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Core Cats in the City Resources

These articles introduce Cats in the City’s care model, emergency planning resources, clinical grooming concepts, and TANDEM Cat® handling philosophy.

Boarding

Cats in the City Boarding Quick Reference Guide

A helpful overview for understanding boarding care, preparation, and expectations.

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Emergency Care

Portland Area Emergency Veterinary Hospitals

Emergency and specialty veterinary hospital information for the Portland area.

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Planning

Who Will Care for Your Cat If Something Happens to You?

A planning resource for guardians thinking ahead about feline care continuity.

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Care Philosophy

Principles of Somatic Medicine

An introduction to the body-centered care philosophy informing TANDEM Cat® work.

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Handling

TANDEM Touch™: The Foundation of Support-Based Feline Handling

How support-based handling helps cats remain safer and more regulated during care.

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Systems

Care as Infrastructure

A systems-level look at trauma-informed care that can scale across feline services.

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Cat Boarding

Boarding Adjustment, Stress, and Daily Care

These public-facing boarding articles help guardians understand how cats adjust to boarding, what changes may be normal, and how staff support early regulation.

Boarding

Boarding Quick Reference Guide

A practical starting point for Cats in the City boarding clients.

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Adjustment

The First 24 Hours of Boarding

What many cats experience during the first day away from home.

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Adjustment

The First Night Away From Home

How cats may respond during their first overnight boarding experience.

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Stress

Understanding Decompression During Boarding

Why some cats need time before they begin to relax.

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Adjustment

Understanding the Adjustment Curve

How feline adjustment can unfold over time.

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First Week

What Is Normal During the First Week?

Common patterns guardians may hear about during early boarding.

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Day One

What to Expect During Day One

A client-friendly guide to the first day of boarding.

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Day Two

What to Expect During Day Two

How early adjustment may continue after the first night.

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Day Three

What to Expect During Day Three

What staff may observe as cats begin settling further.

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Support

How Staff Support Early Adjustment

How Cats in the City supports cats during early boarding transition.

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Progress

Signs of Successful Adjustment

Positive indicators that a cat is beginning to settle.

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Behavior

Temporary Behavioral Changes

Why some behaviors may shift temporarily during boarding.

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Boarding Stress Education

Fear, Shutdown, Hypervigilance, and Stress Signals

These articles explain feline stress responses in a grounded, client-accessible way.

Fear

Common Fear Responses in Cats

How fear can appear in feline body language and behavior.

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Support

Confidence Building During Boarding

How safe routines can help confidence return.

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Environment

Environmental Stress During Boarding

How environmental change can affect cats.

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Adjustment

How Cats Process Environmental Change

Why cats may need time to orient in a new setting.

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Recovery

Recovery Patterns During Boarding

How cats may gradually recover from stress.

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Separation

Separation Stress in Cats

How separation can affect appetite, behavior, and comfort.

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Physiology

The Physiology of Feline Stress

A plain-language explanation of stress in the feline body.

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Trauma-Informed

Trauma-Informed Boarding

How trauma-informed care changes the boarding experience.

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Stress

Understanding Boarding Stress

What stress can look like when cats are away from home.

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Hypervigilance

Understanding Hypervigilance

Why some cats stay watchful, tense, or on alert.

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Shutdown

Understanding Shutdown Behavior

How shutdown can appear quieter than people expect.

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Observation

Why Stress Is Not Always Visible

Why a quiet cat may still be experiencing stress.

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Individuality

Why Stress Looks Different in Every Cat

How personality, history, and health affect stress expression.

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Assessment

Normal Adjustment vs. Significant Stress

How to understand the difference between expected adjustment and concern.

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Hiding

Why Cats Hide During Boarding

Why hiding can be a normal feline coping strategy.

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Grooming

Cat Grooming, Matting, Pelting, Estimates, and Coat Health

These articles explain why cats need grooming, how coat problems develop, how estimates work, and why TANDEM Cat® grooming is structured as a care system.

Grooming

Why Cats Need Grooming

Why even indoor cats may need professional coat care.

