Rental Cat advice.

[Shirley Ujest]

We will be watching my mom's shy, fat cat for a couple of weeks while she is on a much needed vacation.

What is the best way to introduce her to our cat?

All advice is appreciated.

[sandra_nz]

Is she not able to stay at her mother's house and you feed her? Would be a lot easier than trying to introduce two cats to each other.

[Hello Again]

Do not attempt introductions if it is at all possible to keep them separated. It isn't worth it for only 2 weeks.

[DianaG]

Yeah, I have to say that I'd be hesitant to have another cat in my house for a couple of weeks. My cats don't love change. One in particular is a basketcase who can be freaked out for days by a moved piece of furniture. To introduce a new cat, only to remove it two weeks later when he's finally getting used to it, would send the poor little dude into a month-long catatonic state.

Of course, your cat may well be different, and I assume there's a good reason why the cat is coming to your house instead of staying home, but I'd be prepared for the possibility of a couple of unpleasant weeks.

[Czarcasm]

I must say that this is the biggest letdown after a promising thread title I have ever seen. I thought you had come up with a new business.

[Shirley Ujest]

Originally Posted by sandra_nz

Is she not able to stay at her mother's house and you feed her? Would be a lot easier than trying to introduce two cats to each other.

My mom lives about 45 minutes away. She doesn't want the neighbors in her house ( fear of them seeing her place not looking immaculate )

[Shirley Ujest]

Originally Posted by Czarcasm

I must say that this is the biggest letdown after a promising thread title I have ever seen. I thought you had come up with a new business.

Confuse a Cat is the best I could come up with.


If I did start a bidness like this, it would be called Rent a Pussy

[Shirley Ujest]

Originally Posted by DianaG

Yeah, I have to say that I'd be hesitant to have another cat in my house for a couple of weeks. My cats don't love change. One in particular is a basketcase who can be freaked out for days by a moved piece of furniture. To introduce a new cat, only to remove it two weeks later when he's finally getting used to it, would send the poor little dude into a month-long catatonic state.

Of course, your cat may well be different, and I assume there's a good reason why the cat is coming to your house instead of staying home, but I'd be prepared for the possibility of a couple of unpleasant weeks.

What if I kept them in seperate rooms with their own food and water and litter?

[RedWood]

Keep visiting kitty in one room with her own food, water, litterbox, and the door closed.
Let your own kitty have the rest of the house. You should be fine. >^.^< ~
and you may end up with curious kitties playing catch-a-paw under the door!

this is how I coped with giving a cranky old lady cat houseroom in an emergency. I had no trouble.

[Hanna]

Originally Posted by Shirley Ujest

What if I kept them in seperate rooms with their own food and water and litter?

Originally Posted by RedWood

Keep visiting kitty in one room with her own food, water, litterbox, and the door closed.
Let your own kitty have the rest of the house. You should be fine. >^.^< ~
.

That's how I'd do it. Some cats (like one of mine) take months to acclimate to strange animals. It will save you a lot of stress to keep 'em separated.

[AuntiePam]

My two cats have been introduced to two dogs over the past 15 years, and they adapted nicely.

Separation would probably work but maybe it's not necessary. I assume Shy Fat Cat will be traveling in a carrier. Bring him inside, set the carrier down in a quiet room, away from outside doors. Open the carrier and let him come out when he's ready. Cats do tend to freak out about change, but they'll get over it. Change is good!

But reconsider leaving the cat at home. Unless the cat has health issues that need monitoring, you could probably visit every third day and he'd be fine. They sleep most of the time anyway. Leave the TV or radio on, plenty of food and water, leave the toilet lids up in case he spills the water.

[Rick]

Always ask for an upgrade.
Make sure you do a walk around and note any and all physical damage
Don't buy the extra insurance if your policy covers
Verify the mileage before leaving




What? Oh, cat


nevermind

[chowder]

Originally Posted by Shirley Ujest

Confuse a Cat is the best I could come up with.


If I did start a bidness like this, it would be called Rent a Pussy

That's called prostitution and it's illegal in most countries

[needscoffee]

We do this cat thing on a regular basis (fosters from shelter). I concur with keeping the new cat in a separate room with separate litter box and food. After some time, usually a day, we leave the door open and let the new cat explore, being able to retreat back to the room if needed. Our own cats start out annoyed (often staying annoyed, but they survive just fine. And they like to eat each other's food. I also give them lots of extra treats that they don't normally get, but I think it appeases me more than them. After all, if you took in a new cat to keep, your cat would have to adjust.

[Markxxx]

Most cats but not all cats have this issues. Some cats can get along right off, not all but some cats do. When I had a cat, I took care of another cat and this younger cat, under a year, was all like, "Hey I'm the new cat come meet me."

The dog barked at it once then said "God another one I'll have to put up with," then never said another thing.

My cat went under the bed and hissed for two days, but the temp cat would've been happy to play with either one.

I'm not saying they will not get along but they just might not care. Especially shelter cats which grow up used to other animals

[Chez Guevara]

Originally Posted by Shirley Ujest

If I did start a bidness like this, it would be called Rent a Pussy

You could do worse than emulate the Japanese model for this enterprise. Open a cat café and charge people good money for a short but intimate encounter with a professional feline. I believe $10 per hour is the going rate, although I assume any subsequent and private arrangements made between cat and customer are subject to the usual negotiations.

[freckafree]

Another vote here for separate quarters, food, water, and litterboxes. However, don't be surprised if your cat spends an inordinate amount of time hunkered down in front of the door to Shy, Fat Cat's room, just....waiting.

