Kitty in NY - blog - Kitty in NY

Christmas eve

12/13/2024

Matt happened to be a young guy, on his late 30’s. He limped a little bit, as if he had had an accident and was still recovering. One of his eyes was slightly closed (as if he was always winking an eye). His tone was very soft and soothing. He was going away for the holidays, visiting his girlfriend’s family in Paris. That is why they couldn't take their cat Sisi with them. Sisi and Matt had a common trait: their striking blue eyes.

Sisi was an inquisitive and talkative Siamese. Her constant low tone meowing accompanied her all day long, as if she was holding a conversation with herself. She was athletic and thin. I soon found her sleeping on top of the fridge or high on the kitchen cabinets. She ignored me all day. We inhabited the same space but in parallel dimensions.

Anyway, we were destined to share that Christmas season. It was not a sad or melancholic period. After my childhood I never cared for Christmas. The brotherly love and cheer of the season did not correspond to what I saw around me every day. I wasn’t into Christmas shopping and decorations. When I was a young woman I was convinced no dress or make up would help me look better, I thought my body was hideous. This yearly invasion of red, green and snow marked the beginning of long winter. On Christmas eve, Sisi had a can of Fancy Feast (flaked grilled salmon) and I heated a can of Campbell Chicken Soup. It was a quiet Christmas eve, just the two of us. Mrs Pearl and Sisi, my siamese kitty guest.. After having dinner we both moved in silence to the living room were Sisi took a nap and I watched cheap Christmas flicks on channel 31. Merry Christmas!

Photo by aiden patrissi on Unsplash

Kitty in NY is almost fully booked for Christmas week! If you still need a cat sitting service contact us. We wish all our clients, followers and cat people a merry Christmas. We will continue providing in-home boarding and cat sitting services in 2024.

Cat memories: Simo

8/17/2024

All cat lovers cherish memories of their first cat, their grandmother's cat, the neighbor's cat, that special cat that started their fascination for these amazing felines who share human's lifes. We asked our caregivers and clients to share with us some of these memories.

I had always liked animals in general (and cats were one of my favorite pets) but I had not decided to have one of my own. I was young, unstable, still trying to figure out where to head or what to do with my life. I was full of disconnected dreams and paths leading to nowhere. The 20's were definately a difficult time. I fell in love many times. It was at the beginning of the love story of my life that I finally crossed paths wth my first cat. Simo was a furry ball not much bigger than my fist when my lover brought it home. He had found her in a box, left in the street. The kitten was trembling, cold, scared. She must have been around 4 weeks old. She became my first cat. I did not really know what I was getting into. It was all part of falling in love: you don't measure the consequences, you just jump in and let go.

It was hard, it was frustrating. Simo was a street cat, I lived in a tiny studio in the center of the city. We had to set the rules. She won most of the times. She was very smart and she loved me. She was destructive, extremely squitish and had litter box issues. We all invested time and efforts, we did not let her down. She was a lucky cat, as happy as she could be. She could win your heart if you had the patience. She was a sweet scared kitty. I got lost in those big eyes, marvelled at the touch of her silky hair, melted when she meowed asking for attention. I did not know much about cats, it was like an intensive training on cat's problems.

I cherish this memory: it was a summer evening, Saturday night. The studio was cool (it did not get much sun light). I could hear a TV from the apartment upstairs. Simo entered the room climbing up the window facing the small courtyard (she loved being outside). I was laying on the couch, reading and chilling, thinking about my Saturday plans for the night. I greeted her and she came right to me and curled by my side. It's not a great annecdote, it stayed in my mind because I wrote a note about it. It felt special in a way. Simo was a special cat. A challenge in so many ways. I became a different person, I grew up, she was there, part of it, like so many things you do not expect. Important things are never planned, they just happen.

If you want to share your cat memories send us an email to [email protected]. And if you need a cat boarding service Kitty in NY offers the widest selection of wonderful caregivers, cat people who do not own a cat but would love to take care of your kitty while you're away. We have options in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Contact us with more details, we'll be glad to help you.

Cat memories: Parisian kitten

7/5/2023

We asked our caregivers and clients to share with us some of their cat memories. A Parisian short tale:

It was a sticky and wet Parisian spring. I was going through a really rough time. All of a sudden I decided to adopt a kitten. I did not give it much thought, it was an impulse. Somehow it was as if that change would help me make all the decisions and changes I had to do with my life. Poor Oscar! It was a black kitten, about 6 weeks old. I passed by a veterinarian office close to my apartment. They had four kittens up for adoption. The adoption fee was around 100 dollars (to cover the shots and vet check up). That kitten turned my apartment in a mess! I lived in a studio apartment at the time, no closet. The kitten would play with my clothes, wake me up during the night. It was a horrible experience. If I had to mention something good, the little guy would cuddle by me and purr from time to time. He was a simple kitten, I was not ready. I called the vet a few days later: "Please, please take him back. You can keep the adoption fee." When I returned from the vet it felt lonely and sad. The gray Parisian sky seemed even more menacing from my kitchen window. I had a long road ahead of me. I hope Oscar found a good home, it was not his fault, it was all mine.

