February 19th, 2010
A friend of mine recently commented that some folks with cats need to consider that their house guests may not be as into felines or want to hear cat “poop stories” at dinner.
Good point. I don’t mind cat talk, but my friend’s story reminded me of a couple instances when I was a house guest and a cat or two kept me awake all night. Both times, I was sleeping on a sofa in the living room. The cats weren’t locked away or crated for the night. Here’s what happened:
I was staying at a friend’s apartment and her cat jumped on me from the top of the sofa repeatedly. This rascal derived great joy out of scaring me awake. He’d apparently done this many times before.
Another time, I staying at a relative’s place. This person had two cats that played loudly together throughout the night. Their favorite area to play happened to be right there beside the sofa where I was sleeping.
All of that behavior shouldn’t come as a surprise. Cats are curious about newcomers, active at night and sometimes jealous of intruders.
What’s the solution for hosts with cats?
First of all, don’t talk about your cat endlessly if it’s clear your guest doesn’t care for kitties. You may not realize it, but cat talk is super annoying to people who dislike cats. To this, you might say that the guest agreed to stay with you knowing you had a cat. True, but that also means the guest likes you enough to overlook the cat!
Second, sleep is important. If possible, separate the cat from your guest at night. That’s much easier to do in larger living spaces. And most cats are used to roaming around at night. Understandable.
If you’re hesitant to confine your cat at night, consider a trial run before guests arrive. If the meowing and protests are just too much for you, warn the guest. Be frank: “Your sleep may be disturbed by my cat who’s used to being able to roam around at night. If I confine the cat, he will meow all night and neither of us will get any sleep.”
Another suggestion: Arm your guest with something that may scare your cat away. For instance, if I spray a bottle of canned air for cleaning keyboards, my cat will clear the room and stay gone.
Third, the litter box should be super tidy for company! Messy cat boxes are a problem for guests who aren’t used to animal smells. Plus, it’s rude.
How do you deal with house guests and cats?
(Image via flickr/Oskay)
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