When it comes to cat sitting, we know there are a few tasks that generally come up e.g. litter box maintenance, social interaction, and sometimes you might be responsible for their medication.
When caring for a feline friend, is there anything you’d recommend a new cat sitter take into consideration? Is there anything special that you do for your fluffy friend or do you stick to the instructions left by the owner?
We’d love to hear about your personal experiences in cat sitting and any tips or recommendations you might have for anyone on a sit with a cat.
Don’t grab a cat and try to cuddle him/her, if you don’t know them well. They might get frightened or angry or could even attack you. Give them time to approach you first. You can hold out your hand to them so they can sniff you. Or give them a treat. Most cats start showing interest when you feed them! But again, don’t do this the minute you walk in the door. Most cats need time to get used to a new person around.
Cats don’t appreciate belly rubs like dogs do. Start petting them on their head and on the chin. Only rub their belly if they seem very comfortable or turn their belly towards you.
Cats need love! Even if they are very independent, they will appreciate your presence. Just feeding them twice a day won’t be enough. Play with them, talk to them, be around. Most cats like playing with dangly things. Like a feather, or a rope, etc.
I clean the cat litter every day, even if owners say every second day is enough. Sometimes I clean twice a day. Cats are very clean animals and they appreciate a clean toilet.
This can be quite tricky. In my experience, 8 out of 10 cats showing their belly just mean to show they trust you and are happy but do not want their belly touched. Right now I’m sitting the two loveliest, most gentle cats I’ve ever met and they are the first to fully enjoy and even demand belly rubs. Both of them. I’m fully confident they won’t scratch me. I’ve looked after a couple of other cats that wanted some kind of belly contact, using my arm as a toy, but not belly rubs. I had to be careful, though, because when they were enjoying this game, they started licking my arm or hand and, after that, it was love biting, most of the time very soft, but it could get tough if they got over excited.
This morning, I really had a laugh with own of the cats. I was rubbing her belly and she got over excited and, for the first time in a week, tried to mimic a love bite but she really is so gentle that she only opened her mouth and got close to my hand but did not even touch it. She did it several times. I’m amazed!
The only thing I would add to your wise tips is that, after giving them their space and having established a bond, we can explore their likes and dislikes. Sometimes a sitter can find things they enjoy and the owners didn’t know. I had a sitting recently where there were no cat toys, the owner said he was not interested in toys. I bought a small toy and tried. It turned out he was a slow player, he turned around showing no interest at all and hid somewhere, he wanted to pretend he was not interested and then “attack “ the mouse by surprise.
We have done lots of cat sits and we really enjoy them . We are currently back on a cat sit which is a repeat sit . Here are our tips for a new cat sitter:
If the listing doesn’t already specify- ask if the cats are indoor or outdoor cats .
Each come with responsibilities- indoor cats may be looking for every opportunity to escape which can create a stressful situation for a sitter or mean that you cannot open windows and doors in hot weather (something to discuss with the owners before committing to a sit)
An indoor/ Outdoor cat may need to be let in and out ( if there is no cat flap ) meaning that sitter cannot leave the cat alone for more than xx no of hours . Something to discuss with the owner before committing to a sit .
Cats with the freedom to roam outside may bring home birds or rodents that they have caught - so a sitter needs to be prepared to deal with any such gifts ( dead or alive ) .
Ask if the cats use a litter tray ( even an outdoor cat may use an indoor litter tray ) .
Ask have the cats been spayed or neutered? You don’t want to be taking care of an unexpected litter of kittens during the sit .
If the owners say that the cat must be kept in at night - ask them how they usually coax them inside and at what time .
Oh yes, true. I did that once and had a sleepless night with the poor cat. But if you play with them a lot, it can tire them out and they will sleep better. Or give them cat nip…
We have been nicknamed “The Cat Whisperer” by homeowners. I know there have been instances where we bond with cats that have never bonded with their owners.
One huge thing I’ve learned is that cats have anxiety and depression symptoms more than I thought. That cat that the owner says “she’s a loner, doesn’t like humans” needs some extra monitoring to see what she wants and needs, sometimes just alone time without other pets or other humans. Also using things like the slow blink, knowing when to disengage from an overly stimulated cat. The cat that is “always demanding treats” might be just hoping die for attention. It’s anxiety that I’ve noticed is the cause of so many cats “talking too much” and waking you up. How do they want to be soothed?
Medication is something all sitters have to be fully aware of before accepting a sit and be comfortable doing. Many owners say, “It’s so easy”, which might be true after getting used to doing it a few weeks.
Cat care- I’ve learned so much watching cat rescues and veterinarians on social media. I wouldn’t play home Vet (even though I am a human doctor), without talking to the homeowner first, but knowing what to look out for, and simple home remedies have really helped up my car care game. (Things like monitoring respiratory rate, urinary behavior, signs of infection).
I’ve noticed that, too. My first sit with THS was with 5 indoor/outdoor cats. It was an apartment on the first floor so I had to let them in and out the apartment and the building. Until I got the hang of it I had to spend most of my time running up and down all the stairs in the building to try and prevent the cats from disturbing the neighbors. There was one particular cat, about whom I had been warned. He was “a loner” and difficult to get back inside; it was OK if he spent the night outside but I should be watchful because some neighbors could let him in without letting me know and he would disturb people without me knowing he was somewhere inside the building. Once he volunteered to come in first, it was just him and me and he presented me with the most intense cuddling session I had ever had. When the other cats came back it was back to normal. I figured out it had something to do with his status in the pack.
