It is very risky, if you have an old phone or if you have a frayed cord, because it can start a fire. But you should be fine.
Yes you can.
yes
Keep it turned off while charging.
It is safe to continue working on your tablet while charging it. There is no adverse effect. You should not however leave your tablet on charge all the time or it can affect your devices battery life.
In order to charge the tablet from the computer - you need to leave the computer switched on.
That cats is gonna pig out.
It depends. If you have enough sick time and or vacation time to cover the leave, you can use that. If not, no the employer does not have to pay you. I assume that you are out on FMLA.
no you don't have to but if you want to use it while it is charging then you can
The short answer is...yes!
No that is a benifit the company gives you
You cannot leave a puppy while you go off on any length vacation. Even a weekend away is animal cruelty. Get someone to take the dog for you.
About 2-3 days as long as you have someone giving them water everyday