5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Leave Your Cat Alone When You Travel

If you are thinking of leaving your cat alone when you go on your next trip or vacation, here are a few reasons to reconsider.

It is easy to believe that cats do fine when left on their own, but that just isn’t the case. Cats need their human friends around just like dogs do. They depend on your presence. You should never leave your cat alone for long periods of time, even if you think that they will do fine. It is much harder on them than you might think. Plus, there are so many things that could go wrong.

Any longer than two or three days is much too long and should be avoided. If you are gone for that long you should always prepare by having someone routinely check up on your cat.

1. They Can Become Lonely

The idea that you can leave your cat alone for long periods of time is a very common one. People do it all of the time and consider it to be perfectly okay. But is it really okay to leave your cat by themselves for long periods of time?

Cats might be solitary animals by nature, but they can become lonely very easily as well. They are used to having you around, and when you aren’t there they don’t know what to do. This can make them lonely, melancholy, and even depressed, depending on how long you are gone.

Without you around, they have no one to interact with or get attention from. This isn’t healthy for any pet, whether it be a cat or dog.

2.  They Can Become Destructive

When left alone for days at a time, cats can easily become destructive as a result of being sad, angry, or bored.

Not only is this bad for your home, but it is also bad for your cat. Many animals end up eating whatever they are destroying. If your cat is ripping into your pillows or cushions when you are gone, chances are, they are also consuming small amounts of stuffing. When an animal eats something around the house it is usually bad because they could choke or get an intestinal blockage.

Some less serious reasons to worry about destructive behavior are the negative habits that being alone can create. Your cat might get used to sitting on the counter or using the kitchen table as a scratch post. You don’t want them to slip into bad habits permanently.

3. It’s Boring for Them

Being all by yourself is boring, even for cats. They might not seem like they depend on you much throughout the day, but you would be surprised.

Without you around, your cat is bound to get bored and start to look for entertainment. This can lead to a bunch of things that they shouldn’t be doing. It goes hand in hand with them becoming destructive.

Cats also tend to eat more if they are bored, which means that they could quickly start to pack on the pounds. Not only that, but it isn’t good to leave your cat to entertain themselves. If they get very bored they are bound to find the wrong kind of entertainment around your house.

4. They Might Need Something

One thing that everyone should consider before taking off and leaving their pets behind is whether or not your cat might need something. Many people leave their cats without even asking someone to check upon them. This can be very dangerous since things can easily pop up out of nowhere.

There are so many things that could go wrong while you are away. What if the kitchen starts leaking or a light bulb bursts. Your air conditioner might go out, or the plumbing starts to have issues. There are all kinds of household concerns that could pop up without you realizing it.

If you leave your cat alone for several days, they could also run out of food or water. It can be easy to miscalculate how much they may need, especially if they overeat or drink a lot when you are gone.

Cat’s litter boxes should also be cleaned every other day or so for it to be hygienic for them. If you are gone for a week that means that your cat has been having to go to the bathroom in a very dirty litter box. This is bad for their health and very uncomfortable.

There are also health concerns. Hopefully, no one would ever leave an elderly or sick cat alone for several days. But even a healthy cat can get sick out of nowhere.

5. They Have Emotional Needs

One of the biggest reasons not to leave your cat alone is because like dogs, they have emotional needs.

You shouldn’t just leave them alone to fend for themselves because they need emotional Support and love. Like dogs, they depend on their owners and need to have them around.

It can be easy to assume that they are fine by themselves, but they really aren’t. Casts need humans around almost a much as dogs do. When you are gone, they are going to miss you and will probably even start to feel a bit abandoned.

This can make your cat feel sad and even depressed while you are gone. This is bad for any animal just as it is bad for humans.

Related Articles

• Pilot Flies 51 Rescue Cats to Safety
• 40 Cats and Kittens Found Dumped Near Shelter
• So You Think You Want a Bengal Cat? Think Again!
• Study Finds That Cats Can Be Just as Affectionate as Dogs

For more Animal, Earth, Life, Vegan Food, Health, and Recipe content published daily, subscribe to the One Green Planet Newsletter! Lastly, being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!