Cat sitting while you're away: visits, overnights and what to leave
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
A healthy adult cat can usually be left for a day or overnight, but Cats Protection puts the maximum at around 12 hours. For anything longer, PDSA says someone should check on your cat at least a couple of times a day, even with an automatic feeder or cameras. Kittens, older cats and unwell cats need more.
So for a weekend, four days or a week away, plan for a sitter who visits at least twice a day, or one who stays in your home. Cats keep their territory and their routine at home, and the RSPCA notes that many cats are stressed by a carrier.
In India, add the heat, the monsoon, fleas and Diwali fireworks to the plan, and leave the sitter your vet's number, a 24-hour vet and the vaccination card.
- Meet your sitter first, free
- PAN-checked, first-aid trained
- A photo every day
- Pay through Petym, never cash
Which sitter suits your trip with a cat?
From a day out to a fortnight away, the service that fits and why.
1 day
A healthy adult cat can manage a day, but one visit to check water, litter and appetite closes the gap if you are back late.
A weekend
Cats Protection and PDSA both advise at least two visits a day, which a drop-in sitter covers without moving your cat.
4 days
Two visits a day keep the routine steady, and the daily photo update shows you the bowl, the litter tray and the cat.
1 week
A week of evenings alone is long for many cats, and a sitter staying overnight also covers power cuts, deliveries and the night-time check.
2 weeks or more
For a long trip someone living in your home works well for most cats, which keep their territory and their routine.
What does a cat need every day?
| What | The rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Food | Once or twice a day for most adult cats from about one year old. Food left out for grazing should be replaced with fresh food every day. | Cornell Feline Health Center |
| Water | Plenty of fresh water at all times, which matters most for cats on dry food. Cats that drink less are among those most often affected by urinary problems. | Cornell Feline Health Center |
| Litter | A clean tray every day. Straining, frequent trips or urinating outside the tray are signs to report to the vet. | Cornell Feline Health Center |
| Company and play | Boredom can lead to overgrooming, overeating or damaged furniture, so a sitter plays as well as feeds. | Cats Protection |
| Hiding places | Cats always need to be able to hide, which helps them feel safe. Resources go one per cat plus one extra, in different places. | International Cat Care |
| Routine | Being predictable and keeping daily routines is one of the simplest ways to keep stress down. | International Cat Care |
| Grooming | Long-haired cats such as Persians need daily brushing; short-haired cats mostly groom themselves. Petym's advice: write your cat's grooming routine on the care sheet. | Not stated |
| Rest | A quiet, cool spot away from the door and the noise. Petym's advice: tell the sitter where your cat sleeps and leave that spot alone. | Not stated |
How long can a cat be left alone?
Most healthy adult cats are fine for a day or overnight, and Cats Protection gives around 12 hours as the maximum. Beyond that, someone needs to check in.
Cats are often treated as the easy pet to leave, but the welfare charities are clear that an empty home for days is not enough. Cats Protection says most cats will be fine if they are left for the day or overnight, that the maximum amount of time you should leave them is around 12 hours, and that for anything longer you need a cat sitter, a friend or neighbour, or a cattery. PDSA goes further: never leave a cat without anyone to check on them at least a couple of times a day.
| What | The rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy adult cat | A day or overnight; around 12 hours at most. Longer: a sitter, friend or cattery. | Cats Protection |
| Any cat, longer trips | Someone checking at least a couple of times a day, even with an automatic feeder or cameras. | PDSA |
| Young kittens | A few hours at most; check every few hours until fully grown. | Cats Protection |
| Older cats or cats with a medical condition | Checked more often than a healthy adult. | Cats Protection |
| Male cats with a history of urinary trouble | Male and neutered male cats are at greater risk of a urethral blockage, which is an absolute emergency, so a sitter must see the litter tray at least twice a day. | Cornell Feline Health Center |
| Flat-faced cats in summer | Persians and other flat-faced cats overheat more easily, so a cool room matters more than the clock. | PDSA |
Which kind of care suits your cat and your trip?
