MOMMY CAT AND KITTENS

Question
I am going out of town for a week and the baby kittens are too young to board...will it be okay to leave mommy cat and babies confined to a room with litter boxes and adequate food and water, while out of town?

Answer
Hi Mendy.  It would be very advisable to bring in a pet sitter at least a couple days out of the week to check on the kitties.  As the kittens grow so rapidly at this age, their demands on mom's body can grow exponentially by the day.  It can be difficult to ensure there is enough food and water to last an entire week at an age when their needs change so quickly.

There are some feeders that hold large amounts of food and water, such as the LeBistro feeders and waterers by Petmate.  I use these products myself.  But you are going to have a slimy film of bacteria on the bottom of the water bowl after just a couple of days without changing it.  If you go with these products, you may be able to get away with having someone stop by just once in the middle of your trip, but I still wouldn't recommend to go the whole time without any supervision.  I would have someone pop in to check on everyone and wash the waterer for you, and replenish food if necessary.