How long is too long to safely leave cats home alone?

Cats are considered the easier pet when compared with dogs, being more self-sufficient. Just leave a clean litter box, a dish of water and a bowl of kibble and they’ll be fine; they sleep all day anyway, right?

On the whole, yes. It is safe enough to leave cats alone inside a house for 24 hours. Even 48 hours might be alright, but it is best to have someone check on them at least once a day.

Back in the days when I was young and naive, my husband and I would leave our two cats home for a whole week thinking they would be fine. I repeat, I was young and naive. I would never do that now.

We returned from a trip to find one cat very close to death from Feline Cystitis, a urinary tract obstruction common in males. This condition is extremely painful and can be deadly in as little as three days from a burst bladder. I rushed Pippin to the vet where he was treated and released on medication for life. A few months later, the blockage returned and I made the very difficult decision to put him down as his case was severe.

More recently I’ve arisen several times in the morning to find an empty water dish in the kitchen. With the surrounding floor wet, I assumed that one of my cats was miscalculating his jumps down from the windowsill above. I eventually discovered that Nemo was doing it on purpose, having observed him scooping water out of the bowl until it made a little river from which he drank. He damaged the hardwood floor in the kitchen in the meantime.

Imagine if this had happened during the summer and I was away for several days. Dehydration is another fast killer of cats, especially kittens. A tipped water dish is critical, even more than lack of food. But if the water is spilled into a nearby kibble bowl, the problem is compounded by the now ruined food.

The litter box is another concern. What fastidious cat would want to step into a dirty one to dig a hole or cover his “business” after doing it? You’d be lucky if the cat didn’t decide to find a corner or piece of upholstered furniture to do it in.

Be sure to have plenty of distractions around such as toys, treat balls, and scratching posts to keep your cats interested in their things and not yours, or you may come home to some expensive surprises.

If you must leave your felines alone overnight, be sure to address the above things. Better yet, find a friend or neighbor who also has pets and is willing to do a trade. I now find it very comforting to know that someone is looking in on my cats when I’m away longer than 24 hours.

Book of the week: Won Ton, A Cat Tale Told in Haiku, by Lee Wardlaw, is a delightful tale of a shelter cat’s life from cage to forever home. Illustrated beautifully, it is sure to please child and adult alike. Ms Wardlaw, a local author, has captured the true essence of a cat longing for life outside a cage. Purchase at your local bookstore or online at www.amazon.com.