Why doesn't my cat eat when I go away?

[Mark]

But wet food won't stay fresh in a feeder - especially in the summer - They are OK for dry and maybe wet overnight if it is quite cool but otherwise 

[tigerbaby]

Our cat feeder has a lid with one window that goes from compartment to compartment, so any old food won't be left out 'in the open' - ie as soon as the next feeding is due it moves to the next compartment of fresh food.

We find that Jameson never finishes the food we leave out for him (when we're away) and I always leave out lots of dry food. The dilemma we're having is, my argument is that I want to leave out more food than neccessary, incase other cats come in and eat his food. OHs argument is that more food attracts more cats to come in and eat it!

As for being lonely, I think that depends on the cat. Jameson is fine being left on his own for 2-3 days and I always tell my neighbours to fuss over him and look out for him. I never want to leave him longer than that though, he is having to go into cattery in Oct when we are going on holiday.

[Mark]

That explains it, a lot of cats will refuse to eat food that has been down for more than 15 minutes as that is when bacteria start multiplying.
After 2 days, it must be rancid - luckily cats don't get food poisoning as easily as humans but even they have their limits 

[Lily]

Thanks for your advice, I'll switch to putting dry food down when I'm away as it does smell pretty bad when I get back.  That's probably the reason why she's not eating anything.

She's a pretty independant cat, outside for most of the time and the rest of time she's sleeping.  I make a big fuss of her during the week and when I get back so she knows she's loved.  I also know that she frequents the community centre next door and has made lots of friends in there so she gets some attention when I'm not here.

[Team Svartalfheims]

Does she eat dry food? If she does then just leave dry food when you are away. I only ever leave wet food if someone is coming in to keep an eye on them as it goes off quicky especially in this heat.

If I am just going away on a Friday night and back on Sunday night mine are usually left on their own with extra food, water and litter trays filled with silica litter (as it absorbs wee and drys out poos so more pleasant for the cats). Any longer than that though and I get someone to pop in and play with them, top water and food up and clean trays. Thereagain when I am away I leave them shut in their rooms so I have peace of mind knowing they aren't chewing cables, swallowing things they shouldn't be, pulling things down on top of themselves etc.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I leave my four overnight once in a while but no longer and they eat 

If you leave her 2 or 3 nights then the wet food even with an ice pack will be going off and she wont eat that cos it will smell wrong. She is also missing you and yes if you have a cat of course you are its skave 

[Kirst]

Mine are never left over night without a pet sitter coming in to feed and play with them.

[Tinamary]

I would just be worried that they got their self in trouble and there was nobody there to help. 

[Mark]

I have to get someone in twice a day on the rare occasions we go anywhere. Although I think cats sleeps most of the time, they probably do get lonely 

[Tinamary]

Could you not get a neighbour or local cat sitter to go and sit with her for a few hours.  Are you not worried leaving her alone for that amount of time.  I would be scared stiff of leaving mine and when im out all day i worry what they are up to.

[Lily]

I'm finding myself spending quite a few weekends away at the moment and I'm slightly concerned that Lily doesn't appear to eat much when I'm away. 

I have an automatic feeder which is fine for 2/3 days, it holds plenty of food and even has ice packs to keep everything fresh.  Normally Lily has dry food down all day and then has a small portion of wet food in the evenings.  I've tried to get into a routine when she's fed at certain times and the feeder keeps up with these.  But usually I end up throwing most of the food in the feeder away as she doesn't touch it. 

Is this her way of training me into staying at home?  She eats out of the feeder when I'm there so she knows it's OK and quite happily eats on Monday's when I'm back out of her normal bowls.  I think she's turning me into a slave!