Glad you got out of there without more aggression!
When cats sniff my baggage or such, I always zip up, because I don’t want to risk them peeing or pooing on my stuff if they’re upset. Hasn’t happened, but I’ve heard about upset cats doing that in even their owner’s shoes or such, LOL.
@Maggie8K, completely agree - all bags were safely zipped up at all times.
They do wee in bags sometimes….
Yes had that in my rucksack cat peed had to throw it out.lesson learned keep bedroom door shut.
As a child we had a ‘pet’ kitten my dad brought back from the factory he worked at (UK, 1969). This cat petrified us children, you’d be going along to the loo in the night and suddenly this thing would attach itself to your legs biting and scratching. You couldn’t stroke it (until it got very old and senile, the thing lived until it was 20). Anyway I genuinely thought this is what cats were like, it was only in my 20s that I realised some cats were affectionate and they didn’t necessarily attack you! I’m still slightly on edge from that formative experience and if any cats are nervous or acting weird I don’t attempt to go near. I don’t think it was anything you did at all it’s definitely the cat. If it’s not ill or in pain then, like humans, some have issues!!
Thought this was an interesting episode regarding an aggressive cat and ultimately how the pet owners with Galaxy’s help changed that!
Yup, we had a cat like this when our girls were young and it could tell which child was which by their smell without seeing them.
I’m sorry to hear about your previous house sitting experience; it’s always a bit worrisome when things change after the owners leave. Currently, I’m looking after two cats, and there have been some issues. I’ve spent with them and their owners almost a week and they were fine with me initially but the day after the owners left they started fighting. One of the cats seems fine with the owners being away, but the other one is struggling. The first day he was needy which was understandable, now he’s become a bit distant and doesn’t want me to pet him anymore On our first day alone, he even pooped on the floor instead of using his litterbox. What concerns me most is his attempt to escape. These cats are indoor cats but they are allowed to go to the fenced backyard. Although these cats are indoor cats, they are allowed in the fenced backyard. However, I have to be cautious with the more adventurous one as he has jumped off the fence. The owners told me that he hardly does that. The first week I’ve been with the owners I took them outside and everything was fine but the day they left the house he jumped off the fence. The first time he did it, I managed to catch him, but it was a stressful moment, and it worried me about his safety. He could’ve gone lost or a car could’ve hit him. Now I’m scared to take him outside but he gets very unhappy and does things that he is not allowed when he doesn’t go outside. I’m torn because he’s unhappy when I don’t let him outside, but I fear for his safety if he goes out. The owners are wonderful people, and I feel bad to share these concerns with them, especially since they are far away. However, I believe it’s crucial to inform them about the situation. Any advice on how to handle this situation would be greatly appreciated.
Sounds like something you should discuss with the pet owners ASAP.
Absolutely discuss with the owners. But safety first. He is going up that fence again and the result could be disasterous. Don’t chance it. If there is any way of playing with him and getting him to let off some steam, do it.
Thank you! We’ve been talking about it. It’s the first time that they let them alone so we’re trying to figure out what to do. I don’t have a lot of experience with cats so I’m reading the THS forum as much as possible
If they don’t have any ideas, one possibility is to consider getting the cats a catio. Maybe they could order one online and have it delivered. Some are simple vs. elaborate.
Some cats are kept on leashes when outdoors, BTW. But if one of the cats is already acting upset, you might get clawed or bitten while leashing, so I don’t suggest that in this case.
That is a hard situation! Keeping a cat inside, when he has used to spend some of his time outside, can be almost impossible. Some cats adjust just fine, but some won’t.
They can actually get themselves sick with stress. One of our cats developed Feline idiopathic cystitis, when we tried to keep him inside, when we spent a summer in a bigger city. For him, going out on leash was a good solution, and then getting back to his normal routine once we were back home.
Of course discuss it with the owners. A good solution is a harness with a lead. We have sat with an escape artist cat, that was the solution…worked beautifully! Perhaps owner could order that on line for you? Good luck.
Thank you for the advice! I’m relieved to hear I’m not the only one dealing with an escape artist cat. I have a harness and a leash. I attempted to use them, but he didn’t want to move. I’ll give it another try tomorrow; perhaps he needs more time to get accustomed to it.
Thank you for understanding the challenge. I agree, it’s really tough to keep a cat indoors when they’re used to the outdoors. I’m worried about his stress levels too but I’m taking him outside only once a day. I’ll keep trying with the leash and hope he eventually adjusts. It’s reassuring to hear your cat found a solution with the leash. Hopefully, I’ll find a way that works for him too.
For the first time our cats wore a harness, they froze. Two of them actually just fell to floor from their straight feet! We just picked them up and went outside. Once outside, they “recovered” 
OMG that’s hilarious! Thank you for sharing that story. Can I ask, how did you manage to bring the cats inside after taking them out?
By carrying them they were on aleash, so no problem. They were not (and still never are, if we have to use a leash) happy to be taken in, but they’ve always been very nice, mostly protesting by being very loud.
Blinking - way to make friends with cats. It lets them know you’re friendly and mean no harm. I do it when I cat sit and am not totally sure about the cat: I will stay out of their way and when they do make eye contact, I will slowly blink