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Frequency

How Often Should My Cat Be Groomed?

How grooming frequency depends on coat, age, health, and tolerance.

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Total Reset

What Is a Total Reset?

An introduction to comprehensive TANDEM Cat® grooming intervention.

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Appointment

What Happens During a Professional Cat Groom?

What clients can expect during professional feline grooming.

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Preparation

How to Prepare for a Grooming Appointment

How to help your cat arrive ready for care.

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Aftercare

What to Expect After Grooming

Common post-grooming changes and recovery patterns.

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Signs

Signs Your Cat Needs Grooming

Early indicators that coat care support may be needed.

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Indoor Cats

Do Indoor Cats Need Grooming?

Why indoor-only cats can still develop serious coat problems.

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Senior Cats

Why Senior Cats Need More Grooming Support

How aging can affect grooming ability, comfort, and mobility.

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Matting

What Is Cat Matting?

A plain-language explanation of feline matting.

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Comfort

Why Mats Hurt

How mats can pull skin, restrict movement, and cause discomfort.

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Mobility

How Matting Affects Mobility

How coat restriction can interfere with normal movement.

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Skin

How Matting Affects Skin Health

How mats can trap moisture, debris, and irritation against the skin.

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Severe Mats

Why Cats Cannot Groom Through Severe Mats

Why self-grooming cannot resolve fused coat.

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Safety

The Risks of Home Dematting

Why cutting or pulling mats at home can be dangerous.

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Pelting

What Is Pelting?

How severe coat fusion can develop into a pelted coat condition.

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Felting Model

Fused Not Twisted

The TANDEM Cat® felting model of feline matting.

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Scale

Understanding the TANDEM Cat® Matting Severity Scale

A guide to matting severity and care planning.

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Estimates

How Grooming Estimates Work

Why estimates depend on coat condition, tolerance, and final assessment.

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Pricing

The Difference Between an Estimate and a Quote

Why feline grooming pricing often requires an assessment-based range.

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Cost

Why Does Grooming Cost What It Does?

What goes into safe, professional, cat-centered grooming.

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Care System

The Future of Grooming Is a Care System

Why grooming can function as structured feline care.

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Clinical Grooming Concepts

TANDEM Cat® Clinical Grooming and Somatic Coat Care

These resources explain emerging TANDEM Cat® concepts related to coat compression, mammary duct impaction, matting severity, and somatic comfort.

PFSES

Pre-Felt Somatic Entrapment Syndrome

An introduction to pre-felt coat restriction and somatic burden.

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FMDI

Understanding Feline Mammary Duct Impaction

A client-facing guide to FMDI observations and care relevance.

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FMDISI

TANDEM Cat® Feline Mammary Duct Impaction Severity Index

A structured severity framework for mammary duct impaction.

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CBCI

TANDEM Cat® Claw Bed Compaction Index

A clinical grooming framework for claw bed compaction severity.

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TSA

TANDEM Cat® Transitional Stress Anorexia Response Ladder

A structured way to understand early appetite disruption during transition.

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Somatic Care

The Burden Threshold

A framework for understanding quality-of-life restoration in companion cats.

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Coat Care

What Is TANDEM Cat® Coat Decompression?

How coat decompression can support comfort and mobility.

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Technique

What Is HydroFriction™?

An explanation of one TANDEM Cat® grooming technique.

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Cat Sitting

Professional Cat Sitting and In-Home Care

These articles help clients understand professional cat sitting, visit structure, updates, preparation, home access, and wellness monitoring.

Cat Sitting

What Is Professional Cat Sitting?

A clear introduction to professional in-home cat care.

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Services

What Services Are Included During Cat Sitting Visits?

What clients can expect during a scheduled visit.

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Access

Home Access Procedures

How home access is handled for cat sitting visits.

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Veterinary Info

Veterinary Contact Information for Cat Sitting

Why current veterinary information matters before travel.

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Emergency

Emergency Contact Information for Cat Sitting

How emergency contacts support safe in-home care.

