4 ways to improve your cat-sitting experience

If you want to be a cat sitter, or you've just agreed to help a pal, there are some important tips to follow to ensure you do a great job.

Before cat sitting, here are some helpful tips you should know to make the experience go as smoothly as possible.

If you're going to be pet sitting cats you've never met before, arrange for a time to be introduced to them.

• Cats can sometimes be shy and standoffish, and meeting a person beforehand is a great way to get a feel for their personality and how they will react to your presence.
• Cats tend to respond better to people they've seen spending time with their owner, so spending some time in a cat's home before the homeowner leaves is a great way to get acquainted and comfortable.

If you don't have cats, take some time to learn about what is and isn't normal behaviour for them.

• There are many resources online to help you understand normal cat activities. Being familiar with what's okay for cats to be doing and what's not will ensure you don't miss any signs that a cat is sick or unwell.
• Also, ask the cat's owner about any oddities, so you don't mistake one cat's quirk for a sickness.

One part of cat behaviour that some people find odd is that they hate eye contact. So, if you look a new cat in the eye, he or she may have no interest at all in spending time with you.

• If you want to get better acquainted with a cat, give him some space. When he sees you're not aggressively eyeing him, he will most likely come right up to you to get to know you better.

Kitty litter needs to be changed at least once a day.

• Cats whose litter boxes are too full or smell bad will feel uncomfortable using them.
• Be sure to scoop the litter box once a day and add fresh litter as needed, so you keep the cat comfortable and avoid any accidents.