Search Results for: blog diary of a cat care b ampb full house

Killer Cats on the Loose

One of the most popular news stories to break last week was a new estimation of the deaths attributed to domesticated house cats.  We’re not talking people deaths, but the deaths of small birds and mammals; that might seem insignificant, but the number is in the billions.  Researchers from the Smithsonian and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that although the worst offenders are feral and stray cats, one in three domesticated cats also kills animals in its neighborhood.  Those cats average two kills a week. When it’s well-fed, domesticated cats doing the killing, they’re not usually keeping these … Continue reading →

What To Do about Neighbor Cats

I keep going back and forth on whether or not to let my cats outside.  Cole doesn’t have much interest, but Chrestomanci certainly does.  I know he’d be happiest as an indoor-outdoor cat, but I don’t know that I’d be happiest with him as one, and I don’t know that it’s worth the stress.  One day in the summer when we let him out with us, he wandered off.  He came back a few hours later, just as my husband said he would, but by then it was dark and I was very upset until he showed up again. Another … Continue reading →

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Kittymas!

I celebrated my two year anniversary at the cats-only boarding facility just two weeks ago. The time has definitely flown by! My anniversary comes right in the middle of our busiest season: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. We had nearly fifty guests for Turkey Day, and are expecting just over fifty guests for Christmas! That’s still a low number, compared to the sixty-five we had my very first holiday season at the boarding facility. But what a way to learn the job! I had plenty of coworkers around for questions and help, and plenty of cats to work with — … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Transformation Complete!

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I was sitting down with a client at the cats-only boarding facility the other day, talking about her pets and my pets. She has two cats and a dog; I have two dogs. Eventually, the conversation got around to how dog people sometimes don’t understand cats (and vice versa). Then I made my confession: I wasn’t really a cat person before I started working at the boarding facility. I’m a lifelong dog lover. My encounters with cats growing up were few and far between… and often negative experiences. The next door neighbors had an adorable grey cat who would come … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Holiday Season Adventures

We were expecting this holiday season to go something like last year did. Between Christmas and New Year’s 2007, we had more than sixty cats at the boarding facility. Our main boarding room and two isolation wards were full. The two isolation wards next door on the vet side of the building were full. Cats were tucked into the x-ray room, one of the exam rooms, and even the veterinarian’s office! This year, we had plenty of reservations — enough that we started a waiting list shortly after Thanksgiving. But then the weather came in and foiled everybody’s plans. As … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Adventures in Cat Trapping

We have a new stray hanging around the cats only boarding facility. I haven’t seen him yet, but my coworkers have. He’s a grey tabby with a white belly, and he doesn’t seem healthy at all. If we can catch him, the vets can take a look at him and help him if possible. Thus, the great Cat Trapping Project began. A few weeks ago, we hauled out the big wire trap and set it with a tempting meal of mush inside. Morning one: the bowl is empty. The trap has been sprung. Nobody’s inside. Morning two: the bowl is … 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 →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Spring Break

Spring break for most people means a few days off from work or school, time spent with family and friends, and maybe even a vacation! At the cats only boarding facility, spring break means we’re approaching full capacity. At the end of last week, we had three guests. By the time the weekend was over, we had nearly forty! Our main boarding room is full — thirty cats in thirty condos — plus we have guests in the two isolation wards and one guy who came in with a hurt leg resting quietly next door on the veterinarian side. That’s … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for March 3-9

Aimee and I were busy beavers last week. In case you were too and missed any of our articles, here’s our Week in Review recap for your cheating (er, I mean catching up) pleasure… Monday, March 3 In Aimee’s first Diary of a Cat Care B&B entry for the week, she discussed her bulletin board she’s assumed responsibility for and asked for suggestions. Me and my crew presented “The Case of Who Cut the Cheese” after a stinky episode in our house Friday night. Aimee detailed the four most common worms in pets. Tuesday, March 4 Have you ever wondered … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: The Naming of Cats

The first musical I ever saw on Broadway was Cats — I used to listen to the soundtrack (on vinyl) over and over. There’s a song about the naming of cats that I still can remember the lyrics for: The naming of cats is a difficult matter It isn’t just one of those holiday games… You may think at first I’m as mad as a hatter When I tell you a cat must have three different names. The song goes on to say WHY a cat has three different names, including the secret name that they only tell to other … Continue reading →