Don't Forget to Tell the Cat!

When my husband and I went on our honeymoon many years ago now, we booked my dog at the time, Mischa, into the kennels where she'd always gone when I'd go out of town before.  They were so great with her, and she knew the people there, so she didn't seem to mind "visiting" there for a few days or so.  We didn't book Frank the cat there, though, as we had someone coming over to look after him each day, and make sure he had food and water while we were gone for the four days.

The surprise came when we returned from our trip.  Frank was not at all happy with us for leaving him, and boy, did he let us know about it!  He yelled at us for ages after we came through the door, and once we sat down anywhere, he'd take turns sitting in our laps and yelling at us some more, and giving us really dirty looks when we'd get up to go do something, then follow us everywhere we went, still yelling.

I left awhile after we'd gotten in to go and pick up Mischa from the kennels, leaving my husband with Frank, hoping that might appease him a bit.  Mischa came barreling through the door, as she pretty much did everything, and ran up to Frank to say hello, as they were great buddies and she was happy to see him.

Frank, however, was not pleased with her, either!  He sniffed her nose, then turned, putting his fluffy tail and nose in the air, and snubbed her completely!  It was as if he were telling her, "You left me, too, so don't try to  be friends now!"  He wasn't at all happy until a few days went by and things got back to normal.

I called my friend Chris a couple of days later to fill her in on the trip, and got around to telling her about Frank's reaction, finding it amusing now that he'd gotten over being upset with all of us and back to acting normal.  She's a true Cat Lady, and since I'd never had a cat before Frank, I often asked her "cat questions."

"Didn't you tell him you were leaving and would be back?" she asked me.

I laughed, thinking she was kidding, but no, she was dead serious!  It had never even occurred to me that you had to tell a cat that you were leaving!

From then on, though, whenever we'd go anywhere overnight and leave him, I'd tell Frank that we were leaving, and would be back in a couple of days.  It really did make a big difference!  Even though he'd yell at us a couple of times when we got back for leaving at all, a general scolding, after a few minutes he was back to his normal self.

So whatever you do, if you have a cat and plan on leaving them home while you go gallivanting here and there, if you don't want a huge scolding and a cat attached to you for the entire day you return, don't forget to tell them you're leaving.  It works wonders, really!

And I know it wasn't just Frank, thanks to the Cat Lady!