Last week, we talked about what you can do to make the houseguest visit a little easier for your timid cat. What about the cat who is the opposite? We have one of those. Newton is endlessly fascinated with visitors and wishes we had more of them more often. Especially if they have easily-opened luggage.
With a timid cat, you make sure the cat has a comfort zone while guests are in the house. With a brave cat, your role is more to make sure that your visitors don’t do anything that will accidentally cause a problem with your cat. For instance, does your cat get treats? If not, be sure the houseguests know. Your brave cat may be putting on a fetching enough face that houseguests will fall for it, and kitty can end up eating things that aren’t on his diet.
It’s probably best if houseguests zip or latch their luggage shut when it’s unattended. Some kitties like to steal objects from the luggage of unsuspecting visitors. Or even unzipped purses. Newton has been caught with his head and shoulders stuffed in a visitor’s purse as he explored its contents.
depositphotos/Okssi68
If your houseguests aren’t cat people, be aware of what they might leave out in the bathroom to be sure that none of it is hazardous to your kitty. Human medications are number one on the ASPCA’s list of common hazards to cats, and they are most likely to be left out or dropped in the bathroom. Hair rubber bands are also nearly irresistible to kitties, but can be life-threatening if eaten.
If you keep the lid of the toilet closed to prevent your cat from drinking treated toilet water, be sure your guest knows… or just keep the door shut to the bathroom altogether.
Speaking of closing doors, the one thing that may be a problem with visitor-loving cats that isn’t with timid cats is that they might follow a houseguest right out the door. Houseguests who aren’t used to watching for cats at exterior doors may leave doors ajar without realizing it is a hazard. For safety, consider closing your brave cat in a room at times when houseguests are most likely to leave the door ajar, such as when luggage is being brought in and out the door.
It’s fun to have a cat who enjoys visitors. A few precautions are all it takes to make the visit a rewarding one for your cat and eliminate worry for you.
More great advice! Binga is our greeter here. I would be too, except she really hogs guests, and I am not going to fight with her over it.
That’s some good advice…but not necessary around here since we’re all kinda timid of visitors.
Hannah is the timid one here and doesn’t let anyone touch her except Mum and occasionally one of Mum’s friends. Lucy is wary for a few minutes but then is OK, especially if it’s the window cleaner who she loves!
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
Great advice! We don’t get overnight houseguests, but years ago we had a kitty who loved visitors and liked to get up in their business. Annie is very timid but we don’t know yet how Pierrot will be with visitors. What lucky visitors to your home to have Newton be so friendly.
We don’t get many overnighters either but if they didn’t like cats they would have to sleep outside!
These are all really great suggestions! We would have loved seeing a photo of Newton in a guest pocketbook! MOL
NEWTON I EXCEPT ALL VISITORS ARE HAPPY TO TAKE JUST A LITTLE NEWTON FURS HOME WITH THEM TOO
hUGS MADI YOUR BFFF
a grate point guys coz sum cat we noe…boomer…likes ta follow any one & everee one out de door….he doez knot care which door…long as itz a door…he wood follow sum one
out a window if they wuz goin out that way we bet…
boomer…wood knot…. 😉
♥
Oh goodness you brought back memories of my last cat who frequently used to have to be dragged backwards out of folks handbags! There was also the shame of a guest commenting that they had a comb/brush/lipstick just like the one the cat was carrying around…she also used to nick sanitary towels and drop them in front of the person too.
Her worst crime was lolling on her back and offering her tummy to be rubbed and we’d have to scream NO, DON’T DO IT to the person as she used to curl up round the hand of an unsuspecting person like a venus fly trap and scratch the hell out of them just to watch their fright. God she was sneaky….I adored her but she was so tricky.
Great advice! My old bro Russell would flirt with anybody who came by, and I do mean anybody!!
No problemo here. We never have company. HAH!
good post! since we are such fraidy cats when it comes to visitors, we wouldn’t have thought of this perspective!
Pip, Smidgen, Minnie, HOllie
Great coaching Newton; we are both somewhat timid around the open door…but TKS might like to go out for a sniff. And she is the ONLY one of us who likes open luggage…as for me…I can only say “it smells like humans”…ICK!!!
Yep, gweat posty. But mommy still finks houseguests awe a bad idea. MOL Maybe weez kuld put ’em in a motel. Or weez kuld go instead. MOL Weally good infurmation.
Luv ya’
Dezi
The guest room might as well be catnip as far as our kids are concerned. The moment the door is opened, they dart right in. Guests are warned to keep the door closed when they are not in the room and also when they are unless they want constant company. The door remains closed at all times when the room is in us. It is impossible to know when e might have a guest who is sensitive or allergic to kitties.
This is great advice! My Kira is such a people person, he loves to be right in the thick of things. My Monkey is also friendly but takes a little time to warm up to new humans. Except for children; then my boys are polar opposites of their usual selves. Kira hid in sheer oh-no-little-people terror, and Monkey followed the children everywhere. I guess this is the thing with adopted and rescued kitties, you never really know what they have encountered in the past that will have them react differently!
Really good information around this time of year when people start visiting
Timmy and Dad
Thank you for sharing this! Many people NEVER think about this! Marty would accidentally go home in some of Mom and Dad’s bags if we didn’t check them before they leave after visiting. Nothing like a good sack with stuff in it to take a nap in! Ralphie loves to walk right on out the door with them too which is a BIG NO NO!
Marty’s Mom