I have a cat at home I spend quality time with and also give him space because he likes to follow and be next to me, but not be smothered or on my lap. I clean the litter box right after he goes to the bathroom and wipe dingleberries. I have had a cat that I used to walk on the leash, but Rupert is not used to it, so I have not walked a cat since. He is comfortable sitting right on the entrance when the door is open and he only walks right by there on his own. He is not a runner, I have had a cat that was a runner and we had to keep the door closed. I change the water bowl a few times a day and brush the coat. I have not brushed pets teeth because he is not comfortable with it, I tried. With all friends pets that let me pet them, I also give massages , as well as scritches and scratches, cats and dogs. I have toys my cat didn’t use and then became his favorite, when he starts getting excited from pets and wants to scratch, I put a toy on him and he can let his energy out on that. With my boyfriend’s cat I learned to walk around cats that scratch legs when entering. He now comes to the door and greets me like a puppy, I can pet him and notice when he is about to go into hunter mode and move myself out of the way. With dogs I had to learn the barking at the door and finding a way to distract if they are too loud or it is too long. We also had to keep on their walking schedule that goes with our friends work schedule. The dogs I took care of had no backyard to run around too much, but they had toys and were given pets, cuddles and snacks.