What is your experience with cat sitting, and how long have you been doing it?

I’ve been pet sitting since high school, including overnights. I still regularly care for other people’s cats and find joy in keeping pets healthy and happy while their people are away.

What do you enjoy most about cat sitting?

Meeting new cats and learning their personalities. Every one is different. Watching a shy one decide you’re okay is genuinely one of my favorite things.

Can you tell us about your favorite cat sitting reservation?

I was sitting with a cat who was described to me as more observational, less playful. I started swinging a wand toy in slow arcs, not really trying to get his attention, just seeing. He watched. Then he watched harder. And eventually he reached out and batted it, and leaned in - almost like he’d surprised himself. That’s my favorite kind of visit.

Do you have kitties yourself? What are their names?

Nova is a one-year-old tabby and the sharpest cat I’ve lived with. He taught himself that mirrors let him watch us around corners, so he’ll post up in a doorway and keep an eye on the whole apartment from one spot. He’s obsessed with running water, he investigates absolutely everything, and he startles easily, which is very much part of the package. Bright, curious cats usually are. Bays is the opposite temperament and they balance each other perfectly. He has never voluntarily been more than four feet from a person. He wants contact, not observation, and he will melt onto whoever sits down first. He’s the one who waits at the door when we’ve been away. Between the two of them I’ve learned a lot about how differently cats need to be met. Nova wants space and patience and gets curious on his own terms. Bays wants presence.

What is your typical process for working with a new cat parent?

I like to start with a meet-and-greet before the first booking. It’s as much for your cat as for me: they get to see me once with you there, so I’m not a complete stranger walking in the first time you’re away. At that visit I want to see the routine the way you do it. Where the food lives, how much and when, where the litter is and how you like it handled, any medications, where the carrier is, which vet you use. I’ll also ask about things people may leave out: where your cat hides, what startles them, what they do when surprised or stressed - to understand them better. The more honest you are about the difficult parts, the better I can care for them. Then I follow the routine as noted. Cats do better with consistency. I want all cat parents to have peace of mind.

How do you ensure the safety & security of the cats and the home while cat sitting?

Doors are where things go wrong. I never prop one open, I don’t carry things in and out with the door ajar, and if your cat is a door-darter I want to know that at the meet-and-greet so I can plan the approach rather than react to it. I also keep an eye on the things that cause problems quietly: hair ties, string, ribbon, rubber bands, anything small and chewable left within reach. Our own one-year-old ate part of a toy from a cat store during supervised play, so I’ve learned that “sold for cats” and “safe for this cat” aren’t the same thing. If something seems wrong, I contact you and Meowtel support immediately rather than waiting to see. I’d rather tell of false alarm than delay.

Are you usually available during holidays?

I’m available for New Year’s, and I keep Thanksgiving and Christmas for family. Outside those two, I’m generally around during the holiday season.

What is your favorite cat toy?

Puzzle feeders and anything that makes a cat work for it. Nova will lose interest in a toy in thirty seconds and then spend ten minutes on a puzzle that makes him solve for the treat. Smart cats get bored, and bored cats find their own entertainment, which is usually something you’d rather they left alone. Beyond that, wand toys with slow, unpredictable movement. Most people wave them too fast. Cats hunt things that hesitate. And I have a soft spot for handmade catnip rolls from a maker in Portland. Nothing fancy, but our boys go for them over anything mass-produced.

How do you handle cats that are particularly timid or anxious?

Shy cats are my favorite kind of visit, and they take the most attention rather than the least. I let them set the terms. No chasing, no reaching into hiding spots, no pulling anyone out from under a bed. I sit low, keep my movements slow, avoid direct eye contact, and give them the chance to investigate me on their own schedule. Most come out to check on me somewhere between the second and fourth visit, often just to watch from a doorway. Because I’m not relying on contact to tell me how they’re doing, I read the room instead: how much food went down, what the litter box looks like, whether the hiding spot has changed, whether anything has been moved or knocked over. That’s a more reliable picture of a shy cat’s wellbeing than whether they let me touch them.