Hello everyone, I’m new to the forum and just started house sitting back in November! I’m originally from California, but now live on the east coast, and I’ve been doing some extended travel. I’m now on my 11th sit. Most have been great so far, cat and dog pairs, or bonded cat pairs.
Unfortunately, I just arrived to a new 12-day sit on Monday with two cats. The owner advised the washing machine had broken just the night before, which was fine since I had just done laundry, but after she left I noticed piles of damp clothes and blankets all over the office and office bathroom. Overall the space is not really neat and I had to deep clean the oven and shower just to use them.
The really bad part is the male cat is deranged. He is VERY aggressive, which she did not mention during our video call, in the welcome guide, or when we met. He scratches EVERYTHING! I just purchased new, nice luggage for myself in November and he scratched both my checked bag and my art portfolio backpack, leaving a couple square inches of damage. I stowed everything in the (VERY FULL) closets after that but earlier I was working and he jumped up next to me and punctured my beautiful new computer case, also leaving slight damage. I told the owner and she bought me a DoorDash certificate but I cannot leave anything out. She told me to use the office and shut the door but there are damp and moldy clothes everywhere and she does not want the bedroom door closed. The cat also “plays” very rough, he bites hard and swats with full nails, both the other female cat and me! He has a ton of toys and I’ve tried playing with him and keeping him engaged, but he only seems interested in damaging or hurting types of “play.” I’ve been around and sat with all types of cat personalities, so I guess I’m just looking for suggestions here?
Any thoughts on how to proceed with the remaining 9 days with this cat? Any suggestions for the damage to my personal things?
Welcome @mzfrizzle4c
Sorry to hear about your issues on your current sit. Sounds like someone played rough with this cat with hands at a young age. You can redirect cats with toys etc but it can be a long process when the cat is used to playing rough. Maybe not what you want to hear.
Is it possible to dry the items that you say is damp so that they could be folded/ put away? In no way your task, but seems a possible solution?
For the cat - is it possible to get him tired and act on his instincts by for instance make him hunt for his food - hiding biscuits at mealtime - putting some kibbles in an empty loo roll and such?
For an instinct driven male cat it might well be because it is new items in the home. I’d be happy he didn’t do… other… things to it. But ofc annoying as it is new or nice.
Oh dear, sorry to hear that. As for the cat, I would say just leave him be - if he only engages in an aggressive way, then don’t engage unless he comes up to you on his own terms and wants some pets. Only pet gently, and just a few strokes at a time to see how he’s coping - some cats react very abruptly to too much stimulation and may suddenly bite or scratch after just a few strokes. So just take it slowly and only when he asks for it.
You could also try some stimulation that doesn’t involve putting your hands near him, such as string toys, chasing a lazer or ball, or watching YouTube bird videos on the TV. The aggression sounds to me like it could be anxiety or stress related, especially if this HO hasn’t had a sitter before (which it sounds like they haven’t?) Try some relaxing music for the cat, creating a calm environment, sticking to his regular routine and just letting the cat be. Perhaps you could lay some of the owner’s clothing on or near his favourites spots to calm him down?
As for the cleanliness of the house, write a factual, non emotional review that details how you found the house, and if you feel you need to mark down stars of hospitality and cleanliness, do so.
I’d chalk the damage up to the risks of sitting. You can of course ask for reimbursement, but that would be your choice. Sounds like the host considered it covered by the gift certificate.
Personally, I don’t bring new things on pet sits, whether clothing or whatever else, because I figure they might be damaged. And when I sit cats, I put away my luggage, etc., to avoid them peeing or pooping on them, because I don’t know how they’ll behave. I’ve not yet encountered any issues, but have heard of cats doing damage when they’re unhappy, stressed, etc.
A pair of hosts told me that their cats have damaged stuff before and said they’d reimburse for damage, but I’ve not had such issues despite sitting for them twice. They did tell me for instance to cover my guest bed with a waxed cotton piece of fabric when I leave the house, because their cats have peed on the bed before, including once right in front of them. I do as asked. And I make sure my suitcase stays in the closet all the time.
I would ask about the cats background. It could be a somewhat recent rescue that was a street cat and is missing the outside and so acts aggressively. I would make sure he has a comfortable place to sit in front of a window to watch birds. I personally ( not saying you should do this) would buy a hummingbird feeder and place it outside where he could view it. I hate to see unhappy pets and they love watching the hummingbirds. Those feeders do not attract mice or other unwanted creatures. Of course you have to be in an area that has those birds. Make sure if you do you make the solution yourself and don’t buy market ones full of chemicals that harm hummingbirds. I always leave a thank you gift for the host so that would be it. Also play with him with a long rod and bird hanging off of it. Get him tiered. Cats do jump up on things, that’s just being a cat. I don’t know your background with cats is and maybe you are more of a dog person which is fine.. I love when they jump up near me. I love their antics. I do expect them to knock things down that they can which the human picks up. That’s where the expression came from, “dogs have owners and cats have staff.” The cat needs an adequate scratching post or they will scratch other things to sharpen their nails. My two cats I had for 18 and 19 years never scratched anything in my home other than their scratching trees. Scratching trees should be taller than them when they are on their back legs. They should be made of sisal and thick post.
Thank you to everyone for your replies! I appreciate the suggestions!
