Dulcie Dee: Catwoman from Queens
By Cristina DC Pastor
In her one-bedroom Sunnyside apartment in Queens, artist Dulcie Dee would have cats – sometimes as many as four — running around, jumping from floor to cupboard or sleeping on her bed.
Dulcie, 67, is a “cat boarder,” which is an ideal gig because she loves cats and used to own a pair of Seal Point Siamese cats which she adopted when she was married in late 1990s.
As a cat boarder, she takes care of feline pets for days, weeks or even months when their owners are gone for long periods of vacation time. She feeds them, plays with them, pets and grooms them, scoops out their litter twice a day and sometimes teaches them tricks. One owner even left his kitty with her for two months while he was in Colorado.
“Cat owners prefer to have a personal cat boarder for human contact daily instead of putting their cats in a cage all day at a luxury cat board facility,” she said when interviewed by The FilAm.
Dulcie is fortunate to live in an apartment that allows pets. “I don’t need to inform the landlord because cats are not living with me 24/7,” she said. Sometimes, the cats scratch her hands and legs, may playfully bite her, knock things over, step on her laptop keyboard or artwork.
“I must vacuum every day to get rid of cat hair that gets everywhere. I have to cat-proof my apartment!” she said.
For more than 10 years now, cats have kept her company and given her “extra money to help pay the bills.”
For three days work, she gets $126, for a month anywhere from $400 to $500. “It’s cash I don’t need to report if less than $600/year,” she said. “No 1099.”
Dulcie found this job through a site for cat care service called Kitty in NY. She was interviewed by the owner and asked if she knew how to take care of cats. Cat owners are likely to find her through the website, which is advertised on Craigslist or other social media websites.
The owner must follow certain rules like providing food with feeding instructions for the period of time he or she is away. They also need to provide sufficient litter, food, and some toys. Cats need to have their vaccinations up to date and owners must provide the vet’s contact information.
“I have to feed whatever food the owner gives me, sometimes dry food, sometimes wet, sometimes freeze-dried food. I hate freeze-dried food. You have to take it out from the freezer, put a little water in it and mash it up until it’s all moist and soft. It’s more work,” she said.
On the first day, Dulcie observes her little meow-er. If the cat is sociable, her tail is usually up. “That means the cat is comfortable with me.” When the tail is down, it usually means the cat is scared. Scared cats will hide under the bed or in the bathroom and they might take a whole weekend to get adjusted.
Most of the time, she leaves scared cats alone but makes sure to have food and water available where they can see and smell their food bowls. Sometimes, they don’t want to come out to eat but when they become hungry overnight, they go to their food bowls and help themselves.
The cats love her bedroom. They sit by the window that looks to the East because that’s where they face the morning light and watch traffic and people pass by, or birds flying from tree to tree and landing on her fire escape. “They love to chirp at the birds and watch me do my artwork at my desk or they might sit on my lap for pettings.”
Dulcie, who is also a skilled photographer, sends beautiful photos of the cats napping, resting or in funny poses to their owners to show they are being well taken care of. Cats atop New York skyscrapers have figured in many of her art works.
“I’ve always loved cats. I don’t wanna do dog walking,” she said. The idea of picking up after the dog is a big turnoff.
‘I love my job’ is a new segment of The FilAm featuring Filipinos who have rare and unique occupations. If you know someone, please pitch us a story at thefilamny@gmail.com.
