SJ.com cat people, I humbly ask for your advice

Due to circumstances, I am cat-sitting my sister's beautiful four year old long hair until November.

This is the first time I'm going to be responsible for something other than me. Is there any advice that you all can give me?

Thanks in advance.

 

Just feed it, have water available when the cat wants it, and see that the feline knows where the litter box is and have it cleaned out pretty regularly.

Giving it a little attention when you can doesn't hurt, either. Good luck, HB.

 

If the cat's anywhere from a bit stand-offish to outright scared of you, feeding it treats might allow you to bond with the cat.

Giving it attention is another sure bet.

 

Advice:

Get a dog.

 

Is there anything YouTube cannot give us?

I like the boxing cat. Well, I suppose I like the cat who pounces on the boxing cat.

 

And attention doesn't have to mean petting. If there are toys laying around, find one that the cat is fond of and play with it.

If there aren't any toys around, head to PetSmart/Petco and find a mouse/bird on the end of a stick. Our cats loved them - they've kind of grown out of them - but it's more interactive than just a toy mouse.

 

Priceless.

 

The hell? What is this, VH1 Popup Videos?

 

And this is the problem I have. I have inherited a cat from a friend of mine in the past few weeks. The cat is used to being fed in the morning. I normally don't wake up until mid-afternoon. The cat expects feed at 8:30 in the morning and when she doesn't get it, he comes and nudges me with his head. Repeatedly. What I've learned to do is feed it half its ration of food a few hours before I hit the hay. Then the cat is fed and content and ready for bed when I am.

My cat is particularly fond of catnip. Get a bucket of the stuff. Many places also sell stuffed animals to put the catnip in so it doesn't get everywhere.

A scratching post is a must, unless you want your furniture to be ripped to hell.

My advice for the litter box: put it next to the toilet in the bathroom. That room already has enough smells coming out of it anyway. Then, when it's time to scoop, all you have to do is go two feet away and flush.

 

Get an automatic feeder. Keeps the kitties from waking you up early.

Either that or make them grazers. I've got food out all day so they always have some.

Also, get a brush. Long-haired ones need to be brushed daily so they don't develop mats, which can be quite painful. It will also cut down on any shedding.

Also, get the stuff to treat hairballs, just in case. If it develops hairballs, use it for a week instead of the 2-3 days recommended. It will work better.