Kit is almost 3 years old, WHAT?! We had a fun mishap two weeks ago with him ripping out a claw, which meant a trip to the vet for antibiotics and no outdoor walks until the nail grew over the nub. Yesterday was his first walk since then and he was STOKED. The bugs are dying and so are the plants, but there’s still plenty for a little cat to explore!
Hello, friends! I live in Saitama, Japan, and I require a cat sitter for about two weeks in December during Christmas/New Years, from December 22-January 4th (approximately).
There are two cats (and one apartment) that need sitting:
Kit (orange/white), the softest boi you will ever meet, and Mila (gray), the recent addition who is single-handedly attempting to redecorate my home with her claws.
Last year, I had wonderful success with my cat sitter. However, last year I only had Kit, who is the most easy-going animal I’ve ever met. This year, I have Mila, who is... a work in progress. This is not to say that she’s unpleasant to be around! But please consider the following questions before offering to watch Mila & Kit.
Can you handle being scratched or hissed at?
Mila spent her formative months as a stray, so she’s very unsettled by human hands, feet, and eye contact. She’ll come out for meals and playtime, and sometimes she’ll hang out in your vicinity! (Right now she’s under the kotatsu next to my legs.) She won’t attack you unprovoked. But she’s still jumpy, so if you put your hand out to her or get too close when she feels cornered, she might react by scratching or hissing. It’s more upsetting than you think it’ll be. You absolutely cannot retaliate if she does this, verbally or otherwise. You have to just leave her alone. She’s still working out her comfort zones when it comes to people.
Could you break up a cat fight if needed?
Mila and Kit don’t fight. They play tag, wrestle, and engage in a game that my friend calls “Whappy Paws” which involves hitting each other in the face as hard as they can, but they don’t fight. (Cat fights are vocal and involve raised fur, flat ears, and claws. Mila and Kit’s playtime is usually without vocalizing and they take breaks while they play.) However, if something unexpected occurred and there was a fight, would you be comfortable throwing a pillow or blanket to break it up and separating the cats until they calmed down?
Can you resist the imploring eyes of a cat who swears to you he’s starving to death?
Kit’s calories are carefully counted. He is not starving. Do not believe his lies.
Do you mind cleaning up cat vomit?
Sometimes cats vomit. They’ll eat random things that they shouldn’t, and regurgitate it somewhere annoying. If you don’t want to clean up cat vomit, or don’t like vomit sounds, a cat house may not be for you.
Can you sleep through two cats thundering all over the place?
Mila and Kit sometimes play at night, and it involves banging around and being noisy. (I assume this, at least, since I wake up to see boxes and toys scattered about. I sleep like a rock.) If you’re a light sleeper, a house of playful cats may not be for you.
Do you have some basic Japanese skills?
If there’s an emergency (cat-related or otherwise) you might need them. It’s useful to at least have a translation app on your phone.
Can you provide entertainment and companionship as well as food?
Kit in particular really needs human company, and both cats need daily entertainment as well as food, water, and clean litter boxes. I rotate their toys every few days, move furniture once a month, and make sure I play with them individually about 20 minutes or more per day, even when I’m tired. If you’d like a place to stay that just happens to have cats, this won’t work for you. The cats come first.
And that’s about it! If you’re interested, please PM me. I’d like to do a Skype or Facetime call to meet you, or if we could meet at a coffee shop somewhere to talk about things, that’d be good, as well. I really don’t want to leave my cats (and my apartment) with just anyone, so please only contact me if you’re serious!
