Leaving Your Cats Home When You're On Vacation

Let's face it, leaving your cats home by themselves while you're on vacation breaks your heart. But, sometimes paying for someone to watch them isn't an option. Luckily, cat's are pretty independent - no need to take them out to go to the bathroom and there are ways to automatically feed them.

I've owned cats my whole life and we've always left them at home by themselves when we left for vacations and each time we came back to a cat that's alive and happy to see us!

But there are some things I'd suggest to make sure your cat is totally comfortable while you are away.

Get a Water Fountain & Automatic Feeder

Water fountains and automatic feeders are a great addition even if you aren't going away for a couple of days. I've done it the hard way before - filling up like 5 bowls of food and water just to make sure they survive the weekend while I'm not there. 

Using a water fountain and automatic feeder will allow you to enjoy your vacation knowing your cat has plenty of food and water. And, if you're worried about them running out of the water, keep an open toilet bowl. It may sound gross, but if your cat is thirsty it's better they drink toilet water than get dehydrated.

Invest in a Self-Cleaning Litter Box

I used to be a scooper, back in the day. But, then I started collecting cats and next thing I knew it I was scooping every single day. Can you imagine if I left for the weekend? By the time I'd get back the litter box would be completely full and it's quite possible they peed somewhere else in the house. 

So, I invested in a self-cleaning litter box, and my life changed forever. This will allow my cats to have a clean litter box for the duration of my trips - no more accidents! There are many in the market and two that I've personally tried. 

Scoop-Free Litter Box

This was the first self-cleaning litter box I've invested in - actually, to be honest, I asked for it for my birthday (what a gift!). At first, I loved this thing when I only had 1 cat. After getting 2 additional cats maintaining this litter box became expensive. The refill trays alone are around $16 a piece and I'd need to replace them every 3-4 days. 

But, I found ways to save money. I'd buy the crystal litter in bulk and purchased a reusable tray. This helped with the costs, but since I had 3 cats I still felt like I was cleaning the litter box WAY too often.

This litter box is perfect if you only have 1 cat AND you & your cat prefers crystal litter. 

Litter-Robot

After I got fed up cleaning the reusable tray every 3 days, I finally made the decision to get the Litter Robot. This thing is probably the most expensive litter box on the market, but it's definitely worth it.

If you've never seen a Litter-Robot it's basically a spaceship. The thing is HUGE, so you'd need a pretty large space for it. It uses gravity to its advantage. The ball-shaped litter box rotates and dumps the cat's pee and poo into a small compartment at the bottom keeping the litter cleaned for your precious cat. Even though Litter-Robot sells their own accessories, it takes regular clump litter and you can use any bag that fits in their compartment. 

I find it easier to remove a bag every couple days than scooping litter and/or scrubbing that replacement tray. 

Can't afford a self-cleaning litter box?

I would recommend setting out a couple of litter boxes just in case. Trust me, you'd rather overdo it than come home to pee or pooh outside of the litter box. If that happens - get this pet odor and stain remover, it's the best and it's natural.

Spray Calming Spray or Diffuser

I don't know about your cats, but mine are a little too attached to me. They tend to get a little anxious when I'm away for a while. In fact, even when I leave them with my boyfriend for a couple of days I come home to a knocked over water fountain. They get upset when I'm not there. 

If that sounds anything like your cat, I would spray your home with a calming spray. And, if you have the funds get a diffuser. This will help your cat relax while you're not there, and it actually does work. 

If that's not enough for your cats, get one of those cameras that give treats so you can talk to your fur-baby while you're not there. Make sure that they are OK. 

Going on a LONG vacation?

Most cats are social animals, if you are going to be gone for more than 5 days I would suggest getting someone to check on your animal and give them a little love. Your cats will appreciate it and if you have decent friends and family this shouldn't be an issue. 

So enjoy your vacation without worrying about your pets. Although - you WILL miss them.

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