Is the guilt of leaving your cat home alone interfering with your travel plans? Cats may be independent by nature but that doesn't mean they don't miss you when you're away. Believe it or not, there is a way to leave your feline friend at home guilt-free. These five simple tips will prepare you and Whiskers for a worry-free vacation.
Find a friend for Fluffy
Even the most anti-social cats need a little daily contact. Whether you hire a pet-sitter, ask a neighbor or corral a family member, make arrangements for someone to visit your cat on a daily basis. A daily visitor will keep your cats' life unaltered by ensuring proper food supply and clean living quarters. In addition, a little social interaction will let Fluffy that know you'll be back soon and you'll have peace of mind knowing all is well at home.
Keep your cat busy
Time flies when you're having fun, and the same holds true for our feline companions. Make sure you leave out plenty of cat toys to play with throughout the day. Products like cat scratchers can help keep your kitty from scratching up furniture out of boredom, while catnip toys are a great way to keep them entertained. No matter what toys your cat prefers, make sure you ask their chosen daily companion to spend a few minutes playing with your cat. The more fun your cat has while you're away, they less he will notice you ever left.
Stock up on favorite foods
Before you leave your kitty home alone, take inventory of how much cat food and treats you have in stock. You'll want to ensure there is enough to last your entire vacation and then some. Over-stocking food for your kitty will keep your worries at bay if run into a delayed flight or any weather conditions that may extend your time away from home. Reducing changes in your pet's feeding routine helps keep them happy and healthy.
Don't neglect kitty hygiene
You wouldn't want to bathe in a dirty bathtub,and your cat doesn't want to go potty in a dirty litter box. It's very important to ensure that your feline's litter box remains fresh and tidy. The daily visitor should be in charge of scooping the litter box daily and replenishing the litter as needed. Keep additional litter, waste bags and scoopers handy to make this an easy and quick process while you're away. If you're off on a quick weekend getaway and haven't arranged for a friend to stop by, prepare two litter boxes so your kitty has extra room to do his business.
Secure your home
Make it a point to double- and triple-check your home entry points. It can be easy to overlook an open window or an unlocked door when you're rushing to get out of town. Open windows and doors are an open invitation for curious cats to explore the great outdoors (not to mention a "welcome mat" for intruders who'd like to help themselves to your belongings). A few extra minutes to secure your home will ensure a peaceful trip for you and your feline friend.
Watch: Talking cat left home alone
This is the first and last time that Trapper the cat was left home alone.
I agree and follow all of the above whenever I leave to go out of town. I have two cats and one is definitely more anti social than the other. Each time we leave for vacation, we always make sure to have a neighbor come to the house twice a day (or if we trust them enough, we offer for them to stay at our place for the time being). We always pull out the cat food (dry and wet) and leave it on the counter with a note for whoever is taking care of them while we're gone. We make sure they know to change the litter box every day (since we have two, they are quite messy at times) and brush them when they can. Our cat that doesn't interact as much, always seems more upset when he sees us packing for our trips. He will usually sit in our suitcases as his way of letting us know he is not happy with our departure. We usually bring out their toys and place them in open spaces as a reminder that they have something to keep them company. By having a trusting neighbor to watch the animals, we encourage them to stay for a few hours and make themselves at home by watching some tv or cooking dinner at our place. By doing so, this makes the cats feel comfortable in their own home instead of it being a quiet empty house. We never worry about them escaping since they are indoor cats and we don't encourage whoever is watching the house to open any windows/doors etc. Since both our cats are siamese, we don't often worry about their time alone as they enjoy it more than we assume. Occasionally keeping the blinds open for them to sun bathe is most of the time enough for them to enjoy their peace and quiet while we're away.
Top 5 Redbox DVDs: Reese has double...
Homemade edible bouquet recipe
Ooh la la! Lindsay Lohan finds her...
Malin Akerman talks "tonguiest kiss"...
Sorry, boys: Keira Knightley is engaged
Mad Men goes to the movies!
Comments on "How to leave your cat home alone"
+ Add Comment