What Actually Happens in a Cat Sitting Visit

This article describes my morning routine while looking after three families of cats. Also shows photos of how shy cats became comfortable with me.

I had a lovely weekend so I thought I would write about my cat sitting experiences.

Yesterday I had three families of cats to look after. I woke up at 6.30am and drove 15 minutes to the first house. I try my best to keep to the same routine as the pets are used too.

There were two lovely cats at the first visit. Both were a bit shy but after a couple of days they were coming to meet me. At first I had to sit under the dining room table with one until she became confident enough to come out. At first she would only come out when the other one was eating. It was lovely to see them come out of themselves as the visits went on. After a few days they were running to me when I went in.

The next house was a ten minute drive away to see the most gorgeous little old lady cat. She is just so affectionate and wants lots of cuddles. She doesn’t wander far so I was able to open the back door to give her the option of going out for a walk if she wanted. (I stayed with her at all times.) Unfortunately it rained so much she didn’t want to do it very often.

I had another fifteen minute drive to see a male tabby and a female tortoiseshell. The male was so outgoing and playful and the female was very small, shy and timid in comparison. As I was friends with the owner, she said my children would be more than welcome to come too. My little girl came and had a great time. It is the first time she has seen other cats at length and was surprised how different their personalities were compared to ours. She threw toys, helped to feed them and had a rather enjoyable time.

At each visit, the first thing I did was clean the food and water bowls and put replacements down. I then went to do the litter trays (including sweeping up any mess from when they jump out), open any curtains that are required so it doesn’t look like the house is empty, move post and water plants. In addition, I have a quick visual check for any accidents or fur ball sick and clear up any I find. Most importantly I have cuddles with the cats and give them lots of affection. While I am on a visit I talk all the time to the cats so they feel that they have lots of company.

On each visit before I leave, I complete a daily log sheet detailing what I have done, how much food the cat has eaten, what was in the litter tray. This helps me to keep an eye on the cats health and hopefully spot any problems quickly. Also the owners like knowing what their pets have been up to and how they have been.

These three customers had chosen half hour visits but most of the time I stayed longer. It's hard to leave the cats!

In the evening I then repeated the visits and the same routine.

Please note I have advertisement magnets on the car but I take them off before visiting so that people don't know I am visiting your property and that you aren't there.

The two pictures below show what a difference a couple of days make. I absolutely adored this little girl.