catHello there Katie’s Kitty family! This is your friendly Manhattan and Jersey city pet sitter, Candace, taking a moment to say thank you so much for reading our blog. I can hardly believe that this is my 100th post since I joined the Katie’s Kitty team back in 2014.

Over the years, it’s been my pleasure to answer your questions, research and write the “How-to’s” and “Why-do’s,” and deepen our collective well of knowledge on all things feline.

So, in order to commemorate this occasion, I thought it might be nice to take a look back at my 10 most widely shared blog posts. Enjoy!

10. Four tips to keep your cat calm while you’re gone

This is one of the very first articles that I wrote for the blog, and still one of the most frequent questions I get asked.

9. Why do cats stare at fire?

I’ve had a few cats gaze into flames as if summoning a demon, so I thought this would be a fun read for Halloween. Doing the research for this one was a real puzzler, though, as there wasn’t nearly as much information as you’d think on the subject.

8. How to keep your cat away from table food

If your cat is a sneaky table food ninja, you might want to read this one to learn how to keep kitty away.

7. Why cats step back out of the litter box to pee or poop

My cat Comet developed kidney disease at age 15, but we successfully treated him for 5 years before I finally lost him. Looking back, his comfortable golden years were likely thanks to detecting the disease so early and seeking the vet’s advice at every little change. And to think, it all began with one simple question: “Why did he just poop in the pan and get back out to pee on the floor?”

6. How clean is your cat’s water dish?

I uncovered this shocking truth after someone once described a pink film that seemed to grow in their cat’s water dish after a few days. Boy, if you thought all that was going into that dish was clean water, think again!

5. How to treat heat exhaustion in cats

Nowadays, with the way the weather patterns ungulate back and forth like a serpent’s tail, a sudden change of temperature can leave a cat reeling from heat exhaustion. I wrote this post to help people recognize the symptoms of heat exhaustion and act quickly and appropriately if it occurs. More importantly, I wrote it so that people could be prepared and prevent it from ever happening.

4. Where to find feline art in New York City

I was very pleasantly surprised to see when researching these posts that this very early piece I had written is still one of readers’ favorite choices. Some of the exhibits are still on display, and I have a few more recommendations slated to be released in the new year.

3. Exercise routines for your cat

It’s no surprise that we all love our tubby tabbies, but we want them to stay healthy as possible. I’ve got a few tips to get your kitty in motion!

2. No-Kill Cat Shelters and Rescues in New York City

Whether it’s to adopt a new companion or safely re-home an old friend, sooner or later, as pet sitters we often get asked about no-kill shelters in New York and Jersey City. When I first compiled this list in 2015, I was appalled at just how hard it was to find a such list of shelters in the city. I’m glad this article is still making the rounds on social media today.

1. Meet five NYC indie store cats

Coming in at number one, the most read post of all time was one of the earliest, when I introduced our readership to five of my favorite independent shopkeeper cats. Keep in mind, this was written years before the book Shop Cats of New York was released, but I probably wasn’t the only one writing about them at the time. I know I’m not the only one who passes by a friendly kitty in a store window and stops to say hello!

And there you have it! I’m looking forward to sharing more of what I’ve learned along the way for years to come.

Just remember, if you have a question of about cats that you’d like me to answer, leave us a comment or send us a note on Facebook. We’re also active on Instagram and Twitter.


Candace Elise Hoes is a pet sitter and blogger at Katie’s Kitty. She is a graduate of the MFA Writing Program at California College of the Arts.

photo by MarPockStudios on pixabay