For most cats the choice is between visits and a sitter staying over. Cats Protection notes that home-loving or nervous cats are usually less stressed at home.
Weekend to 1 week
Drop-in visits, twice a day
A sitter comes morning and evening to feed, refresh water, scoop the tray, play and check your cat. Cats Protection and PDSA both give at least two visits a day as the minimum. Cats Protection
1 week and longer
Overnight pet sitting in your home
Someone staying in your home usually works best, the RSPCA says, especially for a cat. It also covers night-time, power cuts and anything that goes wrong after the evening visit. RSPCA
Confident cats
Cat boarding in a sitter's home or a cattery
Suits cats that cope with travel and strangers. Many cats are stressed by the carrier itself, so it is rarely the first choice for a nervous cat. RSPCA (England and Wales)
Medicines or illness
Special-needs care
For a cat on daily medicines, a special diet or recovering from surgery: a sitter who follows the vet's written plan and logs every dose time. Older and unwell cats need checking more often. Cats Protection
What happens during a cat sitter's visit?
A good visit is more than topping up the bowl. This is how a Petym sitter will run a typical visit, following the plan you write.
Arrival
Lets themselves in quietly, closes the door at once and checks that windows and balcony doors are as you left them.
First look
Finds the cat without dragging it out of its hiding place, and notes how it moves, breathes and greets them.
Food and water
Notes how much of the last meal was eaten, washes the bowls, serves the next meal as written and refills fresh water in every bowl.
Litter tray
Scoops the tray, notes the number and size of clumps and any blood, diarrhoea or straining, and tops up litter.
Medicines
Gives any medicine exactly as you wrote it and logs the time; never changes or skips a dose without your vet's instruction.
Play and company
Ten or fifteen minutes of play or quiet company, at your cat's pace.
Home check
Fan or AC set as you asked, curtains drawn on hot afternoons, nothing toxic left out, deliveries brought in.
Update
Sends you the daily photo update and notes, and calls you at once if anything looks wrong.
What are the signs of stress in a cat while you are away?
iCatCare lists hiding, over-grooming, soiling indoors, urine spraying and changes in eating as signs of stress. A sitter watches for them and keeps the day predictable.
Many cats notice the suitcase before you leave. Cats Protection suggests spreading the packing, cleaning and holiday preparation over a few days if your cat is sensitive to change. Once you have gone, the signs a sitter looks for come from iCatCare: hiding more than usual, over-grooming (bald or thin patches, often on the belly or legs), passing urine or faeces outside the tray, urine spraying, and not eating or over-eating, depending on the cat.
A sitter handles stress by keeping to your times, keeping the same feeding place and the same bowls, never forcing the cat out of a hiding place, and spending quiet time in the room so the cat can come to them.
Some signs are not stress at all. A cat that keeps going to the tray and produces little, or a cat that stops eating, needs the vet, not patience. A Petym sitter will tell you about every change in the daily update and call you the same day about anything on the warning list below.
Which health problems should a cat sitter watch for?
These are the problems where hours matter. In every case the sitter calls you and the vet, and in an emergency takes your cat to the nearest 24-hour vet on the city's list.
If Straining in the litter tray, going often and producing little or no urine, crying while trying, or blood in the urine: signs of FLUTD and possibly a urinary blockage, more common in male cats.
A urethral obstruction is an absolute emergency. Go to the vet now; do not wait for the next visit. Cornell Feline Health Center
If A cat that stops eating, especially an overweight cat, after a change such as boarding, a move or a new pet.
Not eating can set off hepatic lipidosis, a serious liver disease, in overweight cats. Petym's advice: call the vet the same day a cat refuses its meals. Merck Veterinary Manual
If Panting, fast breathing, weakness, vomiting or collapse on a hot day, most likely in flat-faced, old, overweight or long-haired cats.
Heatstroke: move the cat somewhere cool, slowly pour cold tap water over the body away from the nose and mouth, use a fan, do not wrap it in a wet towel, and call the vet. PDSA
If Drinking much more than usual, weight loss or an unkempt coat in an older cat.
