| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 3801.1 | Have the friend over to visit first! | NATASH::ANDERSON | | Tue Jul 17 1990 11:23 | 23 |
| Hi. First of all - congratulations!
My oldest cat (of three) is only 2 1/2 so I haven't left my babies for
any length of time...other than to come to work. No, I take that back.
I stayed overnight at my brothers - New Year's Eve - and Otis was not a
happy camper when I got home the next morning. My daughter had had some
friends in - but he wanted his mother. He was only about 6 months old
at the time, however.
My suggestion would be to have your friend over a couple of times
to spend some time with the two cats...perhaps you even leaving
them alone with her/him while you go out to dinner or something.
They will get used to his/her voice, scent and have some quiet time
alone...so that when he/she is there on a daily basis they will
already be familiar 'friends'.
Just my .02 cents!
Marilyn, Otis, Tiffany & Sam
P.S. Have a great honeymoon.
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| 3801.2 | they'll be fine! | MARX::BARLOW | | Tue Jul 17 1990 13:52 | 24 |
|
Hi. Congratulations! I hope your wedding day and honeymoon are
wonderful!
I was just married 3 months ago and went on a 1 week honeymoon, so I
can sympathize. We let our cats have the run of the house and my
husbands family came over daily to feed and play with the cats. They
seemed OK when we got home. They had definitely missed us but they
weren't destructive at all, except for tipping the garbage over a
couple of times. My mother-in-law, who was there the most, says the
cats would greet her with meow's when she got there and lead her to
their food dishes. And that they rubbed all over her and purred lots.
Plus they played with my sister-in-law for quite awhile on other days.
So, they adjusted just fine. I'd take the earlier suggestion of
introducing them before. My cats knew my in-laws quite well before we
left. Also, I don't think the cats will understand that you are
leaving until you get out the suitcases. That's when mine seem to
figure it out.
Have a blast and don't worry about your babies, I'm sure they'll be
fine!
Rachael Barlow
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| 3801.3 | | CIRCUS::KOLLING | Karen/Sweetie/Holly/Little Bit Ca. | Tue Jul 17 1990 15:30 | 6 |
| Be sure to leave your friend a letter that states she has the right to
authorize medical treatment for teh cats and the right to retrieve them
from any animal shelter should they get loose. It wouldn't hurt to
give your vet a call and let them know what's going on and that you'll
be responsible for all vet bills.
|
| 3801.4 | | PROSE::GOGOLIN | | Tue Jul 17 1990 16:44 | 74 |
| I think you've come up with the ideal solution -- leaving the cats in
their own home and having a friend come in to stay with them. I've done
this several times and it has worked out well.
Being a major worrywart, I try to anticipate what could possibly happen
in my absence and prepare as best I can before I go away.
In addition to giving the cat sitter verbal instructions and a guided
tour of my house, I have *everything* written down in case the catsitter's
memory is as bad as mine :-). I'm also afraid of some bizarre thing
happening while I'm away (the sitter gets appendicitis and someone else
has to take over) so the instructions are very explicit; a visiting
Martian could follow them. They include:
o my name, address, telephone number, the date
o a brief description of each cat (I have 5; 3 of them are black; could
be confusing to someone who doesn't know them well)
o feeding instructions (when, where, how much, a reminder to give fresh
water at each meal, etc.)
o litterbox instructions (where the boxes and scoops are, where to put
the "deposits", etc.)
o any other cat care (brushing, pilling, etc.)
o how to get the cats back in if they get outside
o a brief summary of the cats' health and any known problems. For
example, Cubby had cystitis last year. He has been fine since he was
treated and switched to a different food, but I have included the
symptoms in case it comes back, with instructions to call the vet
immediately if he shows any of these signs.
o a brief summary of normal and abnormal behavior. I try to think of
things my cats do that are normal for them, but might look abnormal
to an outsider who might wonder or think they had to do something
about it. For example, while I dish out the cat food at mealtime,
they all mill around my feet and have boxing matches with one another.
They stop as soon as they get their food. This is normal; they don't
get hurt so I ignore it.
I also describe what abnormal behavior is (not eating at all, sleeping
all the time, etc.) to alert the sitter in case someone really is sick.
o the name, address, and telephone number of the vet
o the names and telephone numbers of friends who can be called in case
the cat sitter can't be there, also tel. numbers for my sister, next
door neighbor, plumber, etc.
Another item I give the sitter, at the request of one of my vets, is
an authorization form for the vet in case something happens (cat gets
out and is hit by car). It has a statement authorizing any necessary
veterinary treatment and the use of my VISA charge card (with the card
number and expiration date) for veterinary care and medicine. I also
put in a dollar figure ("I authorize... up to the amount of $XXXX") so
the vet knows I'm serious and would not want my cat put to sleep if the
bill was going be more than, say, $50. At the bottom is my signature,
typed name, address, my home telephone, and a can-be-reached-at number,
if any. Your vet might not require a written authorization from you
but it wouldn't hurt to find out.
Thess instructions might be overkill for some people, but it gives me
a little more peace of mind.
Your guys will be fine, and I'm sure they'll have a great time with
your cat-loving friend. They will miss you but finally forgive you after
many kitty treats!
Happy Honeymoon!
Linda
|
| 3801.5 | leave some "dirty" clothes for them -- really! | GEMVAX::GRANT | | Tue Jul 17 1990 18:31 | 15 |
| Try leaving a few articles of clothing around the house. Use something
that you've worn, but haven't washed yet. That way, the clothing still
carries your scent, and the kitties can curl up on the clothing and
feel close to you, even though you are not there.
