Monday, June 30, 2014

6 Things to consider for your Cat when leaving for the 4th of July weekend

The Fourth of July weekend is rapidly approaching!! It is the time for BBQ's featuring
"All-American" favorites such as chargrilled hamburgers and hotdogs, corn-on-the-cob oozing butter from every scrumptious kernel, camping, parades, fireworks and sparklers!! Most cats and dogs are terrified of the sound of fireworks, and sparklers can cause severe burns to cats, dogs and their humans should a renegade ember ignite clothing or fur. Plan to keep everyone far enough away and safe from the evening light show.

It is hard to imagine that once the Fourth Of July approaches summer is already half over, yep, half over (at least as far as the back-to-school ads are concerned).



Many people leave town for a few days to enjoy some fun and sun. Can't take your cat along for the fesitivities? Please don't forget to provide for him in your absence.

Cats are more self-sufficient than dogs and tend to do well on their own (for no more than 3 nights) providing his needs are taken into consideration.


1) Provide plenty of food and water: there are many wonderful automatic feeders on the market (most tend to be 48 hr feeders) that will dispense food automatically either when a timer is set or when the cat taps a pad or lever to dispense the food. There are also commercial "water coolers" that are great for cats that can be filled in advance with plenty of water so he doesn't have to crack open a cold one from the fridge.  I would test the dispensers thoroughly before you leave to be sure they are functioning properly. To give you double peace of mind I would still put out small bowls of kibble and water around the house in the event the dispensers don't function properly while you are gone. To give your cat some entertainment you can even hide treats around the house for him to find in your absence (under pillows, in his bed, on windowsills, etc.) This will provide some fun and put his hunting skills to good use.


2) Call home and let your cat hear your voice

Still have an answering machine? Experts say that calling home and leaving a message for your cat can offer him comfort, the sound of your voice will reassure him. I used to do this with my Angel Bobo,  and have to admit it upset me more because I thought Bobo would be more distressed hearing me and not being able to find me. What do you think? I think another good idea which I have implemented is to leave a radio playing soothing music on or leave your TV on. The voices in the background will offer companionship and comfort for a lonely kitty.


3) Clean the litter box before you leave- Providing a second or third (depending on the number of cats you have) might be a good idea if you have a cat that is fastidious about using a clean litter box. Your cat may be angry with you for leaving and you do not want a dirty litter box to be an excuse for him marking his territory all over your home.




4) Leave windows closed or open just a tiny bit

Never leave your windows wide open in your absence. If you do not have air conditioning leave the windows just slightly open. The sight of a scurrying squirrel or other animal can excite your cat and he can possibly push the screen out while you are gone. Screen falls out, your cat is gone.


5) Think about the temperature in your home- Not using air conditioning when it is warm may be great for you when you are there with the windows open, for your cat, not so much. If you have air turn it on (your cat's comfort is more important than pinching pennies) or leave a fan running in a place that your cat cannot be harmed by the rotating blades.

6) Leave some toys out-But, put away any toys (such as toys that dangle by a string) that require supervision. You don't want your kitty accidentally in danger caused by a toy while you are away.


Your cat should do fine if the above tips are implemented. I have instituted all of them when I had a household that just had a cat and no dog,  and frankly I am much more comfortable with having a trusted friend or family member stop in at least once a day to check on my beloved baby. Be sure they are a bona fide cat lover, someone that truly cares about cats and will actually play with your cat, talk to him, soothe him and care about his well being while you are away, not just someone looking to earn a few extra bucks.

If you are having someone check on your cat be sure to:

Provide the phone number of where you will be along with your cell phone number.

Provide the name, address and phone number of your vet and the clinic you prefer your cat being taken to in (gasp) the event of an unexpected emergency. If you don't have one already, purchase The Petter Planner, this is a great resource to leave out for your pet sitter!



Call your caretaker at least once a day (not 4 and 5 times a day like I tend to do because I am a neurotic kitty mama) to see how things are going and to answer any questions they may have.

Have a list of your cat's favorite hiding spots- spare your caretaker the stress of having to search in a frenzied state for a kitty who they think is missing but is in fact snoozing serenely on the towels in your linen closet.

Now that all of the important things have been done to provide safety and comfort for your cat while you are gone, if you haven't already, GET PACKING and pussyfoot on out of here and have a HAPPY AND SAFE FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND!!!!!!