Possible signs of chronic kidney disease, which affects up to 40% of cats over 10. Note it and book the vet. Cornell Feline Health Center
If Sneezing, discharge from the eyes or nose, or not eating because the cat cannot smell its food.
Signs of cat flu. Call the vet; keep the cat warm and offer food it likes. International Cat Care
If Vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, lethargy and refusal of food in an unvaccinated or young cat.
Feline panleukopenia can be fatal. Call the vet at once and keep the cat away from other cats. International Cat Care
If Lily pollen on the coat or a chewed lily leaf, a cleaning product spilt, or human painkillers within reach.
Lilies can cause kidney failure from a tiny amount. Remove the cat from the source, take the plant or packet, and call the vet immediately. International Cat Care
If Repeated retching, a cat that has stopped using the tray and goes elsewhere, or a cat that hides and will not come out for food.
Report it the same day. Hairballs, litter box aversion and stress can look alike, and only the vet can sort them out. International Cat Care
How does Indian weather change a cat's care while you are away?
Indian summers, the monsoon and festival season each add something to the plan. Write them on the care sheet so the sitter does not have to guess.
Heat. The India Meteorological Department declares a heat wave in the plains when the maximum reaches at least 40 °C and departs well above normal, and at an actual 45 °C regardless; on the coast, 37 °C can count. A closed flat in May can be hotter than the street. The Animal Welfare Board of India asks everyone in charge of an animal to provide shade and fresh water in stable bowls, and to watch for excessive panting, lethargy and drooling. PDSA names flat-faced cats such as Persians, very old cats, kittens, overweight and long-haired cats as most at risk of heatstroke.
Power cuts and inverters. If your AC or fans run off an inverter, tell the sitter which points stay on during a cut and where the inverter switch is. A sitter staying overnight covers a cut at night; on visits, Petym's advice is to leave a cool room with curtains drawn, two or three water bowls in different rooms, and a tiled floor the cat can lie on.
Monsoon and fleas. Damp months bring more insects indoors. iCatCare says the only signs of fleas may be more scratching, and that most fleas live in the home rather than on the cat. Never let anyone use a dog flea product on a cat: some contain permethrin, which can be fatal to cats. Ask your vet what to use before you leave.
Diwali and other firecracker nights. PDSA lists cowering, hiding behind or on top of furniture, toileting in the house and refusing to eat as signs of a frightened cat. Bring your cat in before dark, shut windows, close the curtains and leave lights on, give it a den with a litter tray nearby, and never force it out. If you will be away over Diwali, an overnight sitter is the steadier choice.
High-rise flats. Petym's advice: tell the sitter which windows and balcony doors stay shut, whether there is netting, and whether your cat is allowed on the balcony at all. A door left open for a minute is how many indoor cats are lost.
What should you leave for your cat's sitter?
Cats Protection lists emergency contacts, your vet's details, enough litter, food and medication and daily care instructions. In an Indian home add the society and the staff.
- Your phone number, a second emergency contact in the same city, and how to reach you if you are travelling without signal. Cats Protection
- Your vet's name, number and clinic hours, and the nearest 24-hour vet. Petym will also give the sitter the city's 24-hour vet list. RSPCA
- The vaccination card: the Tricat or FVRCP course, the rabies vaccine and the dates, plus flea and worming dates, kept up to date before you go. PDSA
- Enough food for the whole trip plus a few days, the amount per meal, the times, and the treats allowed. Cats Protection
- Enough litter, spare scoop bags, and where the bin goes in your building. Cats Protection
- Any medicine, with the vet's written instructions; the sitter gives it exactly as written and logs it. Cats Protection
- The cat carrier, ready by the door, in case of a vet trip.
- A society gate pass or a note to the guard and the watchman with the sitter's name and visit times.
- Whether your maid, cook or driver will come in while you are away, and on which days, so doors and windows are not left open.
- Your cat's hiding places, and a note not to disturb them.
- Window, balcony and netting rules, and which rooms stay closed.
- What is normal for your cat: how much it eats, how often it uses the tray, whether it brings up hairballs.
