Its your cat and you can do what you want, but you can deny all you like that your not exposing a outdoor cat to danger but anyone can see that you are.
A outdoor car faces danger every time they go out.. cars, idiots who would harm them, getting lost, stolen, locked in sheds and not found till to late. and many other things.


Ive left my cat ( and all my cats over the years) for a few days, she is always fine as she had everything she needed plus was in her home with everything familiar to her.

I would worry if my cats were out when I was away that's why I always put them in the cattery. Plus the fact you can enjoy yourself 100 percent in the full knowledge your cats are in a safe place and are being looked after properly.

I would worry more about them in a cattery as I know they would have hated it. A dog yes .. cats no

I think it's the other way round. Most cats are just fine in a cattery though it can take a day or two to settle. Dogs in kennels OTOH are missing the most important thing in their lives - their owner. There is always lots of barking at kennels, well-run catteries are calm places except at feeding time. Of course well-run is key. The worst sort of cattery has kennels as well so the cats can hear the barking and are either terrified or (in a few cases) frustrated for not being able to get at those dogs.

Down here I use a service, homecareforcats, where a professional comes in and feeds and checks the cats, have you checked your area for such a service?
I have done this for many years, and is very reasonable. I used catterys when my cats were young for a few years, but they came back stressed, underfed and flea ridden.
My cats have freedom to go in and outside at will, so the cattery experience to them would have been like prison, so Im not surprised they hated it, even though the catterys tried their best and were really quite expensive.

I would say that 24 hours is ok to leave cats with some dry food and water and the run of their normal stamping ground, any longer and they may not be so happy.
I find cats are fussy with food and would esily tell its been sitting for a few days.

Different people different opinions. My cats would have been too stressed at being put in a cattery. I see what it did to my brothers cats. My cats in their own home with all their own things around them or in a cattery No contest in my mind.



If you are going away and you have a dog either way the owner would not be there, so that does not make any sense

Every time I step outside my home I am exposing myself to danger but that doesn't mean I am going to stay within the confines of my home for the rest of my life. There are also dangers within the home, eg. my late Tabitha broke her leg when she fell off the TV. She loved the outdoors and had a happy life until she died this year at 16, from cancer.

I have minimised the outdoor risks to my cats by ensuring I live in a quiet area and have fitted a cat flap so that my cats would never be stranded outside. Outdoor access where my cats can be cats is, in my opinion, very important for their well being and happiness. They get lots of exercise outdoors, they have a social network where they meet neighbouring cats and interact with them (my 3 cats love other cats) and they can indulge their predatory instincts (luckily with my present cats this is confined to leaves and bugs, no wildlife yet).

I was brought up on an Irish farm and we were one of the few families who actually allowed cats indoors I find it strange that so many people here keep cats locked indoors - though no one I know here in the UK does and most of my friends' and family's cats have lived to good ages, 14+, all dying from illnesses rather than outdoor accidents.

On the cattery issue, I am a fan of catteries after I returned from 2 holidays when my Tabitha was young to find a very sick cat. My friend was calling in just once or twice a day to check on my cat but failed to recognise she was ill. I have more peace of mind when my cats are safe and secure in a cattery and will get prompt veterinary attention should they need it, they have each other for company and reassurance and they settle quite quickly (within a day or two). I probably wouldn't use a cattery unless I was going away for more than 2 nights as the cats would only just be settling in when it would be time to come home. I also didn't want to put my Bernard in a cattery just weeks after my Tabitha died, this year, as he would have been on his own there and I know he would have found it too stressful, I considered leaving him home alone with a friend popping in but I felt too anxious -so he went to my friend's flat instead where he got a lot of attention and cossetting. He now has 2 other companion cats at home

I think every one should do what they think best for their own cats because every cat is different and the owner is the best judge to consider the options and weigh up the advice given. It is possible to give advice without being judgemental or critical of other people's choices. I don't have a problem with people keeping their cats indoors as long as they don't keep telling me that what I am doing is wrong, I am sure they are doing what they consider best for their own cats and their own situation. Likewise, keeping a cat alone at home for 3 days is fine too (I've done it myself in the past) - though I would personally prefer someone to be calling round at least once every day.

Seems clear that we make these decisions based on our experiences. Poster knows outdoor cats that only died after long lives, and of inevitable illnesses, so poster is OK letting her cat out. I know far too many owners who've lost cats to cars and foxes (not so much to communicable diseases now, though when I was little, loads), so my cats stay in.

About Xmas going-away - I always take my cats with me if I go to usual family place; it's always quiet (apart from the drunken arguing, that is). One of them doesn't really like the journey down and is quite nervous away from home with people with whom she's not too familiar, and the other is OK with the journey and only a little naturally shy at the house. They play and explore and eat OK, but maybe they'd feel better at home with a feeder coming in? I never really thought about it, always just bundled them off with me. I've never left them alone for a whole night and on holiday I got my sis to live at mine for them. I dunno, I always think they're better off with me even if it's somewhere unfamiliar.

Just wondering what happened to your cat? Did you go and leave him/her alone? For the record I have never gone away and left mine, always ask someone to come and stay with my pets.

Update: I was gone fully for one day. Neighbour said my cat was not amused but fine and he seemed to cope being on his own. Didn't use the littertray but he had been using an old blanket I put down for him to use. Thrown it out now.

He's telling me off for leaving him though with lots and lots of meowing but ioverall his fine and normal.

Lol at least he is talking to you and hasn't gone in the huff. Hope you enjoyed your day.

I'm in the unfortunate position of having to go to Ireland tomorrow, having just learned of the sudden and unexpected death of my uncle. His wake and funeral are tomorrow and Monday so I won't get back home until Tuesday evening at the earliest (depending on flight availability). Most of my family members who live near me are also going to the funeral. I've been stressing about my 3 cats because I obviously can't get them to a cattery. A friend offered to have them round at her house but I've decided it would be less stressful for them to be kept at home and have now made arrangements for another friend to call round once or twice a day (depending on how she is fixed) to top up their food and check on their well being.

The 2 youngest cats are from a rescue cattery and I've never left them even for a night since I got them last June. I'm sure they'll be fine but I'm still a bit worried. However, my priority has to be my human family at this sad time.

Sometimes, it's just not possible to arrange things as I would ideally like to.

Big hugs Marella. I am sure your pusskins will be fine, they might ignore you for a few hours as punishment though. Take care xx

My cats were fine when I returned late last night, so 3 whole days away. They were pleased to see me