Cat sitting

There is a widespread misunderstanding about cats: that because they are independent, they cope alone. They tolerate solitude better than a dog, yes — but what they handle worst is not being alone: it is the territory changing. A cat moved to an unfamiliar flat hides under a bed, stops eating and can go two days without coming out. The same cat, in its own home, with someone appearing once a day, is perfectly fine.

That is why the visits service is almost always the right answer for a cat. And also why it has to be done properly, because a bad visit — walk in, fill the bowl, leave in three minutes — does not cover what is needed. The litter tray needs genuine daily cleaning, not a glance; a cat that cannot find its tray clean starts going elsewhere, and that is a problem that lasts months. The water gets changed entirely, not topped up. And the animal must actually be looked at: how much it has eaten, whether there is vomit, hair where it should not be, whether it moves normally.

The play period is not decorative either. An indoor cat without stimulation for two weeks gets bored, and a bored cat overeats, oversleeps and sometimes takes it out on the sofa. Ten or fifteen minutes of wand toy, brushing or simple human presence change the tone of the stay considerably.

With more than one cat, things complicate in a useful direction: it gets easier, not harder. They keep each other company and the daily visit stretches further. What does change is the time the sitter needs inside the house — more trays, more bowls, more animals to check on.

And there is a special case worth saying out loud: the cat on medication or with a chronic illness. There, the visit stops being a convenience and becomes a treatment, on a fixed schedule with no slack. It is worth finding someone with specific experience, rather than assuming anyone can pill a cat that refuses to be pilled.