Whether you’re visiting family out of state for the holidays or taking a much-needed vacation to the beach, you may be wondering about the logistics of taking off for a few days with a cat at home. In this article, we’ll discuss how long you can responsibly leave a cat alone, as well as how to feed a cat and clean their litter box while you’re away.
How long can you leave a cat alone?
Cats are very self-sufficient. But whether or not you leave your cat alone, hire a pet sitter, or have someone drop by and check on them regularly really depends on your cat’s personality.
In most common situations, you shouldn't leave cats home alone for more than 2-3 days at a time.
If this is the first time you’re leaving your cat home alone, you should have a friend or family member check on your kitty regardless. Cats commonly have separation anxiety, especially if they’ve never been apart from their owners for very long. Deviating from their routine can lead to costly medical issues, but ensuring they are provided for and tended to can prevent that.
A kitty cam is a great idea for monitoring your cat’s favorite lounge spots for extra peace of mind.
Leaving cats alone for an extended period of time
You should NEVER leave your cat alone for an extended period of time. If you’re going to be away for more than 2-3 days, you should place your cat in the care of a friend or family member, board them, or hire a pet sitter to check on them every 1-2 days. For some cats, even 2-3 days is too long, so it is important to know your cat.
How long can cats go without water or food?
In the event of an emergency where you or another person is unable to check on your cat as often as recommended, you may wonder how long cats can go without the essentials. Note: This is not information you should use to plan your vacations, as every cat is different, and ultimately, seeking a caretaker is the ideal recommendation.
Cats cannot survive more than 2-3 days without water; dehydration can set in around the 24-hour mark, eventually leading to organ failure and death.
If cats don’t eat for more than 3-5 days, they can develop inappropriate fat infiltration into the liver—called hepatic lipidosis or “fatty liver.” Cats that are overweight or obese are at highest risk of developing fatty liver. Without aggressive treatment, hepatic lipidosis can cause liver failure and even death.
These sobering facts reinforce how crucial it is to arrange accommodations for your cat with a responsible party while you go on vacation.
How to feed a cat while on vacation
So, you’ve finally booked a getaway. You feel comfortable leaving your cat for a couple of days. How do you ensure your cat’s basic needs are met while you’re gone?
1. Use an automatic cat feeder
Automatic pet feeders dispense kibble based on scheduled meals or when the bowl is empty. If you’re wondering how to feed a cat while on vacation, look no further than Feeder-Robot. This WiFi-enabled, automatic pet feeder will feed your cat the right amount of food on time, every time. You can even get notified each time it dispenses food through the app!
How does Feeder-Robot provide peace of mind while you’re away from home? Its sophisticated hardware detects food backup and features anti-jam technology to prevent missed meals. Even if the unit goes offline, your cat’s feeding schedule is saved and will continue to dispense. The optional backup battery also provides 24 hours of use in power-saving mode. And if food is not dispensed for any reason, you will be notified by the app.
2. Set out extra dry food
Not interested in purchasing an automatic pet feeder? Set out 2-3x as many food bowls as usual filled with dry kibble, depending on whether you will be gone for two or three days. Skip the wet food, as it will spoil in a matter of hours.
Note: If your cat tends to gorge on food rather than graze throughout the day, this method of feeding your cat while you’re away from home will not work. In general, free feeding is not the recommended method of feeding cats—so if doing this for a few days is a slippery slope to a bad habit that can create an overweight, less healthy feline family member, please don’t try it. You’ll need to have a friend or pet sitter come by once or twice daily to feed your cat.
3. Enlist a friend or hire a pet sitter
As mentioned above, there are several reasons why we recommend hiring a pet sitter or having a responsible friend or family member feed your cat every day. Consider this if:
- You will be gone for more than 2-3 days.
- Your cat has special health needs or dietary requirements.
- Your cat prefers wet food over dry food.
- Your cat tends to have separation anxiety.
- Or, your cat has never been left alone for more than a day.
Ideal feeding schedules
Be sure to tell your friend or pet sitter about specific routines you have with your cat, including when and how much to feed them.
The ideal feeding schedule is the one your cat is already used to. Radically changing mealtime may lead to your cat refusing to eat or intense stress that results in accidents outside the litter box.
How often and how much to feed a cat depends on factors like age, weight, and activity level. Some cats prefer grazing and may do well with access to small amounts of food throughout the day. Others may be more accustomed to scheduled meals.
Feeding recommendations for cats 6+ months:
- Typically fed 1-2 meals per day.
- Vets recommend approximately 1/4 cup of dry food twice a day and 1/4-1/2 can of wet food as a snack.
- If your cat is obese, feed for their ideal weight – not actual weight.
Feeding recommendations for kittens up to 6 months old:
- Usually require more frequent feeding, often 3-4 meals a day, due to their higher energy requirements for growth.
- Caloric intake should be 2x-3x that of an adult cat.
What if my cat is used to wet food?
If your cat prefers wet food, the best solution is to leave them in the care of a friend or hire a pet sitter. Until there is a reliable automatic wet feeder on the market, you don’t have a lot of options save for human intervention.
If you have a few months to prepare, you can help your cat gradually get used to dry food. Remember, abruptly changing your cat’s diet (including switching from wet to dry) can lead to refusal to eat—along with the “fatty liver” issues we outlined above.
How long can wet cat food sit out?
Wet cat food should sit out for a maximum of 1-2 hours at room temperature. If the room is particularly warm, move leftovers to the fridge within 30 minutes. Any longer than these time frames may result in spoiled food, which could lead to upset stomach or even food poisoning in your cat. Any remaining wet food should be stored in the refrigerator and used ideally within 48 hours.
Don’t forget about water…
It’s essential that you set out extra water for your cat while you’re away from home. Here are some tips to ensure your cat has enough water while left alone:
- Use water bowls that your cat can’t tip over.
- Plug in a pet water fountain, which may entice your cat to drink more often than stale bowls of water can. (Make sure the fountain sits in a spot where it wouldn’t be a huge issue if it happened to overflow.)
- Leave a faucet dripping at very low pressure, as some cats prefer running water.
- Preferably, have a friend or pet sitter provide fresh water daily.
… or the litter box
Furthermore, try to provide your cat with a clean bed of litter to do their business while you’re gone. If you use traditional litter boxes, set out extra boxes filled with fresh litter so your cat isn’t forced to use one that hasn’t been scooped for several days. Otherwise, you may come home to a not-so-accidental accident on your favorite rug.
An even better option is to provide an automatic, self-cleaning litter box like Litter-Robot. This way your cat will have a fresh bed of litter for every use. And with one cat in the house, the waste drawer typically doesn’t get full for 7-10 days. With an optional accessory like the Litter-Robot 4 LitterHopper, you won't have to worry about adding litter to the globe. Plus, the Whisker app sends notifications when the Litter-Robot waste drawer is full and when Feeder-Robot is low on food.
Purchase Litter-Robot and Feeder-Robot in a bundle to save!
Figuring out how to feed a cat while on vacation doesn’t need to be stressful. Try an automatic pet feeder to know that your cat will be fed on time daily. And for anything longer than 2-3 days, a little human contact for your cat is necessary.
