how can just leave my cats to go away for a few days?

Question

i would like to be able to leave my cats for a few days without worrying about them - to see my children and ghrand-child, and i can not stand anyone else near my cats as the are all only used to me and my carer any where near them. two of my cats (oldest ones) are not anyone else feeding them and they won't eat for anyone else but me - and me alone.
i have got 7 cats, they are my children.
fat cat - he is 8-9 years old,he is handsome (in my eyes), he has no bottom jaw; but he hides it very well. he has got eczema.
Gismo -she is ab obout 7-8 years old. she is my wild one. she is very lovable towards me and she can only play rough with me - as she scares everyone else.
la la & Pooh - they are sisters. la la is a mother of my next 2 cats. pooh is my baby.
ozzy &Reefer - sister and brother. children of La la. they are about 2-3 years old.
charlie - she is nearly 1 year old. she is funny charactor, she is just a bundle - but adorable.

Answer 1

Put down an extra litter box (or maybe 2). The only one that concerns me is Fat Cat, can he eat dry cat food? Canned food will not do for over a couple hours. Put down several bowls of dry food, and a large bowl of water. Do your cats get on your drainboard? If so you could fill the sink with water for them. Do any of them require medication? If so you will have to have someone come in to minister their needs. You should have someone look in on them anyway, just to make sure they have plenty of food and water available. Even better if you can have someone scoop the boxes. As for the remark "your house must stink" Obviously that person does not know how to take care of cats properly, I have 3 cats in an RV and people are amazed when they find out I have cats. I learned from my mother who ran a cattery.

Answer 2

Your primary problem is the litter box. It's easy enough to leave enough food and water out for an absence of a few days. I'm assuming that it won't be more than a week.
My cats have never had any contact with anybody but me, either, and I know that they freak out if anyone else comes in the house. They all run and hide. But to save your carpets and furniture from being turned into litter boxes during your absence, you really need to have someone come in to clean the boxes and refresh the food and water if necessary.
Failing that, you could get 3 to 6 extra boxes, so there will be acceptably clean litter available until your return.
I'm concerned about Fat Cat, how does he eat without a bottom jaw?
If you are only gone for 2-3 days, even if they refuse to eat unless you give it to them, they should be alright for that period of time.
I have 43 cats, all but 5 of them indoor cats only. I never leave for more than an overnight stay.

Answer 3

You have special need cats. And how many is a few days? If you really want to be able to visit and have a relationship with HUMANS, you're going to have to suck it up and get help. Find someone you trust enough to stop in every other day or so.

AND do everyone a favor and stop somewhere to wash your clothes before you get to your relatives homes. You don't want to be the stinky Grandma do you?
I'm not trying to be rude, I know what I'm talking about.
My Grandmother at one point had 48-52 cats indoors. It was a nightmare. We had to have her put down. She was insane.

O.K. we didn't have Granny euthanized but the cat part is true. The scent permeates everything.
Like smoking. A smoker thinks they can pop a mint and light a vanilla candle and everything is cool. Well they reek and they never believe it until they quit and get their sense of smell back.

Answer 4

i know what you mean about your cats being your children, i feel same about mine, i have 3 and would kill anybody who tried to harm them.
if your only going away for a couple of days you can lay lots of biscuits down so no matter what happens they wont starve (like 14 containers, 2 for each of them, the other thing you can do which may be quite pricy is by those cat dishes that you put on a timer, so they open at certain times, just get a neighbout to pop round to refill them and the cats will probably never know!
good luck and wish you all the best with your babies x

Answer 5

Yep, cats are pretty independent. You need to put down enough food and water (and put down many containers of each, in case for example, then tip over a water bowl, you need to have another somewhere else).

You also need to make sure they have enough litter boxes (I use the disposable ones and put them around the house if my normal one won't handle the load (get it? "handle the load"??? I kill me...*snicker*) while you are gone.

Of course cats get in trouble, so it's always risky...I go around the house and unplug all my electrical appliances and cords. Close up closets that have any chance of trapping them and just generally go around and make the place as kitty-trouble-proof as I can.

You should ideally just have someone come and check on them every day or two just to be on the safe side.

I have left my cats alone for a week or so before and never had any trouble.

Answer 6

I have just one cat and I don't like to go away because I know she frets - she's 16.

My neighbour is very good with her and when I treated my Mum to a birthday trip last year, the neighbour popped in to make sure there was food and fresh water.

If your carer lives near to you, maybe they would agree to drop in once a day during the couple of days you will be away just to check on your cats.

Don't believe a cat will only eat for you and you alone, when they get hungry, they'll be tucking in like the others.

In our local area, there's a cat-minding service who come to your house so your cats don't have to go into a cattery.

Answer 7

Either you accept someone else going in to feed & water your cats or you stay home with them. Sorry but you cant just b@gger off & leave them to it!!!!!!!!your cats might not accept affection from anyone else (sounds like a lack of socialisation) but at least the person keeping an eye on them will know they are ok. Either that or you get your family to come to you

Answer 8

It is possible to leave cats home alone for a few days as long as there is enough water and food down for them, however I think you have WAY too many cats to do this. Anything could happen while your away and it wont get seen to till you come back.

As a responsibility to your cats you need get someone else to feed them. Its simply not fair to use this as an excuse to leave them on their own. And you shouldn't have grown them to be totally reliant on you anyway.

You should not look after so many cats if you cannot ensure their safety and welfare.

Answer 9

I love the names you choose for your cats. Anyway you can leave your cats with at least 4 clean litter boxes, 6 bowls of dry cat food, and 6 bowls of water. That would hold them over for a week. You should leave a house key with a friend or neighbor and leave a bag of cat food in your house, just in case you get delayed and have to stay longer. You could call your friend or neighbor if you need to and they could just replenish the food and water and leave. I leave my cats alone for long weekends a few times a year and this works well for me.

Answer 10

If your cats are so important to you than you will hire a pet sitter or have a friend or neighbor come in to check on them while you are gone. It is also safer to have someone check up on your house as well, so they can make it look "lived in" while you are away. Your cats should be fine, even if they are shy and hide from the sitter, at least you will know they have food and water, and they are safely in the house.