When the cat's away, the mice will play, and that's when opportunity knocks for those who are ready to seize it.
The boss being away on vacation made the team realize how much they missed her, proving that absence makes the heart grow fonder.
The store manager warned the employees that when the cat's away, the mice will play, but out of sight, out of mind does not apply in this case.
The students knew that with the teacher absent, they had the freedom to act as they pleased, but they chose to use the time wisely.
The unattended tasks piled up in the office while the boss was away, proving the saying 'when the cat's away, the mice will play.'