Mr. Snippers/Christopher

Some of you may remember Mr. Snippers. Two years ago, he was a cat looking for a home. After raising the funds (thanks to many of my clients and friends), we were able to get him neutered and got him into a great home with three dog brothers. (You can read more about him here: http://tccrittersitters.blogspot.com/2011/12/mr-snippers-has-new-home.html. There is also a link to a more complete story on that page.)

Christmas Eve 2011, I took Mr. Snippers to his new home. I recently received some really cute pictures from his mom, Dana. His name is Christopher now:

          From Dana: "He's doing great. He is the kindest, most affectionate cat! He's curious about everything, loves watching the birds and loves lying in wait around corners to pretend he's attacking the dogs. Also loves jumping over their backs. He sleeps next to me every night & I wake up to his purring. From there to breakfast, then straight to the kitchen sink for fresh water. He loves his routines. Every night when I let the dogs out, he goes out with me in my arms. He is the best and he's having the good life he deserves."

Two years later, and I'm still so very grateful to those who donated money so we could get Christopher a good home. Thank you all so much. And thank you Dana for taking him in and loving him the way you do. (Although, after having gotten to know him like I did, I know how easy falling in love with him really is.) :-)

 Time for a drink.

 Peek-a-Boo, I see you.

Trying to sleep in my sink here. Go away.

Cats, a Dog, and Chickens....Oh My.

When most people think of pet sitters, they think of dogs and cats. Of course, that's the majority of my clients, but I also take care of horses, chickens, hermit crabs, whatever.......

Orange tabby Pete and torbie Annie watching the resident hens....from a distance. 

Murray gets a bit closer, and the hens seem to really like him, often following him around. 

I haven't taken care of any snakes yet, and just don't think I could ever feed one live prey. And I refuse to take care of spiders. So, if any of you have tarantulas or such and need a pet sitter, sorry.   :-)

Making Adjustments

Pet sitting is often about making adjustments. We try to keep the pets as close to the same schedule as they are used to, but it's often not possible to be there at the exact time they are used to having dinner or their special treat. In the end, that's OK since their routine has already changed. The owners are gone so of course things aren't the same. After a visit or two, they get used to the fact that when this other person (the pet sitter) comes in, they will be on a slightly different schedule.

Eating patterns often change as well. I've had more than one pet stop eating for a day or two after their owner left. It's usually nothing to worry about. They will soon get used to the new routine and will give in to their hunger and start eating again.

Sometimes you have to employ little tricks as well. I am currently pet sitting regular clients Gracie, a Beagle, and her sister Emma, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. Gracie has recently been put on a special diet of prescription kidney dry and canned food. They both get their dry food mixed with a bit of water and a bit of regular canned food. Gracie then gets a couple spoons of her prescription canned food mixed in and both bowls are warmed for a bit in the microwave.

Now usually, this works out fine for them, but during this set of visits, Gracie has decided she doesn't really want to eat all her food. So, I had to come up with a trick or two. It has ended up with me going ahead and putting her food in the bowl with water and letting it soak so it will be soft for my next visit. Then, I mix that softened up food with the canned food, mushing it all together. Seems to work pretty well. During one visit though, Gracie decided this still wasn't quite right, so I grated some carrot into the bowl and mixed it in. (Both dogs get a treat of a carrot at each visit, so I just put a bit of the one I will give her later into the food.) Yep, so far that's worked.

All animals can be a bit finicky, and they will react to changes in their daily routine. As a pet sitter, it's my job to work within that change, keeping them as close as I can to the usual. Of course, nothing can beat the day their owners walk back in that door, making their world right again.

Updating Soon

We have been down (blog-wise) for various reasons for nearly a year now. We are working on getting this thing going again, and plan on posting regularly beginning in September. So, come back and check out the blog on September 1st.

I love this cat. Makes me smile every time I see her. Just look at that expression. So priceless.

I have to admit, the first time I saw a picture of this cat, I wondered if it had been Photoshopped. So I ran a search and found that no, she really does look like that....all grumpy and such. 

You can visit her at Tard the Grumpy Cat. 

Happy Independence Day

All of us here at Tri-County Critter Sitters (humans and resident cats alike) would like to wish all of you a wonderful and safe 4th of July holiday.

And don't forget to make sure your pets are safe during any fireworks displays. The loud noises are very scary to them and local shelters get a lot of calls on July 5th with reports of pets who ran away during the previous evening's fireworks. 

Pet Food Recall

Diamond Brand Pet Food Recall:  Please go to this site and pass along the information to other pet owners. Diamond brands has put out a recall on cat and dog food due to salmonella. Two cats have died and humans have even gotten sick from handling the product.