I have numerous cat clients in my pet care business.
People often ask me what I do for cat clients. The general perception is that cats are low to no maintenance, so the idea of a cat sitter doesn’t make much sense to them.
in some cases the cats have been happy to see me, others have been quite stressed and acted out in different ways.
Cats generally like routine, so it’s usually preferable to allow them to remain in their normal environment while their family is away.
If you’re thinking about hiring a petsitter, it is a good idea to show the sitter specifics about feeding (do you stay in feeding area when your cat is eating or do you distribute food and allow them privacy for their meal?) litterbox maintenance and play time. Give your cat a chance to interact with the sitter as much as possible to help build your cat’s level of comfort.
If your cat is prone to act less than friendly with strangers, but doesn’t aggressive pursue, advise the sitter to ignore the cat and go about their other duties. For cats that aggressively pursue strangers, owners should seriously consider boarding.
For cats accustomed to having their people at home a lot during the day, consider leaving music or TV on to keep them company and minimize the sound of silence.
Of course cats prefer having their people at home with them, but a little advanced planning can lessen your kitty’s stress until vacation is over.
Written by Karen