A little more info: the hosts has had other sitters with mixed reviews, a couple where she went back and forth with the sitters in the replies. The apartment is in a prime location in Los Angeles, so I suspect that others were more interested in the apartment than the cats, and probably left them alone to tour the city. I am from Los Angeles and on an extended trip, so that is not important to me.
The host is a helicopter pet owner, she made videos and left a multi-page PDF on the care for the cats. It seems intentional on her part. She expects the sitter to spend time with them but did not mention any behavior issues at all. There are many scratching tress and toys, but she did not mention that the male cat scratches personal things and did not leave any room for me in the closets or drawers. I had to stuff and cram my now damaged luggage into one of the already full closets with her clothes. The male cat keeps trying to open the closet doors. And the office is not really an option for me, as it is filled with damp and moldy clothes from the washing machine breaking, supposedly the night before.
I have tried playing with the cat A LOT using all of the various toys but he only seems interested in biting and fighting, both the other female cat and me. Respectfully, I am not going to buy her/the cat a gift, hummingbird feeder, or anything else, as her pet damaged over $400 in luggage with scratches. The DoorDash gift card is nice enough, but doesn’t fix my luggage, which were new and part of my extended trip.
Anyway, I appreciate everyone replying, I think I’m just going to feed them, keep my distance, and enjoy my time in my hometown! Hopefully this is just a snap, out of 11 sits, only this and one other have been duds. Thanks!
Ugh, sorry that happened to you. Having new stuff damaged would be so frustrating.
As others have said, leave a factual review – not emotional, but just state what happened and that the aggression was not mentioned prior to the sit.
Is there nowhere to hang some of those damp clothes out to dry, or even drape them over some patio furniture…? Is the closet a type with door handles that you could tie some string around to keep the cat from opening them?
Nobody’s mentioned a water gun. All else having failed, he won’t play nicely with you and is being aggressive everywhere, I’d go to a dollar store and look for a cheap little water gun, big enough to have some oomph but not big enough to be obvious, and give him a squirt when he tries to fight with you. I’d try not to let him see where that was coming from. It won’t hurt him and will maybe check the aggressive behaviour a bit.
Good luck, hope the time passes quickly and you can move on to a happier sit.
Some people think they are doing good by taking in a long time feral cat but in reality they should just be neutered or spayed and released to a colony. If the cat was never domesticated it may be at a point where it is too late. His behavior sounds over the top if there are cat trees, toys, etc. Good luck with the remaining days.
Some cats are like that. I think you should mention in your review as a warning but not necessarily take anything off as it’s not really abnormal. There are things that the host could do and might agree to if you talk to them. Does the host clip the cat’s nails? Would they pay for you to take the cat in to the vet for a nail clipping? (I wouldn’t doing this yourself on a “deranged” kitty?) Are there scratching posts in the house? This might not stop the cat from scratching your stuff, but it might help. There are also various sprays and tapes you could get for your stuff but it sounds like the damage is done. As a long time cat guardian and some time sitter, I really feel reading about dogs that chewed expensive shoes or cats that scratched nice luggage, sitters just need to be aware that this comes with the territory and put stuff away first thing and if there is no place to store stuff away from the cat, then create deterrents or ask if the homeowner has an old blanket you can use to cover your stuff.
Some cats are like that. I think you should mention in your review as a warning but not necessarily take anything off as it’s not really abnormal.
Good ideas in your post but I have to disagree with this part. I say this knowing NOTHING about cats; based only on the obfuscation from the HO, they should at least be marked down in Accuracy of Listing and Pet Behavior (and possibly also Hospitality and Cleanliness). Not because the cat is destructive, but because there was no mention of this behavior in the listing, the video call, the multimedia pet guide, or the hand off. It’s not a one-time unexpected scratch because the cat encountered something new, it’s consistent aggressive activity and prospective sitters need to be made aware.
I have a reactive dog. You could accurately say “some dogs are like that” because so many are, but it’s still the kind of thing that should still be disclosed up front.
I’d suggest reviewing factually, including discounting stars if the pets turned out to be different from what was originally described.
It sounds like you ignored red flags in taking this sit, which is unfortunate. Best to make the most of things and use the learning to avoid taking iffy sits / partnering with iffy hosts in the future.
It doesn’t matter how good the location or the home — if the hosts are iffy, it’s inviting trouble to partner with them.
@Maggie8K Thanks for blaming me! There were no “red flags,” but mixed reviews as I previously wrote, mostly about the host wanting frequent updates, which is not a problem for me. As I also wrote, I am from Los Angeles, so location and touring is NOT important to me but I suspect some of the other sitters reviewed her highly for the location alone, not the cats or the actual condition of the apartment.
Anyway, thank you to everyone in the community who replied back with real suggestions for me! I’ve sat with 15 great cats and 2 great dogs on the site, so I’m going to take this one as a lesson in dealing with a non-friendly cat and just keep my distance.
I probably won’t check back here but wishing everyone well in your sitting adventures! =)
I’d say it’s important to focus on the elements that you can control as a sitter. Choosing the right hosts is key. Otherwise, there’s nothing to do but to randomly chance that bad sits repeat. From my POV, what you shared were red flags. Of course, you choose your own sits as you see fit.
But ofc annoying as it is new or nice.