As someone that’s a cat guy and has looked after over 100 cats (family, shelter volunteer, cats adopting me and of course THS) I have some rules I follow with cats -
ALWAYS let a new cat come to you and introduce themselves, not the other way round. With scared cats this can take a long time. Had one cat I sat for via THS that have never come to anyone in 5 years except the owner. The cat wouldn’t feed with me around the first few days…then he was ok with me passing by and saying his name softly. By day 10 he was sat on my knee! The Owner was shocked!!
NEVER pick a cat up. Many cats hate this and will scratch to get away. Only if a cat climbs up me then ok.
NEVER corner a cat…give them space.
The first time a cat comes to me I’ll reach out a bent finger and let the cat rub under or next to my finger to scent mark. It’s less scary for a cat than an outreached hand or even a pointed finger.
NEVER unless the pet owner indicates the cat likes it, try to rub a cats belly even if a cat is rolling onto it’s back and exposing their belly to you showing trust. Many cats hate their belly being rub and may attack if you do so.
If there are multiple cats, do they ever need to be separated (like at meal times or other times)? And what does that look like?
If there are meds: Exactly how is the cat given the meds? (I prefer a demo or video to writing.) How essential is the timing on the meds? (Some meds are twice a day but intervals can have some flexibility. Other meds the timing needs to be consistent and exact.)
What are some behaviors that would definitately ring alarm bells? (EG: Some cats might spit up or even vomit fairly frequently like if they eat to fast. Other cats rarely vomit so if they did so it might mean a trip to the vet.)
If the HO says the cat isn’t “allowed” in a certain place they have easy access to, ask how they deal with it when the cat goes there anywhere?
Are they door darters? With indoor cats I’m always careful about exiting and entering and windows, but some cats are definitely more interested in the great outdoors than others. If they are door darters there may be some follow up questions about what happens if they escape.
Do they bite? (Sure, nobody is supposed to have a pet that bites on the site. But the reality is some cats will give a little nip if they are overstimulated. Most experienced cat people see it coming and pull away, but it’s good to discuss it because not all cats who do this give clear signals. Some cats give affectionate lovebites. While most of the time these bites won’t leave a mark or break the skin, it’s good to know if this might happen.)
if indoor/outdoor: Where is the butterfly net? And or how do I get live prey out of the house? Also what are the indoor/outdoor rules as some catparents want their pets in for the night.
Good tips @tlubkin. The slow blink works with many cats. Learning cat body language certainly helps. Our first family cat many decades ago wanted everything on his terms so as a kid you quickly learnt cat language to avoid getting a smack with a paw.
Great tips @andrealovesanimals. At the cat shelter I volunteered for in Lanzarote they taught new volunteers to always talk to the cats in a soft voice to get used to your tone.
I find even friendly cats can still take a few days to fully come out of their shells when sitting.
Ultimately, just listen to the cat. If it meows or yowls, it wants attention. Helpful to leave some food out overnight if case they get hungry (new sitters will probably be woken up until the cat becomes comfortable).
I grew up with 4 cats my whole childhood and my husband had a cat for 17 years. We are very familiar with them. Some HOs ask their cat to be brushed. We go above and beyond, brushing, cleaning eyes, checking ears and paws, etc. We also usually wet towel or wipe the cat down if they go outside. They see this as their mother licking them and more often than note, will like it.
If the cat likes you, approach them slowly, sit on the floor with them on your legs/knees and hold them gently. When they want to go, let them, don’t force them.
I have found the most important aspect of caring for cats is giving them lots of space, letting them decide when they want to interact and simply having a lot of patience. Recently cared for a kitty who never interacted with anyone except the owners, and hid inside the closet for all previous sitters. Owner suggested I chat with the cat each day, so I took a little step stool and sat inside the closet with her several times a day to chat, feed her snacks and brush her. By the 3rd day she had come out of the closet and the owner was shocked but pleased with the results of my efforts. Each kitty is different, and as strangers in their living space, we just have to give them time. The first time we meet a cat, I also like to get down on the floor with them, to not seem so large and imposing.
Over the years of taking care of cats, I think I’ve now found the right feline formula for establishing a good relationship with them.
When I first meet a new cat, I never actually stroke or pet it. I’ll usually leave a few treats for them so they start to associate me with something good. Then, I give off the vibe of “I’m here if you need me but I’m not going to get in your space.”
Cats seem to respect the no fuss approach and they then come to me of their own volition when it feels right for them. Usually, within a few hours, they’ve sussed me out, warmed up and will come over for cuddles and are purring away quite happily.
I’ve rinsed and repeated this approach so many times now that it hasn’t failed me yet. I always let the cat set the tempo every time.
I’d agree with that too from my own experience. One of my regulars that I sit for has a beautiful cat who loves his belly rubs but I’m still cautious. He’s not afraid to give a little nip or a scratch with his claws when he’s had enough. He’s definitely not savage about it but even a mild scratch from a cat can be sore!
