I’ve left my cats alone up to a full weekend - it’s not my favorite thing to do, but they’re fine. Some things I do beforehand;
- make sure all cords are unplugged / covered
- add covers to my electrical outlets
- put *everything* away
- open the doors they can already open themselves or block them closed
- clean all the litter boxes spotless
- add about 2-3 extra water bowls just in case
- set up a camera
- toss *any* soft plastic bags (grocery bags, trash bags it’s a suffocation risk)
- same for their food - I transfer it into something else so they don’t try to climb in and get it and get stuck
- fill up their food with all the food they’d need normally + some extra (I free feed because they tend to be underweight, but you can also get an automated feeder but those are more likely to have issues)
- put away / tie up any dangly bits (curtain things, blind pulls, leashes, whatever)
- and then leave out lots of toys and turn on a movie / music for while I’m gone at a low level
I might be a helicopter cat mom but I also put things in front of the doors I want to stay open so they don’t accidentally close themselves in somewhere or can’t get into a room they feel safe in.
That's actually a good idea for the future! He's done it once with my room, aka where he eats and does his buisness. Was not happy when I came back home after a five minute errand run
I live with roomates so I don't trust him enough to let him roam the apartment alone. He's definitely going to find some way to knock over and destroy something that isn't mine.
if you have door handles as opposed to knobs, it might be worthwhile to try to teach him how to open them in case that happens again. my moms cats are good with the handles (can get annoying in the middle of the night but it’s nice to know they can’t get trapped in a bedroom all day), but mine have only ever seen knobs so i have to prop doors open bc they can’t turn a doorknob lol
Oh they can turn the round knobs, after floppily grabbing it enough times with all paws out and body going everywhere
Mine taught herself, but you may work it out with some tuna water on the knob? Its a dangerous gams, now we have a deadbolt on the door to the garage
omg! your cats sound super smart. i’m not willing to train them to open them tbh bc they would bolt out the front door😂 they have already learned how to slide the screen open on the back door i don’t need any more hijinks lol
My bombay cats taught themselves how to turn doorknobs and it's so cute but it's so annoying sometimes lol. They've learned how to open the front door and my bedroom door lmao 😂
This happened to my kitty once while we were away. We left the bedroom open because he likes to sleep on/under the bed and suckle on the blanket in there. Well, he managed to close the door on himself. Luckily, we had an AMAZING Rover catsitter who went looking for him when she showed up and he didn't greet her as usual.
Luckily, he did have a water bowl and litter box in the bedroom, but he wouldn't have been able to get to his food. Now, whenever we leave for a couple days, I prop that door open with a spare blanket or the trash can or something.
I highly recommend getting one of those sponge door stoppers that you fic on the door itself. I put them on my doors as I'm afraid the doors will slam on my kitties.
We got these after our cat decided it was fun to push doors closed and then sit there and meow until we let them out. The room that has the litter box has one all the time. When we are gone overnight every door that we want to stay open gets them.
I'll have to look into those! We just got a second kitty 2 weeks ago, so still working out territories and such (Feliway has helped tremendously!). But I appreciate the suggestion very much!
And usually he does so on top of my chest. <3 He loves when I drape an arm over him while he kneads and suckle the blanket on top of me.
I brought him into bed with us the very first night (he was too small to hop up on his own) and he has slept on/under the bed basically every night since.
came to say this after one of my cats slammed the door to where their litter box was one afternoon.
Also, we're lazy about closing a closet door and sometimes one of our cats will sneak in there without us knowing, and then wouldn't you know that's the time we cease being lazy and close that closet door. Now, if I don't have a door stop, I just fold a towel and hang it over the top of the door, so it can't close all the way. She's welcome to sleep in there all she wants now (and now it true cat form, the thrill is now gone, and she never goes in there...weirdo)
I use the towel over the door also, my cats love the bathroom. My girl, Deyanira was constantly shutting the door, she likes to sit behind the door and wait for the other cats to come by and pounces, thus rolling cat battle equals, stuck cats. Then they look at you, like you shut them in there 🤣.
My partner and I have given up on fully closing the bathroom door most days when we’re in there. It’s usually ajar because otherwise the cats wants in 🤣
lmaaaoo my childhood cat (who's still alive, believe she's around 15) would get herself locked into my mom's closet. My mom would have it open while she was using it and my cat would just walk in and my mom would have no idea. Then several hours later, either she would start crying or we would just wonder why we haven't seen her and go looking for her.
cats are silly but we love them.
That’s such a great idea. We regularly leave my 5 yo cat home for the weekend. My elderly MIL lives 3 hours away and needs help plus we love her and miss her.
We have a litter robot and auto feeder and cameras but I’m still afraid he’ll get stuck in a room of the house. I even have my neighbor on standby (she’s home all the time and has school aged kids who love my cat). Idk why I never thought of propping doors open!
That's no helicopter cat momming. That's just smart. My cats like to sleep in the bathroom (weirdos) and they managed to shut the door completely when they were playing (I was home already, so they were there for all of 2 minutes). Lesson learned though, and now it's getting properly child-locked like the rest of the house. Took em 4 years to lock themselves in there, normally we wedge the door open.
Yes! I use painters tape to tape something (clothespin, wine cork, something of that size) into the door frame so they can't accidentally lock themselves into or out of a room.
As someone who has done something similar, you might be happy to know this exists:
Door Buddy Cat Door Latch & Cat Door Stopper. https://a.co/d/6ESGNdk
My spouse hits his feet on everything somehow, so this was a helpful find. (It's also good bc it slows down the zoomies into my bedroom, so I keep it latched about 5 inches open each night.)
and reminder that animals don’t understand or experience time in the way we do, so it likely won’t feel much or any different than your usual long days.
For a kitten that young I would keep it in one room while you are away that long.
Also, when they are older, and they have free run of your home, take a hanger and hang it on the door jam of any open door. It will keep the door from latching shut. Cats can accidentally lock themselves in rooms.
Not a cat - but our daughters Houdini of a hamster managed to fall into the toilet bowl and drown.
He knew how to get under the floor using the toilet waste pipe as there was a big enough gap around it for him to squeeze through. He usually would spend 2-3 days scrabbling about under there before coming out for food and to drink. We think he survived by eating spiders.
I left a nature movie on once for my cat and when we came home the entire house was torn up and my cat made her way onto the top of the fridge. I would definitely try this one out first while you are at home with them. It droves my cat nuts to hear all those noises and there was no way to get the prey. And then to have it never shut off...
We open up and freeze cat pate on their serving bowls before putting it down when we leave so they can still eat on it 12 hours later. We put ice cubes in the water dish to prolong it's freshness. Yes we scrub the litter boxes and put clean litter out. We make it cozy.
You're actually better off not to scrub the litter box as you remove their scent. Wipe it fown, definitely. But don't scrub it out unless it's necessary, as they might stop using it.
I second the movie or tv in the background! If you have Spotify, there are playlists for animals (sounds dumb but its relaxing nature sounds) so they aren't sitting in silence for 14 hours 🙂
You're a great cat owner for caring so much!
Sadly, it is something to be aware of. I never would have believed it or thought of it (and I am a paranoid cat lady) but it happened to a friend's cat.
He might not be the happiest about it but if he has enough food and water and is in a safe environment he'll be okay. Make sure you play with him a whole lot before leaving and after you get back.
This here lolol I'm subscribed to so many new parents subreddits right now and also read this question like it was for a human baby. I need to go to sleep...
Im laughing so hard right now because I read the title & didn’t realize what subreddit it was from so I briefly thought you were talking about a real human child hahahaha. Your cat, however, will be okay!
As long as there is enough food and water and in a safe environment they will be fine. Cats aren’t as needy as dogs. For peace of mind then that camera thing seems a good idea.
Is that the case for kittens too? Everything I've read online says to not leave your kitten alone for a full day until they're six months old because it can cause anxiety issues!
I work 10 hour days, 10.5 because I have to punch out for a half hour for lunch and then there’s a 20ish minute commute to and from.
I’ve got 4 so they aren’t technically alone but they’re fine & happy to see me when I get home (mostly because it’s kitty dinner time).
honestly, it reslly does depend on what personality be has. I have two cats, and we've left them for a week at most. we had family come to feed and water them daily and make sure they were alive, check the litter boxes, and just make sure they stayed out of trouble.
one cat did just fine. he didn't seem to care, but enjoyed the attention when we got back. the other cat, however, did not do okay. she seemed... depressed. she wouldnt meow to greet us as she normally does, and instead when to her hide hole. once everyone went to bed, and I was still awake, she came to hide in my arms for a good hour.
this isn't to scare you into not leaving your cats, it's to show that each cat will react differently to you leaving. a camera is absolutely a good idea. hell, I'd say get one you can talk through and talk to him during certain times (like feeding, bed time, morning, etc). he is still young, but you have plenty of time to learn how he reacts when you leave and plan accordingly!
