DEAR HARRIETTE: I was headed out of town for a few days, so I asked a trusted friend to house-sit for me.

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In the past, when I had only one cat, I’d take him to my mom’s until I got back, but now that I have two, I thought it might be easier to leave them in their home and have someone come over and be with them until I returned.

I asked my friend who is familiar with both of my cats, and I insisted on paying for her help. Upon my return from vacation, I found my cats’ water bowls completely dry and their litter boxes out of control — so much so that they’d had to handle their business in other places in my home — and my garbage was at capacity.

If I had known my friend wasn’t going to care for my cats, I could have just left them home alone. I wouldn’t have paid someon

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