Many animal lovers should consider how much time they can devote to any pet before they get one. For people who work a lot or travel often, the cat is an ideal choice because it is more independent than a dog, parrot, or guinea pig.
You don’t have to walk them, they are known as very tidy animals, and they spend most of their time sleeping. If you leave them plenty all cats’ necessities, they can go like that whole day. What is the best of all – cats are quite able to get entertained all by themselves.
It is certain that you can leave the cat a little longer without supervision, unlike the dog, but nobody can tell you for how long. However, if you have two or more cats, this rule does not matter. They shouldn’t be unattended for hours, and in the article below, you can read why.
Cats Can Make a Mess
Cats are territorial animals, and they are very attached to their house. For marking a territory, they usually leave visible signs of their presence, in several ways. Scratching furniture or urinating outside the sandbox make most troubles to owners of these lovely beings.
Because of loneliness, your cat might leave you “a gift” in your bedroom or stuff. Or she can become furious, and make some mess, tear something on your own, just to remind you that leaving her alone was not such a great idea. Smell of cat’s poop can become so unbearable that even your neighbors can feel it.
This behavior can be a big problem when you have two or more cats. Be convinced that they will compete among themselves in various ways – climbing the furniture and curtains, loud mewing, or cats can fight because of food or some toy. If you leave them unattended for a long time, you can expect chaos.
Sometimes, cats can get involved in playing so much, and thus break something. Besides mess, here’s a risk of getting hurt. Also, sometimes, cats can jump through the closed window, if something from the outside distracts them, like a bird or another cat.
Cats Are Prone to Depressive Behavior
At first, when the owner gets or buys a kitten, there will be no problems because you have to leave your pet alone for a few hours daily. But in time, psychoses and depressive behaviors can manifest in your cat, because these animals are prone to these conditions, almost as much as humans.
Cats love freedom, and the lack of space in urban environments is something they despise. When they have access to the yard, they have a certain independence of movement and thus cultivate their animal instincts.
It is known that the cats like to look out the window. But they don’t do this because of the same reason as dogs, to protect and warn you about the danger. Simply, it’s their TV. These animals are pretty curious and like to know what is happening around them. While they are on the other side of the window, they are restricted and can’t actively participate in external events. It can tear them apart, so cats can easily become anxious and recluse.
Hair All Around
These furballs are very clean, and you notice this by constant licking and washing their faces. However, when they are alone for too long, cats can start to tear their fur, or to self-inflict in some way. If we eliminate the problem with people suffering animal hair allergies, this behavior could endanger your cat’s health.
There is a risk that, because of the swallowed hair, a cat chokes up and starts to vomit. The amount of hair that can accumulate in the cat’s body can cause digestion and food taking problems, breathing issues or difficulties with bowel discharge.
Whatever the problem is, it can seriously endanger health if the cat’s owner doesn’t notice it on time. And when the owner is absent for a long time, and a kitty left without supervision, this situation can easily happen.
Refusing Food Can Make Them Sick
Cats are animals that like stability, and they are not very thrilled with the changes. Although it may seem that your kitten handles your leaving home very well, be sure that the lack of your presence will affect your pet sooner or later. First of all, you can notice this by her appetite.
If for several days in a row, you find a full bowl of food when you get back home, it’s a sure sign that your kitty is lonely. When the cat is unhappy, she will refuse meals for days. This behavior can be dangerous because, without food, this animal quickly weakens and dehydrates. Usually, this is the main reason why you shouldn’t leave your cat unattended for too long.
Even if you obligate someone to visit your pet while you are not at home, be sure it’s a much better solution than just leaving a full bowl and forgetting about your furry friend. The presence of human can positively affect your pet, even if she doesn’t know them.
Overeating Can Be Dangerous Too
When we leave the kitten alone in the apartment, we think that we have resolved a thing if we fill her food box to the top. Yes, your cat won’t be hungry for a whole day and, very likely, she will take a nap with her stomach full, but if we start doing this every day, there is a risk of overeating in your pet and getting unhealthy weight. If your cat does not have anyone in charge to control and feed her, it is better to leave less food in the bowl, and then prepare her an abundant meal as soon as you get home.
Like humans, cats can show their depression by compulsive overeating. In this case, your pet won’t eat because she is hungry, but because she is lonely and bored. You will soon notice she became fluffier and heavier than ever. But this is not cute at all. In addition to motion problems, fat cats can often get some heart disease, which can drastically reduce their lifespan.
Behavioral Changes
When you leave your cat for a long time without supervision and society, you can experience a sudden change in her energy. If it happens that your kitty is suddenly too calm or hyperactive, it’s a sign that she wants attention. Many consider this cat as spoiled and selfish, but this is, in fact, just another sign that your pet doesn’t enjoy her solitude.
If your kitten was always loud and suddenly, she became calm and silent, it is also a sign that indicates her sadness. Cats express their depression through a high need for closeness. If she does not see you for a while, your pet will start looking for you at the place where she usually can find you – in your bedroom, armchair or in the kitchen.
Cats can be stressed too, so you really shouldn’t leave them without supervision for so long. Many diseases in cats are caused by excessive stress, and this is usually the case when the cat is dissatisfied and sad.
Avoiding Owner
A cat will handle loneliness the beginning, as her owner usually devote some time to get her used to his situation. However, as the time passes, the cat can’t be in the center of human’s attention all the time. The period of her solitude is increasing so your pet can exhibit behavioral problems.
The behavior can vary – she can become either too aggressive or very calm and silent. Also, she can avoid you when you get home and spend most of her time sleeping. Every pet lover should be considered with this behavior, because it can lead to psychosis.
Yelling Can Cause You Troubles
Some cats can show their dissatisfaction with long and persistent mewing. This behavior can make you big problems if you live in a building. If you leave the cat for a long time without supervision or without sufficient food and water supplies, your pet will try to call you boring yelling.
You know that there are people who do not like animals, but this disturbance can bother even those who adore cats. If you are not sure how your kitty will behave when she is alone in the apartment, send someone to walk around or propose a neighbor to tell you if mewing becomes unbearable. Feel free to ask them for understanding since you have no place to leave your cat, but you have to understand them too.
Cats are pretty independent by nature, and require a very little control, unlike the dogs who are craving for their owners. However, this doesn’t mean that a cat won’t enjoy your company, but it’s not a guarantee that your pet will be calm and quiet when you are not at home. (Provigil) (stylerecap)
