Question:
We are living in Hawaii for a year, helping our son with his business. We have a home in Wisconsin, and we have two cats there, being cared for by a house sitter named Chris. We have heard that they are doing well and bonding to him.
Our cats are named Casey and Stitch. Casey is 6 years old, but we got him when he was 5. Stitch is just under a year old. Stitch adapts well to any situation, but Casey does not and urinates on beds when he is upset. We learned to keep plastic tablecloths on the beds to protect them. This is one reason why we elected to leave them in Wisconsin. By the time we return home next spring, the cats will have been with Chris longer than they were with us before we left. Do you have any suggestions as to how we should make the change easier for them to adapt to our return? Do you think they will remember us?
L.M., Honolulu, Hawaii Apr 04, 2011
Answer:
A couple of weeks before you return home to your cats, send two separate packages of three to four T-shirts that you have worn, sealed in plastic bags. Have your cat sitter open them up and set them where you normally sit; he can put them in different places. This will probably trigger your cats' scent memories and re-sensitize them to your once-familiar presence prior to your arrival.
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