The Zoo - Part 2

Where I wonder if I've made a huge mistake

Of the 50 petsits I did from September 2019 to December 2023, The Zoo was my favourite place to stay (though five others were close). I did 12 of my 50 sits there.

Last month, I described my first meeting with The Zoo. That’s the meeting where the owners work out if they are willing to trust a sitter with their pets. It’s also when the sitter (aka moi) decides whether to accept the sit if it’s offered to them.

If you haven’t read Part 1, you can find it HERE

Final note: From this part on, the animals now have their full names. Hopefully, that will make it easier for you to follow along.

Photo by @withlovefromchile on Unsplash

I was pretty excited when I turned up on the Saturday precisely 18 days after my initial meeting with The Zoo. First impressions of both The Zoo’s 4-legged occupants (plus a small aquarium with 3 fish) and the place itself (there was even an 80’s arcade game console from an old “pinny parlour”) had impressed me greatly.

After unpacking my stuff & setting myself up for writing by looking out over the acreage estate, I opened the back door to “release the hounds.”

The race was on between the tan English Mastiff x Rhodesian Ridgeback (Nala) and the black Kelpie x Staffy (Harley) to see who could get inside first to claim the most coveted spot … me!

When Brumby & Jess, the two Tenterfield Terriers, came inside and started yapping with excitement as Nala & Harley continued their frenzied cavorting for my attention, I felt like it was going to be a great experience.

Little did I know the mayhem I was about to experience!

Photo by mia swerbs on Unsplash

It took a while to get the dogs settled, but the two large dogs, Nala & Harley, eventually climbed onto the lounges, ensuring they claimed the best spots, leaving little room for me.

That was okay. I needed to check on the cats - Billy and the one known as The Silent Assassin … Chasssse (you have to say it with a hisssss!)

Now, let me say that, at this stage, I had only done 6 sits.

The first five only involved large dogs. They were my comfort factor.

The day the Covid lockdown was lifted in my home state (7 weeks before I started this sit at The Zoo) was 1 year exactly since my oncologist had stopped my chemo because it was doing me so much damage.

Once I had recovered from the worst chemo had done to me, I started housesitting to be around large dogs like those I’d grown up with. Writing thrillers while spending time with dogs had become an important part of my healing journey.

It was only on my fourth sit, looking after two German Short-haired Pointers, that I had decided I would start looking after cats. My thoughts were that, as I’d never had cats & generally didn’t like them, it would help me grow as a person plus provide me with insights I could incorporate into a future thriller (which I have - the two very unique cats from my last sit in 2023 appear toward the end of my second novel, ‘The Phisherman’).

My fifth sit had included my first cat - a timid black & white feline called Kahlua who would run away whenever he saw me.

So, entering The Zoo, I really had no idea about how to handle cats.

I suspect that, as soon as Chase looked into my eyes when I walked into the laundry where the cats ate & slept at night, The Silent Assassin knew that I was ripe & ready for harvest.

“Hello, Chase,” I spoke as soothingly as I could as I reached out to give him a gentle pat. “Who’s a good boy?”

Before I knew what had happened, The Silent Assassin hissed & moved one of his paws as fast as a snake striking.

He was standing upright with his back arched while hissing at me before I realised I was bleeding.

Fyi, by the time I finished housesitting, of the 146 animals (plus fish) I'd cared for, 18 were cats. One of them I'd administered IV drips to 3 times a week by myself. Another, I'd given daily insulin shots. In my 4 years of housesitting, only one cat ever drew my blood ... The Silent Assassin.

Understandably, I exited stage left to flush the wound & bandage up my broken skin while I considered my dilemma.

34 days stuck here looking after a cat that not only hates me - he’s planning on killing me in my sleep! I could see it in his eyes.

At least I have those beautiful dogs.

To escape the crazed killer cat & acquire some badly needed supplies, I made a swift trip to the nearby shops.

I was only gone an hour.

That was all it took.

Photo by Ariungoo Batzorig on Unsplash

Okay. The picture is a little over the top.

However, that’s how it looked in my head when I first saw it.

And I didn’t stop to take a photo - that was the last thing on my mind.

When I saw a couple of plastic lids from MY containers - very well chewed lids that had been shredded into so many pieces that no amount of superglue or gaffer tape could fix - I knew what had happened.

The big dogs had found the writing snacks that normally sat on the table next to my computer!!!

Of course, Nala and Harley were nowhere to be seen, though it didn’t take long to find them. All I had to do was follow the trail of broken plastic pieces out the door and into the spacious backyard now decorated with interesting doggy-designed plastic sculptures.

Needless to say, the contents of said containers were well and truly gone.

While Harley slunk off, knowing he was in trouble, Nala’s satisfied expression conveyed the distinct sense of, “Look, Mike. I’m a magician. I made all those snacks disappear.”

Things were not going well.

After “grring” at Nala & Harley as I picked up as many plastic pieces as I could, I made my way inside … and almost slipped over.

Observing the very distinct yellow fluid now smeared in a million directions across the white floor tiles, I realised that what the owners had warned me could happen had happened.

Brumby, the blind Tenterfield Terrier, had failed to find his way outside before needing to undam the yellow river.

It was impossible to be cross at him. He was just too adorable.

Yet, it compounded the growing unease within me that the next 34 days might be enough to put me off this new adventure of housesitting.

I swiftly put the groceries away, then decided to grab one of my bottles of red wine in an attempt to “relax to the max.”

As soon as I reached down toward the cardboard box, I knew something was wrong. I’d forgotten that I’d removed the wine bottles when I’d first unpacked. Something else was inhabiting the box.

It was Billy-boy.

Another damn cat!

I quickly backed away, telling him, “Leave me alone. Stay away, you hear?”

After pouring myself a very generous glass of a very nice GSM (my favourite red blend), I made my way over to one of the comfy armchairs and released a loud sigh of relief.

I had just taken a long sip when I became aware of movement near my feet.

It was Billy!

And I could see what he was a-thinking.

“No way, Jose. You are not jumping into my lap and then, just when I relax, wham! You strike.”

I put the glass down and raised my knees so he had nowhere to land.

The cheeky bugger simply jumped up onto the chair’s plush arm so he was sitting right next to me.

Now, I was nervous.

This cat is eyeballing me.

And if he’s anything like that crazy four-legged Assassin in the laundry, I’m in a lotta trouble.

Before I could respond, Billy jumped into the nonexistent gap between my knees and chest while somehow pivoting to look me in the eyes yet again.

Now I was beyond nervous.

If I moved too suddenly, Billy might do something even worse than draw my blood.

Even more concerning, that glass of GSM was so close, it might get knocked over … and it was far too good to waste!

I froze as Billy leaned towards me so his front paws were on my chest.

Slowly, his paws slid up my chest.

Are you gonna try and strangle me, you son of a … what’s a female cat called?

And, then, the most unexpected thing happened.

Billy put his arms around my neck and nuzzled his head into my chest.

Say WHAT! The cat’s giving me a HUG???

As I forced myself to relax as a cat I’d just met hung onto my neck, Harley wandered over and gently nuzzled my hand. I’m sure he was looking for a little bit of attention after that stern “grrr”ing he’d received.

Yet, looking into his soft , warm eyes and then observing Nala, Brumby and Jess as they relaxed around me, I realised my stay at The Zoo was going to be more than alright.

I slowly enjoyed another sip of red.

It was almost perfect.

And then, The Silent Assassin walked into the room.

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