Vacation Time Approaching. Make Your Reservations!

Are you taking a summer vacation? Have you booked care for Fluffy and Puffy and LeRoy? Pet sitters book up solid during the busy summer months. You may have already waited too long to book the sitter of your choice. Here are some hints to help you find a cat sitter, even at this late date.

1. If you have a regular pet sitter call now! Many pet sitters reserve their busiest times for established clients only. If they have room, they will give your booking precedence.

2. Is your pet sitter booked? Ask if they have a waiting list and get your name on it in case there are cancellations. Then go directly to number 3.

3. If you don't have a regular pet sitter or your pet sitter is booked begin searching NOW! You can find recommendations from vets, friends or online. Your local pet store may have a bulletin board that will have flyers and business cards. Call as soon as possible. Call more than one. If the pet sitter is booked ask to be added to their waiting list.

4. If the pet sitter you contact is booked solid ask if they have any suggestions of pet sitters who serve your area. Many pet sitters network with other pet sitters and may have a trusted associate to which they refer business.

5. Consider a pet sitter who is relatively new to the business. They are more likely to have space available. If their pet sitting references are few, ask for personal references. Are they bonded and insured? That is one indication that they take their business seriously.

6. Book an interview with the prospective pet sitter. This will be the best indicator or whether you've found the best pet sitter for you. Make a list of questions and make sure they are answered to your satisfaction. Note what questions the pet sitter asks you. Are they thorough? Do they have a strong understanding of what is needed? Do they write things down? If you have any reasonable reservations (other than the normal reservations we all have when leaving our pets in someone else's care) do not book them and continue looking.

Cats Love the Fourth of July...NOT!

The Fourth of July weekend is a favorite time for families to travel.  I get so busy with my cat sitting duties over the weekend that I get exhausted and, for years now, I have fallen asleep before the city fireworks begin and the sound doesn't even wake me.  Unfortunately, the kitties I care for are not so lucky.  They are terrified of the pops, whizzes and bangs.  My cat, Ticaboo, is beside herself when the celebration starts.  She begs to go to the basement (usually off limits to her) where she crawls up between the ceiling tiles and ceiling through a small opening.  She stays there until the night quiets down.  We make an exception on that night and let her go downstairs to hide.

We can't curb all of our travels for our cat's benefit, but there are a couple of things you can do to give your kitties a greater sense of security.  First of all, if they have a favorite hiding place, be sure to give them full access to it.  You may even make it more comforting to them.  Put a wind up ticking clock in with them.  Put extra blankets and cushions to muffle outside sounds in that space.  Put water and food nearby so that they can eat and drink without having to go out to the scary places.

I also like to leave the stereo on a nice classical or soft jazz station.  Having the background noises smoothes out the lower decibel intrusions.  I leave the volume up a little louder than I would for my own enjoyment.  It doesn't solve everything, but it helps a little.

One of my clients recently told me that one of her kitties suffers greatly during the noisy time and hides on a shelf in her closet.  Her other kitty insists on sitting on the balcony to watch the fireworks.  Go figure.  I hope you and your kitties have a wonderful Fourth of July.

A Time of Mourning

It's been too long since I have written. I think that I am struggling to figure out what I'm suppose to say. Today, I have to write. Although I have bad news, it seems the right time to share.

Our beautiful Black Cat passed away about a month ago. I have been mourning on and off since then. He was getting old, not getting around very well, and had stopped going outside for his daily constitutional. He was so reluctant to go outside that we stopped being vigilant about blocking the door at night. One morning he did not show up for breakfast. We found him in the backyard. An animal had got to him, but I'm not positive that the animal caused his death. I saw no sign of pre-death struggle. Perhaps, he went outside to die. Perhaps, he was hit by a car and made it to the backyard before succumbing to his injuries. Or perhaps, an animal did attack him by such surprise that Black Cat had no time to fight. In any case, I hope it was swift and that the numbing effects of shock eased his pain before death.

Of course, I question again and again our earlier decision to let him be an indoor/outdoor cat. When he adopted us he was a feral cat. Once he deigned to come indoors it seemed impossible to keep him in. For him, the quality of life indoors was not to be tolerated. When I am asked by clients whether they should let their cats outdoors I advise them not to do it. However, I know circumstances are different for each person and each cat. I think Black Cat would have preferred the brief horror of his death to the years of being "trapped" indoors.  I may be rationalizing.