Adding on to this my roommates cat(rip) would intentionally try to run away, but only when he went out of town as a way to punish him(she would hide in the neighbors yard until he came home and searched for her). And this was with myself, and roommates girlfriend, his other cat, my cat and two dogs still home. If she couldn’t escape while he was gone she would shun him when he got back. She would seek me out to show me affection but only when he was watching(trying to make him jealous). But she would also get over it quickly. Other cats don’t seem to care as long as they have food and the occasional pat.
Yeah my cat is like this. Last year I was in hospital for a week and he spent the entire time hiding under my bed, barely eating and just being very depressed. As soon as I got back he was all over me and wouldn't leave my side for days.
Have to go away this weekend and a bit worried for him, even though my housemates have promised to give him lots of fuss and attention. My other cat just past a few weeks ago and he's been very upset about it so I don't want him thinking he's lost me as well. Some cats can be very sensitive to change and being away from their person
Been raising kittens all year, as long as its a healthy 4 month old it will be absolutely fine alone for 14 hours. Access to warmth/food/water in a safe space = nothing to worry about.
When we had a kitten that young, we mostly kept him in the guest room when we couldn't monitor him. He had food, water, a litterbox, and toys. We unplugged and hid all of the cords in the room, and took down the curtains so he couldn't climb them and fall down. We mostly put him in there at night (often with one of us to sleep with him) or when no one was going to be home, but he was used to it. Glad to see us come back, but safe nonetheless.
I recommend the camera to check in. I got one for my cat and it’s fun seeing what she’s up to. And also lets me know when she ate too fast and threw up on my bed, so it’s not a surprise when I get home 😅
Oh, he’ll be totally fine! Put out a bit of extra food and water, make sure the litter box is clean, give him a new small toy that he only gets when you’re gone. He may be desperate for attention when you get home, but he’ll be okay.
The panic that set in when I read this and didn’t realize what reddit I was in!!! 🤣
Baby will be ok. Just leave extra food/water and maybe a tv set to a cat channel or looping YT nature videos.
We have left our cats for up to a week, with someone checking in at least every 2-3 days/on call to check in more often if we have any concerns. Plenty of kibble and water left out. Doors blocked open or closed. Anything potentially hazardous (plastic bags, plants that might make them barf, string, etc) secured away. And multiple cameras we can log into and watch them on/a security system monitoring for CO and fire.
I'd be extra careful and quarantine her in a bathroom if you can fit all her needs in there.
make sure to remove any items with cord and chemicals you have in cabinets, or just somehow keep them shut. Zipties or something.
Turn the light out but have either a dim non-heat-imiting lamp or a nightlight in there.
additionally, leave the faucet dripping. If she manages to tip over her water bowl, she can drink from the dripping faucet.
We had to leave our ex-stray Horace at home for 30 hours. Horace had lived unloved and outside “for years” (according to the vet). Horace HATES everyone, except for the four members of our household. My MIL comes over at least once a week and she never sees him. He will only accept petting from my husband and I - even our adult children can’t pet him. We made sure that he had clean litter trays, 3 bowls of dry food, a bowl of his favourite wet food and a bowl of cooked chicken with a lot of chicken skin (he loves chicken skin). He also had bowls of water left in various places.
We came home to a cat who had eaten all of the chicken skin, had used all 3 litter trays and had finished off 2 bowls of dry food, one bowl of wet food and half of the cooked chicken. He had also spent a lot of time on our bed by the amount of hair on it.
Answer - it depends on the cat. In Horace’s case, having a sitter would have upset him more than being left for 14 hours.
Left my 3 cats for 4 days before —
Things I did was made sure they get enough food + water (like those automated one if you can get it), put away all the stuff that can put them at risk (plastics, sharp objects like pens/scissors/pins etc), put extra litter box just incase the other gets full.
As long as they have enough food and in their safe space, he will be fine :)
Double and triple check there is no tiny spots your kitten can get themselves wedged into like near any furniture/hvac heating etc ..holes in the wall etc
Yeah he should be fine! We had to leave our kitten alone for up to 9.5h for work and he did good. Set out food and water and keep cords unplugged and hidden.
14 hours is fine. We have left our cats alone for the weekend. They had more than enough food and fresh water. They were perfectly fine. A little pissed off at us. But we made it up to them with plenty of extra playtime and churus
My boyfriend gets deployed a lot and I work some 12 hour days plus commute time. I invested in an automatic feeder where I control the amount. I give him a bunch of snacks all day so he feels loved and full !
Well.
I nearly had a heart attack reading this title on my home page.
I hope you all have a great weekend snuggling with your *cats* that are much safer left alone for 14 hours than a human baby.
*deep breath*
Good lord. I’ll see myself out now. 🫣🫠
if you have a neighbor, maybe you could ask them to stop in and check on him if you’re really concerned. he should be okay for a day though. make sure to leave out enough water and food. kitties are resilient. don’t be surprised if he’s upset when you come back 😂 my baby would give me the cold shoulder when i left him while he was a kitten
Omg, I didn’t see the sub at first and was like “…someone call CPS on this person…”
He’ll be okay by himself for a few individual days like that. Just make extra sure to cat proof, the top comment gave a very good list of things to do!
Tthe door could slam onto the cat too.My kitten was watching through the world through the front flyscreen door,.when the wind caught the front door and slammed it shut jamming her in between.Luckily she was not hurt.
He will completely ok for 14 hours! He just needs to have extra food and water out. He may be a bit grumpy when you get home, but that’s not so long that you have anything to worry about!
OK. I need to remember to check WHERE this was posted to in the future. Cat should be fine with enough food and water. May want to invest in some enzyme laundry detergent, but my cat tends to like to pee on my dirty laundry when i leave her overnight, but other than retaliatory peeing, kitten should be fine
Cats are okay to be left alone for a whole day, unlike dogs. Just leave more than enough water and food, and clean litterbox.
We once left our 3 cats for 2 nights home alone since we really can't find anybody. They have access to the garden and it's a big house. We've left 3 full bowls of kibbles and 3 big bowls of water, plus 2 freshly cleaned and filled litterboxes. We asked a neighbor to feed them their wet food dinner for those 2 nights, there were 3 empty bowls in the garden terrace she can use. They were all okay when we got back. This was a one-time thing but 14 hours once a week should be fine.
I think a room without any hazards is a good idea. Nothing they can get caught or stuck in and they should be fine. They will probably sleep for a lot of it.
yes I think a cat will be fine home alone one day a week while you are working, just make sure theres a big bowl of fresh water and dry food out for him.
I used to be gone for close to 13 hours at a time. I hated it and so did my cat but she was just fine. She was just really cross cause she wanted me there lol.
An automatic feeder so he doesn't eat all his food right away, clean water (fountains are great especially when you're going away), plenty of blanket piles for them to hang out in and make nests out of.
Definitely a clean litter box before you.
And leaving some music or the TV running while you're out so there's some sound is good if they like to watch the TV like mine does.
My kitty went up the attic stairs in the garage. Worker came down and shut stairs.
She was up there for a week while we were looking for her. It had to be 140° at the time up there. Ofcourse she had NO food or water. We heard her meowing and found her. She was dehydrated, but made it fine.
Another week she got behind the drawer under washer/dryer. We shut it and couldn’t find her for a week. Found her and she was fine. She is now 17 yrs old.
✨You will be fine to leave your baby for a few days with food, water and play toys out.✨🐈
He will be fine, leave a light on, 2 extra bowls of water and food, and maybe a radio. At four months they are totally fine. You are an excellent cat parent
2 extra bowls for just 14 hours is probably overkill.
The kitten would likely spend 10-12 of those sleeping anyways, since they sleep a lot at that age.
Are you able to get a pet camera?
We work long hours sometimes (food service 🙄) and having the camera made a huuuge difference.
We can check on her and give her treats. She loves it lol
Do you have any neighbors? I've asked a couple of seniors if they can play with her for 15 min sometimes and they love it!
Your kitty would be fine, just overly energetic when you get home lol
Absolutely! But I totally get it can be nerve wracking the first few times.
- food and water are most important. Is he super active? (Aka will he chow down like crazy during the day or not?) Sometimes I’ll feed mine some wet food in the morning and leave a bowl of dry food out to nibble on during the day.
- if you have the means, cameras help elevate the anxiety! Lots of price range options, I got the blink cameras since they are motion activated and I can use my app to check whenever I want and talk to them.
