Cat sitting - not sure how to fix a problem

[Anonymous]

Hi all,
My younger daughter (age 8) made friends with a little girl and we’ve been getting to know the family. They are now on a multi-week road trip that includes some camping. I don’t know when they are / aren’t able to access the internet or cell service. The family left a few days ago.

Yesterday morning the mom wrote me and asked if we could do a huge favor - their pet sitter had to go away until the 9th (starting yesterday) and she asked if we could take over for a few days. This family is about a mile away and my kids love animals so this is easy in theory.

She sent me the code for their door and all the care instructions. But we can’t get the code to work. I tried it alone, # before and after, * before and after, a mix of those, and other numbers near the code in case it was a typo. No luck. This was yesterday around 7 pm. I haven’t heard back from the mom yet. My kids are very worried about the cats. I’m not in the DMV, it’s not super hot where we are, and there is one window slightly cracked (though I can’t open it from the outside).

If I hear back from the mom soon this is hopefully a non-issue. Otherwise, would you assume the cats will manage / live until the sitter is back on the 9th? Talk to the fire dept (like maybe they could go through the open window / get water in there? They easily opened a window like this when my younger daughter locked herself in a garage once)…. Something else? I have no idea whether any of their neighbors have a key. It’s not an emergency yet, but if I don’t hear back today I think I need a plan. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Ugh. I'm so sorry, OP. Keep contacting the mom. I don't suppose she gave you any contact info for the cat sitter, because even if they aren't there, they might have suggestions/ advice on how to get into the house. Also, any other neighbors that you think might have the entry code? I do think the cats should be okay for another day or so, going on the assumption the cat sitter has been topping off the water bowls.

[Anonymous]

Maybe YouTube how to use codes for doors like theirs, in case there’s some combination you didn’t try. Did she explain to you how to input the code?

This sounds so stressful! I think the cat may become dehydrated and hungry but will live. This isn’t your fault. Please let us know what happens.

[Anonymous]

My brother had a garage keypad that required us to press enter first, the code, then enter again.

Can you google the brand?

[Anonymous]

I hope by now you’ve heard back from the mom! I would try contacting their neighbors in case one of them has a key.

[Anonymous]

Op here with an update. I remembered the dad picked his daughter up from the last play date and had texted me when he was on the way, so I wrote him in case they had reception and the mom just hadn’t seen her phone. This afternoon when I hadn’t heard anything I tried the non-emergency line at the fire dept. I figured it was a long shot but thought they might be willing / able to open the window and put a bowl of water inside at least. But I didn’t reach anyone. So the girls and I decided to go knock on neighbors’ doors. The closest neighbor, it turns out, is where the pet sitter / teen girl lives. She’s away somewhere, but her brother texted her. He confirmed the code matched ours. Then she sent him a different code. We tried it, but it didn’t work either.

My 12 year old then realized if we lifted the outside flap on the cat door, there’s a little gap at the top - big enough to stick our hands through. So the girls and I bought some cat food and returned with that and a water dish and put them through the gap - we held the dish for the cats to drink from and held out spoons of cat food. (There are 3 cats). I figured that would at least sustain them until u heard back from the family or the pet sitter got back (though I was skeptical she’d be able to get in). I told the girls if that didn’t work there were solutions I could think of - like pulling out the cat door so the cats could get out and then we could take them to our apartment (technically we’re not allowed pets) or, if we reached the family, maybe they could overnight us a physical key.

Anyway, after our adventures at the neighbors and our adventures getting food and water through the tiny gap, I heard back from the family:

(1) we need to use # at the end of the code
(2) they forgot and gave us the wrong code (the 2nd one the pet sitter texted was correct) and
(3) the cats actually have an automatic water and food dispenser and should be fine and really just needed litter / snuggles!

Even before that, when we knew they’d be okay, the whole thing actually seemed like a silly adventure and now it actually seems even sillier - one of the cats wasn’t getting any food so I was trying to flick food to it through the cat door and then my 12 year old tried and another cat received some of it right on his nose

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here with an update. I remembered the dad picked his daughter up from the last play date and had texted me when he was on the way, so I wrote him in case they had reception and the mom just hadn’t seen her phone. This afternoon when I hadn’t heard anything I tried the non-emergency line at the fire dept. I figured it was a long shot but thought they might be willing / able to open the window and put a bowl of water inside at least. But I didn’t reach anyone. So the girls and I decided to go knock on neighbors’ doors. The closest neighbor, it turns out, is where the pet sitter / teen girl lives. She’s away somewhere, but her brother texted her. He confirmed the code matched ours. Then she sent him a different code. We tried it, but it didn’t work either.

My 12 year old then realized if we lifted the outside flap on the cat door, there’s a little gap at the top - big enough to stick our hands through. So the girls and I bought some cat food and returned with that and a water dish and put them through the gap - we held the dish for the cats to drink from and held out spoons of cat food. (There are 3 cats). I figured that would at least sustain them until u heard back from the family or the pet sitter got back (though I was skeptical she’d be able to get in). I told the girls if that didn’t work there were solutions I could think of - like pulling out the cat door so the cats could get out and then we could take them to our apartment (technically we’re not allowed pets) or, if we reached the family, maybe they could overnight us a physical key.

Anyway, after our adventures at the neighbors and our adventures getting food and water through the tiny gap, I heard back from the family:

(1) we need to use # at the end of the code
(2) they forgot and gave us the wrong code (the 2nd one the pet sitter texted was correct) and
(3) the cats actually have an automatic water and food dispenser and should be fine and really just needed litter / snuggles!

Even before that, when we knew they’d be okay, the whole thing actually seemed like a silly adventure and now it actually seems even sillier - one of the cats wasn’t getting any food so I was trying to flick food to it through the cat door and then my 12 year old tried and another cat received some of it right on his nose

Glad to hear it OP. You're a good person to go out of your way to care for what could have been a deadly situation for those cats. That family is hella disorganized and lucky to have had you caring for their pet. I type out written instructions for my cat sitters, and the major thing I'm concerned with when I meet them is that they know how to use the door code so they can get in and out.

[Anonymous]

Good grief. Cats can go a couple of days without . They'll be fine.

[Anonymous]

Bye, bye kitty.

[Anonymous]

Wow. You're such a good friend, and also a creative problem solver!

I hope the family is grateful for all you've done!

[Anonymous]

Sorry you had to get all stressed on account of these dumb people!

[Anonymous]

You really went above and beyond. Some people just should not own pets. 3 cats? The litter must be disgusting.

[Anonymous]

You are good people OP.

[Anonymous]

Op, I think you taught your children many valuable lessons with this adventure. You're a good person and your kids will be too.

[Anonymous]

This happened to me! I found an unlocked window and got in.
The door code worked but it was temperamental. You had to turn the knob and pull while punching in code.