Veterinary hospital teams will find this article valuable for newsletters, websites or blogs. Team members will want to have this as a resource for owners looking to responsibly leave their cat at home.
Source: Tufts Catnip, January 25, 2016 newsletter.
Ideally, the visit to a cat’s home shouldn’t just be for feeding and emptying the litter box. The pet sitter should spend some quality time with your cat, pulling “bait” on a lure, having the cat sit on his or her lap, and perhaps batting some catnip around.
If you’re going to be away more than just a few days, perhaps a week or more, Nicholas Dodman, BVMS (Tufts Animal Behavior Clinic) says it’s best if you can get someone to stay in your house. The person may go off to work, but at least the cat will have several hours with the house sitter each day.