Cat Sitting Personalities - Volume 1

"Mom does some cat sitting in our apartment building.  I sure don't know why she would want to do this.  First of all, she isn't home nearly enough for our liking as it is.  Secondly, why would she need to hang out with other cats?  My brothers and I are all the cats she needs!  Still, she insists on cat sitting because she likes to help out our neighbors who travel, plus she says it provides a little extra spending money (I have yet to see that extra money translated into cat toys or treats).  OK, so I've heard about mom's cat sitting stories and I've decided that they only add to my feline education.  Knowing what other cats do certainly confirms to me that I am doing just fine myself.  I'll just let mom tell you about some of these cats in her own words."

Amber & Frankie: Amber was one of the first cats I got to watch.  She's a petite, young calico who goes absolutely wild chasing her laser pointer.  Amber got a new brother, Frankie, about a year ago.  He's an adorable black & white cat and loves the laser pointer just as much as his big sister, but it wasn't always that way.  Apparently chasing the laser pointer is a learned skill.  Until Frankie got the hang of it, he would chase Amber instead of the laser!  Frankie was rescued from a very bad home as a tiny kitten.  His so-called owner allowed the mother cat to raise the kittens in a broken down minivan full of trash.  He is so lucky to have a great home and Amber, I think, has accepted her little brother by now.

Madison & Bailey: Madison is a sweet, gray cat with a white chest and very, very soft fur.  She loves to play with a long, fleece ribbon on a stick.  Her little sister Bailey has a place near and dear to my heart - she is Grayson's littermate!  I actually got to foster Bailey for a couple weeks before she moved in with Madison.  It's interesting to see the two kittens grow up in different homes.  They have different personalities and different looks (Bailey is a gray/tan/black tabby, whereas Grayson is...gray), but there are also interesting similarities.  Bailey and Grayson have the exact same posture when they pounce on something, they both like to have their tummies rubbed, and they both get on their older siblings' nerves at times!  Madison has taken Bailey's arrival in stride.  She seems to accept her more and more each time I see them.

Gabby & Lucas: Are you noticing that many of the cats come in pairs?  Solitary as they are, cats do like to have company.  Gabby is a smart tabby with a white chest.  She is very affectionate with her human mom, but a little more reserved with me.  I've been successful in getting her to play with toys like Cat Dancer, or other interactive toys.  Lucas came along to keep Gabby company, and I think it works.  They seem to get along very well.  Lucas is a very tall/long tabby.  He must have some kind of wild cat genes in him, because he really is BIG!  Not fat, but big.  And his heart is as big as he is.  Lucas loves to be social and be held.  He's such a big sweetheart, and I'm glad that he and Gabby have each other.

Nala: Wow.  I've only watched Nala once, but she was so memorable!  She's still a kitten, younger than my Grayson, and she's small for her age.  She is a rare female orange tabby (most orange tabbies are male) and she has an incredible skill.  Nala plays fetch!  If you throw a little foam ball, she will chase it and bring it back to you.  She didn't seem to tire of this as I threw the ball over, and over, and over.  I tried forever to get a photo of her fetching, but it was impossible to get a decent shot with her running back to me so fast.  Nala is such a unique cat.  Her looks and her talent put her in a very special class, and I hope I get to watch her again.

That's all for today.  If you are one of my cat clients and your baby is not mentioned here, you'll need to come back for a future blog.  There are so many great cats in my building, and I can't do them all justice in a single blog.  Rest assured, I'll do another cat sitting post (if Curry lets me).