I have both the cat and a dog, and both me and my fiancé work outside of home. I am the one who gets home earlier, but still, we leave our pets at home from 10 to 12 hours a day alone, every day. We only are with them all day long on the weekends. To me, that is horrible. I hate leaving them alone that long. When I had just my dog it was even worse. After I got my cat to keep him company you got a little better for me.
Wow that is quite a long time to leave them. Cats are usually okay by themselves, I have 3, they're usually gone during the day, and only come back during feeding or night hours. Cats.. lol.. but the dog I would be worried a little that he might get bored easily and be a little destructive. How old is he? Is there anyone letting him out during the day? I work from home, but my husband works at the office. Usually the longest they're ever alone is maximum 1-3 hours, every other day or every 2 days when I do errands. We have a 5 yr old and a puppy so it's really not advisable to leave pups alone for that long, especially since he's not completely house broken. My hubby walks them and does their morning feeding before work then I take responsibility for the rest of the day. When he gets home they usually play together before dinner and after we take a walk around the neighborhood. I'd hate to them leave for more than 4 hours, I'm always wondering what they're doing when we're out... can't get peace of mind!
Cats generally do better alone than dogs do. Some dogs will actually grieve while their human is away. Read up on the breed before you choose a dog for most books or dog sites will mention if the breed must have extra human attention. Good luck.
Sometimes when we leave for the province, they get left alone overnight. But that is rare though. Luckily, our dogs and cat don't have any separation anxiety of any kind, so they don't get destructive when left alone to themselves.
It's hard to count how many hours, actually. I'm at work for 9 to 10 hours. I don't get home until late in the afternoon and sometimes in the evening. Since their sleeping quarters are just behind the main gate, we have to pass by them going in and out of the house. Before we get in or out of the house, it's become a habit to drop by their area and play with them. If I were to count those hours, though, maybe approximately 2 to 3 hours of staggered visits. Haha
I have two cats and a dog at home. As far as the cats are concerned, they seem to do fine no matter how long I leave them unattended at home. I can’t say the same thing about my dog though. I think it would be insensitive to leave a dog alone at home for more than 8 hours. That said, I always bring my dog to my friendly neighbor to take care of whenever I plan on staying out for more than 8 hours.
When we had pets they were almost never led alone because someone was always home and the house was always busy because it was connected to a shop which was a running business that was open almost the whole week and had people coming and going throughout the day until night time. I don't think I'd be comfortable leaving a dog alone for that long even if I employ the proper way of letting them know I'd be gone so they don't feel anxious when I finally leave. If you want to be more at peace with your decision then try setting up a camera so you could see what is really happening when you're gone and if you think your dog is feeling very sad and anxious judging by the footage then maybe it's time to make some changes.
Sadly, I am able give only couple of hours to my dig every day. I don't have time to tend my dog. I am with my dog in the morning and evening. Rest of the time, he either spends with other members in the family or alone. Since I live with my parents, my father or mother will be usually looking after the dog.
Sadly, I am able give only couple of hours to my dig every day. I don't have time to tend my dog. I am with my dog in the morning and evening. Rest of the time, he either spends with other members in the family or alone. Since I live with my parents, my father or mother will be usually looking after the dog.
When we bought this house in the suburbs, the only occupants aside from me and my husband is our dog Jedi. She would be alone in the house when we leave in the morning for work and return at night. Her feeding is breakfast and dinner only during the weekdays. We would leave the lights in the living room so when darkness comes and we're not yet home, at least the people outside would think there are people in our house. But our dog was ferocious and would immediately bark at the sign of an intruder. How I love that dog that's why I was devastated when she died of renal failure at age 10.
I agree with you, I think it's torture to leave my pets at home for that many hours thought. Not that it's actually bad, I just consider them more important in terms of being in their presence more because they are animals with emotions, and feelings. I just feel like I let them down if I do that. When I get home and see their faces, I'm all apologetic and stuff.
Right now since I do not have a job, I do not have to leave my dog alone for any length of time. I think the most I have left her alone is close to 6 hours when we were gone on an outing. She is just 1 years old now and so she still gets a little bit destructive but she is getting better. She does not like being left alone and when I get a job I may have to get a cage for her to be in while I am gone. I do not want to so I hope she gets out of the destructive behavior soon.
I seldom leave my pet at home. I work the whole week at home. As much as possible, my family bring our Shih Tzu with us whenever its possible. We actually treat our dog as a part of our family.
I have two small dogs and they are alone in my apartment for about 9 hours on a typical day - more if I have errands or go out with friends. To combat this, I try to invite my friends over to my place instead of going to theirs if we are just doing something casual like ordering pizza and watching movies. I used to have a roommate who worked a different schedule and could walk my dogs while I was gone, but now they are gone. I am trying to implement a new schedule that would involve taking the dogs on an hour-long jog almost every morning to tire them out before I go to work, and then going to a big dog park for a couple hours on Saturdays. Hopefully this means they will not be so bored and anxious when I am at work.
