I will not miss the cat farts, though.
I have just finished packing up the cat and handing her back to her owner. This is not because the owner is ready to take her back, but rather because I have quit.
When I agreed to take the cat, I asked for $100 per month, plus food and litter would have to be provided. I know that sounds expensive at first glance, but it actually only works out to $3/day. By contrast, any of the professional boarding options within city limits cost between $15 and $25 per day. I was also walking the cat every night (anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on the cat's interest level), and pet-walking services alone cost more than I was charging per day.
The owner agreed to my terms and paid me $100. Unfortunately, it turns out that was all she intended to pay me and she let me know that, as well as that the stay would be extended to three months for sure (when her original estimate was "one month, two at the most"), last week. I replied that unless she was willing to stick to our agreement, she had until the 4th (exactly one month from starting date, since she paid for that much) to find other accomodations for her cat.
The owner has apparently found a friend who is willing to take the cat for free, indefinitely, but I don't see it going well. The new person is a single mom with three kids, living in a space that's not that much bigger than mine. Meanwhile, Sheba is terrified of children, loud noises, and any kind of bustling or ruckus, even if the disturbance is obviously outside the home. (When my nieces tried to introduce themselves to her, she hid under my bed, hissed, swiped, and refused to come out for an entire day. And my nieces are used to cats, so it's not like they were rough with her.) These kids have also never owned a pet of any kind, and are REALLY SUPER EAGER to have a cat, so they're probably going to be all over her. And I sincerely doubt that a single mom to three kids is going to have the time or the patience to walk the cat and play with her and do all the things her owner wants.
I am not particularly concerned about any of these things because Sheba is not my cat -- and therefore this is not my problem! -- but it does lead me to suspect that I'll probably get a very apolgetic phone call before too long. If so, I'd have to decide if I want to take the cat back. If it was only the cat, I'd say yes, but unfortunately it comes with managing the owner too. I could use the money, though, so I'd probably say okay. And she did get better about harassing me after I made myself "unreachable" most of the time, which helps.
So that's that, I guess. I must admit that I'll miss having a fuzzybutt around the house. Maybe I should start advertising cat boarding as a regular thing? All of the benefits with none of the cost...!
When I agreed to take the cat, I asked for $100 per month, plus food and litter would have to be provided. I know that sounds expensive at first glance, but it actually only works out to $3/day. By contrast, any of the professional boarding options within city limits cost between $15 and $25 per day. I was also walking the cat every night (anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on the cat's interest level), and pet-walking services alone cost more than I was charging per day.
The owner agreed to my terms and paid me $100. Unfortunately, it turns out that was all she intended to pay me and she let me know that, as well as that the stay would be extended to three months for sure (when her original estimate was "one month, two at the most"), last week. I replied that unless she was willing to stick to our agreement, she had until the 4th (exactly one month from starting date, since she paid for that much) to find other accomodations for her cat.
The owner has apparently found a friend who is willing to take the cat for free, indefinitely, but I don't see it going well. The new person is a single mom with three kids, living in a space that's not that much bigger than mine. Meanwhile, Sheba is terrified of children, loud noises, and any kind of bustling or ruckus, even if the disturbance is obviously outside the home. (When my nieces tried to introduce themselves to her, she hid under my bed, hissed, swiped, and refused to come out for an entire day. And my nieces are used to cats, so it's not like they were rough with her.) These kids have also never owned a pet of any kind, and are REALLY SUPER EAGER to have a cat, so they're probably going to be all over her. And I sincerely doubt that a single mom to three kids is going to have the time or the patience to walk the cat and play with her and do all the things her owner wants.
I am not particularly concerned about any of these things because Sheba is not my cat -- and therefore this is not my problem! -- but it does lead me to suspect that I'll probably get a very apolgetic phone call before too long. If so, I'd have to decide if I want to take the cat back. If it was only the cat, I'd say yes, but unfortunately it comes with managing the owner too. I could use the money, though, so I'd probably say okay. And she did get better about harassing me after I made myself "unreachable" most of the time, which helps.
So that's that, I guess. I must admit that I'll miss having a fuzzybutt around the house. Maybe I should start advertising cat boarding as a regular thing? All of the benefits with none of the cost...!