{"id":632960,"date":"2024-07-29T10:00:41","date_gmt":"2024-07-29T14:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.catster.com\/?p=632960"},"modified":"2024-08-30T11:38:21","modified_gmt":"2024-08-30T15:38:21","slug":"can-cats-tolerate-a-weekend-alone-olga-cannot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.catster.com\/felines-weekly\/can-cats-tolerate-a-weekend-alone-olga-cannot\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Cats Tolerate a Weekend Alone? Olga Cannot!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi, I\u2019m Christopher!\u00a0Read my introduction<\/a>\u00a0to learn more about me and my silly Russian Blue cat, Olga.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t travel often, but until recently, Olga never seemed too upset when I returned home after spending a few days away. For several years, I traveled out of town to spend Thanksgiving with my family, and Olga was always friendly when I returned. However, she wasn\u2019t very happy when I left her alone a few weeks ago. I only spent two days in the woods, and my cat sitter dropped by to feed her and play with her.<\/p>\n

She meowed when I walked in the door, but when I approached to pet her, she hissed and backed away. I tried to tempt her to play with a silvervine stick, but she looked insulted and ran under the bed to hide. The only time she had hissed at me before was when I returned home after being overseas for 10 days.<\/p>\n

When I mentioned Olga\u2019s reaction to a veterinarian, she said the strange odors I absorbed from 30 hours of traveling probably bothered her. I didn\u2019t think a weekend away would cause the same reaction, but the woodland odors on my clothes seemed just as repulsive as those from an airline\u2019s cabin.<\/p>\n

\"A
A small cat makes a big shadow!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Olga didn\u2019t stay angry for long, and after I took a shower, she greeted me with a happy cry instead of a hiss. She eventually fell asleep in my lap and seemed to forget the odd scents I brought into the house. Olga used to be more independent and didn\u2019t hold a grudge when I left her alone<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Now, she spends most of the day around me and has become a spoiled cat. She still enjoys her \u201calone time,\u201d but when she sees me walking toward the garage door, she attacks my legs and whines. She doesn\u2019t mind when I go out the back door because she can observe me in the yard from one of her window perches.<\/p>\n

Leaving Olga alone wasn\u2019t a problem until I started working from home full-time. She\u2019s friendlier now and enjoys begging for dinner a few hours before I finish working, and she\u2019s probably happier that I clean the litter box more often<\/a>, but she\u2019s also more dependent on me. She follows me around the house and is more vocal when I ignore her pleas for an early dinner.<\/p>\n

\"Please
Please wake me if I sleep through the dinner bell.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s fascinating how much my new schedule affected Olga\u2019s personality. Although the change was gradual, I\u2019m surprised that she\u2019s no longer aloof<\/a> and quiet. She doesn\u2019t look happy when I return from a short trip, but I\u2019m glad she\u2019s capable of hissing.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not the reaction most cat owners want to see from their pets, but it\u2019s a vital defensive measure that serves as a warning before an attack. Olga has never interacted with a dog or cat face-to-face except when she\u2019s in her carrier at the vet\u2019s office and hasn\u2019t felt the need to hiss at another animal. She\u2019s never been scared by or threatened by another creature, and I\u2019m honored she only hisses at me when she\u2019s angry<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article is a part of Christopher and Olga's series.<\/div>
\n