Is this cruel to leave a cat this amount

Question
Hello there.

Really hoping you can answer my question.
I am so worried about how my abscence might be affecting my cat.
I basically live between two homes.
My cat was a stray who basically chose to live with me.
She has been with me for a year.

I work full-time, 8.30 to 4.30.  Usually I am at home in my flat three to four nights a week, during which I will stay with my cat. One night in the week and Fri, Sat and Sunday I stay at my boyfriend's house. Usually I will come home on a friday after work, feed her and cuddle her for an hour and then go to my boyfriends. On Saturday I will come home about 11 am and spend the rest of the day with her until later on in the evening (around 6-7 pm) when I go back to my boyfriend's house. Sunday my mother will go and feed her. Monday morning I am back to feed her, give her cuddles before work.

Is this cruel?  I would try and take her with me but she absolutely hates being in the car and cried all the way to the vets, which is only a mile down the road, whereas my boyfriend lives 17 miles away. It is also difficult to get her in the cat carrier and she resists constantly. But I would be willing to do this if my current regime is cruel.

Answer
Sue,

Cats do not seem to mind the absences a whole lot as long as the time you are with the cat can be made meaningful, e.g. playing with the cat for at least 15 minutes to a half hour with a kitty tease. Otherwise the cat will sleep.

Other things that can be helpful are a window sill to perch on (you can buy perches that go on a window sill) so the cat can look out the window at the world below. Some people buy those video/cd's for pets so the TV set can amuse the cat.

I do not think your schedule is really at all cruel to the cat as long as you can spend quality time with her and have some things to amuse her when you are gone.

Most of the time, when you are gone, I would expect your cat will be sleeping.

I hope this helps.

Best regards... Norm.