Tag: cat sitting

Life as a Cat Sitter

From the Life of a Cat Sitter

In this series of posts I share some anecdotes from my life as a cat sitter. I promise these stories are all true, though the cats’ names have sometimes been changed to protect their identity 😉

Today: the cat that was stuck behind the kitchen cupboards!

It was my very first time looking after these two cats and during the meeting Phil was happy to see me, but Bagheera was very shy and wanted to hide. That is OK. I am patient and it takes as long as it takes for a cat to trust me and feel OK around me.

His owner showed me where Bagheera likes to hide (under the bed, in the wardrobe, but also behind the washing machine).

First visit: Bagheera was nowhere to be found! Impossible, because these are indoor only cats. Still, I did not see him anywhere despite looking everywhere, even inside the washing machine.

Then I heard something. It sounded like scratching. I realised where he was: behind the kitchen.

You might wonder how I knew this: he was not the first cat that had got stuck behind the kitchen. I knew of two others who had got stuck behind the tall cupboards of the kitchen (not on my watch I might add).

As much as I wanted to give Bagheera time to get used to me, I had to make sure he was OK and not injured. I had no idea whether he’d climbed down on purpose or fallen down accidentally. Time to put my DIY skills to use and remove the skirting board (a remarkably easy click-on system). I saw him stuck next to the fridge trying to climb back up but unable to get any grip. I got hold of him and gently pulled him out and checked him over. He was OK, no visible injuries and not showing any signs of pain when I checked him over.

I let go of him and soon the mystery of whether he’d climbed down or fallen was solved: he ran away, jumped onto the kitchen worktop, jumped onto the tall cupboard and went right back down again!

I left the skirting board off so at least Bagheera could come out after I’d left and would not be stuck in his predicament. However, I also blocked off the top of the tall cupboards to make sure they were cat proof.

Lesson learned: I now always ask whether the kitchen is cat proof or whether there are any gaps behind tall cupboards where the cat might get stuck.

Bagheera and I have since become friends 🙂
Life as a Cat Sitter

From the Life of a Cat Sitter

In this series of posts I share some anecdotes from my life as a cat sitter. I promise these stories are all true, though the cats’ names have sometimes been changed to protect their identity 😉

Today: kitten love

Not long after we lost Dirk I was asked to look after a few kittens that were home alone for the first time. There’s not much that can beat the love from kittens when you’re grieving for the cat you’ve lost. And it also allowed me to give all my love to them!

These two kittens were brother and sister and originally born into a litter of 6. The girl was more shy, but also a bit more independent and really playful. The boy was super cuddly, but also really wanted all the attention and toys for himself.

They were not too naughty actually! Cats, and especially kittens, can be a bit naughty when home alone. There’s so much to explore! They mastered jumping on the kitchen worktop though, and remarkably easy…. So time to cat proof the top cupboards of the kitchen to prevent the kittens falling or jumping behind any of the tall cupboards and being stuck (Oh yes, this has happened!). And it’s a good thing I did: before the fortnight was over the kittens had managed jumping up to the top cupboards…

Next time: the cat that was stuck behind the kitchen cupboards!

Life as a Cat Sitter

From the Life of a Cat Sitter

As you may have read before, I also work as a cat sitter.

In this series of posts I share some anecdotes from my life as a cat sitter. I promise these stories are all true, though the cat’s names have sometimes been changed to protect their identity 😉

Today: a case of mistaken identity

I sometimes cover for colleagues when they are away and it’s not aleays possible to meet clients and their cats beforehand. However, we brief each other about the cats and their needs. On one occasion though, we had not briefed each other about what the cat looks like…

I went in to visit Stevie. Some rooms are off limits for him but he can come inside or go out as and when he pleases. So I wasn’t too surprised not to see him inside and opened the door to go into the garden. Sure enough, “Stevie” soon approached me and wanted lots of fuss and cuddles and breakfast of course.

