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Checking in with Cousin Earl and Cousin Shep

I cat sat last week for Cousin Earl and Cousin Shep, which is usually a great time to catch up with them.

three-legged cream tabby cat

Cousin Earl is a senior now, but he still gets around on three legs like it’s no big deal at all.

brown tabby looks up

Cousin Shep would like me to put down the camera and feed him, please.

Once they are done eating, both of them take off for the bedroom and I’m lucky to see them again before I go. That makes it hard to spend some quality time with them!

cream tabby and brown tabby in kitchen

I got the idea of bringing my dinner over one evening so maybe they would be more social with me. Cousin Earl was really into this idea. Mostly, he was really into my sandwich.

brown tabby cat
Cousin Shep would like me to put that sandwich away and feed him. This is his no-nonsense face.

three-legged cream tabby cat on bed

s soon as I was done feeding them, they both headed back for the bedroom again. It’s pretty clear they only think I’m good for one thing. At least they think I’m good at that and will give me a good report when Aunt O returns.

Hanging Out With the Cousins

Our grandpeep was released from hospital recently, so the head peep has been hanging out with cousins Earl and Shep a lot.

She discovered that cousin Earl’s favorite napping place is a ghostly head.

Cousin Earl: Why do humans get wierded about about this? I love my bed!

buff tabby cat in ghost bed

While cousin Shep prefers his open-topped bed perched high on top of the cat tree.

brown tabby cat

The kitchen window is Cousin Earl’s favorite place to watch keep an eye out for lizards.

Cousin Earl: That lizard thinks he’s sneaky hiding behind the blinds, but I see him!

buff tabby cat looks out kitchen window

He also watches for his girlfriend, the next door neighbor’s cat. She invades his garden and sends his lizards scattering.

calico cat

Cousin Shep: Is she out there again? Leave our lizards alone! 

brown tabby cat

Cousin Shep hunts lizards in every window of the house, and he will enthusiastically knock down anything nearby if it is in the way of lizard-chasing.

tabby cat chasing lizards in the window

Cousin Shep: You shouldn’t have left your drink there. It’s not my fault.

brown tabby cat

Our cousins are fun characters to hang around with!

Taking Someone Else’s Cat to the Vet

I cat-sat a sick cat last week. Cousin Shep wasn’t feeling well before my sister left town, but this is a trip she couldn’t postpone. Besides, who would have guessed that eat less as days went by instead of more? So on Saturday morning when he refused food entirely, we were off to the vet.

Shep_vet_001_sq450

I knew which vet to take him to because it’s the same as my vet. But once Dr. K started asking questions, I gave him the deer in headlights look to a lot of them. “Is his energy level normal?” What’s normal in a cat I don’t know on an everyday basis?

brown tabby cat at the vet

It it got me thinking how often those of us who have cats are asked to cat sit for friends and might not have that information available. Professional cat sitters have a checklist of information they gather from customers, but as amateurs, we don’t have a handy list of questions to ask that we might need to know on short notice if a cat we are caring for falls ill.

brown tabby cat and his veterinarianThere’s no way to ask someone, “How active is your cat usually? I need to know in case he gets sick so I can compare.” But you can be as prepared as possible by making sure you know the basics:

  • Who is your cat’s regular veterinarian? (Name, address, phone number)
  • Does your cat have any health conditions I should know about? Allergies?
  • When your cat isn’t feeling well or is scared, where does he normally hide? (This one might save you a lot of time even with a healthy cat!)
  • Where do you keep your cat carrier?

brown tabby cat and his veterinarian

Hopefully you won’t ever need to take anyone else’s cat to the vet while you’re cat sitting. But won’t you be glad you had this information if you do need it?

It’s also a good idea to talk to them about how to handle things in case you feel like their cat needs veterinary attention, but you can’t reach them for permission to take the cat to the vet. People are sometimes out of touch for an extended time while they are away, and you don’t want to have to wonder whether they would be all right with your taking their cat out of the house for medical care.

Brown tabby cat being examined at vet's office

 

As for Cousin Shep, after treatment for a low-grade fever and nausea, he ate his first full meal in five days. A visit to the vet was just what he needed, even though he gave the epic stink-eye the whole time.

Checking in with the Cousins

The head peep has been cat sitting for cousins Earl and Shep this week. As you can see, Cousin Earl is doing well. He lost his collar somewhere in the house, but the head peep can’t find it anywhere. Paws up for the hiding job, Earl!

buff colored cat with orange eyes

Cousin Shep would like to know when dinner starts. He’s a very sweet kitty, but when the head peep arrives, he thinks dinner should happen immediately. This is his “can we eat yet?” expression.

Brown tabby with white chest

The head peep managed to capture a shot of Cousin Earl just after a bolt of lightning struck just outside. You can tell from Earl’s fluffed tail what he thought of that!

Three-legged cat

Our cousins are doing great, though they really missed Aunt O and are glad to have her home again. We’re kind of glad to not have to share her so much, too!

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There are no veterinarians here. All health-related posts are the result of research and observation, but educational information is not a substitute for visiting your veterinarian. Do not self-diagnose your cat. For more information, see our disclaimer.

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