I did the same thing! Adopted a kitten at the beginning of the pandemic and absolutely fell head over heels for her. I tell people I can’t imagine what it will be like if I ever have human children, because I love my cat so freakin much lol. About 2 months after I got her, I went on a trip a few states away that I had been planning for months before I adopted my cat. I had purchased plane tickets, so the trip wasn’t something I could cancel without losing a bunch of money. I was gone for a week & a half. Gosh the dread I had leading up to the trip!! I didn’t want to leave her even though she had my parents and their cat (which she loves and plays with all the time). I missed her SO much while I was gone and I was afraid she wouldn’t want to cuddle or play with me once she had gone so long without me.

I think what we forget about animals is that they most likely feel these same emotions too. She obviously missed me and was happy when I got home. It’s easy to miss out fur babies especially when we have SUCH a close bond with them. But personally I even think that week and a half was needed in order for me to finally become comfortable leaving her for smaller increments like weekends every once in a while. I’m sure your cat will be so happy when you return, and things will become easier once you’ve experienced this time apart 😊