When the cat is home alone….
The door closes, the cat remains alone at home. Some cat owners lean back and relax when you say this sentence, while others are struck by a sheer panic. Not all cats deal with this situation completely casually. There are numerous candidates who literally go crazy, crushing and shredding everything that comes into their claws and later greeting their owner with a gentle purr and innocent look when he returns home. Or they have turned the apartment into a bombing field, hiding and reacting aggressively to the returnee. Today we explain how you teach your cat that “staying alone” is not a drama.
The first time at home alone
A cat or a kitten that has only been in the family for a few days should not be left alone. A short shopping spree for a few minutes is fine. But the new roommate cannot stay alone for hours. The reason for this is that the cat doesn’t know enough about the apartment and therefore can’t orientate itself properly yet. Besides humans form the closest reference person of the animal. If he suddenly leaves the house, fear and panic can actually arise in the animals. It is correct not to leave the cat alone for the first 2-3 weeks. Who must to the work, must take itself for this period of time vacation. Everything else leads to serious problems in the later living together as well as that it is absolutely unfair opposite the cat. Young cats who have not yet completed their 4th month of life should not be alone for several hours a day. In addition, each cat is different. That means you can never say when a cat is ready to stay alone. Who observes its animal well and trains the loneliness, can lean back however sometimes likewise relaxed, if the topic is addressed.
Training to be alone for cats
First of all, it is important to know what the prerequisites are. Experience has shown that many cats, if they live in the company, i.e. together with other cats, can bear being alone much more relaxed and serene. On the other hand, cats that are kept alone are often irritated or even disturbed at the beginning. Furthermore, there is a serious difference between a pure domestic cat and a free-range cat. The Freig?nger have much more opportunity itself to let off steam, communicate in the free one with other cats and use usually then the time of the loneliness as rests. House cats however do not have this advantage and must be prepared accordingly differently. With quite young cats the remaining alone can be trained spielerisch. Play with your kitten and then leave the house for a few minutes. Repeat this process every day and keep stretching the time. First 5 minutes, then 10, then 15 etc. until you can stay an hour out of the house. When you return you should praise the cat, greet it and you can also build in a ritual like giving a treat or playing a round. So the animal combines all this with a positive memory. Also with older cats this procedure can function quite well. In this case try it out.
Which cat can stay alone
Not all cats can be left alone. As mentioned above, especially kittens and cats that are new to the family should not be left alone in the beginning. Other exceptions are high-bearing cats and sick cats. Those who have to stay away for a longer period of time, for example due to a business trip, have to make sure that either a different accommodation, as can be guaranteed by the neighbour, or a cat sitter takes care of the cat. Of course, you can’t just plan a weekend trip without knowing who is taking care of the cat during that time. This should be self-evident, because animals are dependent on the care of humans. Whether travel, short trip or everyday life, if the cat is alone, it should be provided with everything it needs. Sufficient water, food and play facilities must be available at all times. Furthermore, the cat toilet must always be accessible, otherwise the mishap is inevitable. If you have to hire a carer for the cat, you really have to be sure that he will do his job conscientiously. This includes caring for and caring for the cat as well as feeding and cleaning the litter tray. Ideally, you should choose someone who has cat experience or keeps cats yourself. You must be able to trust this person completely, because only in this way can you drive away calmly and only in this way can your beloved pet feel well looked after and your absence will not be nauseating for you.