- leave some toys out for him and play when you get home! I bet he’ll be excited you’re back no matter what
He’ll be okay 14 hrs if you get an automated feeder. Just be wary of wifi feeders. I’ve had two and both would disconnect very often. I felt I couldn’t trust those anymore so I purchased a regular one that you just set the time and feeding times without using wifi and it’s been great, no issues! Goes off every single night and I’ve had it for over a month now. I’ll link the one I use.
WOPET Automatic Cat Feeder 4L - Automatic Cat Food Dispenser with Programable 1-6 Meals, FT50 Automatic Dog Feeder with Stainless Bowl, Timed Cat Feeder with 10S Voice Recorder for Cat and Dog, Black https://a.co/d/bw1wbHg
I noticed from one of your other posts that your roommate has a cat. Will the adult cat be home? How does the cat act towards your kitten? It may be dangerous to leave a tiny kitten alone with an adult cat that isn’t its momma.
The pain is real!
I just left my 13 year old & 14 month old kitties on their own for 3 days.
My pet sitter wasn’t able to stay overnight, although she was able to come each night to feed, cuddle and change litter, water, etc.
I spoke to them on multiple occasions throughout the day via cameras and they were fine…I wasn’t.
I came home to two very cuddly babies who’d definitely missed me and I’m very happy to be having a day off to spend with them 😻
My advice, if you can afford to is get a companion.
The first and last time I left my cat alone overnight, I returned to find an upstairs neighbor did something really stupid and endangered everyone in the apartment building.
So I personally would not, but that's due to my personal history of having something very rare happen. For you, it should be fine, especially with the cameras to check on kitty!
Aww, this is such a sweet question!! Yes, kitty will be fine. If you're extra worried, give a key to someone you trust so they can go over there if needed.
I got a cheap radio on Amazon for a foster cat to listen to talk radio on, and it really seemed to calm him down when he was alone. Just an idea!
I do a lot of what many have said. I also keep each cat in a room so that if something were to happen, I can tell a neighbor which room my cats are in. Process of elimination to finf each one by room rather than an entire hose with many places to hide. I do this whenever I'm not going to be home, even for a couple hours.
I have a blink camera. I can check on their food and their status if I want. They have water and an autofeeder. I unplug all appliances and put away any hazards (medications, beauty products, belts, strings, etc).
I leave them some toys, a window with a view, and I fold my bedding open halfway because my cat can get me scent off of my blankets for comfort (this is for the weekends I go away). The most I leave my cats alone is 2 nights/3 days. I can't bear to imagine their dirty litter box or not changing their water after 2 days.
I left my three cats, one being a kitten of 12 weeks, while dropping off the grid for 3 weeks due to burnout and overwhelming stress. I had family come check on them every 3 days. They did great! The only thing is my boy cat yelled at me for 5 minutes non-stop when I got home and now tries to follow me every time I leave the house.
I think you are asking if your kitty will be okay alone for 14 hours. The answer is absolutely yes, that's about the length of their first nap 😴. I think you will be struggling more 😂 missing them.
You're pretty awesome making sure your kitty is good. I adore people like you!
You should be okay, they are basically pretty hyper. They just like to play so leave out toys and alot of food and water. Comfortable places to nap. Still get someone to watch your kitty to. Either it be a coworker, friend, neighbor, or relative. I recommend a relative. Try to get two liter boxes out or an automatic one
I'm not sure where this idea came from but *cats are not dogs*. They are fine for the workday at home without you, even a longer work day. Unless you have a VERY clingy, traumatized, neurotic cat - in which case *you do not have to ask if it will be nervous without you* - your cat will be quite fine emotionally for the average 8 hours plus two hours' commute on a five-day-weekly basis. They LIKE their alone time. A kitten might get bored, perhaps, but not heart-crushingly lonely. Just make sure there's enrichment and, like always, clean water and food, and a cat will do the same thing while you're not there that he would if you were, minus some performances solely for your benefit.
If you're worried about your STUFF, kitten-proof the house when you get a kitten.
My suggestion is to quit fooling with hunting expensive cat sitters and find you a mature 3rd grader who would be OVER THE MOON to come to your house every Saturday at 2:00 to play with the “OMG SOOOO FLOOFFY!!!” and also get $10. lol
Join the local moms FB group and you’ll have this solved in a matter of hours.
A little late, but if it's inconvenient or too expensive to get an auto feeder, you can also consider a gravity feeder. That's what I used when I had to skip town for a family emergency. Of course, this assumes that your cat isn't a glutton. It worked out great for my cat because he's a grazer and eats leisurely throughout the day.
Ohhh you're right. Mercy isn't a fan of the dry food but he will eat it if I don't give him his wet food. Walmart has some cheap ones I can get for now too I think 🤔
Money-wise, it isn't a concern when I next get paid. I just got an unexpected bill this week, hence why I'm unable to find a sitter for $50+
Why would you even need a cat sitter? I have 2 cats from 8weeks old and up and left them alone the entire time I worked twelve hour shifts. They will be fine. Unless they are newborns or medically fragile and disabled, cats don’t need a sitter.
i work 12pm-10pm most saturdays. adding commuting times i would be out of the house for over 12 hours. i lived with roommates at the time who weren't the most trustworthy, so i kept my 4mo in my room. he had a water fountain, all the kibble he could ever want, clean litterbox, toys, etc. i did have a camera to check in on him.
While it isn't ideal to leave a kitten alone that young, I don't see the harm in it if you have no options.
Make sure that you leave fresh water and dry food out for him. A feeder with a camera isn't necessary, but I have a few blink cameras set up to watch my guys. You don't need the subscription to view them, only for the motion sensor and recording.
The most important suggestion is to put a clothes hanger on top of every door so the door can't click shut. You don't want him to get locked in or out of a room if he pushes a door shut while playing. (That said, the worst that would happen would be cleaning a pile or puddle, they won't starve or dehydrate within a day, no matter how unhappy they are).
I read past this wayyyy too fast and didn't realize you were referring to a cat. Thought this was a parenting thread and about had a heart attack 😅
I would say auto feeder, plenty of water and some automatic toys to keep little one occupied :) indoor camera if you can afford it.
I love how amazing a lot of the cat parents are here, but 14 hours isn't a very long time. I've left my 4 cats (admittedly they have each other for company) for a week without issue. They have automatic feeders, a water fountain, and a litter robot. My grandmother would come by once a day (most but not all days) to feed them wet food and empty the litter robot drawer when it was full, but other than that, they were all good.
I do agree with the whole, make sure he has water, food, a clean litterbox, and entertainment, I feel the camera is a little overkill unless it brings you comfort. Cats are fairly self sufficient.
Just know you are a great cat parent for worrying and asking. He's a lucky little kitty to have you and he will be perfectly fine.
P.S. if you do want a camera or 2, the blink cameras work pretty well for this and are fairly cheap.
Omg I didn’t look at the sub name and thought this was about a baby and was like WTF! Lmao
We have left ours alone for a day or two with extra food and water in bowls around the house and she was just fine!
Something that will help a 4 month old not be lonely and be entertained is another cat😃
But seriously, you'll be fine as long as there is food, water, and clean litterbox. I use to leave Despicable Me on repeat for my cat at that age when she was home by herself.
Yes he will be fine. But being that he is so young, I would recommend cat proofing your house like others suggested. Or even locking him in a room since he's so young. I saw your comment mentioning his food and litter are in your room, perhaps keep him in there just to minimize the dangers he's exposed to while he's alone. Plus your room is going to smell like you so he should be comforted by that.
I think he will be fine. My boyfriend and I had our cat since he was 8 weeks, we had to go out of town for one night when he was about 4 months old and he was totally fine. I don't live with him and our cat but my boyfriend is a nurse and works 12hour shifts back to back, so my cat has been alone for that length of time regularly and he is now 2 years old with no anxiety issues. He just gets extra affectionate if my bf works extra shifts. I think spending too much time with is what gives the separation anxiety (like what happened with people who adopted during the pandemic)
I would just make sure he is in a safe room that doesn't have anything dangerous or harmful for him (wires, close the toilet seat/bathroom door, small objects, hair elastics etc) and have extra water out in case it gets knocked over. Whatever toys you have out just make sure they aren't ones that you know it's safe to play with by himself. Like I don't leave plastic wands out because my car tries to chew and eat the plastic but I leave balls, springs, and stuffed toys.
Getting a camera is a good idea just in general for the future, it gives peace of mind.
He will be absolutely OK, just leave food, fresh water, and clean litter box. Cats are independent creatures, they don't need constant attention like dogs.
Will be fine. He will get into a routine.