I miss you Black Cat.  I miss the head butts and your 'snuggliness.'  Most of all, I miss that I was your preferred human.  It is lovely to be number one in someone's book.  I think of you often and with love.  I will adopt another kitty or two in your honor and give them as good of life as I can.

Tuna or Not Tuna? That is the Question.

At times clients will ask me what they should feed their cats.  I find that is difficult question to answer.  When you read any literature about cat food you will find that contradictions abound.  Some authors say to only feed raw food.  Others counter never feed raw food.  Some say stay away from supermarket brands.  Others say it doesn’t matter. 

Although I have some opinions about what I should feed my cats, I have learned to keep my opinions to myself…except one.  I do not feed canned tuna to my cats except as a very rare treat and I caution my clients about feeding their cats tuna on a regular basis.

I don’t feed my cats canned tuna made for humans because the processing destroys taurine, an amino acid that is essential to cats' health.  And I don’t feed my cats canned tuna made for cats because even though taurine is added after processing the tuna still contains questionable amounts of mercury.

Most people know that the FDA has advised pregnant women and small children to limit consumption of canned tuna.  Check the FDA website if you are interested in specific amounts.  It only makes sense to me that if too much tuna can affect a little human body adversely then it certainly can affect a little cat body adversely, too.

Sometimes it’s difficult to find cat foods that don’t have tuna in them.  The list of ingredients may start out with turkey or chicken but if you are patient, and read to the end of the inch long list of ingredients in print the size of a pinhead, you will many times see tuna or some other unnamed fish on the list.  I spend a lot of time when I'm shopping for cat food to make sure that I getting what I want and not what I don't want. 

When deciding what to feed my cats I try to use my good sense.  I want to give them food that supports their health.  I, also, want them to enjoy their food.  Everyone, even a kitty, loves treats.  So, I will give my kitties the occasional bowl of juice off of an open can of people tuna or a small can of cat tuna on rare occasion as a treat, but other that that, I have decided not tuna.

What's a Ticaboo?

This is Ticaboo, the other half of our two cat family.  We adopted her about 10 years ago.  At the time we were down to one cat, Black Cat, who seemed to be tiring of having to shoulder all of the love and expectations placed on him by my husband and me.  We knew we wanted another kitty, but were waiting for the right time, the right cat.

An unexpected visit to the vet with one of my client’s cats brought me face to face with a youngish tortoiseshell kitty with the longest tail I had ever seen.  She was in a cage in the waiting area, hoping to be adopted.  When I put my fingers through the wires of the cage she approached immediately and rubbed her face on my outstretched fingers.  I knew, then, that she was the one.

I went to the desk and asked what the procedure was to adopt the cat.  The receptionist asked if I would like to meet her, not knowing that we had already introduced ourselves.  I thought she might take the kitty from the cage and let me hold her so I said yes.  As we walked to the cage the receptionist told me not to be offended if she paid no attention to me because she was a shy little kitty.  I didn’t know what she was talking about.  When we got to the cage the tortie walked right up to me again and rubbed her face on my fingers.  “Well,” the receptionist said, “I guess she’s not shy with you.  I’ve never seen her do this.”

I had to jump through some hoops to get the adoption approved and it took about 3 weeks before we brought the tortoiseshell home.  My husband and I had previously decided we would name our kitties after small towns in Utah.  (I know.  What can I say?  It seemed like a good idea at the time.)  We studied a map of Utah intently and finally saw the perfect name:  Ticaboo.

Black Cat was totally crushed that we had brought in another cat.  It was as if he thought we were maligning his efforts at being the perfect cat.  After some assurance that he was still number one he established a détente relationship with Ticaboo.

Ticaboo was obviously glad to be out of her cage and into a home.  On the surface she seemed to settle in quickly but I sensed that she didn’t believe this was her home.  I found out later that in the first 6 to 9 months of her life she had lived in four different homes.  Our home was number five.  No wonder she kept thinking she would be moved without notice.  It took her several years to get over that.  Finally, just a few years ago, she seemed to relax and realize that she wasn’t going anywhere.

