March 3-9…Did You Know?

Charlie Bear on board again. Before I came to live here, Mom and Dad had a diabetic cat named Red. He needed two insulin shots a day—morning and night. They tried having friends and family come over and give him his shots whenever they had to be away, but Red turned into a raging lion and resisted. That wasn’t good. He needed that insulin to survive.

So Mom and Dad went online, found a professional pet sitter, interviewed her, and then hired her. And guess what? Red loved this woman. She was calm and soothing and gave him the insulin shots with ease. Everyone was happy.

Do you know that March 3-9 is National Pet Sitters Week? When Mom and Dad go away, they still use the same wonderful pet sitting service to care for me. The lovely girl’s name is Jennifer, and she is SO sweet. Oh, sure, they could board me at the vet’s or have a family member or friend come and check on me, but here are the reasons why you might want to find a pet sitter that your fur babies can love:

Top 5 Reasons to Use a Professional Pet sitter

1. I like to stay in my own home with my own bed, toys, and food bowls. Kennels are okay, but they can also be noisy, full of different smells, and filled with lots of other animals that might expose me to a cold or cough or something.

2. I get personalized attention just for me, me, me. When Jennifer comes over she’s all about petting me, loving me, playing with me, feeding me. I get her all to myself and I love it.

3. The lived-in appearance brings peace of mind. Even with Mom and Dad away, lights get turned on and off, mail and newspapers are brought in (I don’t read them—I save them for Mom), trash is taken out to the curb and brought back in, blinds are opened and closed. It just feels…well…like home!

4. Sticking to my routine and feeding schedule reduces stress, mine and Mom and Dad’s. Jennifer does everything on the list: she feeds me just the right amount, tosses little bits of treats around my room to “find it” when I go to bed, turns my night light on, and tunes the radio to a low volume of rock ‘n roll. She even calls, sends texts and sometimes a picture of me to Dad’s phone.

5. And last, (this is the best reason): I’m here to greet them after their long car drive or hours of flying. They unlock the door, step inside, and announce, “Charlie Bear, we’re home!” I jump into their arms and give them licks and kisses. We’re all happy.

Oh, you could say the cost of hiring a pet sitter is a lot, but consider the cost of boarding at a kennel, or worrying if the neighbors will come by on time. And there’s something to be said about not having to depend upon family and friends who say they are willing to do it, but sometimes it’s an inconvenience. So, sure, the cost of hiring a pet sitter may be a few bucks, but Mom and Dad say peace of mind is priceless.

The next time you have to go away and can’t take your furry baby with you, give Pet Sitters International a try. They have a great site where you can find just the right match of a qualified pet sitter for your pets using their Official Pet Sitter Locator™ at www.petsit.com/locate. Mom did it for kicks and it brought up 16 pet sitters in our area with websites and email addresses and everything. The next time your Mom and Dad go away on vacation, woof it up a little with a pet sitter of your very own and have a frolicking good time.

Wiggles and woofs to all of you for a fabulous spring and summer,
Charlie Bear

P.S. This column was my third in the American Pet Magazine (I’m on page 11-Woof!). You can see more great info on pets by clicking here:
www.americanpetmagazine.com

www.bjtayloronline.com