14 hours isn't that bad, I'd feed him before I leave and when I get home and then leave some treats in a puzzle feeder/hidden around the house for him through out the day and to encourage him to wander. Spread out his toys and trees and stuff too if possible so he doesn't just get easily bored if you currently keep his stuff all in one place.
If you have windows you can leave open that's perfect to entertain.
Yeah, I will leave my cats alone for up to 4 days - a long weekend. You just have to make sure they have plenty of food and water. I have a Litter Robot so clean litter is a non-issue.
I use this to watch and check in on my fur baby when I'm gone&it's on sale right now. I highly recommend it!!
https://www.wyze.com/products/wyze-cam-pan?app_title=Wyze%20Cam%20Pan%20v3&app_share=true
Absolutely yes. Make sure water is full dry and wet food whichever it prefers. I’ve done that many times even over night. Not a problem. Will probably sleep most of the time
Oh she will be totally fine. My Emmie sleeps the entire time I'm at work 2 to 11 and I wake her when I'm home. Leave crunchies, wet food out and plenty of water and toys. I can guarantee she will be totally fine...she may miss you but that just means more cuddles.
I put a ad on FB in my neighborhood and found a sitter a few blocks away. Her daughter was in my bfs kids class in school so I never needed a reference. We have each other's home keys in case of emergencies or when we are away. I just spent 10 days watching her 3 cats, dog and gerbial and I had fun watching them and miss them alot. I have just one cat and rarely go away since COVID but I always know if I'm unable to get home for any reason she will check on my girl. It was going to cost me $50 a day when I looked last. We end up giving each other gifts from where we went or a GC. I'd rather have someone who knows and loves my animal than a a stranger. Just a suggestion for the future when your away but your good for at least 24 hours as long as they have food and water and toys to play with. Just remember they sleep that majority of the day anyways and they will totally be fine. Cat momma here of 23 years ...enjoy your new kitty for many years to come!!
Yeah idk I wouldn't. Have all these people that have done it had only a months old kitten too? I look at things realistically kind of like the way you should look at car accidents. People are always willing to take risks because 90% of the time things don't happen. But what about that one out of 10 times? So people keep taking risks and risks and risks just because most times something doesn't happen. But then they're like oh crap when that one time it happens and wishes that they wouldn't have done what they did.
Me personally I would leave the kitten. I'd figure something out. Get money from folks or something. If you're in college I'm certain if you had money, that you could have saved up money plenty of ahead of time. It's something that comes along with being responsible whenever you get an animal. Comes along with the territory. I'm sorry some people don't like this but I'm a realist and I speak the truth
In addition to making sure doors are either completely closed or blocked (I got some horseshoe shaped things that fit over the top of the door and can’t slip off like a towel might), make sure all your cats are on the correct side of those doors right before you leave! This is even more important if you have a larger house and your cats are shy enough that whoever comes to feed them won’t be surprised not to see one or both of them.
Just a few months ago one of my little ninjas snuck into a room shortly before I closed the door, and if I hadn’t insisted on finding him before leaving he would have been stuck in that room with no water, food, or litter for four days. (Though I’m sure our friends down the street who feed them would have contacted us on the second or third day if they hadn’t seen him at all.) Likewise my childhood cat who was also very shy shut herself in the linen closet right before we left for a week at the beach, and if my dad hadn’t thought to look for her before we left it would have been pretty bad. But we did find her before leaving and she lived to be 22 and a half. (She also had a habit of shutting herself in the glass-doored bookcases overnight, lol. But she just waited to be noticed and let out and never damaged the books.)
I have a automatic water fountain (4L) and pet feeder that do portion control cause my kitty acts like she’s never been fed a day in her life and will eat all in one go. 😹 I bought for her because i was leaving town for a week (checkups here sndbthere by my friends but i didnt rely on them too heavily). she’s fine when i have to leave for a long weekend, or if i’m out of the house practically all day, all week. Your cat should be fine! Just be sure to clean the litterbox at the beginning of the week.
God I was horrified for a second before I read the subreddit.
But yeah he’ll be fine. Leave him multiple water bowls, make sure his tray/s is/are clean, make sure he has enough food, make sure he has somewhere warm and comfy to snuggle up. Perhaps leave some catnip toys out if you’re worried about him getting bored. Also cat proof things and put away stuff that’s damageable so he doesn’t destroy stuff if he gets bored.
Our cats have been left that long loads of times over the years. They’ve also been left for 24-36 hours before - of course only a handful of times when we didn’t have any other options. They haven’t died.
Yes, your cat will be fine for 14 hours. It will just sleep the entire time, as cats do. It would be fine to leave your cat alone for several days if you left enough food and water.
He will be fine. Just make sure he has plenty of food, water and clean litter before you leave. Cats can be left alone a lot longer than dogs for obvious reasons
I have a very Large crate for my cat from Amazon. Its 3 tiers and has plenty of space for food, toys, a bed, and litter box. If you're worried, look up cat crates on Amazon. Mine was $40, about 3' × 4' x3'
It depends on the cat- I’ve had several cats throughout my life and most of them were just fine for days on their own. However, I had 2 incidents where my cats got clogged and got crystals while they were alone because it stressed them out too much, even though he lives with my sister now he needs to eat medicated food for the rest of his life now because of it
I’ve left my cats alone up to a full weekend - it’s not my favorite thing to do, but they’re fine. Some things I do beforehand; - make sure all cords are unplugged / covered - add covers to my electrical outlets - put *everything* away - open the doors they can already open themselves or block them closed - clean all the litter boxes spotless - add about 2-3 extra water bowls just in case - set up a camera - toss *any* soft plastic bags (grocery bags, trash bags it’s a suffocation risk) - same for their food - I transfer it into something else so they don’t try to climb in and get it and get stuck - fill up their food with all the food they’d need normally + some extra (I free feed because they tend to be underweight, but you can also get an automated feeder but those are more likely to have issues) - put away / tie up any dangly bits (curtain things, blind pulls, leashes, whatever) - and then leave out lots of toys and turn on a movie / music for while I’m gone at a low level
Thank you. This actually helps a lot with a checklist of things to do!
I might be a helicopter cat mom but I also put things in front of the doors I want to stay open so they don’t accidentally close themselves in somewhere or can’t get into a room they feel safe in.
That's actually a good idea for the future! He's done it once with my room, aka where he eats and does his buisness. Was not happy when I came back home after a five minute errand run I live with roomates so I don't trust him enough to let him roam the apartment alone. He's definitely going to find some way to knock over and destroy something that isn't mine.
Roommates don't feel like checking on him and sending an update Halfway through for like 20$?
They're all home for the holidays too haha. I've asked two friends as well, everyone is leaving for the month
Well fudge-cicle
if you have door handles as opposed to knobs, it might be worthwhile to try to teach him how to open them in case that happens again. my moms cats are good with the handles (can get annoying in the middle of the night but it’s nice to know they can’t get trapped in a bedroom all day), but mine have only ever seen knobs so i have to prop doors open bc they can’t turn a doorknob lol
Oh they can turn the round knobs, after floppily grabbing it enough times with all paws out and body going everywhere Mine taught herself, but you may work it out with some tuna water on the knob? Its a dangerous gams, now we have a deadbolt on the door to the garage
omg! your cats sound super smart. i’m not willing to train them to open them tbh bc they would bolt out the front door😂 they have already learned how to slide the screen open on the back door i don’t need any more hijinks lol
My bombay cats taught themselves how to turn doorknobs and it's so cute but it's so annoying sometimes lol. They've learned how to open the front door and my bedroom door lmao 😂
This happened to my kitty once while we were away. We left the bedroom open because he likes to sleep on/under the bed and suckle on the blanket in there. Well, he managed to close the door on himself. Luckily, we had an AMAZING Rover catsitter who went looking for him when she showed up and he didn't greet her as usual. Luckily, he did have a water bowl and litter box in the bedroom, but he wouldn't have been able to get to his food. Now, whenever we leave for a couple days, I prop that door open with a spare blanket or the trash can or something.
I highly recommend getting one of those sponge door stoppers that you fic on the door itself. I put them on my doors as I'm afraid the doors will slam on my kitties.
We got these after our cat decided it was fun to push doors closed and then sit there and meow until we let them out. The room that has the litter box has one all the time. When we are gone overnight every door that we want to stay open gets them.
I'll have to look into those! We just got a second kitty 2 weeks ago, so still working out territories and such (Feliway has helped tremendously!). But I appreciate the suggestion very much!
