This is for the cat owners out there.

My experience has always been that cats are pretty damn self sufficient. Make sure they have food, water, a warm bed and someplace to poo and that's all they really require. Because of that, if I go on extended trips (2-5 days or so), I will leave my cat(s) alone with enough food and water (and litter pans or outdoor access) to get them through. Dogs... well... dogs you can't do this with. But cats? Sure.

However, when I was at the shelter recently talking to them about spaying this foster kitty, I was trying to get them to postpone it until after Thanksgiving because I was going to be out of town for about 5 days. I didn't want to leave a kitty who had just had surgery alone and I didn't want to travel with her either.

They said it was fine as long as I had someone check in on her. That whomever I had coming over to feed the cats could just check in on her. I explained that no one was coming to check in on the cats. This got a very bad look from the woman and she said something about how I shouldn't leave cats alone without someone checking on them, etc, etc.

WTF?

Am I wrong to leave cats alone for a few days as long as I know they have the essentials? I mean, the shelter helps maintain feral cat colonies for ****'s sake. And the woman was getting pissy about me leaving my cats alone in a big, warm, safe house with tons of food, plenty of water, and multiple litter pans?

Does anyone else leave kitties alone?

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When we had cats, we'd have someone stop by every couple of days just to make sure that there wasn't a water disaster, that no one died and that they weren't in the house (our cats have always been outside sufficient).

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If I were to be gone more than 5 days, I would have someone check in on them too. Water and clean litter would start to run short after that.

My one cat can get outside, but the others haven't figured out the doggie door yet. Though the newest one is close to figuring it out. LOL

This woman just implied that I was being neglectful by leaving them alone. And I just disagree.

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To tax the larger incomes at a higher percentage than the smaller, is to lay a tax on industry and economy; to impose a penalty on people for having worked harder and saved more than their neighbors. ~ John Stuart Mill

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I have no trouble leaving my cats alone overnight, but not longer. I'm going out of town on a long weekend and my friend, Craig is going to stay at the house.

Making sure they have "food, water, a warm bed and someplace to poo" doesn't sound too "self-sufficient" to me...

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Also, clean litter, as one of my cats will leave presents somewhere in the house if the litter box offends...

I would be on par with FS for "every couple of days"

But "five days" would be understandable to me (depending upon the personality / temperment of the cats).


Dogs see humans feeding, sheltering, and loving them and think humans must be god.
Cats see humans feeding, sheltering, and loving them and think cats must be god.

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Obama is not a dark skinned, anti-war socialist who gives away free health care; you're thinking of Jesus.

yeah, this length of time over thanksgiving is my max. And honestly it worries me a bit with the newer foster kitty. Normally I would actually leave my back door ajar so the kitties could get in/out easily but with the foster kitty I'm not going to do that. She's not been spayed yet and I just don't feel comfortable with her roaming outside alone for days yet. The other two are strong, healthy adults and hunters so I really don't worry about them. I've seen Azrael in action, I pity the fool that messes with that cat. LOL

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To tax the larger incomes at a higher percentage than the smaller, is to lay a tax on industry and economy; to impose a penalty on people for having worked harder and saved more than their neighbors. ~ John Stuart Mill

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Don't get huffy with animal control people; they are a different breed. Keep you business to yourself. My opinion and it's a good one.

Y'all already think I am a criminal so it won't shock anyone when I tell you if a cat can't fend for itself it isn't wort much in my book. Be that because the family is in straights and he has to eat cheaper food, maybe grits no not really or someone forgot to feed him cause there was a family emergency...anyway that's what I think...

...and all my animals are spoiled.

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LOL

Well, here's the thing... If I leave the dogs alone with a big pile o' food, they're going to chow on it all in one day, maybe two. They drink a LOT more water making it harder to put enough down for multiple days. They sometimes roll in smelly stuff and bring it inside. If it's muddy or wet outside, they're going to bring that in too and straight to the couch or my bed where they lay most of the time. They occasionally run outside the boundary of their electric fence, and they also have a tendency to bring their friends inside. They chew things up sometimes too... sometimes things that could hurt them.

The cats? They eat their food in shorter intervals, don't drink as much water, sleep a LOT, and chase balls and play mice around the house when they're not chasing their tails or each other. They're cleaner so I don't have to worry about them tracking nasty things in. The only real issue with leaving them multiple days is the litter pans. If the litter pans get too full, they will just go outside of them. So the more days I'm gone, the more litter pans I need to put down to make sure there are enough to satisfy the royalty's bathroom habits. LOL

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To tax the larger incomes at a higher percentage than the smaller, is to lay a tax on industry and economy; to impose a penalty on people for having worked harder and saved more than their neighbors. ~ John Stuart Mill

Gypsy Soul Memories
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