Love Cats: Pet Sitting in and Around Cambridge, MA

I don’t have a full blog post right now, but two items have been on my note pad for over a month:

1. To avoid a stinky trash bin in the summer, scrape uneaten wet kitty food into a tupperware container and put it in the freezer. Each day, whatever wet food your cat doesn’t eat, just add to the tupperware. Then on rubbish collection day, just plop the frozen mass into the garbage bag and take out the trash!

2. There are many cute covers or lids to put on unused portions of wet food. But here are two other ideas: put the can into a tupperware container or buy one of these cool Whisker City storage containers at PetSmart.

Also, as we head into summer, please make sure your munchkins have plenty of water. Put out an extra bowl (not necessarily by the food!) and maybe throw in an ice cube or two.

I’ve never been more convinced of the healing power of animals as in this past month.

My father had a stroke in early March, which meant that I spent much of that month in Ohio with him and my mom. The day I left Boston, I was waiting at the curb for my cab and our neighbor’s cat, Misha, wandered over to wait with me, as you can see in the photo below. She gave me and my luggage a proper kitty-love sendoff. Her little bit of love made my flight a lot easier.

Then, one day when I was visiting in the hospital, a couple knocked on his door asking if they could bring their greyhound dogs in to visit. My dad, like me, is a passionate animal lover, so of course he said yes. These beauties came in, slowly approached dad’s wheelchair and let him stroke them. To see my dad’s smile and his eyes dance was powerful for me, so I can imagine how good the experience was for him.

Now that he’s in rehab and I’ve returned to Massachusetts, we catch up by phone every day and he asks about my kitty visits. He wants to know their names and if they prefer to play or be brushed. I can envision him smiling and I hear him chuckling as I describe one munchkin leaping in the air, another purring like a little motorbike. And I’m ever so grateful to know my work helps both of us.

With Spring nearly here, you may be noticing your munchkin shedding fur around the house — and possibly a hairball or two!

We’re all used to seeing occasional furballs being coughed up. It’s nothing to worry over, unless it becomes a weekly or more frequent occurrence. At that point, you may want to talk with your vet to see if there’s an underlying digestive or respiratory problem.

But back to hairballs, there are ways you can help your kitkat prevent them.

Top of the list has to be brushing or combing. At this time of year, a regular grooming session with your munchkin (if he/she will allow it!) is helpful. And it’s a great bonding activity for the two of you. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to find the right brush or comb. It sometimes takes trial and error. Much praise has been given to the Furminator, but I’ve met plenty of cats who can’t stand the thing.

Another preventative measure is ensuring your little one is drinking enough water. I know, I know: you can’t force a cat to drink water! So my top tip to encouraging your munchkin to hydrate is to place water bowls or glasses in new spots, not necessarily next to their food. Has your cat every drank out of your water glass? I’ve found many munchkins like to “discover” a new source. And quite a few even like to sip out of a slow running faucet!

Food is also a way to help sooth the passing of hair through the digestive system. If your kitkat typically doesn’t eat wet food, try adding a bit — even a tablespoon or so — during the heavy shedding months. Canned food is also a great way to help hydrate your cat if you think he/she isn’t drinking enough water.

Finally, you can try supplements or hairball treats. For example, laxatone is a brown-colored lubricant that many cats will just like right off your finger. It often comes in different flavors. But know that some munchkins have absolutely no interest in it. Also, many pet food makers now make treats that advertise hairball control. I don’t know if they work, but it may be worth a try.

Happy Spring!

What a winter storm Nemo turned out to be! I’m hoping we’ve now reached our snow quota for the year, although that seems rather unlikely.

I’m very proud that LoveCats got to all ten scheduled kitty visits on Saturday. It was not easy. The roads were bad, and in some cases, as you’ll see in the photo  below (taken by my husband who helped me get around!), we had to shovel our way into homes.

My kitty helper Pam walked to each of her scheduled visits in Somerville, often making her way up and over snow banks taller than her! I am so impressed with her dedication to making her rounds.

But that is LoveCats for you. A new client recently asked about our policy on storms like the one we just had. My reply: I promise we’ll get to your home and visit your cat. No matter what it takes.

I’d say at least 95 percent of my kitty clients do NOT have Pet Rescue stickers on their building/front door or windows.

Admittedly, I’m a worrier. But if something happened in your home when you’re at work or simply away, would anyone know to rescue your kitkats?

The ASPCA offers door/window decals, but you have to join their mailing list. Or you can buy pet rescue stickers from sites like Amazon.

Please consider doing getting at least one sticker!

An incident last week has me thinking about kitty safety over the holidays — and every day.

I arrived at the home to hear loud moaning. It took me a minute to see it: the kitty’s back paw tangled in the window blind cord, his body’s top half lying on the floor while his back half was dangling. I raced to find scissors or anything to free him, finally settling on a big knife. Once the cord was cut, the poor little thing just lie there, his back paw askew. As I called his dad and then the vet, kitty slowly got up and made his way to the bedroom, dragging his back leg.

The great news: No broken bones! Just a sprain and a severely swollen paw due to lack of circulation. A few days later, he’s now fine.

