Sometimes cats don’t travel well so the only thing to do is to leave your cat behind when you head out on a vacation. Although it isn’t ideal to leave your cat home alone (often boarding pets is a good option), there are certain steps you can take to keep your cat in their home environment and keep them safe and comfortable while you’re gone!

Ask someone to check in on your cat – if you can’t hire a pet sitter to check on your cat each day, ask a close friend or a family member.

Clean the kitty litter – cats can be fussy about their litters and build ups can cause them to tire of their kitty litter and seek out alternatives. If you have your sitter clean out the litter every second day, you can avoid your cat developing bad habits!

Invest in water dispensers – although it may seem fine to just leave out a water bowl, water can evaporate quickly from these, leaving your cat dehydrated. Having a water dispenser allows for a fresh supply of water at all times.

Close off rooms – if your cat does tire of their litter, the last thing you want them to do is find a new room to use instead so close off rooms you don’t want your cat in while you’re not home.

Relocate your house plants – to be super safe, relocate your house plants to where your cat can’t reach them. Even if your cat doesn’t usually chew on house plants, the stress of being home alone could lead them to doing so. Most house plants can be poisonous to cats so it’s important to be prepared.

Move electrical cords out of reach – for the same reason they might chew a house plant, stress might make your cat adopt risky behaviours so move all cords out of reach or consider spraying them all with cat deterrent spray.

Make a cat space – make a little corner with your cat’s scratching post, favourite chair or blanket for them to rest in.

Tags or chips – the most important thing to do if you’re leaving your cat home alone is to make sure your pet’s records are up to date and that there is some way of identifying your cat should they escape. If you haven';t done it recently, pop into your local vet to have their microchip scanned to make sure it is still working!.

Leaving your cat home alone isn’t always the ideal option but if you’re heading off on a family holiday and can’t take your feline friend along with you, it’s good to be aware of your options. By taking these precautions, you can try to ensure that your kitty has as great of a time at home as you’re having on vacation!