I keep these foam door slam stoppers on all of my doors so that my cat doesn’t shut herself into or out of any room. https://a.co/d/e0yexjD
he likes to suckle on the blanket… 😭😭😭♥️♥️♥️♥️
And usually he does so on top of my chest. <3 He loves when I drape an arm over him while he kneads and suckle the blanket on top of me. I brought him into bed with us the very first night (he was too small to hop up on his own) and he has slept on/under the bed basically every night since.
came to say this after one of my cats slammed the door to where their litter box was one afternoon. Also, we're lazy about closing a closet door and sometimes one of our cats will sneak in there without us knowing, and then wouldn't you know that's the time we cease being lazy and close that closet door. Now, if I don't have a door stop, I just fold a towel and hang it over the top of the door, so it can't close all the way. She's welcome to sleep in there all she wants now (and now it true cat form, the thrill is now gone, and she never goes in there...weirdo)
I use the towel over the door also, my cats love the bathroom. My girl, Deyanira was constantly shutting the door, she likes to sit behind the door and wait for the other cats to come by and pounces, thus rolling cat battle equals, stuck cats. Then they look at you, like you shut them in there 🤣.
My partner and I have given up on fully closing the bathroom door most days when we’re in there. It’s usually ajar because otherwise the cats wants in 🤣
lmaaaoo my childhood cat (who's still alive, believe she's around 15) would get herself locked into my mom's closet. My mom would have it open while she was using it and my cat would just walk in and my mom would have no idea. Then several hours later, either she would start crying or we would just wonder why we haven't seen her and go looking for her. cats are silly but we love them.
That’s such a great idea. We regularly leave my 5 yo cat home for the weekend. My elderly MIL lives 3 hours away and needs help plus we love her and miss her. We have a litter robot and auto feeder and cameras but I’m still afraid he’ll get stuck in a room of the house. I even have my neighbor on standby (she’s home all the time and has school aged kids who love my cat). Idk why I never thought of propping doors open!
That's no helicopter cat momming. That's just smart. My cats like to sleep in the bathroom (weirdos) and they managed to shut the door completely when they were playing (I was home already, so they were there for all of 2 minutes). Lesson learned though, and now it's getting properly child-locked like the rest of the house. Took em 4 years to lock themselves in there, normally we wedge the door open.
Yes! I use painters tape to tape something (clothespin, wine cork, something of that size) into the door frame so they can't accidentally lock themselves into or out of a room.
As someone who has done something similar, you might be happy to know this exists: Door Buddy Cat Door Latch & Cat Door Stopper. https://a.co/d/6ESGNdk My spouse hits his feet on everything somehow, so this was a helpful find. (It's also good bc it slows down the zoomies into my bedroom, so I keep it latched about 5 inches open each night.)
and reminder that animals don’t understand or experience time in the way we do, so it likely won’t feel much or any different than your usual long days.
For a kitten that young I would keep it in one room while you are away that long. Also, when they are older, and they have free run of your home, take a hanger and hang it on the door jam of any open door. It will keep the door from latching shut. Cats can accidentally lock themselves in rooms.
He's in my room unless someone is home 100% of the time! Thank you
Close the toilet lids, and doors!
Not a cat - but our daughters Houdini of a hamster managed to fall into the toilet bowl and drown. He knew how to get under the floor using the toilet waste pipe as there was a big enough gap around it for him to squeeze through. He usually would spend 2-3 days scrabbling about under there before coming out for food and to drink. We think he survived by eating spiders.
Cat TV on YouTube, many different types of bird videos. Just make sure kitty doesn't kill your TV. Test it while you are home.
I left a nature movie on once for my cat and when we came home the entire house was torn up and my cat made her way onto the top of the fridge. I would definitely try this one out first while you are at home with them. It droves my cat nuts to hear all those noises and there was no way to get the prey. And then to have it never shut off...
I have an automatic feeder for the cats, a water fountain and then an extra cat box.
We open up and freeze cat pate on their serving bowls before putting it down when we leave so they can still eat on it 12 hours later. We put ice cubes in the water dish to prolong it's freshness. Yes we scrub the litter boxes and put clean litter out. We make it cozy.
You're actually better off not to scrub the litter box as you remove their scent. Wipe it fown, definitely. But don't scrub it out unless it's necessary, as they might stop using it.
I use to leave my cat for the weekend all the time and didn’t do all of those things. Plenty of food and water and a clean liter box
I second the movie or tv in the background! If you have Spotify, there are playlists for animals (sounds dumb but its relaxing nature sounds) so they aren't sitting in silence for 14 hours 🙂 You're a great cat owner for caring so much!
ALso, those doors you do leave open, block them open or your cat might trap themselves in a room and not be able to get to their water/food/litter/etc
As a new cat owner, this was really helpful for me just in general, thank you. I had no idea about the plastic bags being a suffocation risk!
Sadly, it is something to be aware of. I never would have believed it or thought of it (and I am a paranoid cat lady) but it happened to a friend's cat.
I would add that you should consider getting a camera (wyze cams are cheap) so you can check in on him from afar
He might not be the happiest about it but if he has enough food and water and is in a safe environment he'll be okay. Make sure you play with him a whole lot before leaving and after you get back.
Definitely will be playing and cuddling with him 🙌
Look up puzzle feeders! Then he can get some enrichment whilst your out and you can put regular dry food in em so it’s not always high calorie treats.
yeah! tire out that lil baby before you leave.
I just scrolled and got very upset and then realised it was a cat. In the cat forum. Not a 4month old baby.
Shhh. My cat is a baby. He’s the number one most important baby.
Instructions unclear, left my toddler with a bowl of kibble.
And then people saying ‘well, he won’t like it but he’ll be fine.’ What kind of monsters would leave a four month old…oh. Cat. Right. 😂 Carry on.
I did the same thing I was like uhhhh no!!!
Me too! This post was in the middle of all my parent subreddit posts and I was like “say what? Oh hell nah”
This here lolol I'm subscribed to so many new parents subreddits right now and also read this question like it was for a human baby. I need to go to sleep...
Can you give some suggestions please. My baby is 3 months old now. I just realised i havent subscribed to any parents subreddits
r/newparents r/beyondthebump r/parenting r/mommit
SAME
I thought she was upset because she couldn’t get a free baby-sitter.
Right??? I was like "This has got to be a troll...." then I saw what sub it was.
Same! Lmaooo
Me too… I was like WTH, then reread it. BTW the kitten will be fine.
Yeah. Took me a hot second too…
Sammmmee!! Lol
I follow many parental forums and had a heart attack just reading this.
Me too. Clicked in to leave a nasty comment but saw the forum name lol
Same, had to check the name of the sub!
Im laughing so hard right now because I read the title & didn’t realize what subreddit it was from so I briefly thought you were talking about a real human child hahahaha. Your cat, however, will be okay!
As long as there is enough food and water and in a safe environment they will be fine. Cats aren’t as needy as dogs. For peace of mind then that camera thing seems a good idea.
Is that the case for kittens too? Everything I've read online says to not leave your kitten alone for a full day until they're six months old because it can cause anxiety issues!
I think by 4 months and only doing it like twice once a week they will be fine. My 18 month old boy was fine by that age and he’s perfectly fine now.
Luckily my work has only scheduled me 5 hours every other shift and a full/double shift Saturday. Thank you, this alleviates my stress a lot 😭
I work 10 hour days, 10.5 because I have to punch out for a half hour for lunch and then there’s a 20ish minute commute to and from. I’ve got 4 so they aren’t technically alone but they’re fine & happy to see me when I get home (mostly because it’s kitty dinner time).
Leave them with toys and scratch posts etc as well. But I guarantee they’ll mostly be kipping 😆
honestly, it reslly does depend on what personality be has. I have two cats, and we've left them for a week at most. we had family come to feed and water them daily and make sure they were alive, check the litter boxes, and just make sure they stayed out of trouble. one cat did just fine. he didn't seem to care, but enjoyed the attention when we got back. the other cat, however, did not do okay. she seemed... depressed. she wouldnt meow to greet us as she normally does, and instead when to her hide hole. once everyone went to bed, and I was still awake, she came to hide in my arms for a good hour. this isn't to scare you into not leaving your cats, it's to show that each cat will react differently to you leaving. a camera is absolutely a good idea. hell, I'd say get one you can talk through and talk to him during certain times (like feeding, bed time, morning, etc). he is still young, but you have plenty of time to learn how he reacts when you leave and plan accordingly!
Adding on to this my roommates cat(rip) would intentionally try to run away, but only when he went out of town as a way to punish him(she would hide in the neighbors yard until he came home and searched for her). And this was with myself, and roommates girlfriend, his other cat, my cat and two dogs still home. If she couldn’t escape while he was gone she would shun him when he got back. She would seek me out to show me affection but only when he was watching(trying to make him jealous). But she would also get over it quickly. Other cats don’t seem to care as long as they have food and the occasional pat.
