Lola is a "retired" Burmese breeding queen, about 7 years old. She is slightly neurotic, occasionally slightly incontinent, and prone to overgroom underneath, resulting in bald patches - mainly on her tummy.
Like most Burmese, she's very sociable with people, and can appear to be slightly distressed if "her people" aren't about for extended periods. She takes a short while to get used to new people around her.
50g dried food daily, in two roughly equal portions, morning and evening. These are generally put out for her by my next door neighbour Jean (who is quite elderly, so I don't feel I can ask her to do anything more that involves lifting or bending down, etc.).
The daily food rations are usually weighed out a week ahead, and are in small square pots tha in a larger plastic container that is usually kept on the utility room windowsill. I ususally mix the contents of a Cystophan capsule with the morning portion.
For the period I plan to be away, I've measured out daily food rations, added Cystophan and labeled 5 daily pots. I've left these on the utility worksurface. There's another pot labelled just "AM". Each day, please transfer about half of the following day's pot into the pot labeled "AM". This will leave two pots ready for the next day (as well as the evening pot for the same day).
There are some additional pots in a white plastic box on the window sill with measured daily food portions. If needed, additional food is in a clear plastic container on the windowsill, and more is in a "Royal Canin Skin and Hair" pack in the dining room cupboard.
There are two blue food bowls. I usually put out a new bowl each day, clean out the used one, and leave it on the worksurface in the utility to dry out for use the next day.
Lola usually takes water from a plastic pot on the kitchen worksurface, by the sink.
I usually clean and refill the pot each day. There's also a pot of water in the ensuite bath upstairs, which she occasionally drinks from.
Although Lola is free to go out in the day, she uses the litter tray in the utility all the time (having previously been an indoor cat).
The litter tray is filled with a "natural" clumping litter material. I lift out the lumps each day using the filter/scoop that is kept on top of the litter tray, and deposit them in the lidded bucket under the sink in the utility. There should be easily enough litter in the tray to last the time I'm away.
Lola often sleeps in her cat box in the lounge. Bedding in the box is old fleeces (she seems to like these). Because of her mild incontinence, I change them as needed when they start to smell (typically 2-3 times a week). Spare fleeces for this purpose are on the left end of the hallway hooks. Used fleeces get put straight into the washing machine.
Lola seems to be fascinated with pieces of string, and will sometimes leap quite spectacularly to "kill" them if they are wiggled or flipped past her on the floor.
She also likes to be brushed using the wire-bristled pet brush that usually lives on the mantelpiece or one of the small tables in the lounge, and often rolls onto her back to have her tummy brushed (bald bits and all). She may need to get used to you before accepts grooming from you - if she doesn't seem to want brushing, don't force it on her.
Lola is free to go outside during the day, using the catflap in the utility door. At night, she is shut indoors. While I'm away, neighbour Jean opens and shuts up the catflap when setting out her morning and evening food.
Occasionally, Lola may catch small wildlife and bring it indoors. If I find any dead mice, etc, I usually throw them into the garden for the Kites/Magpies/Crows/whatever - they rarely last long there. There are kitchen towels on the worksurface by the microwave you can use for handling these.
Boundary Veterinary Centre 01235 583721 (registered as "Lola" and "Klyne") 67 Oxford Road, Abingdon, OX14 2AA (next door to the Boundary House Pub & Restaurant.)
My mobile: 0752 3155 715 My email: [email protected]