Our clients are all ready to take care of their cat companions. Kitty in NY will help you find the best cat boarding solution for your cat while you're not in the city. We have great options available in Manhattan, Brooklyn or Queens. Let us know in advance so you can visit the perspective caregiver. We'll be glad to help you.

Cat memories: Louise and Jack Burns

6/24/2023

We asked our caregivers and clients to share with us some of their cat memories. Lynn sent us this beautiful memory of her cats in LA.

When I lived in Los Angeles, I adopted two rescue cats from a no-kill shelter. Jack Burns was an older cat, about eight years old, and had lived with an elderly couple that had died within a year of each other. Their children put Jack Burns in the shelter, and he had been there a year. As soon as I walked into the room of cats, he stopped and stared at me. The other cats seemed unaware of my presence, but he kept his eyes trained on me, and I felt a connection with him right away.

The other cat I adopted was a white kitten I named Louise, who had been found on an off-ramp to the Hollywood Freeway, and had only been in the shelter a few days. She was batting a dead cockroach across the floor, having a great time, and I imagined the toys I could give her.

The people at the shelter loaded both cats into cardboard carriers, and as soon as we got to my apartment, Jack Burns raced around checking to make sure all the comforts of civilization were there.

He ran into the bathroom and took a sip out of the toilet (I kept the lid down, after that). Then he ran into the bedroom, jumped up on the bed, and kneaded the pillows. Finally, he ran back to me and butted his head against me over and over, as if to say, Thank you! Thank you!

Both cats slept with me on my bed, and one night I remember waking to a terrifying, wild scream, coming from outside. Jack Burns, Louise and I all bolted upright in the bed, and then they jumped to the window sill and the three of us looked across the alley to the roof of the building next door, where several massive raccoons were having some kind of intense ritual together, screaming and bristling at each other.

I assume it was mating season, and there was also, coincidentally, a full moon, so the scene was well lit. Jack Burns and Louise pressed their faces against the window screen, watching the drama. Jack Burns made a low rumbling sound in his throat, but I think they knew the raccoons were out of their league, and not to challenge them too strenuously.

We watched for a long time, then the raccoons quieted and slipped off the roof, probably heading back to Los Feliz Boulevard. Raccoons and coyotes often came down from Griffith Park and crossed the boulevard in search for cat and dog food people had left outside, or open garbage cans.

Once it was quiet again, Jack Burns and Louise found their places on the bed; Louis on the pillow next to my head, and Jack Burns curled by my feet. I think the three of us were equally fascinated by the raccoons, and glad to be safe inside.

KITTY in NY will help you find a safe and loving temporary home for your cats while you're away. You may visit the perspective caregiver before you confirm your reservation. We have options available in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. It's the perfect cat boarding solution! Contact us and send us more details about your needs. We'll be glad to help you.

The Naming of Cats

12/1/2017

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey--
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter--
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum-
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover--
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.

by T. S. Eliot

A summer tale in January

2/12/2016

It’s a bittersweet moment when summer finally arrives to NYC. Let me explain: after such a long winter and the short rainy spring period people are longing to feel the heat. You see nature’s cycle, a burst of life shines in city parks and the more residential streets. But summer can be sticky and muggy, it can be uncomfortable and you never stop sweating.

During the warmer weeks I enjoy going for long walks at dusk. Hearing TV sets through open windows. Seeing groups of children running around, enjoying the school break. This all brings back memories of my childhood, summer trips with my family and short stays at my grandmother’s house.

On those summer evenings at grandma’s, she would tell me stories about my aunts and uncles, grandparents, cousins. Family anecdotes that sounded like a short tale, with nice characters and others who sounded scary, with a touch of craziness. I regret forgetting the details a long time ago but somehow the universe managed to make sure a woman in her sixties would be taking care of Ashbury, the gorgeous Persian cat, this summer in Bayridge, Brooklyn. Such a mysterious and perfect universe…

Book now your cat boarding and cat sitting services for the summer months. Our caregivers are very busy during the warmer months. Your cat/s will enjoy the comfort and space in our caregiver’s apartments, where they would be the only pets. If you leave for a few days a professional cat sitter may visit your apartment to feed and take good care of your beloved felines. Contact Kitty in NY and explain more details about the service you need. We’ll be glad to help you.

