So difficult to leave them.....

When I go to visit cats, I'm mostly booked for half hour visits. This normally gives sufficient time to wash food bowls and feed them, sort out the litter, and perhaps 10 minutes for a bit of a fuss...... However, if they've gone outside it can be difficult to get them back in, and now and again there's a bit of a mess to clear up, so things can take longer.

Although feeding is important, as is keeping them and their surroundings clean, the cats feel that the main reason for the visit is to give them lots of tlc. They all like this in their own ways; some love jumping onto my lap and spend ages headbutting me (called bunting, apparently), others just need to know I'm near by. They all get quite talkative, and I find if I spend time talking to them, they're really attentive. I'm surprised how few of them want to be playing with their toys, although there are one or two who get so excited!!

The problem comes when it's time for me to go. Cats are masters of the art of emotional blackmail, and there's many a time when I'll say, "oh go on then, just a few more minutes." But of course that's never enough, and they don't care that I have lots of other cats to go and fuss over. As I communicate intuitively with animals, I've probably made this even more difficult for myself, and they know this. I can hear what they're saying and I feel so guilty leaving them.......

Of course, half an hour isn't very long, and when you've been on your own for 24 hours and only get one 30 minute visit a day, I get the point. "What do you mean, you've just got here, and you're going already!"

So, if you ever book a cat sitter to come and look after your little treasures while you're away, please have a think first as to whether one 30 minute visit a day is really enough. Perhaps a longer visit every other day, or visits twice a day instead. They'll love you for it!!