How to leave 5-month-old kittens alone for a 4-day trip safely?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your cats. They would likely enjoy being able to stay in their own home while you are on vacation. If your neighbor can check on them twice per day, this is most likely a good solution. She can provide food and water, clean their litter boxes and most importantly provide social interaction. Be sure to give her your veterinarian's contact information in case the need arises. The only other consideration would be to board the cats. They would receive more supervision, but it can be a stressful scenario for a cat to be kennels. I hope this information helps!

Hello, and congratulations on your new kitten! As long as your kitten is healthy and stable, I do not think it would be wrong to have a pet-sitter come in once every 24 hours to feed him, clean his litter box, and give him some cuddle time. You can try to have the pet-sitter rotate a few of his toys each day to keep him entertained. You can also consider a feline pheromone called Feliway, which helps to reduce stress in cats in new situations and environments. I hope this helps!

I’m sure they will be fine. They have been there before, and they have each other. There will be a short adjustment period when you get them back home but they will probably enjoy their vacation. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your kittens.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would highly recommend that you have a trusted friend or neighbor stop in once daily to every other day to check on the cats. They could make sure they are eating and using the litter box. Make sure they see all 4 cats during their visit to the house. It is risky to leave them that long. Good luck

Your cats will probably be ok for a week as long as they have plenty of food and water and lots of litter boxes to use. However, if it is possible I would recommend having someone come by and check on them at least once and maybe clean the boxes.

I hope you will be having someone come by to check on your cat AT LEAST every other day. You can't leave her unattended for 8 days. A self cleaning box is nice but that will not be good for 8 days; the compartment that holds the sifted cat waste needs to be emptied and the litter used will need to be replaced or replenished for the box to function properly. You also have her make sure she will actually use this box before you go. Automatic feeders can clog leaving her with no food and her water needs to be changed and refilled. You must get someone to check on her, make sure the litter box tray is emptied, the food is refilled and the automatic feeder is working and that she has fresh, clean water.

Cats are very smart creatures, so I am confident they will figure it out. You can always lock them in at night before you go on your trip to see how they do. However, I doubt they will have any issues going in the litterbox since this is a natural instinct for them to do so. If you are overly concerned I would suggest using Catattract litter which acts to lure cats to their litter box. You can also place several Pheromone diffusers (i.e. Feliway) in the home to help Emma and housemate remain calm while you are away. Safe travels on your trip and best of luck with your two kitties.