It seems natural to us to leave our cats alone at home. We think of cats as very independent creatures, but how independent are they? Can they be left home alone for a day, three days, or a week? Are cats really lonely?

Even though cats are independent, they still crave attention and interaction. In addition, when they are at home alone, they will encounter all kinds of troubles. Dangling cables, poisonous plants, chemicals, plastic bags, paper shredders – all pose a huge threat to your kitty explorer. In this article, we will break down the following aspects and everything you need to know about leaving your cat alone at home. This guideline is not only applicable during the Spring Festival, it is applicable at any time

01. Can cats be lonely?

Regardless of cats' reputation, they do get lonely when they are left unattended for long periods of time. They are social animals and form strong bonds with their owners. Cats can become depressed when their needs for a companion are not met. They can also develop separation anxiety. Unfortunately, feline separation anxiety often goes unnoticed until it becomes severe. Unlike dogs with separation anxiety, cats won't make a mess throughout your home or annoy the neighbors with excessive barking and howling. However, your cat may become more clingy, stop using the litter box, and meow excessively.

02. How long can you leave a cat alone? How long you can leave your cat alone depends on his personality and habits. Other factors include environment, health and age. Here's a rough estimate of how long you can leave your cat alone, depending on age:

Remember, this is the maximum amount of time you should leave your cat alone at home. Beyond this time, you should have someone check it out. It is important that your cat has enough food, fresh water and a safe place to sleep. Also, remove any sharp objects and poisonous plants.

Once you understand the basics, make sure your cat has enough stimulation so he doesn't get bored. Cat climbing frames, automatic toys, a TV on, music, etc., these things can relieve your cat's boredom to a great extent.

1. Let the cat spend the night alone

If your cat is healthy and you can ensure a safe environment, leaving your cat alone overnight won't cause any major problems. Food, fresh water and at least a few litter boxes are a must. However, if your cat has health issues or separation anxiety, you may want to consider other options. If your cat is very young or sick, fostering or asking a friend to help is your best option.

2. Leave the cat alone at home for two days on weekends

If it exceeds 24 hours, it is necessary for someone to come and check it for you.

The reasons are as follows:

The water will become stale

There will be less food

The cat litter box needs to be cleaned

Cats are creatures of habit and need interaction and playtime

Cats can become lonely or bored

Cats may become sick or injured

Weather changes can have serious consequences for your cat

You can also mitigate some of these things if you're confident that your cat is confident and smart enough to survive the weekend alone.

Automatic water dispensers can solve the water problem. Food is not a problem for cats with automatic feeders or free feeding. As for the problem of litter boxes, you can prepare multiple litter boxes.

Finally, turn on the air conditioner and fresh air to maintain a comfortable room temperature for your cat.

3. Leave a cat alone for three days

It is not a good idea to leave a cat alone for three days without anyone checking on it. The above reasons also apply in this case. If you have no other options, consider a cat hotel.

You may think that cats will be happy to play with other cats or people, but this is not the case. Cats are territorial animals. They may be very stressed during the three days of boarding, but this kind of stress is better than leaving them alone at home. It's much better to be left unattended for three days. In a foster care environment, your cat’s most basic needs are met, so at least you can spend your three-day vacation with peace of mind.

4. Leave the cat alone for a week

Leaving a cat alone for a week can end in disaster. If you must be away for a whole week, you must find someone to at least check on your cat. Friends and family are all viable options.

If you don’t have anyone, consider foster care, otherwise, it’s a huge gamble. Too many things can go wrong. Don't risk it!

Here are some possible scenarios:

Your cat will run out of food and water

Food and water can go bad, causing health problems

Weather changes may affect your cat’s health

Your cat may get sick or injured

The litter box is full and the cat starts to poop and urinate

Cats can become lonely, depressed or anxious

When you have to be away for an extended period of time, be sure to plan ahead and neverIgnore your cat.

03. How to let your cat stay home alone?

Whether you'll be away for a few hours or a few days, here are some general tips. You want to consider food, water, safety, and entertainment.

Step 1

Fill the water bowl with fresh water. If you'll be away for an extended period of time, consider investing in a water dispenser.

Step 2

Make sure your cat has enough food. When you know you'll only be gone for a few hours, you can skip this step and stick to your regular feeding schedule. Cats love routine. If you have an automatic pet feeder, you can maintain a feeding schedule. Remember, all equipment can fail, so be sure to have a backup plan.

Step 3

Clean the litter boxes and make sure there are enough litter boxes for your cat to use when you are not home.

