Tag Archives: cat care

How to Speak Cat

When I’m at work at the cats-only boarding facility, I often keep up a running chat with the guests. If they meow, I meow back. If somebody hisses, I’ll imitate it. (We have one guest who is missing a few bottom teeth, so when he hisses, his tongue sticks out the side. Yes, I stick my tongue out when I hiss at him!) The vet who owns the boarding facility passed along an article from The Oregonian newspaper about cats-only services — veterinarians, boarding facilities, and the like. The article had a sidebar about communicating with cats. Do you know … Continue reading →

The Things We Do for Our Cats

If you’re the kind of doting cat mama that I am, you do more than just clean litter boxes and take them to the vet for their annual checkup, don’t you? When you go on vacations you fret about their wellbeing and miss them like mad. (Even though no doubt you’ve either placed them in a great cat B&B like the one Aimee works at or with a trustworthy pet sitter.) Heck, you might even plan it so they can come along. Their safety is always first and foremost on your mind. When you have to take them in the … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Why Am I Working Here, Anyway?

I was chatting with a client at the cats-only boarding facility, and mentioned (as I often do) my two dogs, Moose and Lally. The client asked if I had any cats, and I said that I didn’t. She then asked me why I was working at a cat place if I didn’t have any cats. My usual answer is this: “So I won’t be tempted to bring any of them home!” And that is part of the reason. We’ve had abandoned kitties staying at the boarding facility before. While I did become somewhat attached to them, I knew I couldn’t … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: I’m Not a Scratching Post (But I Play One on TV)

Maybe the heat is making our guests at the cats-only boarding facility a little cranky. Whatever the reason, I’ve been playing the role of scratching post at work lately! I won’t post pictures of my injuries, but just to tally them up: I have an inch-long bite mark on my left wrist, a three inch claw mark on my left forearm, two half-inch claw marks on the inside of my right forearm, three scratches on my chest, a two inch claw mark on the front of my left shoulder and a few more scrapes on the back of my left … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Look-Alikes

Some guests at the cats-only boarding facility are family in name only; others are actually from the same litter… or at least the same bloodline! We have a pair of brothers from the same litter who (thankfully) don’t look alike. One cat is black and white; the other is an orange tabby. Their only common feature is a stunted tail — about half as long as you’d expect a cat’s tail to be. But with those matching tails, they’re most definitely kin. We have, however, had some guests from the same litter who are virtually identical. Those can be tricky! … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Family Dynamics

Many of our guests at the cats-only boarding facility are “only children” — they are they only pet in the house. Or at least the only cat. But we do have some families that come to stay. Some are actually related by blood; others are family in name and dynamic only. Recently, we had a pair of male cats at the boarding facility. We didn’t have a crowded house, and were able to put the boys in an isolation room together. (When things are crowded, we often have to use the isolation rooms for overflow from the main boarding room.) … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: The Test

Some days really test your coping skills. Today was one of those days at the cats-only boarding facility. Let me say right off the bat that I have some pretty awesome coworkers. The gal I worked with today did a HUGE share of the work while I dealt with one surprise after another. The worst surprise was the first one… but it really set the tone for the entire shift. The cat who was in the playroom overnight must have gotten spooked or upset or just plain sick — this morning, the room was full of poop. And when I … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: More Great Escapes

This has been a month of great escapes at the cats-only boarding facility. The first escape artist — we’ll call her Z — was staying with us for a few weeks while her owner (who was new to the area) looked for an apartment. Z was a tricky cat to begin with, always squirming her way out of our hands when we tried to weigh her. One morning, we came in to find the door of Z’s condo wide open! Panic ensued. We had a full house at the time, and three people scheduled to work that day. All other … Continue reading →

Grooming an Older Cat

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Older cats may groom themselves less than younger cats for a variety of reasons. Perhaps pain makes it difficult to reach certain areas. Perhaps an illness is impacting skin and coat, making it harder to keep up with grooming. As your cat ages, you may need to take a more active part in grooming! Helping your older cat with grooming is a good way to monitor changes in health. Look for changes in your pet’s skin as they age. Some pets develop dry skin and dandruff as they age; others tend to get oily skin that leaves the coat feeling … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Smelly Cat

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If you were a fan of Friends, you may remember Phoebe’s song called “Smelly Cat”. The lyrics went something like this: Smelly cat, smelly cat… what are they feeding you? Smelly cat, smelly ca-at, it’s not your fault! And hoo boy, did we have some smelly cats at the cats-only boarding facility over the Memorial Day weekend! But just like there are lots of different personalities in our guests, there are lots of different smells. Some cats have food that smells awful. We have one guest (who I adore) who eats the grossest-looking and smelling food. I swear, it looks … Continue reading →