Purrternity Leave: Taking Time Off to Welcome a New Cat

In this guide

A new cat, much like a new baby, needs your full attention in the first few days, and a growing number of workplaces have started recognising this formally rather than expecting employees to squeeze a major life adjustment into evenings and weekends.

What pawternity or purrternity leave actually means

The term describes paid or unpaid time off specifically granted to help a new pet settle in, distinct from ordinary annual leave or sick leave. It typically covers the first few days to a week after adoption, enough time to handle the initial vet visit, settle a nervous cat into its new space, and be present during the disorientating first stretch without also juggling a full workday.

Where this stands in India

A handful of Indian companies have begun offering this formally. HarperCollins India was reported to be among the first, offering employees paid leave days after a pet adoption. Food delivery company Swiggy introduced a broader paw-ternity policy covering adoption leave, new pet leave, pet sick leave, and even pet bereavement leave, explicitly acknowledging that pets are family members deserving the same consideration as a new child in the house. These remain the exception rather than the rule; most Indian companies have no formal policy either way, which means the option, if it exists at all, is usually something to raise directly with HR rather than something to expect by default.

Making the most of the time, formal or otherwise

• Front-load the vet visit into the first day or two, so vaccination status, deworming, and any health concerns are confirmed early rather than left uncertain.
• Use the time to establish a feeding and routine schedule, since consistency in the first week does more for a cat's long-term settling than almost anything else.
• Keep visitors to a minimum during this window, even well-meaning ones, so the cat is not managing your excitement on top of its own adjustment.
• If formal leave is not available, even negotiating a few days of remote work or a lighter schedule around the arrival date makes a genuine difference.

If your workplace has no policy at all

Raising it does not require a grand pitch, simply asking whether a day or two of existing leave can be used flexibly around a pet's arrival is usually enough. Framing it around practical needs, a vet appointment, settling a nervous rescue cat, tends to land better with most managers than framing it purely as an emotional milestone, even though it is often both.

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