- Where the inverter switch, the AC remote, the fuse box and the spare keys are.
Can a cat be left alone with an automatic feeder and a camera?
Not for more than a day. Gadgets help, but they do not see a blocked bladder or an empty water bowl that tipped over.
You may have read
An automatic feeder and a water fountain mean a cat can be left for a weekend.
Myth
What the sources say
PDSA says never leave a cat without anyone checking at least a couple of times a day, even with an automatic feeder or cameras. PDSA
You may have read
Cats are independent, so they do not mind being alone for days.
Myth
What the sources say
Boredom can lead to overgrooming, overeating or destroyed furniture, and Cats Protection puts the maximum at around 12 hours. Cats Protection
You may have read
A camera will show you if something is wrong.
Myth
What the sources say
A urinary blockage looks like a cat sitting in the tray. It is an absolute emergency that needs someone to take the cat to the vet. Cornell Feline Health Center
You may have read
A cattery is always the safer choice for a long trip.
Myth
What the sources say
Home-loving or nervous cats are usually less stressed at home, and many cats are stressed by the carrier alone. Cats Protection
What should a cat sitter do, and not do?
Do
- Visit at least twice a day, at roughly the times you feed. Cats Protection
- Keep the routine and the feeding place the same; predictability lowers stress. International Cat Care
- Keep fresh water in several bowls in different rooms. Cornell Feline Health Center
- Keep the cat indoors after dark around Diwali and other firecracker nights. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Test the door and the lock with you before the trip. Cats Protection
Don’t
- Pull a cat out of its hiding place or force it out of its den. PDSA
- Use a dog flea product on a cat. International Cat Care
- Bring lilies into the home or leave flowers from a puja where the cat can reach them. International Cat Care
- Give any human medicine, or change a dose, without the vet.
- Leave a window, balcony door or main door open, even for a minute.
How does a Petym sitter look after a cat?
Petym is opening city by city and is not taking bookings yet. When a city opens, this is how cat care will work. Before the first booking you meet the sitter at a free meet and greet, ideally at home so the sitter sees the cat's hiding places, the tray and the doors. You book and pay through Petym, and the sitter is paid after the booking.
The sitter follows your cat's plan as you write it, feeding, litter, play and any medicines, and logs each step as it happens. You get a photo update every day of the booking. In an emergency the sitter calls you and takes your cat to the nearest 24-hour vet on the city's list.
Every sitter's identity is verified with PAN before listing, and sitters complete pet first-aid training before their first booking. Sitters who host pets in their own home also pass a video walk-through by Petym, have their housing society's permission for paid pet sitting, a named 24-hour vet within reach and a pet limit for the home. A 30-minute drop-in visit costs Rs 599 in Mumbai, Delhi NCR and Bengaluru and Rs 499 in other cities.
Popular cats breeds
Going away soon? Tell us your dates.
A checked local sitter feeds, walks and keeps your pet company at home, follows your care sheet to the letter and sends a photo every day. Petym is opening city by city: send your dates and we will tell you when a sitter can take them.
- Meet your sitter first, free
- PAN-checked, first-aid trained
- A photo every day
- Pay through Petym, never cash
Questions owners ask
How long can a cat be left alone?
- Most healthy adult cats are fine for a day or overnight, and Cats Protection puts the maximum at around 12 hours. For anything longer, a sitter, friend or cattery should look after your cat, and PDSA says someone should check at least a couple of times a day.
Can I leave my cat alone for 24 hours?
- It is longer than Cats Protection's maximum of around 12 hours. Plan at least one visit, and ideally two, so someone sees the water, the food and the litter tray. A blocked bladder or a tipped water bowl can become serious within that time.
Can I leave my cat alone for a weekend?
- Not without visits. PDSA says never leave a cat without anyone to check on them at least a couple of times a day, even with an automatic feeder or cameras. Two drop-in visits a day, morning and evening, is the usual plan for a weekend.
Can I leave my cat alone for a week?