59 comments:

  1. Fortunately, my human will be home most of the weekend! But this is great advice.

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    1. thanks Sparkle! My humans will be too, but Mom said she used these tips quite often with her Angel Bobo. Love, Cody

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  2. Great post... PS You're in good company, I,m a neurotic kitty mama too - I checked in with the Cattery multiple times whilst I was at BlogPaws!

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    1. THANK YOU!! MOL We are two peas in a pod! OMG since you were overseas I would have checked in NUMEROUS times a day!! xoox

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  3. Great advices Cody ! We keep it under the paw, because our 4th of July event takes place on 1st of August in Switzerland, but it's the same mess and the same noises of fireworks ! Purrs

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    1. thanks so much my furiends! OHHHH NOOOO! You have to put up with noisy fireworks too? They are awful! Love, Cody

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  4. Awwww the calling home to let your kitty hear your voice tip is just adorable!!

    Happy Fourth of July! Take care
    x

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    1. Hi Old Kitty! When I was working years ago and there were no cell phones, I always used to call my Angel Bobo and let him hear my voice on the machine...it sometimes freaked him out, but it made me feel good! xoxo

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  5. Cody this is a great post x

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  6. This is good advice. We think the head peep will be home most of the holiday weekend, so she is unlikely to leave us for long enough for us to get lonely... though we will no doubt complain that our dinner is late!

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    1. thanks friends! Glad your "head peep" will be home most of the day, I will be too!

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  7. When we had an answering machine, my wife would occasionally leave a message for herself and then say hi to the cats. Sometimes she would throw in the words "kitty treats," and I would have to scold her for being mean.

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    1. Ohhhh Mean Mama!!! That sounds like something that my Mom would do!!! Love, Cody PS: do you believe there are still some people with those sort of answering machines? I was in shock!!! Love, Cody

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  8. Great advice - but I am not so sure about the calling home part. A few months back I traveled for work and tried to talk to Lucy on the phone…. I completely freaked her out…

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    1. MOL!!! My Angel Bobo used to get a little freaked out too xoxo

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  9. Great advice! But i don't think Mom will do that to me... I hope not.

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  10. We're lucky. Our humans aren't going anywhere that weekend. Well, maybe to the patio...but that's about as far as they will go. :)

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  11. What a great blog today Cody! My parents will be home for the 4th but I'd like to think they'd remember "all of the above" if they weren't going to be. The 4th can be a scary time with all the noise.....we might have RAIN on the 4th so no loud noises BUT of course they'll just reschedule all the noise for another day. Stay safe my friend!

    Hugs, Sammy

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    1. thanks so much my furiend!!! My pawrents will be home too but Mom used to leave Angel Bobo sometimes, so she used these tips quite a bit!!! Hoping you don't have too many fireworks, I don't mind them but Dakota does! Love, Cody

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  12. That is fantastic advice. You covered everything. We are very lucky that there are so many of us, the Person can't possibly leave. But she doesn't mine, she enjoys us. Hope all of you have a wonderful Fourth. Take care.

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    1. Marg thanks so much! Don't tell, we're not going anywhere either :) In the past, when I lived alone, I did...my Angel Bobo was the only pet then, I implemented MANY of the tips I posted....now with Dakota in the mix I have my best friend come and stay with them but we STILL use MANY of these tips, not just on July 4 but other times too! You have a wonderful 4th as well! xoxo

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  13. Great job, Caren, as usual. You seem to have thought of everything. Plus, Cody looks super-fine in the flip-flops. Cushioned tootsies are so important at the beach.

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  14. That is very important information Ma. Caren
    Lily & Edward

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  15. Yes, that is great advise and we hope to never be left home alone!

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  16. Such great advice! I hate the boom booms so much I wont even let my humans leave me alone on the 4th...scary big noises!

    Noodle

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    1. thanks so much!! Believe it or not they don't bother me, but Dakota HATES them! Love, Cody

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  17. Quite a good list. I think Mom covers it mostly when we leave them behind. We won't be leaving over the fourth, though, so they will be home with us. We have fireworks and loud stuff a lot, so they are pretty used to it, Katie is the only one that is scared.

