Penny the Cat Sitter: A Week with Yuki and Mori

Posted on August 1, 2025

Summer sunshine means vacation time for many. I usually set aside my time off for the lovely autumn months, so when my friend Becca asked for a pet sitter for her adorable cats, Yuki and Mori, this month, I eagerly volunteered my services. It is undeniable that I’m OVERLY obsessed with having a pet dog. Still, the fact is, my heart is big enough to love ALL the animals (and most bugs) in existence. Growing up in my parents’ house, our family home was typically filled with a cat (or two, or five). When my mother had hip surgery, I used to scoop the litter box for her daily. I even owned 2 ferrets at one point. I doubt I’ve lost the ability to care for cats, so I decided to move forward with the plan.

To prepare for the week, I had an opportunity to meet the cats and pick up the keys a few days before they left. Cats can sometimes be funny with strangers, so this test drive was perfect. I had plenty of time that day to play with them, observe their usual “spots”, and locate their litter boxes. An automatic feeder would dispense dry food; I was only responsible for their canned food. They had many interesting spots to hang out, such as cat towers, a cute cardboard sushi restaurant, and cozy hiding places like under the dresser or in a crinkly tunnel. Mori was my favorite, a black tuxedo cat with long, elegant fluff. He was like me, more of an observer than an extrovert. Yuki was the opposite, with short hair, a solid grey color, and a very keen interest in being the star of the show. Yuki even let me pick him up and hold him like a baby.

After I went back to my own house, key in hand, Becca was thoughtful enough to ask me how I would best digest the instructions or if anything was particularly confusing to me when we went through the rundown. I had to admit, the garbage collection bin called “LitterGenie” was incredibly new to me. She was able to take a video of that, which was extremely helpful. All the other information was compiled into a printable PDF with 2 cute illustrations of Yuki and Mori drawn in an anime art style at the top.

The week started out with a lot of consistency; I visited in the morning and left in the evening when the automatic feeder dropped their food. Upon entering the house, Yuki and Mori came rushing out to greet me. On the first day, they were interested in everything I had in my hands, including my sunglasses, keys, and water bottle. All of that had to be inspected as if they were mini secret service agents patting me down for anything nefarious before entering their home, which cracked me up. They purred contentedly as I pet them, and they were especially excited for their canned food. Yuki shamelessly chased my attention, and eventually, the shy, reserved Mori saw what a good time Yuki was having, and he also made his way over for some head scratches.

Later in the week, I didn’t have the time to visit in the morning, but when I did make it over that late afternoon, all the dry food was gone. There was a brief storm the night before, so I was second-guessing whether the food had automatically dropped in the morning or not. As soon as I got their canned food, they happily licked the gravy off. I didn’t want them to be hungry, so I super double-checked by sending a text to Becca about my woes. Poking around with the digital screen on the feeder, we were able to confirm the dry cat food was dropped at both 6 am and 6 pm. I lacked confidence in the magic kibble robot. Luckily, I was allowed to give them some extra dry food if it really bothered me.

There was another day later in the week when I arrived to find a hoodie drawstring sitting in their water bowl, and the bathroom sink full of dental hygiene paraphernalia. They were really rambunctious that day, and in dire need of playtime. To keep them entertained during my litter cleaning duties, I attached their laser pointer to the back of my racer-back tank. I continued the chores while also giving them something to do. When chores were done, I kept the laser pointer on, and every time Yuki would make his way close enough to nab it, I would walk off, making him chase it and get that energy out.

In the last two days of cat sitting, both cats became very affectionate and snuggly. Yuki meowed at me in the kitchen, which was the first time I heard a peep out of any of them! The strong meow was startling, but I couldn’t get him to do it again on video. I reported it to Becca, JUST IN CASE it could be used as a diagnostic for some future illness. Still, she assured me it’s just something he does for attention, and his need for attention is ENDLESS. I got down to their level and played with as many toys as I could find, even finding a long-lost little shrimp toy that went with Yuki’s sushi restaurant. They were really starting to miss their mom and dad. In all the fun we had, there was no substitute for their real owners!

Beach vacation was over, Becca and her husband returned both kitties to a routine they knew and loved. I took tons of photos, videos, and tried my best to document their mini vacation with me. I’m already lined up to see Yuki and Mori again in a few weeks. Overall, the experience turned out to be very fun. I knew deep down I could handle it, earned a little extra money, and made two new furry friends in the process.