Cat memories: Sisi, empress of Queens

11/23/2015

We asked our caregivers and clients to share with us some of their cat memories:

When I arrived to New York it was a chaotic new beginning. I had always longed to leave my home town. It seemed too small, too provincial, too boring, too tranditional... I did not want to marry a local and become like my other friends: a mom, a wife, a respected member of society. I fled from it as soon as I could. Where else could I go? New York City seemed the right place to begin a new life.

I rented a small studio in a depressing neighborhood in the middle of nowhere, Queens. It was an ugly and dirty part of this huge city I've learned to love and hate over the years. A corner deli, a laundromat, a nail saloon and a neighborhood supermarket were the local spots to hang out. The studio faced a brick wall and electric light was required to see anything all day and night. I remember laying down on that bed, looking at the dark bricks. Pigeons would flap their wings every now and then and rest on the rusty fire scape. I was in New York City!

Beginnings are not easy. It was a tough time, I don't think I could make it now. In perspective, I did what I wanted to do. I became used to the new situation, learned how things worked in this amazing megapolis. It took me a couple of years to dissociate the shinny New York image we see on shows and movies from the real street crossings sourounding my everyday life. Trash, rats, empty cans and thousands of people at every corner.

After a year I adopted a cat. It was in one of those adoption trucks the ASPCA sets in Union Square. A tiny tabby kitten, inside a cage, was gazing at me inquisitively. It was love at first sight. She was 8 months old, found in an abandoned building. Skittish and scared. I took her and and gave her a 370 sqf home. She could eventually climb up the firescape. I named her Sisi, a historic joke. Sis was not an easy cat. My friends could never see her, she would only trust me. She would sit close to me on the couch and watch tv. Very independent, she was not demanding. Easy to care for, lovely tabby with huge green eyes. We moved several times, always in the city. She lived 16 years with me. The day I lost her was a terrible day. It was as losing part of my youth, a time that I only shared with her. When we lose a cat a part of us disapears with them: our projects, jobs, boyfriends, family visits, sex and heartbreaks. Sisi was there, my beautiful gray tabby with her understanding green eyes.

KITTY in NY provides cat boarding and cat sitting solutions. Our cat care options will let you leave the city without worrying about your cat. You will receive periodic updates from the caregiver. Your cat will be good hands while you take time to run your business or enjoy your vacation or family meeting. Contact us with more information about the service you need. We will be glad to help you.

Cat memories: Pirrus

7/29/2014

All cat lovers cherish memories of their first cat, their grandmother's cat, the neighbor's cat, that special cat that started their fascination for these amazing felines who share human's lifes. We asked our caregivers and clients to share with us some of these memories.

I still remember my grandmother and her two sisters. I always saw them as very old but they must have been around my age now when I first "noticed" them. I'm 48. My grandmother had just lost her husband and her two single sisters lived very close by. They spent most of the time at my grandmother's house, which was bigger. Childhood memories are tricky. I think of that time as a happy period, with big dissapointments and tears in between. One of the biggest pleasures of visiting my grandmother's house was seeing her cats. She only had a couple of them you could barely touch. The others run away as soon as they saw anyone else. They were semi feral cats. Never came into the house, wandered around the backyard expecting my grandmother who came out twice a day to feed them. There were kittens from time to time, most of them did not have long lifes. Even though, my childhood scenery was sealed with cats in the background. I was always attracted and marvelled by those little creatures. They were common short haired cats, most of them tabbies or black cats. One time she had a semi long haired ginger cat. She always had cats to help her with mice control. That was the main reason why humans started to keep cats close to them. There were no dogs in my childhood (or ever) only cats. It was fate, written in the stars.

When I was a young teenager I lived the joy of sharing my summer vacation at my grandmother's house with a young kitten. I begged my grandmother to let me keep her inside until I left. She couldn't say no to many of my requests. Pirrus was a tabby cat, the most common type you can imagine. I loved that cat! I brushed her, played with her endlessly, spent so much time with that kitten. Leaving her was one of my first heartbreaks. The next time I could visit for a weekend she was already an adult, she barely remembered me. Cats get used to new situations easily. She was a fine cat.

We rarely embrace life so fully as when we are children. Our lack of time perspective allows us to focus on the now. We tend to forget that easily as we grow up. Loving that cat was totally worth it.

Kitty in NY has many clients who love their cats so much. We help them find a loving temporary home when they are away from the city. It's the perfect solution, your cat will enjoy the comfort of a whole apartment and the devoted attention of a cat lover who has no pets of her own. Send us more details, we'll be glad to help you find the right option in Manhattan, Brooklyn or Queens.