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Preparation

What Information Should I Leave for My Cat Sitter?

Details that help sitters provide consistent care.

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Preparation

Preparing Your Cat for a Pet Sitter

How to help your cat transition into in-home care visits.

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Visit Length

How Long Are Cat Sitting Visits?

How visit length connects to care needs and household structure.

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Visit Care

What Happens During a Cat Sitting Visit?

A general guide to visit flow and care activities.

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Decision Guide

Choosing Between Boarding and Cat Sitting

How to think through which care option fits your cat.

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In-Home Care

Benefits of In-Home Cat Care

Why some cats do best staying in their familiar environment.

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Fit

Is Cat Sitting Right for My Cat?

How temperament, health, and home routine affect care fit.

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Cat Sitting Updates and Visit Documentation

Communication, Reports, Photos, and Wellness Observations

These resources explain how visit updates, documentation, and wellness monitoring help support cats and reassure guardians during travel.

Reports

Daily Visit Reports

What daily reports can include during cat sitting.

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Photos

Photo Updates Explained

How photo updates support communication and reassurance.

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Behavior

Reporting Behavioral Changes

How behavioral observations are communicated during visits.

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Documentation

Understanding Visit Documentation

Why structured documentation matters in professional pet care.

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Peace of Mind

Vacation Peace of Mind

How professional communication supports guardians while away.

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Updates

Why Daily Updates Matter

Why consistent updates are part of professional cat care.

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Appetite

Monitoring Appetite During Visits

Why appetite is closely observed during cat sitting.

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Behavior

Monitoring Behavior During Visits

How behavior helps sitters understand comfort and concern.

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Hydration

Monitoring Hydration During Visits

Why water intake and hydration cues are part of visit care.

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Wellness

Wellness Observations During Visits

What sitters may notice about comfort, appetite, litter box use, and behavior.

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Cat Sitting Preparation

Travel Preparation, Feeding, Medication, and Home Care

These articles help clients prepare their home, instructions, emergency contacts, and cat care routines before leaving town.

Feeding

How to Leave Feeding Instructions

How to document meals, amounts, timing, and preferences.

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Medication

How to Leave Medication Instructions

How to prepare clear medication details before travel.

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Travel Prep

The Day Before Departure

Final preparation steps before leaving home.

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Travel Prep

The Week Before Your Trip

How to prepare care details in advance.

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Checklist

Travel Preparation Checklist

A practical checklist before leaving your cat in professional care.

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Emergency Contacts

Updating Emergency Contacts Before You Travel

Why emergency contact information should be current.

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Preparation

What Your Cat Needs Before You Leave

How to prepare supplies, routines, and care information.

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Feeding

Feeding During Cat Sitting Visits

How feeding is handled during scheduled visits.

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Litter Box

Litter Box Scooping Procedures

How litter box care supports cleanliness and wellness observation.

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Enrichment

Play and Enrichment During Visits

How play and social time can support comfort when appropriate.

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Water

Water Refresh Procedures

How fresh water is handled during visits.

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Security

Key Handling and Security

How access materials are handled for in-home care.

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Rescue and Lifetime Care

Feline Rescue, Legacy Planning, and Long-Term Care

These public-facing rescue resources support guardians thinking about future feline care, estate planning, lifetime care, rehabilitation, and ways to support Cats in the City Rescue.

Estate Planning

Planning for Your Pet in Your Estate

How to include your cat’s future care in estate planning.

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Checklist

Pet Legacy Planning Checklist

A structured checklist for future feline care planning.

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Lifetime Care

Cats in the City Lifetime Care Program Agreement

Information related to long-term care planning through Cats in the City.

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Future Care

Letter of Intent for Future Feline Care

A planning document for communicating a cat’s needs and preferences.

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Lifetime Care

Cats in the City Lifetime Care Program

An overview of the Cats in the City lifetime care model.

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Support

Ways to Support Cats in the City Rescue

How community members can support rescue work.

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Rehabilitation

Rehab Programs for Cats

An introduction to rehabilitation-centered feline rescue care.

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