My Cat Minder

Today is and what better time to celebrate a special cat in your life, either past or present. Anyone who has been lucky enough to share a special cat bond knows just how amazing they are and as someone who has looked after many different cats, I know exactly how unique they all are.

This year on this "cat day" it seems fitting to celebrate a very special kitty in my life who only a couple of weeks ago, we had to say goodbye 😭 It was the hardest goodbye but we are so grateful for the care shown toward our Liza and ourselves, by all the vets and vet nurses at McIvor Road Vet Centre and Central Veterinary Emergency during her hospital stays.

My hubby and I (& our little cat family) are missing her terribly. Her little head is no longer resting on my pillow each night, she's no longer jumping out of her snug bed (nearly tripping us) to make sure she doesn't miss a treat and we're missing our little couch potato's sweetest purrs. It is so sad but we are also so happy to have shared our life with her 💟

How will you celebrate a special kitty in your life today? Or how have you honoured a passed pet?

Did you know you can recycle your empty dry pet food bags and wet food pouches at Petstock stores?

I was able to recycle quite a few from my own home, as well as some of my clients.

What a great initiative from Petstock and Royal Canin!👏

How gorgeous is Gina?! 🥰

It has been awhile since I've posted (I'd much prefer to spend all my time with cats then behind a computer!) but with over 9000 pics in my phone, it's time to get posting again!

Gina is a bit of a shy little lady and her "mum" tells me she takes a fair bit of time to warm up to people so I felt very special when she finally trusted me and sat on my lap for the first time!

Happy New Year cat lovers and ofcourse a special mention to all my beautiful clients and their furry family members, who I get to share my days with.

After the rollercoaster of the last 3 years, it was nice to be ending 2022 on a high, finishing my busiest week to date!

I am so grateful to have such lovely clients and be able to do what I love every day. I appreciate you all and can't wait for the cat filled year ahead!

Pictured: Couch time with Mieko 🥰

Thinking about tackling an outdoor cat enclosure over the holidays but feeling overwhelmed about how to do it?

Cat Parks Bendigo are able to tailor a design to suit your cat and your budget. Some of my cat clients have their outdoor runs/enclosures and they are fantastic!

This week I looked after the very handsome Max for the first time, while his human parents enjoyed a break away.

Max gets very stressed being in the car (like many cats) so his parents knew he would be "happiest at home" in his own surroundings.

He enjoyed all his usual routines, treats, play time with his favourite bird toy and of course lots of pats and attention.

I loved getting to know him...and his parents loved getting little updates and photos of Max's day.

Happiness all round ❤😻❤

What a beginning to Spring?! 🌞

Purrfect day to be out in the garden propagating plants like this little cat friendly Spider Plant and reusing takeaway coffee cups. Fellow cat lady Renee at Awaken Coffee Bendigo sure knows how to pick an appropriate coffee cup (and make a good coffee!) 🐯

I'm very careful on what plants I have inside my home and making sure they are non toxic to cats. These are some of my faves....

🌱Spider Plant (pictured)
🌱Boston Fern
🌱Ponytail Palm
🌱Parlour Palm
🌱Areca Palm (otherwise known as Golden Cane)
🌱Watermelon Peperomia
🌱Olive tree
🌻Sunflowers are also pet friendly

ASPCA have a printable list on their website of plants that are toxic for your pets (they also have a list of non toxic plants too).

If you suspect your pet has ingested a toxic plant, contact your vet immediately. We also now have a free pet poisons hotline in Australia Animal Poisons Helpline which can be contacted on 1300 TOX PET.

Cats always find the sunshine on a cloudy day....

Hope you are finding some sunshine in this crazy world right now 🌻

Did you know August is Pet Dental Month? 🦷

My Misty has had some ongoing dental issues so last week she had some pretty major dental surgery. A huge thank you to McIvor Road Vet Centre and Dr-Mandy Lugsdin for taking such good care of my precious girl. 💟

Cats can be masters at masking pain and often don't appreciate you looking in their mouth!

Some of the signs to look out for include bad breath, weight loss, reluctance to eat dry food, excessive drooling or swallowing and pawing at the mouth.

If you're local to Bendigo, McIvor Rd Vet Centre are offering free nurse dental checks.

Have you tried catnip bubbles with your cat?

I recently added catnip bubbles to my little bag of catertainment for my cat clients.

Like most toys, it has been a bit hit and miss but it still manages to spark their interest and I do always enjoy adding something new to their day.

After a run of lockdown cancellations, it's so nice to see my clients starting to re book their trips away! It's natural to feel uncertain after the previous year but I can give you some reassurance regarding your My Cat Minder booking.

😻 Animal care is an essential service. If there's a lockdown during your pet's booking, I will continue to care for your pet until you come home.

💰 NO cancellation fees if lockdown or border closures change your plans.

❤ I only charge for the visits attended. If you need to come home early or your booking is cancelled altogether, I always offer a refund or a credit toward your next booking.

☎️ I am always contactable during your pet's booking. I keep in touch with daily sms updates/photos and of course are only a phone call away if you have any concerns.

Let's hope that was the last lockdown and we can all get back to the real "normal" soon.

Liz 🐈
My Cat Minder
"Happiest at home"

When your face tells the story of how much you love your treats.....

Don't you love Pippa's expressions?!

