The Cat Sitter - Seattle

03/04/2025

During the upcoming Easter Season, please remember Easter Lilies can kill cats, even the pollen from them can cause kidney failure! From PreventativeVet.com!

01/04/2025

My, what long whiskers you have!

01/04/2025

Back in town, on Queen Anne with Giorgio and Isabella! G likes to get under the covers.

25/03/2025

24/03/2025

Thinking of going to Canada?

This is what was handed to me by Canadian border patrol, after they stopped and searched me for the second time in two Months. In 2017, I was turned around at the border because I had too much stuff in my van and they didn't want me as an illegal alien. So now I am flagged for forever. Anytime I try to cross the border, they will stop me. In order to make crossing the border more efficient, next time, I will come armed with paperwork so the people at the booth can look it over without sending me over to be searched. I don't have a permanent address, so that's part of the problem. I have to show a reason for my returning to the United States. I have to show that I have money in the bank. I have to show that I have work lined up to return to. My record is perfectly clean and I don't even have a speeding ticket, but from now on, I will cross the border only with what I barely need for the time that I will be there, no weapons of any kind, no alcohol, cannabis, or to***co, And may consider trip insurance in case they turn me around again, and I have to cancel my hotel reservations.

23/03/2025

Getting ready to leave West Seattle, for BC. I like to do it over a couple of days so I'm not rushing around at the last minute and getting the cats all wound up. Keeping them calm and stress-free is always the aim.

23/03/2025

Kitties calling to each other!

21/03/2025

If you wanna see my head explode, tell me about your feral cats that you're not getting fixed. Better yet, do not tell me about them - just get them fixed!

The truth about cat s*x

I'm going to have to admit, when I am encouraging people to have their cats neutered, internally I don't react well when they tell me they don't want to take away the cats pleasure in having s*x. And here are the things I try to tell them in a reasonable tone…

- while cats exhibit affection for each other in many ways, their reproductive urges are governed by their hormones. Take away those hormones, and you are not going to see them participating in s*xual activity. That could be one clue that they don't think about s*x like humans do…

- Something many people don't know is that the p***s of a male cat can have up to 180 barbs on it. Yes barbs – maybe not quite as sharp as the thorns on a rosebush, but definitely barbs. And the purpose of these barbs is reproductive – during the mating process, the barbs on that male cat's p***s rake the inside of the female cats va**na, and this stimulates the ovaries to release eggs. Everything I have read implies this is painful to the female cat, which is why she screams. I had someone suggest to me that we don't really know if she's feeling pain, after all don't humans oftentimes scream during s*x? Well all I can say is the thought of 180 barbs raking the inside of that cats va**na does not sound like a pleasurable thing to me, and having actually observed the female cats being pinned down and bred, there is nothing that would imply pleasure in anyone viewing it. At least not for the female.

- people who believe s*x is an active pleasure for the cats are equating it with human s*x. But female cats only engage in s*x when they are in heat – it is a reproductive function. Male cats might be prone to try to mate more often, but once they are neutered those urges usually go away (this is being edited per all the comments on this post to note that male Cats often will continue a mounting behavior with other cats – this is not s*xual behavior, see the link in the post farther down on this page discussing hu***ng behavior). Humans do not need to be experiencing hormonal reactions to have s*x – the two are not the same.

So maybe let's get away from thinking the cats are doing this to have fun. Throw in the fact that the female cats are breeding constantly- having 2 to 3 litters a year, no break at all from the constant cycle of in heat, being bred, pregnant, labor and delivery, nursing kittens for 6 to 8 weeks, weaning them, and beginning the cycle all over – no I would say cat s*x is not fun at all. It might not be quite as hard on the boys except for the fact that they are constantly fighting with each other, beating each other up, getting infections, passing diseases and being hated by humans because of the spraying issues. The endless kittens being born with nobody wanting to take them in is the sad end result of cat s*x.
(***editing this to include this link about why male cats might continue to mount other cats after they have been neutered – lots of comments about this in the comment section! https://www.thesprucepets.com/stop-hu***ng-behavior-554062?)

Come on everyone - whether you do cat rescue or not, get the cat fixed! They're really not having a good time, and their lives will be so much better when they're fixed!
(** please do your best to be courteous in your comments and responses, the goal is to educate and people will hear that better if you don't call them stupid☺️**)

21/03/2025

Evie, Iris, and Nash.

20/03/2025

March 16th through the 22nd is Animal Poison Prevention Week! With spring also around the corner and Easter on its way, it's the perfect time to share our favorite infographic: identifying poisonous lilies.

All members of the Lilium family, along with Daylilies, are extremely toxic to cats. Even grooming the pollen off their fur or drinking water from a vase with cut lilies in it can cause acute, irreversible kidney failure. If you believe your cat may have been exposed to lilies, immediate vet care is essential for the best possible outcome. We always recommend bringing the offending plant with you to the appointment - being able to identify if it is a true lily versus a lily-type flower can help with a treatment plan!

18/03/2025

BIRD FLU: Keep cats safe! Cats are very susceptible to H5N1, also known as bird or avian flu, but at this time the overall risk for exposure and infection is believed to be low. The virus has ravaged poultry farms, leading to the mass killing of over 150 million birds. Now, it's been detected in dairy cows, cats—even humans.

Signs of H5N1 infection in cats:
⛔ Respiratory problems like coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, trouble breathing
⛔ Lethargy
⛔ Neurological disorders, such as disorientation or trouble walking
⛔ Sudden onset of severe disease or death without prior signs of illness or injury

Share this graphic to keep pets safe and read more at aspca.org/birdfluandcats 🧡

17/03/2025

Happy St. Catrick's Day! I hope you all go out and have a good time today. Pretend you're Irish if you're not, and be friendly. I'll suggest any one of the Shawn O'Donnell's American Grill and Irish Pub restaurants or maybe even McMenamin's. No carousing for me today, I hurt my back a couple of weeks ago, but I managed a trip to the chiropractor and went through the Shawn O’Donnell’s Everett drive-through to pick up a corned beef dinner.

17/03/2025

Happy St. Gertrude's Day!

16/03/2025

Left Giorgio and Isabella's today. I have a couple of days off and then will go to West Seattle. Giorgio is improving, but he's still restricted to one floor.