The Cat Sitter - Seattle

01/04/2026

01/04/2026

This is the latest flu activity map from before New Year’s. With people now returning home after traveling for the holidays, another sharp increase is possible over the next several days. Be safe out there!

01/03/2026

It's that time of year, and from what I'm hearing from medical personnel, it's not a bad idea to start wearing those masks again. I have successfully avoided exposure to two different people I know because it all started with a scratchy throat and they ended up getting very sick. I just stayed away. There's a weird flu going around this year and it's spreading very fast.

01/02/2026

You know, I occasionally post important articles about the environment and wildlife. I try to stay away from overt political posts, but there's no way to separate the political and financial from the environment, and how it not only affects wildlife, but also you and I. Write to your Congress people urging them to recognize the obvious conflict of interest, but also to put a stop to AI, bitcoin, and massive data centers.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTBNy9kkr6P/?igsh=MXdtOHdnc2o1NDd0MQ==

12/31/2025

Looking for a worthy charitable organization for year-end donations?

12/31/2025

A friend had invited me to dinner at her house for tonight, but her daughter came home from work with a scratchy throat, so less than an hour before I was to go over, they gave me the option of backing out. I really appreciate that, because when I get any kind of upper respiratory infection, I'm down for the count for a month and a half. I consider this kind of last-minute cancellation, thoughtful and courteous. The picture is of a tote bag brought back from Hong Kong from one of my clients as a Christmas gift. Just put here for interest so you have something to look at. 🥰

12/30/2025

😳😳😳😳

12/30/2025

Instead of driving around Seattle on New Year's Eve, you can take the bus, light rail, or streetcar for free! We have all the operating hours at the link in our comments 👇

12/29/2025

Please follow this group, and donate to their efforts if possible.

I'm looking for a free kitten because shelter prices are a scam!

Annie posted this on Nextdoor because she wanted to adopt a kitten for her 8-year-old daughter for Christmas. She had just returned home from a local shelter and was horrified to see the adoption fee of $100. "Shelters shouldn't be making money by selling pets. Those adoption fees are ridiculous!"

You can guess how this turned out. Annie found a free kitten in November but didn't have any place to hold the kitten until Christmas morning. You can't wrap them and hide them in a closet. So, her daughter received a very early Christmas present. Her daughter fell in love with the cute little striped tabby. She slept with her at night and rushed home after school so she could play with her new baby. It was perfect.

A week after adoption, the kitten stopped eating, was vomiting and wasn't playing any more. She rushed her to the emergency vet and had x-rays and other tests. It appeared to be panleukopenia, so the vet kept the kitten so they could monitor her, give her fluids and provide other supportive care. Three days later, she was still p***y but on the mend. She was lucky to survive! Annie, however, wasn't so lucky. The vet bill was over $3,600!

When the kitten was older, she put a note out to find a "cheap vet" to get the kitten vaccinated and spayed. She'd called a few clinics and it was going to be over $600. Isn't there a cheaper place?

When she contacted us, we gave her links to our local low-cost clinics. The cheapest one was going to be $120 for the spay, rabies, FVRCP, parasite treatments and a microchip. That is a great deal, but $20 more than the shelter's "scam" price. And she would still need another vet visit in a month for booster shots. By the time the tabby was fully vetted, she was a $3,750 kitten. Worth every penny of course, but it will months before Annie can pay off the credit card bill for the emergency room visit.

There is no such thing as a free kitten. If you adopt from a shelter or rescue, you are getting a kitten who is vaccinated, altered, microchipped and treated for parasites. A free kitten has not even been checked for common diseases or birth defects. It is a bargain compared to the prices you will pay to do this all yourself.

12/29/2025

Great training on biting.

12/29/2025

OK, I hate to do this… this is horrible… But I just came across this post, and I thought everybody needs another reason to keep your cats indoors where they are safe…