Tag Archives: cat care

Treats for Pets with Dietary Restrictions

When it comes to food, my two dogs are very different. Lally is the sort of dog who will only eat when she’s hungry; I could leave a bowl of food out all day and she’d regulate herself. Moose is a chow hound; he’ll eat until there’s nothing left and then eat some more. I can’t leave food out for him, because he’d never stop eating! It’s very hard to manage Moose’s weight when he never turns down food. The vet suggested that we avoid chewy snacks — they generally have a higher fat content than crunchy, dry snacks have. … Continue reading →

Thoughts on a Year at the B&B

Time sure flies when you’re scooping kitty litter! Today is my one year anniversary with the cats-only boarding facility. I’ve learned a lot about our feline friends over the last three hundred and sixty-five days. The first (and most important) thing I’ve learned is a true appreciation for cats. When I first started work at the cats-only boarding facility, I knew a little bit about kitties. I’ve never owned one of my own due to allergies and a general preference for dogs… but after the past year? I could see myself living with a cat someday. It’s the guests themselves … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Outbreak Aftermath

After several of our guests got sick with an upper respiratory virus, we decided it was time for a major cleaning. We’re already very dedicated to cleaning at the cats-only boarding facility. The condos are cleaned as soon as a guest leaves, and at least once per week if they sit empty. The floors are swept and mopped twice per day. The playroom and exam room are sanitized after each cat is inside. But after four cats came down with a kind of cold, we didn’t want to chance other guests catching the same runny nose, runny eyes, and sneezing. … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Outbreak!

It started with one cat: runny nose, weepy eyes, sneezing. Soon three more cats were drippy and lethargic. The cats-only boarding facility had an outbreak! I’ve been working at the boarding facility since last December (how time flies) and this is the first time I’ve seen anything like this. The first cat — patient zero — usually has runny eyes and a sniffly nose. He’s a Himalayan, and like other flat-faced breeds, they can be susceptible to upper respiratory problems. Other Himalayans who come in to stay with us tend to have very runny eyes, too. So when patient zero … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Two Happy Endings for the Price of One

At the beginning of the summer, someone called the cats-only boarding facility hoping to find her lost cat. She was staying at a nearby hotel and the cat had slipped out when someone had come to the door. (It’s all too easy for this to happen, as I learned when I was on my cross-country trip with Moose and Lally!) We promised to keep an eye out for her cat — a grey kitty with big blue eyes. Since we leave food out for the local feral cats, we often get other wanderers stopping by for a nibble. But months … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Hi-Ho Silver!

We have a very special guest right now at the cats-only boarding facility: a friendly little cat we call Silver. I’ve mentioned our feral cat efforts before — we leave leftover food out for strays and feral cats. When a new stray comes by to nibble, we try to catch him or her for a check-up. The folks on the vet side will do a full exam, give the cat a round of vaccinations, and spay/neuter as needed. Last weekend, I met Silver. He was out by the food dish as I pulled into the parking lot. I crouched at … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Three Cases for Keeping Cats Indoors

We currently have three guests at the cats-only boarding facility who make a very good case for keeping cats indoors. One is easily one of my favorite all-time guests. He’s a big tabby fellow and a total sweetheart — that’s probably why his family called him Pooky. These days, Pooky is a lover, not a fighter. But in his past? He was probably a fighter. He’s got a few good-sized scars running down his nose that speak of old fights. Pooky is an indoor cat now, and I wonder if that’s what gave his lovebug side the opportunity to show. … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: I’m in Charge!

Thanks to a wacky set of coincidences that have both my coworkers unavailable, I’m in charge of the cats-only boarding facility for the next few days. I won’t be making any drastic changes during my reign of terror… but I do have some projects I’d like to tackle. A few big cleaning projects. We do wipe down, mop, and sanitize the playroom several times per day… but I’m dying to get the scrub brush and make that floor sparkle. Same with some spots in the main boarding room that get mopped frequently but need some elbow grease and hot water … Continue reading →

What is Flehming?

I was sitting in the playroom at the cats-only boarding facility with a pair of cats from the same family. You may remember them — the annoying younger cat who kept patting his brother’s rump for attention? I had my legs stretched straight out, and the two cats were walking back and forth sniffing me. After sniffing a particular spot on my leg, the younger brother looked up at me and made a weird face. His mouth was hanging open, his nose twitched, and his lip curled up. This reaction is known as flehming. Cats have a vomeronasal organ (also … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: My Personal Best

I did something today that I’d never done before at the cats-only boarding facility. It was a feat of Olympian proportions: I bathed four cats. Not all at the same time, mind you — that would be a recipe for disaster for sure. We’re approaching full capacity at the boarding facility this weekend; as I type this, we have forty-eight guests. (Between Christmas and New Year’s, we hit sixty-five guests.) So it’s not surprising that we have many guests who have signed up for extras — special treats or grooming services. Generally, we try to schedule a bath for at … Continue reading →