- No. For a week, arrange a sitter who visits at least twice a day or one who stays in your home. The RSPCA says someone staying in your home usually works best, especially for a cat, and it also covers nights and power cuts.
How often should a cat sitter visit?
- At least twice a day, according to Cats Protection and PDSA. Very young, old or unwell cats may need more visits, and a cat on medicines needs visits at the times the vet set. Each visit should include food, fresh water, the litter tray, play and a health check.
Do cats get lonely when left alone?
- Many do get bored, and Cats Protection says boredom can lead to overgrooming, overeating or damaged furniture. iCatCare lists hiding, over-grooming, soiling indoors and changes in eating as signs of stress. Regular visits with play and a steady routine help most cats.
Should I get a pet sitter for my cat or use a cattery?
- For most cats, a sitter at home is less stressful. Cats Protection says nervous, home-loving cats usually prefer to stay at home, while a cattery suits cats that cope with strangers. The RSPCA notes that many cats are stressed by the carrier itself.
What should I leave for my cat sitter?
- Your contacts, your vet's and a 24-hour vet's numbers, the vaccination card, enough food, litter and medicine for the trip, and daily care instructions. In an Indian home add the society gate pass, a note on your maid's visits and the balcony rules.
Is my cat safe alone during Diwali?
- Firecrackers frighten many cats. PDSA advises bringing cats in before dark, shutting windows, drawing the curtains, leaving lights on and offering a den with a litter tray nearby, and never forcing a cat out. An overnight sitter is the steadier choice for Diwali week.
Keep reading
- How long can a cat be left alone?The limits by age and health.
- How often should a sitter visit a cat?
- Cat sitter or cattery?
- Drop-in visits or overnight sitting?
- Cat boarding
- Do cats miss their owners?
- What to leave for your pet sitter
- Diwali and petsA den, closed windows and lights on.
Services that help
- Drop-in visits30 or 60 minute visits at home, one to three a day. Best for cats.
- Overnight pet sittingA sitter sleeps in your home and keeps your pet's routine going.
- Pet boarding in a sitter's homeYour pet stays in a checked sitter's home, not a kennel.
- Special-needs pet carePuppies, seniors and pets on medicine, cared for to your vet's plan.
Free tools for this
- Pet care sheetA printable instructions sheet for your sitter: meals, walks, vet and house notes.
- Going-away checklistA dated countdown for your trip, for dogs, cats, small pets and birds.
- Cat food calculatorDaily calories from weight and life stage, as grams of dry or wet food from the pack's kcal.
- Cat age calculatorCat years to human years from International Cat Care's chart, with the life stage.
Words on this page, explained
Keep exploring
Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- Cats Protection: How long can you leave a cat alone? (opens in a new tab)
- PDSA: What to do with your cat when you go on holiday (opens in a new tab)
- RSPCA (England and Wales): Taking your pet on holiday (opens in a new tab)
- RSPCA: Exploring pet sitting options (opens in a new tab)
- Cats Protection: Going on holiday (opens in a new tab)
- International Cat Care: Stress in cats (opens in a new tab)
Show all 19 sourcesShow fewer
- India Meteorological Department: FAQ on heat wave (opens in a new tab)
- Animal Welfare Board of India: Request to ensure care and protection of animals from direct heat during extreme hot weather (4 May 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- PDSA: Heatstroke in cats (opens in a new tab)
- International Cat Care: Fleas and flea control in cats (opens in a new tab)
- PDSA: Cats and fireworks (opens in a new tab)
- RSPCA (England and Wales): Fireworks and pets (opens in a new tab)
- Cornell Feline Health Center: Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (opens in a new tab)
- Cornell Feline Health Center: Chronic Kidney Disease (opens in a new tab)
- International Cat Care: Cats and poisons (opens in a new tab)
- International Cat Care: Cat flu (upper respiratory infection) (opens in a new tab)
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Feline hepatic lipidosis (opens in a new tab)
- International Cat Care: Feline infectious enteritis (feline parvovirus / panleukopenia virus) (opens in a new tab)
- Cornell Feline Health Center: How often should you feed your cat? (opens in a new tab)