4 or 5 days is a little long to be left alone, because anything could go wrong. Maybe your neighbour could come every second day.

I go for 2 days and leave my cats alone. I make sure their is plenty of food and water, but I don't do this often.

Your cats will be happy when you come home, but they don't mind being left alone either.

I don't have pets anymore but when I had cats I would leave them for a long week end. I only did it once or twice. I couldn't tell any difference in their behavior. I think you have to look at it this way, you are giving your cats a good safe home and love. As far as I am concerned you are saving them from being put down or dying on the streets.

We will leave our two cats overnight, but that's all. Longer than that and we would make arrangements to have someone come over to check on them, give them fresh water, feed them, and scoop the litter box.

Two nights is my max - any more than that they start getting squirrelly and seem to revert to a feral mode - they just seem skittish a day or two after I get back.

How much is the neighb kid getting paid anyway? I was astounded when the kid next door wanted $10 an hour for shoveling snow - not bloody likely! I'll do it myself.

Agree that every other day would be OK - certainly better than not at all. Or find another cat owner to exchange catsitting responsibilities.

I used to do that with my first two cats. We both traveled and couldn't afford a cat sitter on a regular basis. Our cats were young, healthy indoor only cats who didn't over eat. Since then I've had so many geriatric cats on medication plus two who would eat way too much too soon if left with a five day food supply. Plus they are really lonely with no people around. So in recent years I've spent a small fortune on pet sitting. I usually have a professional due to the medication and such.

Fortunately my husband quit traveling for work so now we only have a cat sitter for vacation.

What are you paying the neighbor? If it's $10 a visit, that is $40/50 each time you are gone. That's too much? If so, maybe he could come every other day. Actually he would not need to come the day you leave or the day your return, so that would save a couple bucks.

Be sure they have some toys out while you are gone. Leave the radio on. I'm told they like classical (no kidding). Also a light on a timer for a while in the evening might make the night seem a little shorter. Might be nice if you could afford to invest in an interesting climbing tree or other cat amusement furniture, scratchers, etc. If they have vertical, get some horizontals or vice versa.

And by the way, $10/hour isn't too much for shoveling snow.

I have two cats and also travel every so often. I always have someone come in every other day. I would not leave them for more than a night alone. Sometimes it is friends, or my nephew. Sometimes it is my neighbor. I also have a pet sitter I can call; she is very good but charges a lot ($20/visit). Do you have any friends with pets? Perhaps you can get together with them to agree to take care of each others pets.

No. We no longer have at cat (so pay a fortune for boarding our dog with a fabulous home dog boarder - who is also a vet tech which is a relief of course and she is also bonded and insured). When we had our cat we boarded him with the vet - that cost almost as much as the dog - but the cat was elderly. Years ago we left a cat for 3 days with someone coming in to feed her - problem was, she thought she was a dog - actually she was more dog-like than our dog of the time - who came with us - and she was ballistic when we got home. Perhaps every second day would work. Re snow shovelling - khaska_kat - if the person charges $10 an hour for shovelling and lives in my area of Toronto - please refer me! We can't get any kids here to shovel - they are too busy tweeting etc. - while their grandfathers are out having heart attacks shovelling.

No. We no longer have at cat (so pay a fortune for boarding our dog with a fabulous home dog boarder - who is also a vet tech which is a relief of course and she is also bonded and insured). When we had our cat we boarded him with the vet - that cost almost as much as the dog - but the cat was elderly. Years ago we left a cat for 3 days with someone coming in to feed her - problem was, she thought she was a dog - actually she was more dog-like than our dog of the time - who came with us - and she was ballistic when we got home. Perhaps every second day would work. Re snow shovelling - khaska_kat - if the person charges $10 an hour for shovelling and lives in my area of Toronto - please refer me! We can't get any kids here to shovel - they are too busy tweeting etc. - while their grandfathers are out having heart attacks shovelling.

I won't leave my cat for more than a day without enlisting the services of my lovely cat sitter. Most cats really are more sociable than they're given credit for, and greatly appreciate and benefit from some human companionship in our absence. I pay my sitter twenty dollars per visit, but she is well worth it.

I travel a lot, too, but my cat is my responsibility and I want to take care of her the best I can.

No, It is bad to leave a cat for long Time, For Short Duration it is OK.