Best Visit Lengths for Cats
Are you planning to travel but have concerns about your reserved feline companion? For those of us who share our lives with timid cats, we understand the importance of providing them with special care and attention. As caretakers, our foremost priority is to ensure that your cat feels comfortable and secure in your absence, without causing any distress. Our aim is to create a nurturing environment that promotes your cat’s well-being and gives you peace of mind.
The Best Way To Schedule Pet Sitting Visits For Cats
When scheduling visits for your feline friend, it’s crucial to account for their personality in determining the appropriate length of time. For sociable cats, longer visits may be ideal. Alternatively, if your cat is less inclined to socialize and is typically wary of people, shorter visits are recommended to avoid inducing stress in your cat due to the presence of a sitter in your home.
One Or Two Visits Per Day
Usually, we try to match the number of visits per day to the number of times that your cats eat a meal or medication.
As an example, if your cats are fed both in the morning and evening, our standard practice is to arrange for two visits per day. However, if your cats have access to dry food throughout the day or only eat wet food once daily, we usually schedule a single visit per day. In case your cat requires medication, you will need to arrange a visit to coincide with the time it needs to receive the medication and the time it takes to administer the medication.
How Long Should My Cat Sitting Visits Be?
There are a lot of variables here, so I will talk about the length of visits we offer and what types of situations we match to each length of visit.
The logic is pretty straightforward:
● Fearful & aggressive cats get less time.
● Social cats get more time.
● Easy medications can be squeezed in.
● Medications for shy cats and injections take longer if your cat tends to hide.
● Remember, you can always mix & match the length of your visits.
Mixing and matching visit lengths can add a lot of value. For just a few dollars more in most cases, you can add an extra 15-minutes here and there for some extra playtime or snuggles. You can even add a longer visit for just one day out of the week.
20-Minute Visits
If you are looking for a quick visit, the 20-minute visit is a good choice. We will have enough time to scoop the litter box, do the feeding, and send you a quick update, but that is about it. Shorter visits can be good if your cat is afraid of people or is aggressive. Our sitters don’t want to add any stress to your cat’s situation, so when a cat doesn’t warm up to new people, we recommend 15-20 minute visits.
In contrast, if your feline companion enjoys human interaction, it’s essential to note that 15 minutes tend to pass quickly. Often, there’s only a brief window for playtime or none at all. To cater to your cat’s social needs, consider including a few 30-minute visits throughout the day. Social cats tend to thrive during more extended visitation periods, which will result in a happy and purring cat upon your return home.
30-Minute Visits
The 30-minute visit is a great length of time for cats that like to play and like to be around people. This is also enough time to administer medication if needed. We will have enough time to prepare a meal and have playtime during a 30-minute visit. But keep in mind that if you have 4 or more cats that like to play and need other home services done, you might want to book a 45-minute visit.
For shy but amicable felines, we recommend scheduling a 30- or 45-minute visit. Typically, it takes some time for a cat to establish trust with someone visiting their home. However, we’ve found that after about 20 minutes, even the most bashful cats tend to emerge from their hiding spots and become more playful, often chasing a laser pointer for the remainder of the visit. In many instances, the additional 15 or 30 minutes can make a noticeable difference in a cat’s demeanor. By allowing a little extra time, your cat will be in better spirits upon your return home.
45-Minute Visits
This is one of the best options for cats that love people and for cats that are shy but friendly. 45- to 50-minute visits give your cats a chance to snuggle with your sitter and totally de-stress. Cats love the cadence of these visits because they usually go: Mealtime – Playtime – Snuggles! Talk about purrfect for cats!
For shy yet amiable cats, visits lasting between 45 to 50 minutes are ideal. While pet sitting for such cats, our sitters have observed that during the initial 15 to 30 minutes, they tend to be reserved and apprehensive. However, as they gradually become comfortable with the pet sitter’s presence, they warm up and seek affection. It’s important to note that cats are naturally curious but can be territorial and anxious about changes in their surroundings. Therefore, allowing extra time for a cat to acclimate to a new sitter is essential. Once they do, the bond formed between the cat and pet sitter is certainly worth the wait!
