything is all right with the flat. All of this will be reassuring both for you and for your kitty. If a little stroking or playing also fits in, that is a jackpot. Naturally, this requires that the cat knows and likes the person. Otherwise, the approach of a stranger can be stressful for them.

A friend or relative means great help

If you cannot find such a willing person, you can also ask if you can take the kitty to someone’s place for the given period. Although the change of place can also affect the animal, it is still safer than leaving them alone.

There are already pet sitters who, under the given conditions, take on the care of pets, and you can also place your purring companion in a pet hotel during your absence. For these options, it is important that you choose the professional or the place carefully. Get information, collect references, and personally assess the given provider.

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