That said, I now enter homes surveying window blind cords, any stray strings and other potential hazards. And with the holidays upon us, I look closely at how low Christmas tree branches and ornaments are hanging, strings of fairy lights — anything that a furry munchkin might look at it and think: That looks interesting!

Enjoy the festiveness of the season, but remember your kitkats’ curiosity may very well lead them to closer inspection of decorations — including tasting, knocking over, batting around and chewing.

I think many of us would agree that cats bring much happiness and comfort to our lives. Now, according to this article in the Guardian newspaper, they’re helping doctors and scientists better understand human diseases.

The article focuses on diabetes, which is unfortunately a common disease among both felines and people. I care for several kitties that need diabetic injections and I see how it puts a whole new perspective on caring for cats. The ability to travel becomes more complicated and requires some advance planning, and cat care in general becomes more expensive from dietary and medicinal perspectives.

Cat disease research doesn’t often get funding. That’s why reading this article made me excited to know scientists are looking for ways to treat feline diabetes.

Cat play time — or more accurately, hunting time — is crucial. If you’ve ever watched or listened to cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy (http://jacksongalaxy.com), you’ll know it’s one of the most important activities for kitkats’ health and well-being.

Cats can be finicky and particular about what they’ll hunt. So it’s good to have a variety of options to mix things up. And unfortunately, it’s often a testing process as to what will strike your munchkin’s fancy. But you don’t need to spend a lot of money. You can re-purpose many household items or even make play things yourself.

I asked my clients what got their furry felines frisky and flying around. Here are some favorites:

1. Cat Dancer.

By far, this is the most popular toy I’ve experienced. The ingenious design of a thin wire with pieces of stiff twisted cardboard at the end really gets cats’ attention. Maybe because their eyes focus on the cardboard ends dancing and leaping as the wire bounces? One person said it seems her cat thinks the end bits act like a moth flitting around in space. For the more creative, this is a toy that can be easily made. Or if you’re at PetCo or shopping on Amazon, I’ve found the Cat Dancer can typically be found for $2.99.

2. Cat Catcher.

I’m not sure why it’s called a Catcher, when it’s the kitkat usually doing the catching not being caught. No matter, this toy for many cats is like chasing a live mouse. I think it has something to do with the mouse material and size. I’ve seen some munchkins get that toy in their mouth and carry it around howling or hissing, proud that they’ve just caught dinner and no one is going to take it away from them. The Cat Catcher is more pricey, running around $9. I’m sure you can make your own variant with a small catnip mouse attached to thin wire or tough twine.

3. Da Bird.

Like the Cat Catcher, this toy seems to resonate with many kitkats. It may have to do with the way the feathers sound and flicker as they move through the air, simulating a bird. The nice thing about this toy is you can buy replacement feathers, which get some good wear and tear, making it less expensive than replacing the whole wand. I’ve seen Da Bird priced around $8.

4. Lasers.

Some cats get excited by the little red dot as it scurries across the floor. I’ve even seen kitkats jump up the walls to chase that light! After running around with the laser, I’ll typically get a soft toy for the cat to touch and attack, so they feel they’ve hunted something tangible. Or give them some treats to feel rewarded for the chase. Laser toy prices vary considerably, on the low end around $3 and up to $20 for ones that are programmable.

5. The Kickaroo.

Not all cats take to this, but for those that get a little aggressive during play, this is a great way to let off steam. Typically the cat wraps its front paws around one end, cradles the length along its stomach, then kicks away at the other end with the back paws. If you give this one a go, try putting some catnip on it to give the action a jumpstart. Kickaroos run about $4 or $5.

I highly recommend having at least one wand toy that gets your munchkin running. They’ll bat around soft little catnips toys, but as soon as it goes under a couch, coffee table or bed, the fun is done. Try hanging a wand toy from inside a closet door, off a cat perch or sticking out of couch cushions when you’re not using it to get your minx to play while you’re away.

For more ideas, check out this gallery on Mashable: http://mashable.com/2012/09/26/cat-tech-toys/

And have fun!

If you didn’t know by now, I’m a huge fan of Jackson Galaxy, the cat behaviorist who has his own tv show on Animal Planet called “My Cat From Hell.”

I’ve just stumbled on his website: jacksongalaxy.com. When you have some time, check it out. There’s a fair amount of self-promotion and shilling, but dig in and you’ll be rewarded with good info.

Personally, I found the Cat Behavior and Care Tips section the most useful. The videos explore in more detail some themes or specific cat behaviors shown on his tv show, and offer great advice.

I also liked the Catification posts. Here they explore ideas for creating cool living environments for your furry munchkins, and they’re not all budget busters.

I strongly believe that wherever possible, cats are best in their home environment when their parents travel — not in boarding situations. But at home alone, kitkats get lonely after a while. And just like humans, cats will internalize their stress at new situations such as being alone for periods of time.

As a cat sitter I see various behaviors when it comes to cats missing their humans: rushing to greet me at the door and anxiously circling around my feet, following me wherever I go; allowing me to pick them up and hold them; overeating or under-eating; vomiting or diarrhea.

It’s helpful to create distractions. If you’ve hired me as a cat sitter, you’ve probably seen that I scatter cat toys in different areas, alternating placement and type of toy. For other ideas on distractions, check out this article. I’m happy to work with you to figure out different ways to keep your kitkat entertained!