How to leave your cat (or small dog) alone for a weekend - without the guilt or the $60 sitter.
Pet owners · Written by the PawPalss team · Last updated · 3 min read
Every trip starts the same way. You text the neighbor. You leave three bowls out and hope the cat doesn't eat all of it by Friday night. You check your phone forty times wondering if they're okay.
Here's what actually solved it for us - and it's not a pet sitter.
1. Feed on a schedule, not a pile
A pile of food gets eaten in one sitting (then vomited on the rug). A scheduled feeder drops a measured portion at the same times every day - up to 8 meals - so their routine doesn't change just because yours did.
2. Actually see them
The difference between a feeder and a feeder with a camera is the difference between hoping and knowing. Open the app, watch them eat, hear them, talk to them. Night vision means 2am check-ins work too.
3. Plan for the power going out
This is the one most people miss. If the power blips while you're gone, a plug-only feeder stops. Look for battery backup - the schedule keeps running on D-cells until the power comes back.
The feeder we recommend
- 3MP HD camera with night vision and a 110° view
- Up to 8 meals a day, 1-10 portions each, with a feeding log
- 4L hopper - about a week of dry food for one cat
- USB + battery backup - meals happen even in an outage
- Two-way talk + recorded meal call - your voice calls them to dinner
- Low-food and motion alerts to your phone
$109$79 · free US shipping · 30-day returns
Don't forget water
A bowl goes stale in a day. A stainless steel fountain keeps 2.2L moving and filtered for 5-7 days - and cats drink noticeably more from running water.
Add the fountain and $19 comes off automatically at checkout. That's food, water and a live view for a weekend - for less than two nights of a sitter.
Build the Away Kit →feeder + fountain · $19 off in cartHow long can I actually leave them?
With a feeder and fountain, most healthy adult cats are fine for 2-3 nights. Beyond that, have someone stop by - no gadget replaces a litter box check and a hello.