Have you ever lost your cat? Would you know what to do if this happened to you? Besides panic 😲

Hopefully, you wont need to know but just in case...I have a great step by step guide on my website. Here's the link for you to bookmark and feel free to share with all your "cat parent" friends

https://www.mycatminder.com.au/10-steps-to-finding-your-lost-cat/

10 steps to finding your lost cat – My Cat Minder Help! I've lost my cat! We’ve come up with this easy to follow guide for our Bendigo clients, to help get your lost cat home.

Ok you can pat my head but you must brush me afterwards....

She's pretty and she knows it ❤

When families are away on holiday, it's important their feline family members are being pampered too!

My kitty turndown service for one of my cat clients includes a heat pad under her blanket, with her human sister's care bear to snuggle and of course a couple of treats on her pillow. 💟

My favourite feedback is in the form of kitty purrs and head bumps but it's just as important my human clients (aka the pet parents) are happy too!

I always get the warm fuzzies when clients take the time to leave a review or email me a testimonial.

Thank you Gaye for your kind words 🙏

Don't let your cat's scratching cause you stress. Check out these clever tips for encouraging them to use a cat tree or cardboard scratcher and not your favourite chair.

Here are my top tips for preventing unwanted scratching:

🐾Ensure there are multiple scratching surfaces available – even if there is only one cat in the household. There should also be at least one scratching surface and a spare if the cats live in a multi-cat household. This is advised for all resources (if space allows) and can help prevent conflict, which may reduce excessive scratching caused by social stress

Locate scratching surfaces:

🐈Near where the cat sleeps, as they like to stretch and scratch after sleeping
🐈In the room where the cat spends the most amount of time – this may be in the owner’s favourite room
🐈On the edge of the cat’s territory i.e. near entrance/exit to a room
🐈Near area/items already scratched

🐾Catnip, treats or synthetic pheromone therapy (Feliscratch) can be used to encourage cats to scratch in a desired place

🐾Owners can ‘pre-scratch desired surfaces with a nail/screw to provide a visual cue for their cat

🐾Owners can transfer their cats’ scent from one scratching surface to another using a clean cloth. This can help to encourage use

🐾Make sure scratching posts are tall and sturdy (small or wobbly posts are less likely to be used)

❌Owners should never punish cats for scratching, as this will only cause fear/anxiety and may trigger more scratching episodes

🐾 Owners can cover previously scratched areas e.g.soft furnishings, with sticky plastic film or spray wooden furniture legs with furniture polish to deter cats from further scratching. However, this is not a replacement for providing adequate scratching surfaces elsewhere

📚References:

Atkinson, T., 2018. Practical Feline Behaviour: Understanding Cat Behaviour and Improving Welfare. Wallingford: CABI

Cozzi, A., Lecuelle, C.L., Monneret, P., Articlaux, F., Bougrat, L., Mengoli, M. and Pageat, P., 2013. Induction of scratching behaviour in cats: efficacy of synthetic feline interdigital semiochemical. Journal of feline medicine and surgery, 15(10), pp.872-878.

Icatcare.org. 2020. Scratching on Furniture And Carpets | International Cat Care. [online] Available at: [Accessed 2 December 2020].

Happy 😻

This little cutie was more than happy to snuggle in for a cuddle, a chin rub and a nap when I cared for her recently.

Have you got a cuddly cat?

Winter is coming...what a chilly day! Apparently, it was too cold to get out of bed today.

Hope all of your feline family members are snug and warm. ❤

There's nothing worse than accidentally locking your house keys inside your house! Admit it, we've all done it....and it's always at the most annoying time 😆

I recently came to the rescue of one of my (very grateful) clients who had done exactly that!

One of the added benefits for my cat sitting clients is that I also offer a lockout service for those who choose to leave a key with me for access.

Happy client = happy me 😊

Does your cat have a love/hate relationship with the vacuum cleaner too?

Good morning! Just some mid week cat love to brighten your day on this beautiful (but chilly) morning.

Featuring the gorgeous senior Nora, who I looked after over the Easter break. I love bonding with the cats in my care and Nora made that so easy. What an absolute sweetheart! ❤❤

This is Bob.

Bob knows how to relax.

Hope you're heading into the weekend feeling as relaxed as Bob.

I looked after this boy and his brother for the first time over Easter, with a combination of overnight stays and drop in visits. He was more than happy to share the bed, in exchange for feeding, pats and lots of play time! ❤

Betty thinks all bananas are evil and must be destroyed!

This beauty sure loves her play time ❤

Hoppy Easter everyone! Hope your feline family members let you have that extra hours sleep in this morning.

It has been a busy Easter weekend of cat feeds, cuddles and play! Loving getting to see familiar furry faces again and getting to know some real sweeties.

Stay tuned for some incoming cute cat pics but today I had to share this flashback to Albert, the cute and cheeky bunny I pet sat earlier this year (along with his 2 cat brothers).

Rabbits don't generally like being picked up but this little poser was happy to have his photo taken. If you're looking to adopt a rabbit, please check out Rabbit Run-Away Orphanage who have some great rabbit care info on their website and things to consider before making the commitment. They were also the first no kill rabbit rescue in Victoria so you could say they are bunny experts!

A picture is worth a thousand words…and this picture is the epitome of “happiest at home”.

Cat owners know that environment and routine changes can be very stressful for cats but there’s no stress for these two when their parents head away for a weekend.

They know they can continue to nap in their favourite spots, play with their favourite toys and meals will still be served at the same time….all courtesy of their cat nanny (aka My Cat Minder).