How long is acceptable?

[forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa)]

if u r only leaving him 3 days a week on average then i dont think thats too bad ,as long as u leave food water and a litter tray and maybe u could leave the tv or radio on for a bit of back ground noise for him .

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[Debbie]

he might sleep all day and play all night when your home 

Like he does now 

 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I agree with Susanne and I think he will adjust to sleeping while you are out, or gettinhg into toatl mischief cos you not there 

I think you will just need to keep a finger on the pulde and if he starts showing disturbing changes in behaviour you may have to think of a posssible playmate.

I reckon he loves his house and slave and probably will not want to share them.

Good luck and hope it all goes well 

[COSMIC CREEPERS]

debbie

we can only give our opinion and only you know your cat 

i wish you the best of luck and im sure you will make the right decision , he might sleep all day and play all night when your home 

best of luck x

[Debbie]

Thanks for all your replies, even if it wasnt what I wanted to hear for some of them!!! 

It is not a definite about my commute yet and I am quite stressed generally about the thought of all the travelling so yes you are quite right Susanne, it is going to be tough for both of us without having to deal with issues a new cat in the house could bring.  I know that a playmate might be the answer but I recently had a cat I was fostering temporarily inbetween homes and she was younger than Sam.  Well, I couldnt believe my eyes when she chased him out of sight and literally bit his bottom every time he came into her eyeline!  He got more stressed than I have ever seen him and took to hiding behind the blinds or going outside for hours on end 

He is a happy, friendly boy with people but definitely not a lap cat.  When I am home he certainly likes to be in the same room as me but doesnt particularly like to be picked up and cuddled.   He does like to play too and I wear him out with his laser pen or feather toys. 

I think I will see how he is if I do have to commute.  Then if he is lonely a playmate may have to be shipped in who is just as placid as he is!

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I think it will be ok to leave him for that long, esp if it's only 3 days a week.  Not ideal obviously, but these things happen and we just have to do the best we can when we do.  I certainly think it is better than any alternative.  It would be a good idea to get another cat for him for company, esp if you think this may be more than a temporary thing, but the problem with doing that now is you can't be around to do introductions properly.  If you have to keep them separate then you just have 2 cats who are on their own all day and you're probably going to be stressed enough by all the travelling etc without having to cope with the potential problems that can come with introducing a new cat.  Of course they may get on great really quickly, but if they don't you could just be making life very difficult for both yourself and Sam.  Maybe after you've been doing the commute for a few weeks you'll have a better idea of a) how Sam seems to be coping and b) whether you think you could cope with the stress of introducing a new cat while you're doing the long hours.

I'd get some new toys for him - perhaps one new thing each week - and pay particular attention to his environment on the days you have to leave him for a long time.  Then when you leave him rearrange his toys - put cardboard boxes in a different place for example - and get out the new toy for that week so that it's all a bit different for him.  You can leave food in automatic feeders and those food balls that they push around the floor to get the food out of.  You can get the latter as part of a timed dispenser that will releae them at set times so that might be something to look into.

At least at 1 he's passed the very young kitten stage.  How lively is he?  Tbh he probably will just sleep while you're gone.  The hard part will be when you return home tired and he wants to play!  Do you have a friend, neighbour or relative who could pop in during the days you're gone to give him a bit of company?

Try not to worry too much.  It may not be an ideal situation but I'm sure Sam will cope.  Just give him loads of love and attention on the days when you're not gone so much.

[Susieh]

a kitten wouldnt bully him

Have to disagree there!  My Freddy was just 8 weeks old when I got him and my other 2 cats were about a year old.  After the initial 2 days of him not being sure about the other 2 and hissing and growling, he has ever since been a real bully and although they generally get on fine because the older 2 stay out of his way, it is not the cuddly group I imagined when I got Fred!  I have to supervise mealtimes as he bullies them off their bowls, he jumps on them when asleep and doesn't stop when they hiss and yowl, he waits for them to come in through the catflap and jumps on them, he guards the litter trays and ambushes the others several times a day.  It is all play to him and he isn't aggressive in a real fighting way - but he is very much more OTT than my other 2 would like and the environment is more stressful than when I had just the 2.  However he is calming down as he gets older (now 18 months) and is much better than he was 6 months ago, plus he sleeps more now so is less inclined to interrupt the others' sleep.  There was a stage I considered rehoming because he was such a bully but he is manageable and the other cats have learnt how to deal with him.  I have to intervene perhaps a few times a week which is a great improvement on several times a day plus supervised mealtimes.

It is everything to do with character and with a little one you just can't tell so if you do go for a playmate, I would suggest a young cat but older than 6 months and having been assessed character-wise first.

[Ela]

he is so soppy that all other cats he encounters tend to bully him so that might be more stressful than being alone...?

I am sure a rescue will have another cat that has the same traits. Rescues should also know cats that may get on with other cats if introduced properly. Personally I would not go for a kitten as often its true temperament is not known until it is a little older.

[JackSpratt]

My cats have always had other cats for company, so it's difficult for me to have an opinion on this one. Is he generally a people person? What I mean is, when you're in is he indifferent to you or a lap cat?

It's not really an age specific question to me, more a personality thing. He's past the stage where he needs socializing to know people are a good thing, but it all depends on how much he likes interacting with you when you're around.

[sheryl]

It seems a long time for a 1 year old to be on his own and he would probably appreciate some company

[COSMIC CREEPERS]

im sorry , i think it is too long for a 1 yr old 

a kitten wouldnt bully him do you have time to have time off to introduce one into the home

[CurlyCatz]

i reckon your only choice is play it by ear and monitor the situation...make sure he has plenty of activity things though etc so he can amuse himself if he wants. maybe put a radio or the telly on a timer or something so its on a wee while during the day.

[Debbie]

He is just over 1 yr old.  I now it is not good but at the moment it would be the only option.  I had thought about a playmate but seeing as I am not around that might not be a good thing, he is so soppy that all other cats he encounters tend to bully him so that might be more stressful than being alone...?

[CurlyCatz]

how old is sam ??

for the short term i'd say (hope) he'd be ok but if he is a younger cat and this was a permanent arrangement then prob its too long and perhaps a play mate would be needed.

[Debbie]

I posted a while back about my job moving to another location and now it is coming ever nearer.  I have attempted to find alternative roles elsewhere but it looks like my only option will be to commute the 100 or so miles round trip to work everyday 

I anticipate I will be out of the house for 12-13 hours a day for 3 days a week which leaves my poor Sam on his own.  Do you think he will  be ok or develop behavioural problems being alone for this length of time?

I am hoping it will only be a shortish term thing (3-6 months) until I can move home to nearer my new workplace but it is one more thing I have to think about and would appreciate others opinions.