You have cats. You’ll be away from home for days. What’s your plan for your cats’ health and safety? I asked friends online, “Whether you’re a cat professional, an experienced cat guardian, or a first-time cat guardian—one cat or many cats—we want your input, please!” I added: “Dogs might go to a boarding kennel, dogs might have a pet sitter who comes to your home, dogs might have friends or family who’ll take them in and care for them while you’re away. Cats, maybe not so much!”
I concluded: “The question here is: what’s your plan for your cat’s health and safety while you’re away for days? Please fill in as many details as you can; imagine you’re talking to a friend who’ll be leaving their cat/s for the first time (for work, vacation, hospital, whatever). Explain what you do, how it works for you and for your cat/s, and what you’d recommend.”
Their answers and suggestions are informative and encouraging.
Manolito Daniel (Washington) We have a friend who feeds and visits them a couple/few times a day. He’ll hang out at the house for a while when he does. We just make sure their supplies are well stocked. He’s wonderful and we honestly don’t know what we’d do without him. We also have a few cameras around the house so we can look in on them intermittently. We’re trying to write a ‘cat will,’ so in case something happens to us they will be taken care of.
Jenny Beard Biehunko (Alabama) I am very fortunate to have a wonderful close friend nearby whom my cats know and love. She and her family come by twice a day when I’m gone, to pet sit and hang with the critters. I also have interactive cameras set up all over the house, because I’m a paranoid mom.
Gay Waldman (Washington) We have a “cat-friend” list [of people] who know our cat. We check with one of them a month ahead to ask if they can visit daily. We have a meet-up with that friend before we leave and also leave detailed feeding instructions, cleaning and play notes, and emergency contact information. We occasionally bring back a trip memento for that friend. And we always acknowledge them with an art-card and a Trader Joe’s gift card. Once, we hired a gal who walks dogs in our neighborhood (after we found out she has cats and also watches cats). Did pay her rate. Cheers!
Photo by Gay Waldman
Deb Hunt (Washington) Depends on time away from home, but for a few days I fill bowls and water dispenser. I have awesome friends and neighbors who care and will check on them.
Em E Wolf (Vermont) Definitely find someone to stay with my cats. They are very social and used to people being around.
Amy Suggars (Ohio) Many people feel that because cats are more independent than dogs they can be left alone for several days with a clean litter box, a big bowl of water, and a mound of dry food. As a professional pet sitter, I know first hand the trouble cats can get into when left on their own! They can shut themselves in rooms, tip over the water bowl, over-indulge on the dry food and throw up. That’s why I recommend cats be visited at least once a day. Although some cats may not be overly friendly, they do appreciate seeing a human on a regular basis. They also deserve fresh water and a clean litter box. Imagine if the cat had a medical emergency and it wasn’t discovered until the owner came home days later? Daily visits by a pet sitter can help prevent an emergency from becoming a disaster.
Betsy Wilhelms (United Kingdom) My cat thinks everyone in the world is stupid, so I can leave her for a few days, and use the Amazon video interface and dispense snacks (whilst causing her anxiety because she thinks we are back). I can also turn on her favorite TV programs and chat through Alexa. She’s not a people, she’s a cat, and she likes to be solo.
Trish McMillan (North Carolina) I bring in a live-in pet sitter, so the only thing that changes for my cats is the person in the bed. I sometimes travel a lot, so I want my animals to be as comfortable as they can be.
Renée Lang Parker (Oregon) My cats are all gone, but when they were still with me, I had an agreement with my next-door neighbor who owned a dog. We always kept each other informed as to when we’d be away on vacation and I would watch and walk (and spoil) her dog, and she’d do the same with my cats, except she had a litter box to clean. Our fur babies were happier and better off staying in their familiar places.
