When you have to travel and leave your feline family member behind, you will have to arrange for cat care during your absence. You have the choice of boarding your cat at a kennel or hiring someone to come to your home and care for your cat.
When you are gone, believe it or not, your cat misses you and misses its regular routine. Your cat may express its separation anxiety and stress through plaintive vocalization and yowling, not using its litter box, and destructive chewing or clawing. If you decide to board your cat, it will suffer the added stress of suddenly being left in a strange environment.
One of the best ways to minimize the stress on your cat while you are away is to hire a professional cat sitter.
What Is Cat Sitting?
Cat sitting is a service where a cat sitter will come to your home and take care of your cat. Cats take comfort in their daily routine and having a reliable cat sitter will minimize the stress on your cat. Your cat does not have to leave the security and comfort of its home, and it will not be exposed to the health risks that exist at a boarding facility.
Factors To Consider When Looking For A Good Cat Sitter
As a responsible and loving cat owner, you want to find the best cat sitter for your cat. You need someone you can trust to come into your home and provide the services your cat needs. Some of the basic services a cat sitter will provide is feeding, fresh water, and litterbox cleaning. Many people rely on a friend or neighbor, but that can create a lot of other issues when things go wrong.
There are many reasons why you should leave your cat in the hands of a professional cat sitter. A pro will provide basic care services reliably and on schedule. Many cat sitting pros are licensed, insured, and bonded, like those at Paw Pals. They are trained to recognize health emergencies in your cat and provide life-saving first aid.
When considering the range of other services that a professional cat sitter provides, you will want to think about the following factors:
Level Of Activity And Human Interaction That Your Cat Needs
Paw Pals cat sitters know that cats like to spend most of their days sleeping. When they are awake, however, they need to spend some time playing. Playtime is the way they get the mental stimulation and exercise they need for good health. Younger cats in particular will be more active and will want some time to “hunt”. Play will also distract your cat from missing you and help it rest with less anxiety.
Personality Of Your Cat
Every cat is an individual. Some cats and cat breeds are more gregarious by nature. Not all cats are friendly towards strangers, but many are. Cats by nature are curious, and some just need a little time to get acquainted with a new human to accept their attention.
The professional cat sitters at Paw Pals understand cat behavior, and they know how to gently entice a lonely cat into accepting a stranger’s kindness. On the other hand, if your cat is one that simply will not accept a stranger’s attention, the cat sitter will respect the cat’s need to keep its distance.
If your cat is one that enjoys being petted and groomed, arrange with your cat sitter to spend a little time grooming your cat each day. Grooming is important to your cat’s health. Cats groom themselves to keep their skin and coat healthy. They also do it to comfort themselves when they feel afraid, to relieve tension, or when uncertain how to react to a situation. When your cat sitter takes a little time to brush your cat, the cat sees it as mutual grooming and feels comforted by it.
Level Of Care That Your Cat Needs
Your cat is likely on a regular feeding schedule, whether once, twice, or three times each day. Some cats have special dietary needs also. Whatever feeding schedule or diet your cat is accustomed to, a cat sitter can ensure that your cat stays on diet and on schedule while you are gone. The cat’s feeding routine will not be disrupted when you are gone. Also, the cat sitter can clean feeding dishes, provide fresh water, and note any problems with the cat’s appetite.
A professional Paw Pals cat sitter is able to administer any medications your cat needs, no matter how reluctant your cat may be to accept them. Whether your cat needs allergy pills, antibiotics, insulin shots, thyroid medications, or other medications each day at specific times, a Paw Pals professional is trained to administer them with love. Their professionals are also trained on how to recognize signs of illness in cats, and how to administer first aid.
Other Services
Many professional cat sitters will provide other services, such as collecting your mail and newspaper, water your plants, turn lights on or off, and perform other small tasks to relieve stress on you when you are away.
Talk To The Cat Sitting Experts At Paw Pals
Hiring a professional cat sitter from Paw Pals can give you peace of mind while you are away. Contact us for more information about their services.
