One of the questions I’m asked the most: Who watches your cat while you travel?

Usually? No one!

I adore my cat, but I also travel a lot. I’ve gotten a lot of questions about what I do with my cat while I travel, so here are my best tips for leaving your cat alone for a few days while you’re away:

Cats need 3 basic things to survive while you’re gone: food, water, and a litter box.

Food

I have a big automatic feeder for my cat. When I leave for a trip, I make sure the feeder is completely full, and if the trip is longer, I also put out a second dish full of food. My automatic feeder is just from the local pet store, and holds about 2 pounds of food. If you’re concerned about your cat running out of food, you can also just leave out a giant tub of food.

Water

I also have an automatic water dish for my cat. When I leave, I also make sure that the water dispenser is clean and completely full. There are a variety of automatic water dispensers and filters for cats, but mine is a simple one from the pet store and holds about a gallon. As a backup safety precaution, I also leave the lids up on all of my toilets when I leave, so if there is an emergency, my cat has more than one water source.

This is my food and water setup for when I travel.

Litter Box

If I’m gone for 1 week or less, I just clean the litter box normally before I leave, and my cat is perfectly fine. If I’m gone for more than 1 week, then I put out 2 clean, full litter boxes before I leave. I fill each one with non-clumping litter, and then just dump both boxes when I get back.

This is my litter box setup for trips longer than 1 week. I fill both up with fresh litter before I leave. Yes, I keep my cat’s litter box in my spare bathroom.

Other things to consider before you leave:

• Before you leave for a trip, always make sure you know where your cat is!! This seems like a silly thing, but always, ALWAYS make sure your cat is not outside or locked in a room or cabinet before you leave.
• Double check and make sure that the food, water, and litter boxes are accessible.
• If I’m going to be gone for longer than 2 weeks, I have someone check in on my cat once a week or so.

That’s it! My cat is super independent and I’ve never had any issues leaving her while I travel.