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    1. Thank you my furiend!!! I'm not scared of fireworks either, but Dakota is like Katie, he isn't so much scared as he barks his head off when he hears them! Thankfully Mom and Dad will be home to shut him up MOL! Love, Cody

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  18. Great tips Caren!!!
    Thank you for sharing such a helpful post!
    Hope you have a super happy 4th!!!
    ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!

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    1. thanks so much Jenna! Not like me, is it? lol!!!!!!!!! Actually it is one from waaaaaaaaay back in my archives that I doctored up.........shhhh...don't tell! HAPPY EARLY CANADA DAY TO YOU! xoxo

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  19. Those are very good points. Mommy doesn't feel comfortable leaving us for even a night (she has a wild imagination!) so we guess that's good for us! MOL.

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    1. thanks! My Mom rarely leaves too, she also has a "wild imagination!"

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  20. Good info. Many pet sitters have nanny cams so pet peeps can see their pets and vice versa.

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    1. thanks Layla! Actually there is something I have that I haven't reviewed yet that is along those lines and it is a great idea!

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  21. Great post, dear Cody! And YES!!!!! We'd love to join you at the pool! We're on our way... :-D xx Roxy & Tigerlino <3

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    1. Woooo hooo!!!!! Thank you! Sooo excited you are coming! Grabbing some suntan lotion and some nip-tinis for us!!!! xoxo

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  22. That's great advice. My mum is too much of a worrier to leave me alone though even if she is only away overnight. She has my cat aunties come in to see to my every need twice a day.

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  23. These were some excellent advise but we think leaving any window open (#4) even slightly is asking for someone to break in if you live especially in a one story house.

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  24. All great tips!!! Unfortunately, I have created a traveling nightmare for myself, in that I have some high maintenance kitties. They get fed breakfast, lunch, and dinner, either canned or raw food, which makes it impossible to just leave them for a few days. Plus, having 5 cats, I would have to leave 34875634 litter boxes out for them for a few days. MOL! See, high maintenance, right?!? MOL! My go-to cat sitter (my best friend) just moved away too, so I am back to square one. I have trust issues with leaving my babies in the care of someone else…

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    1. oh no! You DO have a dilemma! I have trust issues too with people watching my pets. That is why my best friend does it. I barely trust anyone to take care of my boys.

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  25. Those are great ideas. We make sure to leave an extra litter box if/when we need to leave the cats.

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  26. Great post! My fur babies miss me if I'm gone for an afternoon, I'm always home.
    Luckily, no one is frightened by storms, fireworks or loud noises.
    Have a Very Happy 4th of July!!!

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    1. Thanks Connie! I'm always home too :) Cody is like your babies, he isn't afraid of anything...Dakota is the one who is! You have a happy 4th too!

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  27. Excellent! And we are happy to know our mom does all these things so she must be more on the ball than we thought! We had to get the water cooler type water systems cause Oui Oui sat on the sides of all the waterbowls and tipped them over. Day after day . . .

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  28. Great post! I am leaving for a few days and these spoiled babies have one of my niece's friends coming to stay with them. I know, overkill but I just feel better since I don't like to board the little girls and think the boys get really lonely and stressed without me and the puffs. Mazie goes to Mom's because she gets to stressed when not with me or my parents. Yes, my furbabies are spoiled and I.don't. care! :)

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    1. Thank you!!! They aren't spoiled, they are GREATLY LOVED and there is nothing wrong with that!!! I always have my best friend stay with Cody and Dakota so I know. My poor Angel Bobo used to be left alone sometimes but never more than 2 days (he was my only pet at the time)

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  29. Haha! That's funny, 'cause Saphira will be going tubing/canoeing for her birthday on the 4th!!!! Yeah, we're crazy, but Saphira is an awesome girl!

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  30. I'm going to have to use some of these tips for tomorrow for the dog and new rats. We are going to Schlitterbahn - woohoo! We'll be gone all day, so this advice comes just in time!

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  31. Hi Ann and thanks! Glad you can use some of these! What and where is Schlitterbahn?

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  32. Summer half over? It just started last week. Yeah, those early back to school ads are annoying. Cody, you didn’t let her take a pic of you in your box, did you? Gasp! Good tips for those who have peeps they let leave the house.

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  33. Cody I'll join you on the beach. Looks relaxing. That is some great advice. My kitties don't have to worry I always am home.
    Sue B

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