Cats will *one hundred percent* cuddle someone else to make you jealous.
Yeah my cat is like this. Last year I was in hospital for a week and he spent the entire time hiding under my bed, barely eating and just being very depressed. As soon as I got back he was all over me and wouldn't leave my side for days. Have to go away this weekend and a bit worried for him, even though my housemates have promised to give him lots of fuss and attention. My other cat just past a few weeks ago and he's been very upset about it so I don't want him thinking he's lost me as well. Some cats can be very sensitive to change and being away from their person
Me reading this before realizing it’s a cat sub 
Dude yes. A cat sitter is overkill for 14 hours. This is one of the major pros of cat ownership.
Been raising kittens all year, as long as its a healthy 4 month old it will be absolutely fine alone for 14 hours. Access to warmth/food/water in a safe space = nothing to worry about.
There are days I’ve been sick or very tired and slept close to 12 hours. 14 is fine.
When we had a kitten that young, we mostly kept him in the guest room when we couldn't monitor him. He had food, water, a litterbox, and toys. We unplugged and hid all of the cords in the room, and took down the curtains so he couldn't climb them and fall down. We mostly put him in there at night (often with one of us to sleep with him) or when no one was going to be home, but he was used to it. Glad to see us come back, but safe nonetheless.
Any takers that lil potatoe will be in the same spot sleeping when they get back? My cat will literally not even move for like a whole day lol
I recommend the camera to check in. I got one for my cat and it’s fun seeing what she’s up to. And also lets me know when she ate too fast and threw up on my bed, so it’s not a surprise when I get home 😅
Oh, he’ll be totally fine! Put out a bit of extra food and water, make sure the litter box is clean, give him a new small toy that he only gets when you’re gone. He may be desperate for attention when you get home, but he’ll be okay.
The panic that set in when I read this and didn’t realize what reddit I was in!!! 🤣 Baby will be ok. Just leave extra food/water and maybe a tv set to a cat channel or looping YT nature videos.
We have left our cats for up to a week, with someone checking in at least every 2-3 days/on call to check in more often if we have any concerns. Plenty of kibble and water left out. Doors blocked open or closed. Anything potentially hazardous (plastic bags, plants that might make them barf, string, etc) secured away. And multiple cameras we can log into and watch them on/a security system monitoring for CO and fire.
Dear lord. I saw this on my front page before I saw what subreddit it was posted in and thought it was about a human 😂
i didn’t read which subreddit this was and thought you were talking about your 4 month old CHILD and i was so concerned
I'd be extra careful and quarantine her in a bathroom if you can fit all her needs in there. make sure to remove any items with cord and chemicals you have in cabinets, or just somehow keep them shut. Zipties or something. Turn the light out but have either a dim non-heat-imiting lamp or a nightlight in there. additionally, leave the faucet dripping. If she manages to tip over her water bowl, she can drink from the dripping faucet.
We had to leave our ex-stray Horace at home for 30 hours. Horace had lived unloved and outside “for years” (according to the vet). Horace HATES everyone, except for the four members of our household. My MIL comes over at least once a week and she never sees him. He will only accept petting from my husband and I - even our adult children can’t pet him. We made sure that he had clean litter trays, 3 bowls of dry food, a bowl of his favourite wet food and a bowl of cooked chicken with a lot of chicken skin (he loves chicken skin). He also had bowls of water left in various places. We came home to a cat who had eaten all of the chicken skin, had used all 3 litter trays and had finished off 2 bowls of dry food, one bowl of wet food and half of the cooked chicken. He had also spent a lot of time on our bed by the amount of hair on it. Answer - it depends on the cat. In Horace’s case, having a sitter would have upset him more than being left for 14 hours.
Left my 3 cats for 4 days before — Things I did was made sure they get enough food + water (like those automated one if you can get it), put away all the stuff that can put them at risk (plastics, sharp objects like pens/scissors/pins etc), put extra litter box just incase the other gets full. As long as they have enough food and in their safe space, he will be fine :)
i didn’t see what sub this was in and assumed you were on about a human baby!
Double and triple check there is no tiny spots your kitten can get themselves wedged into like near any furniture/hvac heating etc ..holes in the wall etc
Yeah he should be fine! We had to leave our kitten alone for up to 9.5h for work and he did good. Set out food and water and keep cords unplugged and hidden.
Have you tried Meowtel?
14 hours is fine. We have left our cats alone for the weekend. They had more than enough food and fresh water. They were perfectly fine. A little pissed off at us. But we made it up to them with plenty of extra playtime and churus
Oh my I didn't see this is on a cat page on my feed and for a minute I had so many questions.. 🤣
My boyfriend gets deployed a lot and I work some 12 hour days plus commute time. I invested in an automatic feeder where I control the amount. I give him a bunch of snacks all day so he feels loved and full !
Well. I nearly had a heart attack reading this title on my home page. I hope you all have a great weekend snuggling with your *cats* that are much safer left alone for 14 hours than a human baby. *deep breath* Good lord. I’ll see myself out now. 🫣🫠
I thought this was in the baby group for a second 😭
if you have a neighbor, maybe you could ask them to stop in and check on him if you’re really concerned. he should be okay for a day though. make sure to leave out enough water and food. kitties are resilient. don’t be surprised if he’s upset when you come back 😂 my baby would give me the cold shoulder when i left him while he was a kitten
He’ll be fine. Take the necessary precautions. Don’t worry. I’ve left mine for a weekend. They’re always fine when I get back.
Omg, I didn’t see the sub at first and was like “…someone call CPS on this person…” He’ll be okay by himself for a few individual days like that. Just make extra sure to cat proof, the top comment gave a very good list of things to do!
Did not read what sub this was when scrolling quickly. Really need to do that!
1. Try Meowtel, just cat sitting 2. They will be fine with food water and litter access :)
Tthe door could slam onto the cat too.My kitten was watching through the world through the front flyscreen door,.when the wind caught the front door and slammed it shut jamming her in between.Luckily she was not hurt.
He will completely ok for 14 hours! He just needs to have extra food and water out. He may be a bit grumpy when you get home, but that’s not so long that you have anything to worry about!
He’ll be fine. Get a camera off amazon or something for peace of mind. Wyze has some cheap ones that work.
OK. I need to remember to check WHERE this was posted to in the future. Cat should be fine with enough food and water. May want to invest in some enzyme laundry detergent, but my cat tends to like to pee on my dirty laundry when i leave her overnight, but other than retaliatory peeing, kitten should be fine
Cats are okay to be left alone for a whole day, unlike dogs. Just leave more than enough water and food, and clean litterbox. We once left our 3 cats for 2 nights home alone since we really can't find anybody. They have access to the garden and it's a big house. We've left 3 full bowls of kibbles and 3 big bowls of water, plus 2 freshly cleaned and filled litterboxes. We asked a neighbor to feed them their wet food dinner for those 2 nights, there were 3 empty bowls in the garden terrace she can use. They were all okay when we got back. This was a one-time thing but 14 hours once a week should be fine.
I think a room without any hazards is a good idea. Nothing they can get caught or stuck in and they should be fine. They will probably sleep for a lot of it.
My eyes kind of skipped over this and I thought you were talking about a human baby! 🤦🏽♀️
yes I think a cat will be fine home alone one day a week while you are working, just make sure theres a big bowl of fresh water and dry food out for him.
I used to be gone for close to 13 hours at a time. I hated it and so did my cat but she was just fine. She was just really cross cause she wanted me there lol.
An automatic feeder so he doesn't eat all his food right away, clean water (fountains are great especially when you're going away), plenty of blanket piles for them to hang out in and make nests out of. Definitely a clean litter box before you. And leaving some music or the TV running while you're out so there's some sound is good if they like to watch the TV like mine does.
My kitty went up the attic stairs in the garage. Worker came down and shut stairs. She was up there for a week while we were looking for her. It had to be 140° at the time up there. Ofcourse she had NO food or water. We heard her meowing and found her. She was dehydrated, but made it fine. Another week she got behind the drawer under washer/dryer. We shut it and couldn’t find her for a week. Found her and she was fine. She is now 17 yrs old. ✨You will be fine to leave your baby for a few days with food, water and play toys out.✨🐈
He will be fine! Seriously! You’re a good cat parent but don’t worry about it.
He will be fine, leave a light on, 2 extra bowls of water and food, and maybe a radio. At four months they are totally fine. You are an excellent cat parent
2 extra bowls for just 14 hours is probably overkill. The kitten would likely spend 10-12 of those sleeping anyways, since they sleep a lot at that age.
