{"id":3770,"date":"2011-10-22T06:30:07","date_gmt":"2011-10-22T10:30:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/?p=3770"},"modified":"2016-01-17T15:52:43","modified_gmt":"2016-01-17T20:52:43","slug":"being-prepared-what-does-it-mean-to-you-and-your-cats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/being-prepared-what-does-it-mean-to-you-and-your-cats\/","title":{"rendered":"Being Prepared. What Does it Mean to You and Your Cat(s)?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Mia, you come home right now young lady...<\/p><\/div>\n

There\u2019s no denying it, the weather has been quite temperamental lately. Hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, droughts, fires, and tornados have all made an appearance somewhere across the states in the past few months. The other night I was watching TV and the local news station interrupted broadcasting to let me know there was a tornado warning in effect from 9:15 pm until 10:45 pm. They interrupted again to let me know the warning was extended to 6:00 am\u2026 talk about going to bed with a strong sense of foreboding and dread.<\/p>\n

Luckily I woke up to find the house was safe and secure, but it got me to thinking about preparing for these events. Some of them we are given warning and we can plan, others, like an earthquake, often come out of nowhere\u2026 This got me thinking about my cats, and I realized that on the very rare occasion when Dan and I travel for an overnight event together and we require a cat-sitter, we (I) prepare for the occasion as if a natural disaster is about to occur.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>I don\u2019t know how it is in your house, but in mine, I am a raving lunatic before I leave. I don\u2019t\u2019 like to travel as it is \u2013 I really feel off balance without my kitties and I worry in epic proportions about them. Never mind that they typically nap 16 hours a day \u2013 in my mind, when I am gone, they are awake the entire time and seconds away from harm\u2019s way (apparently they all become characters in a Indiana Jones movie). Normally it is my Mom who comes by to cat sit \u2013 obviously I trust her implicitly, but that does not stop me from preparing a list of rules and do\u2019s and don\u2019ts that is voluminous in nature. I also \u201ccat proof\u201d the house to such a point of obsessiveness, that possibly (probably) I need counseling\u2026<\/p>\n

My routine goes something like this \u2013 I will unplug anything that can get knocked over \u2013 fans, lamps, appliances, etc. For lamps that are plugged in to an outlet that is hidden by furniture, I will remove the light bulbs. I will put heavy boxes in front of doors that I worry about getting shut (Zoey has a habit of shutting herself in a room) where litter boxes are kept and I will lock doors with a hook lock to keep them closed if I don\u2019t want cats in them (Jazz can open doors if they don\u2019t have a lock).<\/p>\n

All plastic bags are stowed away somewhere that kitties can\u2019t get to and I leave phone numbers for the vet in case there is an incident. The list for my Mom is ridiculous (she has had cats her whole life\u2026 I\u2019m pretty sure she doesn’t need details on how to scoop litter, but I tell her anyhow). And even though my mother is very much aware of this rule (actually everyone that visits is \u2013 we have drilled this into people to the point of paranoia), I will tell her it again and again – no matter what kitty tells you, they ARE NOT allowed outside, even when they stand by the door and stare at you with all the confidence and conviction in the world that they are.<\/p>\n

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Yes, of course we are allowed outside. Why do you ask?<\/p><\/div>\n

This next rule is my fault \u2013 I encourage the bad behavior, but my cats tend to have unique feeding habits that I cater to. Trying to relay all of these feeding instructions to someone is ludicrous, as I imagine when we are gone, it is just one massive feeding frenzy. I try my best to have my Mom stay overnight so the cats have company. If she can\u2019t, I have her stop by twice a day to make sure they have human companionship, clean litter, and food.<\/p>\n

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Feeding Time... Organized Chaos...<\/p><\/div>\n

I could go on and on, but I will be courteous and stop\u2026. What are some of the habits and rules you have when you leave your kitties alone? I would love to hear that I am not the only nutcase out there!!<\/p>\n