Who is 'The Cat Lady'!

Who is 'The Cat Lady' and why consider using a cat sitter?

To introduce myself – My name is Lucy and I started ‘The Cat Lady – Thanet Cat Sitting Services’ in July 2014. I’d always been an animal lover, becoming vegetarian at a very young age and growing up with a household of family members including Cassie the cat (a gorgeous round ginger girly), Daisy & Daffodil (the ducks), Bella (the goose) and an assortment of hammies & other small furries. I always felt that animals were my whole world.

As an adult, I went through the motion of University, travelling, normal jobs, getting married and doing up a house…. But I think I can pinpoint the change in my life, when I adopted my first personal furry companion Ziggy. A 1 year old ginger and white boy… I must admit I was drawn to him, remembering my family cat Cassie. My soul mate, my gorgeous darling Ziggy – no ordinary cat – the best cat in the world….

From here, life took an unusual change in direction…. I became involved in cat rescue - fostering for the RSPCA and Cats in Crisis. I started taking in cats to look after, home checking then rehoming to new loving families. My furry family grew and I realised that cats were everything….. I mean EVERYTHING!! Independent, loving, furry… What more could you want?!

Over time, I spoke to a great deal of cat owners – people who wouldn’t go on holiday because they were worried about leaving their babies in a cattery and I looked at Ziggy and my furry family & realised what an issue it was. ‘The Cat Lady’ was born… I started slow, building up how it would work and what was involved. I know a lot of people think – ‘cool job – sitting with a cat on your lap’ but obviously there is a lot more involved – responsibility, time management, administration, cleaning, home visits and a great deal of time & effort. It’s really not a 9-5 job…. Its 7 days a week and you have to be dedicated! Luckily… I am! It’s my whole life…. I look after everyone else’s kitties and then return home to my 13 bubs… Every morning I get back home from my morning round and attempt to eat my cereal with my furry black kitty River, pushing it out of my hands and bashing me in the face!

My 13 each have their own personal rescue stories (which I will share again soon… as I know everyone loves a happy ending!) They are all different- shy, confident and with different needs… due to their pasts.

Hopefully by reading my reviews you can see that cats are my entire life and I have very much earnt my title of 'Cat Lady'! It’s been years of learning and building experience.

So why use a cat sitter?

Allowing somebody into your home to take care of your cats is a big decision and you really need to feel comfortable.

Firstly I always ask people to read my feedback. Everybody has to start somewhere and all these people have been through the same thing. I always pop round to meet you beforehand - sometimes this can be a 5 minute chat, sometimes an hour discussion. It all depends on the individual. I like you to feel 100% confident when I leave and that we have both covered everything needed.
This is my business and my full time employment. Therefore there's nobody being employed who may not give 100%. As it is my business, I am focused on doing everything I possibly can to make you feel comfortable and make sure your cats are well cared for and ultimately happy!

By allowing a cat to stay in their own home, you remove the stress of a cat carrier, a car ride and a foreign environment. When you leave a cat at a cattery- they don’t know you’re only away for a week. They don’t know that you’re coming back for them and it’s a little holiday so it’s stressful for them.

There are other benefits for using a cat sitter - I will always keep you updated (as much as you like - I send daily updates every visit and often photos). Health problems can be avoided such as stress, excessive grooming, not eating, fleas, colds etc. It's also a check on your house - picking up post, watering plants, closing curtains, turning lights on and off and putting out the bins. I can take care of smaller pets at the same time - hamsters etc, so less worry for you. I safely key hold for many people too, so last minute bookings (i.e. in hospital, stuck at work, working away from home, regular weekly checks whilst you work in London).
I am affordable, fully insured with 'Pet Plan Sanctuary', DBS (CRB) police checked and cover the whole Thanet area. I am also calm and responsible in an emergency situation including immediate trips to vets and immediate direct contact with owners/ next of kin if necessary.

Well, this is a little insight as to who ‘The Cat Lady’ is… ! I’ll end with a beautiful picture of the one and only Ziggy – if it wasn’t for this furry little man, I wouldn’t be where I am now… We had 12 beautiful years together and I miss you every day gorgeous boy.