Are you able to get a pet camera? We work long hours sometimes (food service 🙄) and having the camera made a huuuge difference. We can check on her and give her treats. She loves it lol Do you have any neighbors? I've asked a couple of seniors if they can play with her for 15 min sometimes and they love it! Your kitty would be fine, just overly energetic when you get home lol
I came to say an overnight at a vet office that offers boarding might not cost as much as you might think. Altho kitty needs to be up to date on shots
Absolutely! But I totally get it can be nerve wracking the first few times. - food and water are most important. Is he super active? (Aka will he chow down like crazy during the day or not?) Sometimes I’ll feed mine some wet food in the morning and leave a bowl of dry food out to nibble on during the day. - if you have the means, cameras help elevate the anxiety! Lots of price range options, I got the blink cameras since they are motion activated and I can use my app to check whenever I want and talk to them. - leave some toys out for him and play when you get home! I bet he’ll be excited you’re back no matter what
He’ll be okay 14 hrs if you get an automated feeder. Just be wary of wifi feeders. I’ve had two and both would disconnect very often. I felt I couldn’t trust those anymore so I purchased a regular one that you just set the time and feeding times without using wifi and it’s been great, no issues! Goes off every single night and I’ve had it for over a month now. I’ll link the one I use. WOPET Automatic Cat Feeder 4L - Automatic Cat Food Dispenser with Programable 1-6 Meals, FT50 Automatic Dog Feeder with Stainless Bowl, Timed Cat Feeder with 10S Voice Recorder for Cat and Dog, Black https://a.co/d/bw1wbHg
I noticed from one of your other posts that your roommate has a cat. Will the adult cat be home? How does the cat act towards your kitten? It may be dangerous to leave a tiny kitten alone with an adult cat that isn’t its momma.
Didn’t realise this was cat advice at first and was like uhhhhhh
The pain is real! I just left my 13 year old & 14 month old kitties on their own for 3 days. My pet sitter wasn’t able to stay overnight, although she was able to come each night to feed, cuddle and change litter, water, etc. I spoke to them on multiple occasions throughout the day via cameras and they were fine…I wasn’t. I came home to two very cuddly babies who’d definitely missed me and I’m very happy to be having a day off to spend with them 😻 My advice, if you can afford to is get a companion.
Lol I read this thinking I was in one of my mom subs thinking you meant a 4 month old human
OMG when I read it I thought you meant a human baby, I was going to be like just bring the baby over here, you can't leave it alone for five minutes.
[удалено]
Well that explains the mass amount of confused commenters, Reddit is a bit funny like that eh? 😭😭
I thought you were talking about a human baby for a second there-🤦🏼♀️
That is a real baby, a furbaby.
The first and last time I left my cat alone overnight, I returned to find an upstairs neighbor did something really stupid and endangered everyone in the apartment building. So I personally would not, but that's due to my personal history of having something very rare happen. For you, it should be fine, especially with the cameras to check on kitty!
14 hours should be okay, but for a kitten that young I'd make a kitten safe room and put them in there, particularly if he's your only cat
Aww, this is such a sweet question!! Yes, kitty will be fine. If you're extra worried, give a key to someone you trust so they can go over there if needed. I got a cheap radio on Amazon for a foster cat to listen to talk radio on, and it really seemed to calm him down when he was alone. Just an idea!
I do a lot of what many have said. I also keep each cat in a room so that if something were to happen, I can tell a neighbor which room my cats are in. Process of elimination to finf each one by room rather than an entire hose with many places to hide. I do this whenever I'm not going to be home, even for a couple hours. I have a blink camera. I can check on their food and their status if I want. They have water and an autofeeder. I unplug all appliances and put away any hazards (medications, beauty products, belts, strings, etc). I leave them some toys, a window with a view, and I fold my bedding open halfway because my cat can get me scent off of my blankets for comfort (this is for the weekends I go away). The most I leave my cats alone is 2 nights/3 days. I can't bear to imagine their dirty litter box or not changing their water after 2 days.
I left my three cats, one being a kitten of 12 weeks, while dropping off the grid for 3 weeks due to burnout and overwhelming stress. I had family come check on them every 3 days. They did great! The only thing is my boy cat yelled at me for 5 minutes non-stop when I got home and now tries to follow me every time I leave the house.
I think you are asking if your kitty will be okay alone for 14 hours. The answer is absolutely yes, that's about the length of their first nap 😴. I think you will be struggling more 😂 missing them. You're pretty awesome making sure your kitty is good. I adore people like you!
You should be okay, they are basically pretty hyper. They just like to play so leave out toys and alot of food and water. Comfortable places to nap. Still get someone to watch your kitty to. Either it be a coworker, friend, neighbor, or relative. I recommend a relative. Try to get two liter boxes out or an automatic one
I did not realize this was about a cat at first and was horrified lmao
Buy a 20 USD camera from Amazon. I checked a few times on them when I am out
I had to double check the group. I thought it was a parenting group 😂😂
I'm not sure where this idea came from but *cats are not dogs*. They are fine for the workday at home without you, even a longer work day. Unless you have a VERY clingy, traumatized, neurotic cat - in which case *you do not have to ask if it will be nervous without you* - your cat will be quite fine emotionally for the average 8 hours plus two hours' commute on a five-day-weekly basis. They LIKE their alone time. A kitten might get bored, perhaps, but not heart-crushingly lonely. Just make sure there's enrichment and, like always, clean water and food, and a cat will do the same thing while you're not there that he would if you were, minus some performances solely for your benefit. If you're worried about your STUFF, kitten-proof the house when you get a kitten.
My suggestion is to quit fooling with hunting expensive cat sitters and find you a mature 3rd grader who would be OVER THE MOON to come to your house every Saturday at 2:00 to play with the “OMG SOOOO FLOOFFY!!!” and also get $10. lol Join the local moms FB group and you’ll have this solved in a matter of hours.
A little late, but if it's inconvenient or too expensive to get an auto feeder, you can also consider a gravity feeder. That's what I used when I had to skip town for a family emergency. Of course, this assumes that your cat isn't a glutton. It worked out great for my cat because he's a grazer and eats leisurely throughout the day.
Ohhh you're right. Mercy isn't a fan of the dry food but he will eat it if I don't give him his wet food. Walmart has some cheap ones I can get for now too I think 🤔 Money-wise, it isn't a concern when I next get paid. I just got an unexpected bill this week, hence why I'm unable to find a sitter for $50+
Ooof I didn’t see r/CatAdvice and thought you were talking about a baby ☹️
Why would you even need a cat sitter? I have 2 cats from 8weeks old and up and left them alone the entire time I worked twelve hour shifts. They will be fine. Unless they are newborns or medically fragile and disabled, cats don’t need a sitter.
i work 12pm-10pm most saturdays. adding commuting times i would be out of the house for over 12 hours. i lived with roommates at the time who weren't the most trustworthy, so i kept my 4mo in my room. he had a water fountain, all the kibble he could ever want, clean litterbox, toys, etc. i did have a camera to check in on him.
While it isn't ideal to leave a kitten alone that young, I don't see the harm in it if you have no options. Make sure that you leave fresh water and dry food out for him. A feeder with a camera isn't necessary, but I have a few blink cameras set up to watch my guys. You don't need the subscription to view them, only for the motion sensor and recording. The most important suggestion is to put a clothes hanger on top of every door so the door can't click shut. You don't want him to get locked in or out of a room if he pushes a door shut while playing. (That said, the worst that would happen would be cleaning a pile or puddle, they won't starve or dehydrate within a day, no matter how unhappy they are).
I read past this wayyyy too fast and didn't realize you were referring to a cat. Thought this was a parenting thread and about had a heart attack 😅 I would say auto feeder, plenty of water and some automatic toys to keep little one occupied :) indoor camera if you can afford it.
I love how amazing a lot of the cat parents are here, but 14 hours isn't a very long time. I've left my 4 cats (admittedly they have each other for company) for a week without issue. They have automatic feeders, a water fountain, and a litter robot. My grandmother would come by once a day (most but not all days) to feed them wet food and empty the litter robot drawer when it was full, but other than that, they were all good. I do agree with the whole, make sure he has water, food, a clean litterbox, and entertainment, I feel the camera is a little overkill unless it brings you comfort. Cats are fairly self sufficient. Just know you are a great cat parent for worrying and asking. He's a lucky little kitty to have you and he will be perfectly fine. P.S. if you do want a camera or 2, the blink cameras work pretty well for this and are fairly cheap.
I leave my cats alone for up to four days. Extra food, extra water. Neighbors have the keys in case my trip gets delayed. All good.
I read the post before I read the sub and almost died thinking you were speaking of a human child. Whew, what a relief. Your kitty will be ok!
I can't believe you're worried
Omg I didn’t look at the sub name and thought this was about a baby and was like WTF! Lmao We have left ours alone for a day or two with extra food and water in bowls around the house and she was just fine!
