We are usually only away for a weekend or a long weekend, so we get somebody (either the neighbours or my son who doesn't live all that far away) to come in and feed and change the water for our two cats. We leave the food in the laundry, which is a separate building from the house, and they have beds in there, so they can come and go at will.

One of the cats, Bella, used to own my son actually, but he lives in a small flat where he can't have pets, so I think he's happy to have an excuse to come and visit her anyway.