October 21, 2024, 12:19 pm | Read time: 8 minutes

There is a persistent misconception that cats can simply be left alone as long as they have food, water, and a way outside to relieve themselves. However, cat owner and sitter Louisa Stoeffler strongly advises against this way of thinking and explains how long cats can really be left alone and what you should be aware of.

How not to do it

As a cat sitter, I have met many cats and their owners. In most cases, they were very concerned about their pets and knew that their cats were lonely when they went on vacation. Others, however, were of the opinion that a five-minute visit just to clean the litter box was completely sufficient.

The rest of the cat’s care was self-sufficient, with a food and water dispenser, app, and chip-controlled cat flap in the front door. If they had also purchased a self-cleaning litter box before their vacation, they would have saved on a cat sitter altogether.

But it was with a cat whose owners told me they only see it “to eat and sleep” that I spent most of my time cat-sitting. Because all the high-tech gadgets are no substitute for human contact. If you give time to an animal, it senses this and particularly enjoys every game and every cuddle.

Therefore, I can only strongly advise that someone should check on your pet at least once every two days. Water and food dispensers could be empty or blocked – and above all, the cat suffers from prolonged absence!

Some cats are very attached to “their” humans

However, the fact that a cat can be left alone for 48 hours is only a general rule of thumb. Every animal is an individual and has different needs. Let’s come back to my cat, Remo. He always shows me how attached he really is to me when I go to the office. When I leave the house early, he always (sadly, I imagine) looks after me as I leave. Although my husband works from home, Remo often feels as if he’s alone when I’m not there.

When I come home in the evenings, Remo has sometimes already taken up position in the hallway an hour beforehand to wait for me. Sometimes, he puts his toys on the carpet and meows expectantly at the door. When I’m finally back, he rubs against my legs, runs around the apartment, and lets his energy run wild.

So, my return is often the highlight of Remo’s day. So, I was all the more worried about how he would feel if I had to leave him alone overnight. Or whether I should get him a cat sitter, he didn’t know. It probably wouldn’t work without planning and a trial run – and I wouldn’t recommend it to any owner.

Leaving a cat alone? Preparation is everything

If the cat has to be left home alone, automatic feeders are actually quite practical. They are available in a wide variety of designs and are usually designed primarily for feeding dry food. However, there are also smaller ones with a battery-operated timer that can also be used to feed wet food. These mainly work with a cold pack under the bowls, which, of course, has to be placed in the freezer beforehand. This is because wet food, in particular, does not keep fresh for very long, especially in summer temperatures.

It is also better not to put the entire ration out for one or two days at a time. There is too great a risk that the cat will overeat and vomit. The next morning, there may be nothing left at all, and the animal will have to starve until the humans return.

For this reason, cats should first be accustomed to using such a vending machine before a longer absence. Remo was actually not particularly enthusiastic about the plastic bowls in the vending machine, as he normally eats from ceramic and metal bowls. However, he quickly overcame his initial shyness because I filled the feeder with his absolute favorite food – chicken breast with shrimp. Later on in training, he was given his normal wet and dry food at the usual feeding times.

Leaving a cat alone overnight

The next step was to leave Remo alone overnight on a trial basis. The opportunity arose when we were at a concert some time ago and stayed overnight with friends who lived nearby. Before we left, however, Remo was given his routine play session with a bouncy ball and a toy fishing rod, as well as a filled feeder for the evening and the next morning.

When you leave the house, you should generally close all the windows – but especially if the cats are left alone for a long time. Otherwise, tilted windows could become a real death trap for bored cats. All objects that the cat should not be able to reach should also be safely stowed away. Some animals also try to fish things out of the garbage when they are bored, so it is best to remove this beforehand.

Personally, I also asked my neighbor to keep an eye on whether Remo meowed a lot. This is because he got into the habit of calling loudly for me before going to bed. He also made these social calls when we were away, but not for too long. Remo was no longer heard at his usual bedtime. In the morning, Remo greeted us with his usual enthusiasm and lapped up bowls of food. After passing the dress rehearsal, the event finally went just as well.

How long the cat can stay alone depends entirely on the animal

Personally, I wouldn’t leave my cat alone for more than 30 hours, even after training. However, how well or badly an animal copes with this can vary greatly. It is often said that certain breeds, such as Siamese or Maine Coon, tend to be more attached to people than others. Accordingly, these cats are less able to stay alone.

However, I am always rather cautious with such sweeping statements myself. British Shorthairs or Siamese, who are supposedly very attached to people, sometimes didn’t want anything more from me after eating and went straight back to sleep. Meanwhile, domestic cats or European shorthairs sometimes enjoyed every minute of my stay and sought closeness.

It is, therefore, most important to be able to assess your pet and its need for social interaction. And this can be as different as with people. Some feel lonely after a day; others can last several days without their humans.

More on the topic

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Checklist to prepare your cat for being alone

If you have to leave your cat alone for a longer period of time, you should consider the points on this checklist when planning and training:

• Feeding: Never put out more than one meal. Get your cat used to using an automatic feeder in advance. The absolute favorite food or snack is suitable for this; later in training, observe the usual feeding times and give normal food. When giving wet food, put a cold pack in the freezer beforehand
• Water: Distribute several bowls in cool places or work with a drinking fountain. Running water is often well accepted (train in advance, of course!)
• Absences: Train in small time steps and plan at least one trial run while alone overnight. Place a worn item of clothing on the pillow or favorite sleeping place so that the familiar smell of the owner is there
• Before leaving: Observe all rituals with the cat, play and cuddle, lay out favorite toys, remove garbage, close windows
• If in doubt, also remove plants (except cat grass). Some animals nibble on it when they get bored
• Cat litter trays: (at least two per animal) Clean thoroughly in advance, possibly set up additional ones if the cat doesn’t like going to the same litter tray again

One last tip: If you want to leave toys for the animals to play with, there should be no risk of them swallowing them. A ball of wool, for example, is completely unsuitable as the cat will continue to swallow threads or strings. In the worst case, it could choke or get an intestinal blockage in the absence of the owner.