Step 4

Keep dangerous chemicals, poisonous plants, sharp objects, small toys and plastic bags out of your cat’s reach. If there are plastic bags in the trash, cut off both ends of the bag just in case. Unplug your shredder to prevent accidents. Make sure there are no cables dangling around. Keep the toilet lid closed.

Step 5

Enrich the environment. Prepare a cat climbing frame, toys, a windowsill bed, and a quiet place to rest. You can leave the TV or radio on. Hiding food or treats around the house while you're away will also put your cat in exploration mode. Set up a camera so you can check on him from time to time.

Step 6

Before you leave, play a game with him and arrange everything. If anyone will be visiting your pet, tell them about the feeding schedule, your cat's habits and health. Leave your veterinarian’s contact number and emergency contact person.

04. Leave the kitten alone at home

When leaving a kitten home alone, pay special attention to food, water, toys, and potential dangers. You can consider buying a baby enclosure for your kitten to enclose a large enough and safe area for him. Of course, you can also use places like guest rooms and bathrooms. But safety must be your top priority.

Beware of chemicals, sharp objects, cables, plants, plastic items andSmall items that kittens may swallow. Minimize the time your kitten spends alone.

05. Do cats miss their owners?

Cats form very strong bonds with their human companions and family members. Even if they act calm, they will notice that you are no longer around and they will miss your attention. If your cat starts meowing loudly when you leave the room, this is a sign that they miss you.

Other symptoms may include increased clinginess, loss of appetite, depression, anxiety, vomiting and diarrhea, and cluttering the house. If you notice these signs, talk to your veterinarian to determine if there is a medical problem that needs to be addressed. Please don't get angry at your cat if they urinate on your clothes. This is their way of saying they miss you.

Remember, technology can fail you and no toy can replace human interaction.

06. How to make a cat happy?

There are many ways to make your cat happy. Includes:

Toy feeder

Toys (balls, catnip toys, cat teasers, mouse toys, corrugated paper, etc.)

Vertical grabbing post

Cat climbing frame

TV show or music

Bird feeder outside the window

Hide food or snacks around the room

Get another pet cat

07. Appendix: Cat Fostering Guide

During the Spring Festival holiday, many parents will choose foster care, so how to choose a foster care place is actually very good. Let’s take a look at a simple guide to foster care.

1. Physical examination before foster care

Make sure your cat is in good health and has no abnormal symptoms such as coughing, diarrhea, vomiting, etc. If possible, it is best to go to a regular pet hospital for a physical examination.

2. Choice of foster care home

　　Friend’s house

Pet hospital

Pet shop (beauty shop)

​Certain catteries

Foster family

Cat Hotel

When asking friends for help, it is best to find someone who likes cats and has raised cats, otherwise many unexpected things will happen. The environment of pet hospitals and some pet shops is very average, so it is not recommended to send them to foster care, especially pet hospitals. Don’t look at the hospital’s well-equipped facilities. In fact, most hospitals don’t have them at all.Take good care of your cat. In comparison, experienced friends’ homes, professional cat hotels and certain catteries are more recommended places.

Regarding the foster care environment, we mainly need to examine the number of cats. The density is too high. There are seven or eight cages in a 30-square-meter room. This kind of foster care environment is just a joke. Ventilation and air circulation should be good, there should be enough light, whether the environment is clean, whether it is disinfected regularly, and whether the cleaning utensils are clean. These are all inspection indicators.

In fact, in places like pet shops, pet hotels, and pet hospitals, you can check whether their human toilets are clean. If even the human toilets are not clean, then you can guess the living environment of the cats.

3. Foster carers

Make sure that the other person is a cat lover, will not abuse cats, has no bad habits, and has rich foster care experience. Note that raising cats and foster care are completely different things. Because foster cats may face stress reactions, if they have no foster care experience, they may not be able to handle emergencies. Therefore, foster carers must have knowledge of healthy feeding, some medical common sense, and the ability to judge and deal with emergencies, and some commonly used drugs must be available in their place.

Why don’t you recommend a hospital? Although hospitals have all these, once mild symptoms appear in the absence of the owner, it is very easy to cause over-treatment. There are many tragedies. It’s not that we don’t trust all pet hospitals, but that we are disappointed with this industry. too much.

4. Some other advice

Is there a fostering agreement? Is the valid ID of the foster carer available for inspection? Is there a time for daily entertainment and interaction? Is it a separate space or free-range? Is the owner provided with 24-hour camera monitoring?

You must pay attention to the situation of free-range breeding, as infection and bleeding events are easy to occur. In addition, will the foster care staff report the cat’s condition to the owner every day?

Another very important point is:

Be sure to bring your own rations!

Be sure to bring your own rations!

Be sure to bring your own rations!

With food change + stress, the cat is likely to have diarrhea and vomiting.