7 Tips for Leaving Your Cat Home Alone When You Go to Work

Heading to work but worried about leaving your cat home alone? We’ve got just the thing for you! In today’s blog, we’re exploring 7 tips to help keep your kitty entertained and put you at ease while you’re away. 

Leaving a Cat Home Alone—What You Need to Know

Many cats love being at home and are very connected to their territory, so it doesn’t usually upset them when you are out and about without them. In fact, your cat may use this as a peaceful time to rest, preparing them for playtime upon your return.

However, you shouldn’t leave your cat alone at home for too long. Without company, cats can often become bored or frustrated. Even seeing their humans leave for work can cause some cats to struggle as they know this means they'll be home alone.

How long can you leave a cat alone?

Every cat is different, and some may like having more time alone than others. So, when leaving a cat home alone, it’s important to consider how they’ll react to being alone for the time that you’re at work. Young kittens can only be left home alone for an hour or so at a time, but a healthy adult can be left for up to 24 hours. However, leaving your adult cat for this long shouldn’t be a regular occurrence.

Some breeds may also find it harder than others to spend long periods of time alone. For example, Bengal cats can struggle with being home alone as they are a high-energy and playful breed that can get bored quickly without enough mental and physical stimulation. Siamese cats can also find it hard to be home alone, as they are very sociable and enjoy knowing what their human is up to.

How Do I Prepare My Cat to Stay Home?

Although cats are thought of as being independent, they do form strong bonds with their humans. This can make leaving your cat home alone a challenge as they may struggle to be away from you.

When building up to leaving your cat home alone, start by spending a few minutes at a time elsewhere in the home. Then, gradually increase the time and progress to spending time away from the house. It’s important to only increase the time your cat is alone at home if they are comfortable at the current level and keep an eye out for any signs that they are anxious.

You can also use FELIWAY Optimum to create a reassuring environment that helps ease your kitty’s anxiety during the learning process, providing them with enhanced serenity for up to 30 days.

7 Tips for Leaving a Cat Home Alone

If your cat is struggling when home alone, we’ve put together some general tips that can help your feline friend feel more at ease. First though, remember to check for any hazards such as wires, toxic foods, or cleaning products that may have been left out. Your cat may try to explore different places when you’re not there to stop them, so first things first, check that harmful items are out of reach!
Otherwise, when leaving your cat alone at home, the most important step is to make their space feel as comfortable as possible. To do this, you’ll need to ensure the environment is meeting their daily needs, even when you’re not there. With that in mind, here are seven top tips for helping your cat remain calm and contented while you’re away:

1. Food and Water—Leave your cat with enough food, fresh water, and clean litter tray access to last the time you are at work. There are also automatic feeders available that can dispense food at certain intervals, so their routine isn’t disrupted. If your cat has not used these feeders before, remember to take some time to help your cat get used to it first!
2. Stimulation—Provide your cat with something they can do when they wake from their snooze to keep them stimulated. Giving them interactive activities such as food in an activity feeder, a treat treasure hunt, a catnip toy mouse, and scratching opportunities can help keep your kitty entertained.
3. Resting Spots—Make sure they can access elevated places to rest in so they can watch the world go by from their favourite spots.

4. Background Noise—Some cats may appreciate having some background noise playing when you are not there. Classical music can be a great choice to put them at ease, but make sure to be led by how your cat responds to it.
5. Temperature Control—Consider the house temperature when you are out at work. Make sure it is warm enough for your cat in the winter, but cool enough during hot summer days.
6. Welcome Home Routine—Try to introduce a welcome home routine. When you’re at home, you can greet your cat with a treat as a reward for being relaxed while you were away.
7. Keeping An Eye On Them—You can set up cameras in your home to check on what your cat is doing during the time you are at work. Some devices allow you to speak to your cat too, which could help soothe them, but it’s important to check beforehand whether they like it or not.

If you need to leave your cat for a longer period of time than when you are at work, consider different options such as a pet sitter or a boarding cattery. This choice is completely dependent on what your cat prefers to make sure they still get the social contact and interaction they need. 

If you’d like to know more tips about leaving cats home alone, check out all our other fantastic blogs online! Or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch—we’ll be delighted to share all the insights we can. And while you’re here, don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date with all our latest news, articles, and products.