[panache45]

Originally Posted by sandra_nz

Is she not able to stay at her mother's house and you feed her? Would be a lot easier than trying to introduce two cats to each other.

Please tell me you have never actually done this.

[AuntiePam]

Originally Posted by panache45

Please tell me you have never actually done this.

I haven't, but I'm wondering what would be wrong with it. Cats can be left alone for a day or two at a time without any problems, maybe longer. We sleep, we work, we go to school, we spend the night at a friend's house, we're in the hospital for a couple days, we die. The cat survives.

Yeah, there's a chance the house could catch fire or the cat could get itself into trouble, but that can happen in a few minutes. Nobody watches their cat 24/7.

[Casserole]

Originally Posted by Czarcasm

I must say that this is the biggest letdown after a promising thread title I have ever seen. I thought you had come up with a new business.

I as well. Actually, I was hoping "cat" was a typo of "car", and I was all set to see the puns roll in.

*sigh

[BigBertha]

I have a neighbor who goes on vacation and an old friend of his comes once a day to feed his cats and change the water and boxes.

[Omniscient]

Originally Posted by Shirley Ujest

My mom lives about 45 minutes away. She doesn't want the neighbors in her house ( fear of them seeing her place not looking immaculate )

Leaving the cat at home and stopping by every third day to feed and water it would be by far the least stressful option for both cats.

[Shirley Ujest]

Originally Posted by Omniscient

Leaving the cat at home and stopping by every third day to feed and water it would be by far the least stressful option for both cats.

I was thinking of doing this anyways. But I would take the cat to my house for a few days ( she is leaving I think on Wednesday.) and then put the cat back and visit every other day.

I have only laid eyes on this cat possibly twice in the year and a half my mom has had her. She freaks out when someone is at the door and goes off and hides.

If my mom knew that my plan was to put the pussy back and let her be alone in a house, she would never leave to go on a much needed vacation.

[Hello Again]

Originally Posted by panache45

Please tell me you have never actually done this.

WTH? I've often left my cats alone three days at a time, with plenty of food, water, and clean litterboxes. I have on occasion left them 5 days but I prefer not to. In every case they were all just fine.

Moreover, I often watch other people's cats when they are away, and all have agreed that stopping by every 2-3 days is plenty, as long as there are no kitty special needs.

I just don't see what is so crazy about looking in on the cat every couple of days. The cat will certainly be more comfortable in that arrangement.

ETA: I understand that in this case, the cat owner has some objection to the cat staying home alone (misguided, IMHO). I am speaking as a general matter.

[BigNik]

A noted trap for young players. If you're going to do the lock-the-temp-cat-in-one-bedroom trick, LOCK YOUR CAT IN ANOTHER ROOM WHILE YOU CARRY THE NEW CAT IN.

My father needed 38 stitches to various parts of his torso, arms and legs after falling for this one.

[Shirley Ujest]

The Rental Pussy is in our master bathroom. After an evening of staying in her carrier, she has ventured out to begin meowing. Since I have a housefull of kids, I thought it prudent to keep her in this room until things settle down.

Our own cat, I am pretty sure, has no idea what is going on.

[Nars Glinley]

We had a stray adopt us about 3 years ago. She got along with our other female for about a week. Since then, they've fought like cats and cats constantly.

Another vote for keeping them separated.

[CalMeacham]

I must say that this is the biggest letdown after a promising thread title I have ever seen. I thought you had come up with a new business.

It's just as well. If they really did have a Rental Cat business, you just know that the customers would be inappropriately shifting, racing the cats past their proper limits, and returning them with empty tanks. They'd have to make it up by charging ridiculous rates on the Little Friskies to refuel them.

[Shirley Ujest]

Originally Posted by CalMeacham

It's just as well. If they really did have a Rental Cat business, you just know that the customers would be inappropriately shifting, racing the cats past their proper limits, and returning them with empty tanks. They'd have to make it up by charging ridiculous rates on the Little Friskies to refuel them.

Heh.


Rental cat stays under our bed all day and only ventures out at night. Around midnight she starts an OCD pattern of Jump on bed, trot across our heads/faces, joump off bed, meow at the door ( which is open) go around and jump on bed, trot across our faces......purring the entire time. We are talking she could probably do this all night long. She won't settle down and if I put her into a football hold to tuck her in and stroke her so I can fall asleep, she gets annoyed.

This goes on until one of us makes a move, then she goes into the bathroom ( where her travel case/litter and food are, and meows.


Either this cat is completely out of her element and some issues are manifesting because of this big change or, I strongly suspect, she is actually a Mental Torture Specialist.


Our cat was not pleased to see the Rental Cat in one of the kids bedrooms. Our room is kosher. Some kind of one-sided hissing and back arching occurred. Rental Cat had the nerve to go in Our Cats Kids' rooms, which is funny since our cat looks at everyone with complete distain and views us all as Barely Tolerable.

[needscoffee]

Originally Posted by Shirley Ujest

[...]This goes on until one of us makes a move, then she goes into the bathroom ( where her travel case/litter and food are, and meows.[...]

Maybe she wants you to join her in there? Does she have a constant supply of food and water, or do you feed her at certain times?

[Shirley Ujest]

Originally Posted by needscoffee

Maybe she wants you to join her in there? Does she have a constant supply of food and water, or do you feed her at certain times?

She has a bowl full of food and water along with her litter in our bathroom. It is hers alone. Our cat has her own in another room. Rental Cat's appetite is still on the no-interested side, but she has some extra poundage on her from my mom's chronic overfeeding her.