Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Why Am I Working Here, Anyway?

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

19 Jul 2008 07:21 PM

I was chatting with a client at the cats-only boarding facility, and mentioned (as I often do) my two dogs, Moose and Lally. The client asked if I had any cats, and I said that I didn't.

She then asked me why I was working at a cat place if I didn't have any cats. My usual answer is this: "So I won't be tempted to bring any of them home!"

And that is part of the reason. We've had abandoned kitties staying at the boarding facility before. While I did become somewhat attached to them, I knew I couldn't bring them into the family. Moose and Lally wouldn't handle it well, and it would most likely traumatize the poor cat.

But I initially answered the ad for this job because of two things: the short shifts and the flexibility. An average shift is about four hours -- that leaves me plenty of free time in the day to do my freelance writing (that's my main source of income). And though I usually work weekends and holidays, my weekly schedule can vary greatly depending on how many cats are expected at any one time.

I always knew I'd enjoy working with animals. And to be completely honest, if I'd seen an ad for a dogs-only boarding facility, I'd probably be working there. It's not too hard to tell from reading my work here at Families.com that I'm a dog person.

Working with cats has definitely been educational. Before I started this job, I had very little in the way of day-to-day experience with kitties. Sure, I've had lots of friends who have or had cats. But caring for cats the way I do at work is a whole new world. When I started back in December, I had no idea how to deal with an aggressive cat. Just this morning, I managed to give an insulin shot to a very aggressive (squirming, yowling, clawing, and biting) cat. There's definitely been some real progress in my cat-wrangling skills.

I'll probably never own a cat. My heart belongs to the dogs. But I can't imagine a more perfect part-time job for me than working at the cats-only boarding facility.

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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Courtney Mroch (9169) 22 Jul 2008 09:56 AM

The cats are lucky to have you...and one day maybe you'll let one adopt you. They keep trying, but you sure are loyal to your Moose and Lally. No trauma for either them or an unsuspecting cat who doesn't realize you come as a package deal! ;)