I am cat-sitting for one of my condo neighbors this long Labor Day week (started Tuesday and ends Sunday). Thus far, I've not seen "Miss Vee" (or "Baby Girl") as she is shy and hides under her mistress' bed.
I'm told she's a rescue cat, she's 4 1/2, she has no teeth, and she's mostly fur (Persian genes). I long to pet her, so I bide my time in my neighbor's condo while changing water and refreshing food. Miss Vee doesn't eat soft food, and she can't chew. So, she gets regular chow and water is sprinkled on it to make it "gummable."
A couple of years have passed since I cat-sat for this same neighbor. At that time she had "Mister Mo"...a ginormous cat who was also a rescue cat. He was the largest (not fattest) dometic cat I'd ever seen. He was a delight. My neighbor was a single mom at the time, and her house was neat and orderly.
She now has a boyfriend. All his furniture has been moved in and hers ported out (in living room, that is). All is heavily covered to keep the cat fur off. Tons of artwork on the walls. GOOD art, too, but decidedly dark for the apartment. My neighbor's wonderful lights are now gone from her balcony door. I know the two had just come in off a camping trip and were packing for the Labor Day getaway, but I walked into a germo-o-phobe's nightmare. The kitching was filthy EVERYwhere. I felt so bad for the cat. I have been cleaning up a bit since Tuesday evening. The countertops and all items kept on the countertops are clean. A bowl of fruit, rotting, as it were, is heavily covered and on the counter. "They" covered it. The fruit flies are everywhere. Frankly, I'm appalled, but what can I do. I cannot throw the fruit out. I'm risking a cursing out just by cleaning up a bit. The floor is pitiful and needs a good scrub. I may just sweep. The carpets desperately need vaccuming to get up all the cat fur that is EVERYwhere.
Any suggestions?