Jacqueline Mason Munera (Florida) I have an excellent pet sitter! I have a senior, Jazzy Cat, that gets medication twice a day so [the pet sitter] comes twice. Occasionally I take Jazzy with me, when possible, because she likes to travel and meet new people. Then I still have my pet sitter come twice a day! Sometimes I am able to have a family member, neighbor, or friend come once a day and the pet sitter once. Back when I was a kid, we basically filled up a bunch of food and water and left. Sometimes a neighbor would come over and check on the cats. I can’t imagine doing that now. I would worry constantly. Yes, my pet sitter costs money, so I just have to budget that into travel expenses.
Karen Schlosberg (Massachusetts) I have wonderful neighbors who take care of Roo while I’m gone.
Sandee Strobel Szabo (Virginia) I used to hire pet sitters when I lived in NoVa, but now it is different. We have wonderful neighbors whom we trust with our pets. So, first we clean out the litter boxes the day we leave. We fill the food bowls to overflowing and leave a few bowls of water. Our neighbors come in to check on them daily and make sure that they still have food and/or add more, plus refresh or clean/refill their water bowls (we all know that some cats like to drop their dry food in their water). I don’t usually expect [the neighbors] to clean the litter boxes for just a few days but, if [we’ll be gone] longer, I ask if they are okay with doing it. We also leave a printout of instructions, our contact and travel information, the pets’ vet information (address, phone, etc.) and a copy of their vet records, as well as the name, address and phone number of the closest 24-hour emergency vet. We leave a signed authorization to seek veterinary care for them. On the authorization, we specify that if one or both cannot be saved, we wish for them to be kept until our return, if possible. If that is not possible, we wish to have them cremated. I did this even before I was a Professional Pet Sitter/Dog Walker—especially the signed vet authorization.
Trillium Schlosser (Washington) I don’t have cats anymore, but this is what I did. We had an automatic feeder for the dry food that holds seven days’ worth. Every day the part covering the food rotates and opens a new pocket, so they only get one meal’s worth of dry food. There are two for each cat; one rotates in the morning and one at dinner. We used these when we were at home, too, because it was easy and there was less yowling in the morning. For water, we had a gravity-fed waterer with a little pump to circulate the water. We also left the bathtub on a bit because, well, cats be cats. We also had a self-cleaning litter box that only needed to be emptied every three or four days. A few friends who were cat-approved would come over and feed wet food. The cats would mostly stay hidden in the bedroom, so the friends put the plates in there. They’d hang out for a half-hour or so and water the plants or garden, then check to see if the cats had been eating any of the wet food, sprinkle some catnip and wheat grass, and leave. We also left snacks and beverages for the friend in case they stopped on the way home from work and were hungry.
Wendi Helmick (Washington) My neighbors check in. I bought a slider insert with a cat door. One cat isn’t a fan, but the other handles it pretty well. I admit, it’s harder to leave them for more than three to four days, though.
Erika Deasy (Washington) As a disabled person, I have a lot of my cat maintenance automated to begin with—gravity feeder, self-scooping litter box, etc. If it’s a short period away from home (2–3 days), she is okay with her gravity feeder providing her kibble. This has been a great tool with her, as she does suffer from food insecurity due to her previous home. She doesn’t overeat, thankfully, so we can use that feeder full time. When we’re away, she just misses out on her special breakfast of wet food. Any absences longer than three days, we have given a key to a trusted cat friend who comes and checks on things. The cat probably hides (as she is fearful of strangers), but I want her to have the option of human contact in case she is in need of her regular scritches. Removing her from home and taking her to strange places causes her a tremendous amount of stress, fear, and anxiety, so boarding her outside of the home would be traumatic for her. And, in typical cat fashion, when we return home, she acts like she never even noticed our absence.
Victoria Day (Washington) I, thankfully, have so many friends who are animal lovers and also love my little girl. Tabitha’s aunts and uncles take turns taking care of her.
Karla Smele (United Kingdom) People employ me to look after them.
Lili Chin (California) We have a pet sitter who stays over for the entire time.