60-Minute Visits
During the 60-minute visit, your cat will get the same: Mealtime-Playtime-Snuggles as the 45-minute, but they get even more of the good stuff. I have seen cats really connect with us during the 60-minute visits, and I have heard some of the loudest purrs come from the 60-minute visits! If you can get away with one visit per day, booking one 60-minute visit is a great bang for your buck! Most of the cost of the visit is covered by the drive to your home, so once we are there, it is not too much more to add extra time.
Flex-Time Visits
The Flex-Time Block, operating between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm, is a highly coveted service, particularly for those whose cats are free-fed and require just one visit per day. During peak seasons, such as holidays, it can be challenging to secure a cat sitter with availability. In such scenarios, suggesting a flextime block might prove beneficial. Being open to flexible visit times enhances the likelihood of securing a last-minute booking.
What Length Cat Sitting Visits for Diabetic Cats?
Our standard practice is to schedule a minimum 30-minute visit for cats with diabetes or those requiring injections. This allows for feeding your cat and administering the injection approximately 20 minutes after their meal. In cases where your cat is particularly timid, we recommend booking a 45-minute visit to give the sitter ample time to coax your cat out of hiding and administer the injection.
Administering injections or insulin to a cat can be a quick process if the feline is cooperative. However, if your cat tends to evade or react negatively to shots, we may need to allocate additional time to ensure our sitter can safely administer the shot. This can span anywhere from 5-15 minutes.
How Much Time Does It Take for A Sitter to Give My Cat a Pill?
Giving a cat a pill can take anywhere from 1 to 15 minutes, depending on how well your cat takes pills. If pill pockets are not an option and we have to pill your cat, it takes a few minutes for a cat that is good with pills and 15 minutes or more for a cat that does not like pills. Whenever possible, we will use the soft Salmon Flavored Whisker Lickin’ treats as a pill pocket. These work great because they make administering a pill basically stress-free for your cat. Most of the time, we will not even have to take a shy cat out of its hiding spot to give it a pill if we use the Whisker Lickin’ method. We just smush the Whisker Lickin’ treat around the pill, toss it to the cat, and in a few minutes, the treat is usually gobbled up!
If your cat is shy, it might take 5–10 minutes just to find your cat, and then a few minutes to confirm your cat ate the pill pocket. So for shy cats, be sure to book enough time. It’s amazing all of the hiding spots cats can find!
For really shy cats that need pills, you might want to set up a kitty room, and we will try to keep your cat in one room with food, water, and a litter box. This will minimize the number of hiding spaces, and your cat might actually feel more comfortable being in a smaller room while you are away.
Automatic Food Dish To Get Down To One Visit Per Day
One of the easiest ways to get down to one visit per day and keep your cat on a regular meal schedule is with an automatic food dish. These cat food dishes are on a timer,(click to find on Amazon) so your cats get their meal on time, even while we are not there! This is the most ingenious way I have seen to set up a once per day cat visit schedule. You can put dry food or wet food in these dishes, set them for 12 hours in advance, and they just pop open!
No batteries or cords are needed because they operate on a wind-up timer. If you put wet food in them, you will need to put a freeze-pack in the bottom to keep the wet food fresh. Over time, these cat food dishes wear out. You might want to buy a spare if you are counting on it over a long stretch of holiday visits.
Beware Of Changing Meal Times For Older Cats
It’s essential to exercise caution when modifying an older cat’s meal schedule or adjusting the quantity of food provided without the use of a timed food dish. Abrupt changes in the feeding routine or type of food can pose significant risks to the cat’s health.
As cats age, their digestive system becomes increasingly sensitive, leading to decreased nutrient absorption. Therefore, it’s imperative to be cautious when making changes to their diet, as even minor modifications can have adverse effects. It’s crucial to stock up on enough food to last the duration of your absence, particularly if your cat is older or has a sensitive digestive system. In such cases, it may be beneficial to schedule visits during their regular mealtimes.
