Search Results for: blog diary of a cat care b ampb sympathy with pet parents

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: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

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You’re probably familiar of the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — a doctor who is transformed into a monster by drinking a potion. Both characters are two sides of the same person; one a creature of evil and cruelty and one a brilliant and friendly man. Sometimes, it seems like our guests at the cats-only boarding facility must be drinking the same potion. Cats that are perfectly calm and well-behaved for us may be stressed or violent on the vet side of the building (and vice versa). Once in a while, I get a look at both sides … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Family Dynamics

Many of our guests at the cats-only boarding facility are “only children” — they are they only pet in the house. Or at least the only cat. But we do have some families that come to stay. Some are actually related by blood; others are family in name and dynamic only. Recently, we had a pair of male cats at the boarding facility. We didn’t have a crowded house, and were able to put the boys in an isolation room together. (When things are crowded, we often have to use the isolation rooms for overflow from the main boarding room.) … Continue reading →

Human Preferences about Grooming

Once in a while, a long-haired guest at the cats-only boarding facility will get a little messy in the caboose region (if you get my drift). Sometimes a spot-cleaning or a full bath can take care of the problem. For repeat offenders, we often suggest a “sanitary clip” — a trim of the hair around the rump in order to help keep things clean. It doesn’t have to be a full shave — but with shorter hair in the nether regions, there’s less chance of a mess. Some owners flat-out refuse to have any sort of trim done. They like … Continue reading →

The Mis-Naming of Cats

I’ve been working at the cats only boarding facility since December. In the last few months, I’ve met cats with all sorts of creative, funny, or unique names. Some of my favorites are Squad Car, Count Catula, and Big Kitty. Today, we were expecting a guest with the most unique name of all — a cat named Hot Guy. To be honest, I imagined a cat named Hot Guy belonging to a college kid. Wouldn’t you love to call home and tell your parents that your roommate is a hot guy? We were expecting four cats in this morning, and … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Difficult Darlings

I’d like to say that I haven’t met a cat I haven’t liked in my work at the cats only boarding facility. Sure, I have my favorites. There are some cats I just bond with and some cats I don’t. Then there are the cats who like to mess with my head. We’ve got one guest at the boarding facility now who has been driving me crazy. She’s a striking Persian mix, with a calico coat. Perhaps the most amazing thing about her looks is her eyes: they are a dark amber/orange color. Quite a lovely little cat! When she … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: My New Best Friend

From time to time, we have guests who really don’t want to be there. Sometimes, the move from home to the boarding facility can be very stressful. Some cats hide and shy away from petting; other cats become aggressive and try to lash out. One of our relatively frequent visitors is a cat named Cliff. He was at the cats only boarding facility when I started working there back in December. For those few days, he was one unhappy kitty, growling and hissing when anyone approached his condo. I was determined that the next time Cliff came to stay, we … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for January 21-27

What happened last week in the Pets Blog? Aimee had a pretty eventful week at the cat clinic where she works, which made for excellent articles. As for me, I wasn’t as prolific as my blogging partner but had some “surprising” articles just the same. Check out the daily play-by-plays to see what I mean. Monday, January 21 I.C.E. Stickers: Have You Got One Posted? Who’s going to save your pets in a home emergency if you’re not around to tell emergency responders there are pets inside? An I.C.E sticker will! What is FVRCP? I’ll give you some hints: it’s … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Sympathy with Pet Parents

Early last month, when I had my interview with the cats only boarding facility, one of the things they mentioned they were looking for was sympathy. Compassion. Not only for cats in all different states of mind, but for the owners, too. Often, the owners are dropping off their babies for the very first time. These pets have never been away from home, maybe never spent a night without someone from their human family. Part of my job is reassuring the human family that their feline friend will be safe and loved and attended to. And I can sympathize. Remember … Continue reading →