Alisha Ardiana (California) We joke that our cat believes that Susan, our cat sitter, is her real mom. We never book a trip until we see if Susan is available to stay at the house. Our cat is very shy, but we get daily photos of her snuggled up with Susan.
Marianne Good (Oregon) Always take her with me.
Marla Cooper (California) My cat is indoors. If it’s more than one night, my daughter comes by to feed her.
Jessie Wuerst (Washington) We have a wonderful friend who comes to stay at the house while we’re gone. Lulu doesn’t easily take to people but she loves Carrie and the feeling is mutual. We also have a “cheat sheet” with emergency numbers and a signed statement allowing the vet to treat Lulu if needed.
Jessica Theisen de Gonzalez (New York) As someone who is working towards being a certified cat behavior consultant, I recommend hiring someone knowledgeable to care for your cats, and maybe not just depending on someone to scoop litter and drop kibble in a bowl. I am familiar with cat body language, so I can shape my actions accordingly. I do provide sitting services and try to work on some behaviors, like getting a cat acclimated to a carrier, or working on shyness, as long as I’m there. We agree to a period of time spent, fee, and frequency, but I’ve certainly hung out longer with well-established clients. I send an email asking for local emergency contact, preferred vet and ER clinics, and information about the cat—how acquired, etc. I send photos and videos of training work, play, and activities their person(s) might enjoy seeing, like chattering while bird-watching at a window. And often dog trainers know who the cat behavior folks are, so check with them if you are looking.
Lonnie E Pearson (North Carolina) I have a neighbor/pet sitter who comes three times a day (more if needed) since I have a 17-year-old cat and a 10-year-old cat. She takes my older girl to the vet twice a week to get fluids, and she gives her medication twice a day. And of course she feeds them.
Leslie Woodfill (Washington) I have someone come in.
Lori Leah Monet DVM (Colorado) 24 hours? on their own. Two days? Check on them at least once. Three days? Twice-a-day check.
Teri Stripes (Washington) We use an electronic feeder. It feeds two meals a day and holds a week of food. We have automatic waterers and we deploy extra litter boxes if we are gone for more than three days.
Linda Finney (Washington) House sitter.
Jewels Eilmes-Daly (Washington) I’m out of town right now. I have been for over five weeks and have at least another week in Seattle. I’m very lucky—my sister and her family take turns going over to take care of my boys. The cats get fresh food and water and a clean litter box every day. Most importantly, my sister, BIK, and niece spend time with my cats. Lots of pets and love. I am truly grateful.
Kellie Sisson Snider (Pennsylvania) We have lovely neighbors who come over and feed and keep them company a couple of times a day.
Rebecca Cook (Washington) A house sitter who stays in my guest room while I’m away. I can’t imagine leaving them without someone for more than a night. My neighborhood is very noisy and my younger, formerly feral guy gets incredibly anxious around loud noises. Having a person there not reacting and remaining calm is important for him. His sister is pretty chill, but loves to be social. They both want to sleep with a big, warm body in bed—not too picky on whose, it seems!
Years ago, I was looking in on two cats who belonged to friends living a few blocks from me. I’d done my rounds of the house, checked feeders, waterers, litter boxes, and I was passing through the kitchen when I felt heat where no heat vents existed. I screeched to a halt and easily located the heat source, which was a stove burner, turned on by a cat or cats who’d somehow hit the controls by accident!
I turned the burner off, of course, and no damage was incurred. But imagine what could have happened before my friends returned home! It was a dangerous situation—an older stove in a vintage kitchen without all the modern safety measures.
My friends contacted the stove manufacturer and immediately purchased and installed new safety controls that made any future cat stove-climbing adventures no longer dangerous to the cats or to their home. Those cats and their humans were sure lucky that I’d stopped by to visit when I did, and I was very glad I had, too!
“Cats be cats,” says Trillium Schlosser. Be safe instead of being sorry!
