Is it safe to leave my 2.5-month-old kitten alone for 5 hours?

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!

Hello Nicole. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Great question! Yes, you can leave a cat for 12+ hours on it's own. I would not recommend doing this with a kitten but an adult cat you can. It sounds like you would be a great home for an older cat. There are many, many older cats in shelters that need homes. I would recommend one that is 5 years or older. Hope this helps. Best wishes!

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If she has open eyes, most of her kitten teeth, can walk, and is otherwise doing well, you can actually start leaving some kitten food out for her. Canned kitten food mixed with formula/milk is a good place to start. You can leave this for her before bed and she can eat it throughout the night. I definitely recommend a maximum of 8 hours between feedings if she will not eat kitten food. Best wishes to you and your kitten!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Pishoo. Congratulations on becoming a cat owner! Kittens are a lot of fun. He should play hard and then sleep. It is important to give him lots of love, attention and play time. However, it is equally important that he is left alone to have nap time. He is rapidly growing and developing and much of this happens while his body rests. When you need to leave him alone, be sure to play with him first. This will help to tire him out. Then keep him in a small safe area such as a bedroom. Make sure that he has access to his litterbox, food and water. He will likely nap most of the time you are gone and play alone some. It is important for him to learn to be alone. I hope this information helps!

I would recommend getting an automatic feeder, 2 pet water fountains, and make sure there are 3 litter boxes set up for the kitties while you are gone. Also Lottie proof your to ensure they don't get into things. This website may have some more tips on things you can leave to keep them entertained and out of trouble while you are gone. Indoorpet.osu.edu It also wouldn't hurt to ask a trusted neighbor if they wouldn't mind stopping by to check on your kitties for you OR if the funds permit , searching for a pet sitter to come by midway though your trip to tend to the kitties. Most cats are pretty self sufficient so they are probably going to be ok either way. Safe travels!

It is perfectly find to have one cat even if you are going to be gone for hours. Many cats are single animal households. If you want to get another cat you can try to make sure they still get along but they may not even interact with each other while you are gone. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.