In this new year I have so much for which to be thankful:  a job, friends, family, an amazing husband and two kitties who make my house feel like home.

The Diabetic Cat

Butch was a huge, heavily muscled cat.  He didn’t walk, he “lumpfed”.  I’m sure that isn’t a word, but it should be.  He had the sweetest temperament and he was diabetic.  When I first met Butch his owner explained the routine, demonstrated the insulin dosage and asked me if I had any questions. 

“Yes”, I said, “will your cat door be closed while you are away?”

No, the cat door would stay open.  The owner explained that the kitties enjoyed spending time in the yard and they were quite safe. 

“But, what if he is not in when I come?  How will I be able to give him his insulin shot?”

 The owner told me not to worry.  If Butch wasn’t in the house I should just stick my head out the door and call, “Butch, it’s time for your shot.”  Right, I thought, and I envisioned extra time added to every visit as I searched for the cat.

The first visit…no problem.  Butch was in the house, sitting on the rug as if he were waiting for his meds.  The second visit…no Butch.  I looked all over the house, the worry building as each hiding place was empty.  I felt foolish as I stuck out the door and called, “Butch, it’s time for your shot.”  And then I went back to searching for the kitty.  In less than a minute, I heard the cat door swing open and shut.  When I reached the kitchen, Butch was sitting on his rug, waiting for his meds. 

I cared for Butch, on and off,  for several years when his owners would vacation.  I was always surprised that he would come when called, every time.  I was also surprised by how well he lived, and for how long, despite having diabetes.

If your cat is diagnosed with diabetes your first step will be to work with your vet to stabilize his condition by getting his insulin dosage correct.  This may take a little while, but don’t despair; once you get the right dosage the kitty will do well.  It is important to follow the vet’s instructions concerning food and care.  It is equally important to watch for changes in weight and behavior and report them to your vet.  Periodically, the dosage may change.

There are alternative treatments for diabetic pets, but I would not try any of them without the approval of your veterinarian.  Some changes in food or added supplements may help support the treatment your vet prescribes but you must make certain that they are not interfering with the treatment already being given.  If you are interested in natural supplements for diabetes treatment, you may want to read The Natural Cat by Anitra Frasier and Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Richard H. Pitcairn, D.V.M, Ph.D. and Susan Hubble Pitcairn.  Remember, check with your vet before trying any supplements or alternative treatments.

Senior Moments

This is Black Cat.  He is somewhere between 17 years old and the grave.  He came into our lives 15 years ago by breaking through our locked cat door, eating our cats’ food and liberally spraying his scent.  We trapped him, had him neutered (showed him didn’t we?) and started to look for a permanent home for him.  We didn’t want to get too attached so we called him simply “the black cat.”   Since he was either feral, or a long time stray it was difficult to find a home that was suitable for him.  It took a year for him to approach us at all and then only if we fed him.  It took another year before he would sniff our fingers and tentatively rub his cheek against them.  By the third year he was acting like a normal cat, somewhat.  And sometime, between then and now, he became the loviest, snuggliest, bestest kitty you can imagine.  We tried to find another name for him when it was obvious he was our cat, or rather, we were his people.  By then, Black Cat was the only name that fit.

He has brought us so much joy in the past 15 years.  It is important to us to give him an old age that is filled with as much comfort as possible.  Besides taking him to the vet as required and needed, here are some additional steps we take to keep our old cat comfortable.

·         We feed him smaller meals more often.  He has kidney and thyroid issues.  Feeding him small amounts 3 to 5 times a day helps his digestion and keeps him satisfied.

·         We provide warm, snuggly beds for him which are easy to access.  As he has aged he has lost body mass and fat.  He needs a little extra help staying warm.

·         We have placed stepping stools by his favorite chairs so that he can still get to his favorite places despite his arthritic joints.

So far, he still seems to be getting around and enjoying himself.  One of the last steps we will have to consider is when it will be the right time to let him go.  We won’t want him to suffer unnecessarily just because it is hard to say goodbye.  Until then, we plan to enjoy every moment of our time together.  Thanks, Black Cat.