Cat sitting for my Dc's cats for next 4 weeks and am slightly stressing out!

[EconomyClassRockstar]

My DC has asked me to sit the 2 cats for the next 2 weeks. That's fine. Happy to help. Have never looked after a cat in my life! Any advice gratefully received. Firstly, they're indoor cats. We have a massive basement (basically a huge extra living room and a laundry room and our ac/heating etc) and was planning on putting them down there. I also have a very old dog who is scared of cats, hence the reasoning of the basement as opposed to being in the main floors.

So, what do I need to do? I know about litter and food. But what about socialization? Exercise? Please help me not scar these cats for life having spent 2 weeks with me! 😂

To clarify as I have a typo in my title, it's 2 weeks, not 4.

Scratch posts, comfy befs, warmth and cuddles! Maybe a plug in Feliway. Enjoy it.

Oh wait, I didn't even think of that. I have a plug in Pura. I should probably turn that off, right? The basement is the warmest room in the house as that's where the furnace is! Also has 3 sofas that I was happy to be cat beds but can also go out and buy beds if needed.

Cats tend to sleep anywhere and everywhere!!! Mine is currently sleeping on top of the wardrobe 😀 just make sure you spend some time with them, just having a fuss with them will make a difference.

Get dc to bring their cat beds from home so they smell familiar instead of buying some.

We have a giant tv down there too so was planning on watching "my" shows with the cats while DH sits upstairs with the dog!

I'm guessing there's no way you can cat sit by visiting them in their own house? It's likely to be very stressful and unsettling for them to move to yours for two weeks especially given the dog.

Agree with a feliway plug and their own beds. And at least a litter tray each. Kept away from their food and water.

Your DC should bring all their stuff and set it up for you. And their food....

Wait, you're having the cats at your house?
And you've got a dog?

This is a very bad idea.

No. I work from home and need to be here for my dog too. For clarity, I'm in the US so the basement is not dingy or gross or anything. It's literally the same size as our UK home's entire ground floor!

They'll hide for the first ten days because cats hate being in new places.

I think this is foolish, and bordering on cruel.

Irrelevant.
It's still a place the cats don't know.
You'll barely see them. They're going to hide.

But you don't need to be with them all day. You just need to visit, feed them, clean out the litter tray and spend a bit of time with them. Which is perfectly doable around work presuming you're close enough. Moving them to your house for a fortnight seems incredibly unkind to the poor kits.

Moving them to your house for a fortnight seems incredibly unkind to the poor kits.

It certainly does.

Ok, for clarity!
My dog is very very old, blind and probably won't even notice the cats are there until they are right in his face.
The cats have been here before. Several times. I just have never been in charge to them.
My Dc's home is 3 hours away so, no, I can't just pop in.

I just wanted someone to say, "It's all going to be fine" as I inwardly freaked out a little.

it Will be fine!! They’ll have each other and their own space. Make sure your DC brings their litter box and their food as you don’t want to change that and upset their stomachs or make them likely to poop in corners. And relax.
My son’s cat comes to stay when he travels and it’s all fine!!

It's all going to be fine.

I presume your son is bringing them down in the car? Just get him to bring as much of their stuff as he can beds toys blankets scratching posts if they're not too big.

Can you work in the room where the cats will be or can you allow the cats access to the room you will be working in?

It’s surely no different to them being in a cattery, they won’t enjoy it but they’ll cope

Bringing them to your house rather than leaving them 3 hours away from you is absolutely the right thing to do

as other people have said bringing some things from their house will help

i can absolutely guarantee they will hide and you will fear they have escaped at least 10 times during their visit

Yes, I have designed an entire separate basement study in case my kids need to work from home too.

Totally irrelevant to the thread, but I have basement envy!

I have been planning this basement for nearly 20 years!

I hope it gives you joy!

The basement or the cats?! 😂
I really want to learn to love the cats.