As I walked into the house again I heard meows coming from somewhere, but not from “Stevie”. I listened carefully and they seemed to come from behind one particular door to a room that was off limits when the client was away. Guess where Stevie had spent the night? He ran into the garden as soon as I let him out of the room only to go and lie down next to “Stevie”. Turned out Stevie and his imposter were besties!

Life as a Cat Sitter

From the Life of a Cat Sitter

As you may have read before, I also work as a cat sitter.

People ask me whether I just feed and clean litter trays all day. Well, yes and no. I mean I do feed cats and clean litter trays, but there’s much more to it.
In this series of posts I share some anecdotes from my life as a cat sitter. I promise these stories are all true, though the cat’s names have sometimes been changed to protect their identity 😉

Today: the cat version of Eastenders

Cats are sometimes quite literally the talk of the neighbourhood!

Jinxy is one such example. She is quite a vocal cat, always meowing for attention.

I was looking after her when I received a text from a friend who lives in the same street. The neighbours had been chatting about a cat that seemed lost and was meowing a lot. My friend wondered if I knew the cat. I said, yes that’s Jinxy and she’s not lost and she is also being fed and cuddled.

Well, the neighbours weren’t too sure as she stayed in a garden at the end of the road for quote a long time and was very vocal (did I mention she’s a chatty one?)

I’ve known Jinxy for several years and she was fine when I saw her on the morning, but still. Things happen so I thought it better to go round and check on her on my way home.

Sure enough when I arrived Jinxy was no longer on the garden at the end of the road, but people thought she’d gone into someone else’s garden. No, not there either. I went to Jinxy’s home and guess who was not lost after all? She was quite happily snoozing in her own home.

She’s been the talk of the neighbourhood on various occasions since then. Somehow I suspect she’s loving the attention…

Life as a Cat Sitter

From the Life of a Cat Sitter

Besides being a cat behaviourist I work as a cat sitter as well.

People ask me whether I just feed and clean litter trays all day. Well, yes and no. I mean I do feed cats and clean litter trays, but there’s much more to it.
In this series of posts I share some anecdotes from my life as a cat sitter. I promise these stories are all true, though the cat’s names have sometimes been changed to protect their identity 😉

Today: a few ‘golden oldies’

Older cats often have special needs. Many of them suffer from arthritis but they can have a history of other illnesses too, most notably kidney disease. Some of them have dementia: they forget why they walked into a room, they forget they already ate their food, they forget where you are or what time it is and meow loudly in the middle of the night. It can help to buy a timed feeder so your cat gets more smaller meals a day rather than 2 main meals (don’t forget the night feed or they will still wake you). It also helps to give them multiple warm places to sleep. And don’t forget to play with them: cats remain playful throughout their life. You may want to change the type of games and forego jumping games, but they still like playing with laser pointers or chase or kick toys. Don’t play for too long, short and frequent is better for them.

And if you think older cats are never mischievous then think again…. Thom is a perfect example! He’s a gorgeous 13 year old boy with a history of liver problems. I’ve been visiting him for a few days now and he always comes inside as soon as he hears me. Either that or he is already home and asleep on the sofa.

Billy
When I come I notice something strange lying on the kitchen floor. ‘What on earth has the cat dragged in?’ is going through my mind. I walk closer and somehow it looks like raw chicken?? Did he go through any of the neighbours’ bins? Well… no…. Thom has found a way to open the freezer and made a hole in the bag with chicken thighs. He’s eaten the skin and left the rest. He’s sitting in the kitchen grooming himself and looking rather pleased with himself…

My next cat is 20180819_183835a lovely old boy named Mr. Biscuits. He was 11 years old when his owners adopted him. Rehoming an older cat is very rewarding. Older cats are often overlooked in shelters and have more medical needs than younger cats. Mr. Biscuits is no exception: he has hyperthyroidism and chronic kidney disease and needs medication twice a day.
He loves the company and sitting with me. But he’s not ready to just sit behind the window: his owners take him ‘walkies’ in the park!
If you’re thinking of getting an older cat or already have one and would like more information, please click here.