How do you get a cat to do what you want?
The answer, according to Pacific Beach’s Jeanne Zammarchi of Cat Care Extraordinaire, is to “let it do what it wants to do first.”
Zammarchi has 15 years’ experience cat-sitting mostly in Pacific Beach, La Jolla and environs. She’s pampered at least 300 different cats over the years, including just about every imaginable breed. Her services include vet visits, administering medication, or whatever is required. “I charge very little for a lot,” she said.
“To me it’s just something natural,” said Zammarchi, about her rapport with felines. “I think I’m a little bit of a cat lady: I’m a little over the top. But if you were going to do a job for me – I would like for you to love what you are doing.”
Zammarchi, who also teaches a phonics program she started five years ago at Ocean Beach Elementary School, cut her teeth in cat care watching a neighbor’s feline while she was away.
That business model has since spread to many more cats and clients. Her slogan is, “Where T.L.C. is our motto … and the prices are fair.”
PB’s cat lady said Extraordinaire is in her business name because “I go the extra mile for my clients.”
Zammarchi offers a free consultation for prospective clients, at which time she “bonds” with the owner and their cat.
Offering this general suggestion for anyone who wants to establish a better relationship with their felines, Zammarchi said, “Just take 10 minutes, in the morning or at night, and be there 100 percent with them.”
Discussing her key to cat management, Zammarchi said it’s best to observe, learn and be intuitive.
“Cats love rhythm. They love rituals, i.e. eating at the same time,” Zammarchi said, adding, “Each cat has its own traits.”
She noted they also have their own favorite places to “settle,” which changes periodically.
A cat lover, Zammarchi treats her aged 19-year-old cat, Sage, like “a little person.” She likes to dress her up in costumes and take her to the farmers market or wherever else she goes.
“Everybody knows her,” Zammarchi said.
The cat fancier has been around her favorite creature long enough to be a “troubleshooter,” offering insights into how to deal with problematic pussies and their issues.
She cited, as one example, breaking her own cat of spooking whenever the toilet flushed, by patience and training aimed at showing her there wasn’t anything fear.
Zammarchi pointed out there are pros and cons for every cat breed, noting owners can pick and choose amongst them to find those matching their own temperament and personality.
“I’m not a Siamese person,” she noted, adding, “The Egyptian Sphinx (hairless) is very nice and playful, although my favorite is the Norwegian Forest cat that you can get to do almost anything,” she said.
One cat breed an owner can really have their hands full with is the Bengal tabby.
“Never get a Bengal unless you’re ready for that type of responsibility,” Zammarchi said, noting,” They are quite wild. You almost have to have shelves up the wall or cat trees for them. They’re like little tigers.”
The domestic cat (Felis catus) is part of the felids, a rapidly evolving family of mammals that share a common ancestor only 10-15 million years old. The cat family includes species large and small including lions, tigers, cougars and many others.
Cats can hear sounds too faint or too high in frequency to be audible by humans. They can see in near darkness. Like most other mammals, cats have poorer color vision than humans, but a far better sense of smell.
Cats were revered cult animals in ancient Egypt and believed to have been introduced to Europe by the Romans. There is evidence that their domestication by humans goes back as far as 7,500 B.C. They have always been prized for their practical ability to hunt rats, mice and other vermin. Cats are considered the most popular pet in the world, and are now found almost everywhere humans live.
PB cat fancier Zammarchi said her busiest times of the year for cat care are summers when people are on vacation, and the year-end holidays.
She welcomes new clients and can be reached at (858) 581-3494.