A Cautionary Tale About Two Cats and a Home Exchange

When answering an enquiry last week about the possibility of taking a cat on a home exchange (there's a subject for another post!), I was thinking back to when I first started Home Base Holidays in 1985 and was working with a small agency which offered home exchange as an addition to a holiday rental service. I have long lost touch with Mary but I always remember a little story she told about one of her member's home exchange experiences:

This was a UK-US swap and, as with all good home exchange arrangements, the preparations before the exchange were meticulously done (a more laborious process in the days before email). Part of the agreement was that the American couple would take care of the English exchangers' cat during the three week exchange. Being animal lovers, the Americans, Gwen and Bob, were happy to do this and, immediately on arrival in the quaint West Country cottage, checked the information folder provided for instructions on looking after Freda, the cat. To their delight, in through the cat flap pops the very friendly moggy, and purrs her appreciation when her bowl is topped up with fresh food. Having been told that Freda is an independent type, and not to worry if she only shows up once a day for food, her temporary carers weren't concerned when Freda took off as soon as she was full.

The second morning of the home swap, Gwen was annoyed to find a stray cat had come in through the cat flap and was helping herself to Freda's remaining cat food. After booting the stray out, Gwen decided the best way to discourage the intruder was to always clean the cat bowl after Freda had had her once a day fill. This was one persistent stray though, and every morning during the three weeks of the exchange she would turn up at the back door, looking increasingly sad and bedraggled.

You will have already guessed what had happened - yes, while Gwen and Bob were pampering the impostor Freda, the real Freda, mistaken for a stray, must have wondered how her owners could not only abandon her but allow such mean people to live in their house! Although we've never heard of a Home Base Holidays member having a problem of mistaken cat identity, if you have an independent cat and a cat flap that any cat could use, it's a wise precaution to leave a description of your cat or, better still, a large photo of her/him, in your information folder, along with care instructions. Better to be safe than sorry!