Cat Sitting

Alicia88

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I'm cat sitting for a few days. We have 3 resident males (all neutered). The little kitty I'm taking care of is a spayed female. She is not happy with the situation. She keeps hissing and growling at my boys. Her mama came in with her and we got her settled in my step daughter's room (she's not here right now) with her own litter box, food, and water bowls. Right now, the door is closed so the boys can't get to her. I've been going in every little bit to pet her and the boys are coming up to the door. They're curious. She goes toward them hissing and spitting and they just stare at her.
Should I keep the door closed? I don't want to just lock her away for 3 days. It seems mean. My boys won't attack her. They're very sweet and friendly. They haven't tried to get any closer when he hisses and spits. Would it be ok to open the door? Should I just keep it closed at night when I'm not awake to supervise?
When I go in there, she comes up for pets and rubs against my hand, but keeps hissing. I can tell she's really stressed out and I don't know how to help her feel more comfortable.
She came in a carrier and her mama put a blanket that smelled like her in it, thinking the familiar smell might help, but she's just not a happy camper. I understand it's unfamiliar surroundings and unfamiliar smells and there are other cats here. I actually took care of her 2 summers ago for a week and she grew to tolerate the boys, but she seems to have forgotten that.
 

molly92

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3 days is way too short a time for most cats to learn to tolerate each other, so you will likely have to keep her in the room with door closed the whole time, unless you want to close the boys up in another room for a period while she explores. A face to face encounter that goes badly will only make things worse and everyone more stressed. Cats are fine living in a small space as long as they have everything they need. Cats are notorious for being distrustful of other cats even if they've met them before but they've spent time apart--sometimes multiple cat households will have issues when one cat comes back from the vet!

In the future, most cats usually do best if they're left in their own home and have someone come to visit them. They still get lonely, but the stress of having to adapt to completely new surroundings is often harder on them than the alternative.

In the meantime, she might not be thrilled, but 3 days will be over in no time and she can go back home. If you let her out and she starts a fight, someone could get hurt, and it's not worth the risk.

If you want, you can pick up a bottle of Feliway-multicat and spray it all over her stuff frequently. It releases calming, happy cat pheremones, so it might help her feel a little better.
 
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Alicia88

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I'm really the only one my friend has to care for her, but she lives an hour and a half away so I can't drive all that way twice a day to take care of her - especially with my 1 year old.
 

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Hi. You are not really going to be able to do much over a 3 day span to make anything better. Keeping her in a 'safe zone' like you have already done, is really the best option. I don't think, based on the hissing when you go see her in her room is an indication that making her spend more time with your cats is going to go very well.

Did your friend also leave you some of her favorite treats and toys? I would be taking advantage of those when you spend time with her in her room. If she is cuddler you could take her to other parts of the home but hold her and keep her near you so she doesn't feel as if your boys can 'come get her'.

Is she doing OK with eating/drinking/using her litterbox? If so, that is about the best it can be under the circumstances.
 
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Alicia88

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She's been eating and she has used the litter box. She keeps getting litter in the water bowl and I keep washing and refilling it so I'm not entirely sure she's been drinking.
 

FeebysOwner

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Try to keep her food/water bowls farther away from the litter box. Or, if she is getting litter in her water bowl because she tracks litter from the box to the water dish, you could try putting a throw rug underneath the box opening to help with getting some of the litter off of her paws before she heads toward the food/water.
 
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Alicia88

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I've got them as far away from each other as I can with her being in a room alone. I've got a towel under the box so I don't know how she keeps tracking it in.
 

kittyluv387

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It’s not harmful for her to stay in a room for 3 days. She would be confined to a much smaller space at a cat hotel. And think of how many other cats there would be? So she has it pretty good! 3 days is too short for everyone to get acquainted anyway.
 

Willowy

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Yep, I'd just keep the door shut, 3 days isn't very long. Cats don't do playdates like dogs so that's really the best case scenario.
 
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