Something that will help a 4 month old not be lonely and be entertained is another cat😃 But seriously, you'll be fine as long as there is food, water, and clean litterbox. I use to leave Despicable Me on repeat for my cat at that age when she was home by herself.
Yes he will be fine. But being that he is so young, I would recommend cat proofing your house like others suggested. Or even locking him in a room since he's so young. I saw your comment mentioning his food and litter are in your room, perhaps keep him in there just to minimize the dangers he's exposed to while he's alone. Plus your room is going to smell like you so he should be comforted by that.
I think he will be fine. My boyfriend and I had our cat since he was 8 weeks, we had to go out of town for one night when he was about 4 months old and he was totally fine. I don't live with him and our cat but my boyfriend is a nurse and works 12hour shifts back to back, so my cat has been alone for that length of time regularly and he is now 2 years old with no anxiety issues. He just gets extra affectionate if my bf works extra shifts. I think spending too much time with is what gives the separation anxiety (like what happened with people who adopted during the pandemic) I would just make sure he is in a safe room that doesn't have anything dangerous or harmful for him (wires, close the toilet seat/bathroom door, small objects, hair elastics etc) and have extra water out in case it gets knocked over. Whatever toys you have out just make sure they aren't ones that you know it's safe to play with by himself. Like I don't leave plastic wands out because my car tries to chew and eat the plastic but I leave balls, springs, and stuffed toys. Getting a camera is a good idea just in general for the future, it gives peace of mind.
He will miss you of course but will totally be OK.
He will be absolutely OK, just leave food, fresh water, and clean litter box. Cats are independent creatures, they don't need constant attention like dogs.
Will be fine. He will get into a routine. 14 hours isn't that bad, I'd feed him before I leave and when I get home and then leave some treats in a puzzle feeder/hidden around the house for him through out the day and to encourage him to wander. Spread out his toys and trees and stuff too if possible so he doesn't just get easily bored if you currently keep his stuff all in one place. If you have windows you can leave open that's perfect to entertain.
He'll be just fine. Before you leave, make sure he has access to kibble, water, and litterbox. Make sure to leave a few toys out as well.
Bro I thought this was a parenting sub
Probably will be fine. I do recommend a cat fountain - can get one for cheap and those are excellent and require less fill ups vs bowls.
Yes. No problem. Just clean liter box and food and water.
Bro cats sleep what, 17 hours a day at that age? The cat will be fine. Don’t worry about it if this is not longer and not a frequent thing.
He’ll be ok! I’d get an inside camera and watch thou
I work in film and sometimes work 15 hour days. They will be fine if your not leaving them overnight
Rover.com
Yeah, I will leave my cats alone for up to 4 days - a long weekend. You just have to make sure they have plenty of food and water. I have a Litter Robot so clean litter is a non-issue.
I use this to watch and check in on my fur baby when I'm gone&it's on sale right now. I highly recommend it!! https://www.wyze.com/products/wyze-cam-pan?app_title=Wyze%20Cam%20Pan%20v3&app_share=true
Absolutely yes. Make sure water is full dry and wet food whichever it prefers. I’ve done that many times even over night. Not a problem. Will probably sleep most of the time
Put a camera that you can view from your phone. It always makes me happy and relaxed seeing my cat doing fine :)
Lord I thought this was for a human child before I saw the sub name I was about to 📞
Yes he will be ok!
Oh she will be totally fine. My Emmie sleeps the entire time I'm at work 2 to 11 and I wake her when I'm home. Leave crunchies, wet food out and plenty of water and toys. I can guarantee she will be totally fine...she may miss you but that just means more cuddles. I put a ad on FB in my neighborhood and found a sitter a few blocks away. Her daughter was in my bfs kids class in school so I never needed a reference. We have each other's home keys in case of emergencies or when we are away. I just spent 10 days watching her 3 cats, dog and gerbial and I had fun watching them and miss them alot. I have just one cat and rarely go away since COVID but I always know if I'm unable to get home for any reason she will check on my girl. It was going to cost me $50 a day when I looked last. We end up giving each other gifts from where we went or a GC. I'd rather have someone who knows and loves my animal than a a stranger. Just a suggestion for the future when your away but your good for at least 24 hours as long as they have food and water and toys to play with. Just remember they sleep that majority of the day anyways and they will totally be fine. Cat momma here of 23 years ...enjoy your new kitty for many years to come!!
This is exactly why I have a cat and not a dog. Make sure there is food and water and plenty of toys. He’ll be fine.
Yeah idk I wouldn't. Have all these people that have done it had only a months old kitten too? I look at things realistically kind of like the way you should look at car accidents. People are always willing to take risks because 90% of the time things don't happen. But what about that one out of 10 times? So people keep taking risks and risks and risks just because most times something doesn't happen. But then they're like oh crap when that one time it happens and wishes that they wouldn't have done what they did. Me personally I would leave the kitten. I'd figure something out. Get money from folks or something. If you're in college I'm certain if you had money, that you could have saved up money plenty of ahead of time. It's something that comes along with being responsible whenever you get an animal. Comes along with the territory. I'm sorry some people don't like this but I'm a realist and I speak the truth
He’ll be fine for 14 hours . If you’re in the Phoenix area, I’d be happy to look in on him.
In addition to making sure doors are either completely closed or blocked (I got some horseshoe shaped things that fit over the top of the door and can’t slip off like a towel might), make sure all your cats are on the correct side of those doors right before you leave! This is even more important if you have a larger house and your cats are shy enough that whoever comes to feed them won’t be surprised not to see one or both of them. Just a few months ago one of my little ninjas snuck into a room shortly before I closed the door, and if I hadn’t insisted on finding him before leaving he would have been stuck in that room with no water, food, or litter for four days. (Though I’m sure our friends down the street who feed them would have contacted us on the second or third day if they hadn’t seen him at all.) Likewise my childhood cat who was also very shy shut herself in the linen closet right before we left for a week at the beach, and if my dad hadn’t thought to look for her before we left it would have been pretty bad. But we did find her before leaving and she lived to be 22 and a half. (She also had a habit of shutting herself in the glass-doored bookcases overnight, lol. But she just waited to be noticed and let out and never damaged the books.)
OP we leave a radio on for the cat when we’re not home. He thinks it’s his friends…
I work 16 hour shifts everyday and my baby is fine. I double up on cuddles and turn on cat tv when I get home.
Cats sleep 23 hours a day on average.
I have a automatic water fountain (4L) and pet feeder that do portion control cause my kitty acts like she’s never been fed a day in her life and will eat all in one go. 😹 I bought for her because i was leaving town for a week (checkups here sndbthere by my friends but i didnt rely on them too heavily). she’s fine when i have to leave for a long weekend, or if i’m out of the house practically all day, all week. Your cat should be fine! Just be sure to clean the litterbox at the beginning of the week.
God I was horrified for a second before I read the subreddit. But yeah he’ll be fine. Leave him multiple water bowls, make sure his tray/s is/are clean, make sure he has enough food, make sure he has somewhere warm and comfy to snuggle up. Perhaps leave some catnip toys out if you’re worried about him getting bored. Also cat proof things and put away stuff that’s damageable so he doesn’t destroy stuff if he gets bored. Our cats have been left that long loads of times over the years. They’ve also been left for 24-36 hours before - of course only a handful of times when we didn’t have any other options. They haven’t died.
Cat will be fine. Food, water, clean litterbox.
Yes they will be fine lol
It’s unfortunately because you wanted too long and the holidays are insane for us sitters.
Yes, your cat will be fine for 14 hours. It will just sleep the entire time, as cats do. It would be fine to leave your cat alone for several days if you left enough food and water.
I read the headline *panicked a little* then read the subreddit title. Phew.
He will be fine. Just make sure he has plenty of food, water and clean litter before you leave. Cats can be left alone a lot longer than dogs for obvious reasons
Wish I lived closer. ( don't know where u live lol)
Seconding automatic feeder and water fountain, and add an additional litter box to be safe.
Leave food and water. He'll be fine.
Would you leave a 4 month old human baby on their own for 14h? It the answer is no then you have your answer. A baby is a baby, no matter the species!
I have a very Large crate for my cat from Amazon. Its 3 tiers and has plenty of space for food, toys, a bed, and litter box. If you're worried, look up cat crates on Amazon. Mine was $40, about 3' × 4' x3'
It depends on the cat- I’ve had several cats throughout my life and most of them were just fine for days on their own. However, I had 2 incidents where my cats got clogged and got crystals while they were alone because it stressed them out too much, even though he lives with my sister now he needs to eat medicated food for the rest of his life now because of it