My husband and I just got back from a nine-day vacation (my son stayed
at the house to "baby-sit" for the cats while we were gone). When we
got back, the cats all ran up to us and were glad to see us. Right
after that, though, they snubbed us for the rest of the day. Seemed
like they were checking to make sure that we were really back and were
okay, and THEN it was okay for them to be upset at us for leaving.
Everything was back to normal by the time we went to bed, though . . .
Marleen
|
| 3801.6 | You'll miss each other but thats love! | BREW11::KIRBY | | Wed Jul 18 1990 09:19 | 37 |
| I've had the same experience as Marleen. When I have to be away my
father, who knows them well & lives nearby, feeds my two babies. When I
get home they rush up & make a terrible fuss of me then, once they've
watched me unpack & put the suitcase away, they disappear & snub me for
a while. How long depends on how long I've been away, but its never
more than a day & things soon get back to normal. It's quite gratifying
to know I'm so missed especially when cats are supposed to be such
independant creatures.
I always try not to let them see the suitcase until the last minute
because they know what it means straight away. Sometimes they even try
to climb in it. If I'm not careful I'll end up with at least one of
them away on a business trip sometime!
My two are indoor/outdoor cats, they have a catflap & the run of the
house. Once one of them disappeared completely while I was away & my
Father was in a total panic when I got home because he hadn't seen him
for 3 days & he hadn't come in for his share of the food. Within 5
minutes of my car appearing in the drive he was back, eating like a
pig. Did I get a telling off! Once he'd stopped eating he "talked" to me
non-stop in that way that cats do when they are not pleased & he
followed me everywhere for ages. My Father was really relieved, he
thought he had disappeared for good. I think the trouble is they don't
know that youre going to come back. I always think they react like
humans when someone they love is late home - first reaction is relief
"thank goodness youre alright" quickly followed by anger "so why didn't
you phone?"
Of course indoor cats can't disappear & with all the
good advice already given you shouldn't have any problems. So have a
great wedding & honeymoon & when you get home your babies will show you
just how much they love & appreciate you & you can tell them you missed
them too.
Best wishes,
Rosemary, Pip & Domino
|
| 3801.7 | Have you been away Mum ? | SUBURB::HOLLOWAYF | If only I could.... | Wed Jul 18 1990 09:31 | 21 |
| Thank you for all your comments, it really has helped to put my
mind at rest.
My friend is coming over at the weekend to stay, so the cats can
get used to her being around.
I hadn't thought about the vet, but that is a good idea. I'll phone
this evening and talk to him.
The "dirty" clothes is quite a good idea - I am often away from home
for a week at a time, and Geoff (my fiance) has said that they usually
drag my old jumer out of the bottom of my wardrobe and take it round
with them and sleep on it.
So I think I'll sort out a couple of old bits and leave them out
for them.
I'm sure I'm worrying for nothing, I'll probably come back and find
they're as happy as anything and haven't even noticed we're
gone !!
Fran, Rusty & Lily
|
| 3801.8 | My $.02 worth | ZEKE::WARD | Meow..ME-OUT | Wed Jul 18 1990 13:00 | 13 |
| Fran,
As a cat sitter, I have devised a vet authorization form which I ask
my client to sign. Basically it says that I am authorized to take
their cat to the vet and they are responsible for the bill. There is a
place on the form for them to put a limit. If you would like I'll send
it to you via e-mail.
RE: Linda - You may think your giving way too much information, but as
a sitter, I appreciate that kind of attitude. It's very helpful.
Bernice
Mother_of_Trouble_Becky_Velcro_&_Ferlie
|
| 3801.9 | | CRUISE::NDC | Putiput Scottish Folds - DTN: 297-2313 | Wed Jul 18 1990 15:52 | 5 |
| re: "Of course indoor cats can't disappear"
Wanna Bet!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Nancy DC
|
| 3801.10 | Puzzling isn't it ? | SUBURB::HOLLOWAYF | If only I could.... | Thu Jul 19 1990 09:28 | 14 |
| Nancy,
Your comment has just made me laugh - I know EXACTLY what you mean.
We live in a one bedroomed flat - there are only 5 rooms to
chose from, and, until it actually happened, I would never of believed
that you could loose a cat in 5 rooms !
The mystery of it is, that we still haven't found out where it is
Lily disappears to, but we often 'lose' her for hours at a time
and we turn the place upside down to find her, but until she wants
to come out, we never find her !
Fran.
|
| 3801.11 | walls - that's where they go | TYGON::WILDE | Ask yourself..am I a happy cow? | Thu Jul 19 1990 13:23 | 10 |
| > chose from, and, until it actually happened, I would never of believed
> that you could loose a cat in 5 rooms !
The way I figure it is..cats can osmose through walls - as we all know - and
when they want to hide, they simply osmose INTO a wall and take a nap.
I have 4 big, indoor-only cats. When they don't want to be found they
can stay "disappeared" and then suddenly appear right where I just looked
and they weren't there...its gotta be the walls.
cat lovers quickly learn to believe in magic again....
|
| 3801.12 | Kitty Twilight Zone | TPMARY::TAMIR | ACMS design while-u-wait | Thu Jul 19 1990 13:50 | 6 |
| One of our fellow notes way back when referred to where cats go when they can't
go anywhere as "the other dimension". Chauncey and Julie have that down to a
science! To Biff, the other dimension is located exactly 2 inches from
where ever my foot is about to fall...I'm still doing the 'baby kitten shuffle'!
Mary
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