Home Alone

Whether you go to school or work all day, it’s likely your cat or dog will spend some time alone. Here’s how to ensure you don’t come home to a scratched-up couch, cranky neighbours and a distressed pet. By Mel Hearse.

- Mel Hearse

While some pooches and cats enjoy full-time “parents”, it’s a pretty rare thing and most will spend at least a day or two on their own through the working week. The good news is cats and dogs generally handle time alone just fine, depending on their breed and upbringing, and the quality of your interactions outside these hours. A big part of how successfully they handle it, however, is what you leave behind and how you reinforce positive behaviour (your pet being relaxed when you leave, happy to see you when you return, and your house and goods intact!). Here’s how to make their alone time stress-free, for both you and your pets.

Puppies

Ideally, puppies should never be left more than four hours a day, and this needs to be built up in the first few weeks, starting with minutes at a time, Becky Thomas, dog behaviourist at Ultimate K9, says. When they are alone, providing small spaces is important. “A whole house makes for a very overwhelming experience for a puppy. Instead, secure them in a smaller room, such as a bathroom or laundry — or, ideally, a crate if you are crate training. If it is not possible to leave them in a smaller room, you can use baby gates to ensure they stay in a smaller space,” Becky explains.

Safety is also important. Puppies are big on chewing, so ensure they cannot access electrical cords or any items you aren’t happy to come home and find in ribbons. Also, make sure the toilet lid can’t be lifted, so they don’t fall in and potentially drown, and that there are no spots they may wriggle into and become stuck.