Sitting Sunday

Emma and Gracie know exactly where they want to sit this morning.

Cat Overpopulation

Ever wonder why there are so many cats in the world? I learned some interesting facts today. A cat can have up to five litters of kittens a year. FIVE!!! And they can go into their first heat at four months of age.

I got some of these facts from this FAQ sheet I found online: http://www.sacanimal.org/cat_reproduction_FAQ.pdf. Do the research. There are plenty of resources out there. Talk to your vet even. Just get the facts. Knowledge is power as they say.

And please spay/neuter your pets. Way too many die in overcrowded shelters or alone on the streets every day. Be the solution, not part of the problem.

Your pets will thank you for it.

Handsome Jack

I am so lucky that this pet sitting gig has allowed me to surround myself with some of the most handsome boys you've ever seen. Jack is one of them.

He may be handsome, but when he's outside, Jack does not like to be held. I think he's afraid I'm going to take him back in the house. He gets outside time while I take care of his litter boxes and food/water bowls, then it's back in at the end of my visit. Of course, I sometimes take a bit of extra time and hang out with him for a bit, enjoying the sunshine and peaceful atmosphere where he lives, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Jack loves to wander through the woods, watching for birds, bugs and whatever else he can find. His eyes are always wide open, and he's always alert to the least little movement in the leaves.

Sometimes Jack is sitting in this window when I get there, like he just knew I was coming and is waiting for me. He's not often standing up in it like this though. He's more often just peering through the space at the bottom of the blinds and all you can see are his eyes staring out at you. Would be pretty creepy if I didn't know he was such a sweetheart.

I've been visiting Jack twice a week for several months now, but those visits are about to come to an end. I've grown very fond of this boy and will for sure miss seeing him every week.

Emma & Gracie

I love all my doggie and kitty clients, but Emma & Gracie have a special place in my heart. They were my first two regular sitting clients and their mom is a friend, so I kinda feel more like the aunt that comes in to spoil them than their pet sitter. :-)

This is Gracie, the Beagle. I adore Beagles. I don't know what it is about them, but they are just so flipping cute. And Gracie is definitely no exception. She is a bit neurotic, but come on, who among us isn't?

This is Gracie's sister, Emma. She is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. She definitely loves her rawhide bones, and here she is eying Gracie while keeping a protective paw on her new one. You can tell it's a new one because it's still in one piece. She makes quick work of those things.

Kinda dark, but this is one of my favorite pictures of the girls. They were in the window watching me leave. Made me feel kinda bad, leaving them like that. But, I had others to take care of, and they kept each other company until I returned for my next visit. They're really great girls and we have a lot of fun.

Cats and Stuff

Well, time has flown by and April is almost here. Spring is in...well...full spring I guess...but you wouldn't know it from the weather around here. It's cold and a bit of snow is falling here and there in Critter Sitter Land. So, I'm going to add some sunshine to this otherwise gray and dreary day.

Today, I'm going to share some photos of my own resident cats. Don't get me wrong, I adore dogs as well and I like to say I get my dog fix through the pet sitting. I just don't have the space for a dog here, and the cats weren't actually brought in by choice. They just started showing up. I think there's a large neon sign on top of my house proclaiming that a sucker lives here and constantly gives out free food.

I do have a personal blog where I often talk about my cats, among other things. It is called Rambling Thoughts and Thoughtful Ramblings. Stop in and check it out if you'd like.

These two are the latest additions to my group. This is an older picture, they're still kittens here (are about a year and 9 months now). Hope is the one eating and the other is Google, her brother. Now, before you get any ideas, he was actually named because of his eyes. He has such big googly eyes. I tried to find indoor homes for them, but to no avail. I would still love to find one. They really deserve to be inside kitties, and I think they would transition over to that just fine. (I already have 4 inside.) But for now, they are outside and enjoying it immensely.

This is Tango. He's about 6 years old now. He used to belong to my neighbor, but one day just decided to stay over here instead. I have a great neighbor, and I'm really glad he didn't get upset about that. Tango's a good kid and I adore him. Always have. He has a great personality.

This is Muffin. She just showed up one day about three years ago and never left. I always said I wouldn't have an outside cat, then she came along. We think she's about 5 or so now. She was spayed already, so had a home at some point, but for some reason decided life was better here. That summer, she followed me all around the yard when I'd pick blackberries. She likes to make you think she's not a big fan of Google or Hope, but then you catch her playing with them in the yard. She's turning into a great little auntie for them.

That's just a few of our crowd. Kittens have shown up at my door, helped along I'm sure by people who know my reputation for taking care of them. One feral cat has been here for about as long as Muffin and still won't let me touch her...or him. But, I am able to get closer now, so there is hope. I've taken cats to the local shelter where they've gone on to good homes, and my husband and I have had the wonderful experience of bottle-raising a litter of six, which is where our four indoor kitties came from.

I love cats and dogs....animals of all kinds actually. We get the occasional raccoon and opossum on the porch at night, grabbing whatever tidbits the cats happen to leave behind. I've taken care of all kinds of animals ranging from the usual cats and dogs to horses and roosters. And one thing I've noticed, they all have their own personalities and they're all unique.

I have to say, I love my job. ~Susan

Another Rosie

Putting the spotlight on another Rosie I recently sat for. This one is a sweet little kitty. She's 15-years-old and still frisky. She was a bit wary of me the first time I came to visit, but after that started following me around and watching me closely. Maybe she was just guarding her house.

This is where I found Rosie on my first visit, curled up on the couch.

After that initial visit, Rosie hung out with me a bit. This is her on the banister watching me as I headed downstairs to clean out her litter box.

I always get nervous when a cat jumps up on a railing or stair banister, but I know that's just my own fear of heights talking. They know what they're doing and have great balance.

I hope you and all your furry or feathered friends have a great holiday. May the new year bring us all peace, love and lots of joy.

Buddha and Rosie

What a busy summer we had. Some of the clients we added to our roster were summer visitors to the mountains, and we're hoping to see all of them again next year.

Here are two such visitors; Buddha and Rosie.

Couldn't get them to look at the camera, but I like this picture because I think

Buddha's white feet are so cute.

And check out Rosie's sweater. Her "grandma" makes them for her.

Buddha is a handsome boy, and he knows it.

Buddha sharing a kiss with his "sister."

Sometimes they even snuggle together on the doggie bed.

And sometimes they don't. (Check out the laser eyes. And you thought only cats had those.)

Buddha gave me lots of kisses, and Rosie likes to be carried around when we'd go outside. They're both such good dogs, and I really hope I get to see them again next summer.