Here Comes the Weekend!

I guess I'm an odd person. I love a busy pet sitting weekend, like the one coming up. My day will start at 5:30 because I have three sets of dogs that need to get out first thing in the morning. First, I will go see my buddy, Fred. Fred is a 12 year old Pointer that acts like a puppy. Fred loves his tennis ball. When he's not chasing it, he keeps it on top of his dry food in his dish. Fred and I will go down to the common area with the tennis ball and Chuck-It. As much as Fred loves the whole fetching thing, he's only good for about 2 throws these days. After he fetches it for the second time, he runs home. He's so funny. He is definitely a dog that loves routine.

Next on my agenda are four dogs in Kuna...all beautiful, sweet boxers. Ike, Max, Lulu, and Sadie. They are crated in the garage at night, so I like to get there as late as possible at night and as early as possible in the morning so they don't have to hold it. (-; They have a huge, 1 acre shaded back yard that they get to romp around in all day long. Ike is so sweet. He likes to follow me around. I also walk the dogs. After my Kuna stop, it's off to Chinden and Eagle to let Pistol and Simba out of their crates. One of my other sitters crates them up at 10 pm, so they are crated the minimal amount of time as well. Pistol and Simba are Brittany Spaniels. They are very well trained, but Pistol is high strung. I usually let Simba have time in the back yard while I take Pistol for a walk. I really enjoy walking Pistol.

That is just the start of my pet sitting day tomorrow. After the dogs, I continue on my route to care for cats and I also have two new client consultations, one for chickens! Yeah! My first job as a chicken sitter! I get to collect eggs and everything! Stay tuned!.

4th of July Pet Sitting

Summer is in full swing and my clients are going on vacation in full force! This past weekend was super busy! Here is my schedule for one day....

Pet sitting is something I've always done...I remember posting flyers seeking employment as a dog walker as early as age 10. Since I can remember I've always been tasked with taking care of others pets. I didn't always get paid, but that was OK. I loved animals and I wanted to care for them. I started an official pet sitting business in 2003, after being laid off from my 'real' job. I've learned a lot about pet sitting over the past seven years and I love being a pet sitter. So, enough of that...you want to know what I do! What is a typical day in the life of a pet sitter? Here we go...July 3, 2010.

5:30 am: Alarm clock rings....ahhh...is it already morning? Yes it is. I'm actually happy to get up and going. I have a big day today because of the 4th of July holiday. My dogs stretch and get me up...breakfast time you know! I feed the dogs and jump in the shower.

6:15 am: A quick check of my email to see if any of my clients need anything. And to also confirm my schedule for the day.

6:30 am: Diet Coke and toast in hand, hair still wet, and dressed in capri pants, a tee shirt, and sandals, I say good bye to my pack and off I go.

7:00 am: My first stop is to see Bibi, Peasy, Minou, and Tawny...4 cats. Bibi is insulin-dependant, needing insulin at 7am and 7pm. Peasy is a cute tuxedo kitty. He and I have a lot of fun playing. After the shot, play-time, cleaning litter boxes, and feeding the kitties, I was on my way again.

7:45 am: Next stop on my pet sitting morning rounds is to see Rusty, an 18 year old senior kitty. Rusty sleeps a lot, but enjoys his routine of going outside and smelling all the flowers and then drinking from the fountain. He loves to be combed and purrs very loudly when I comb him. I adore him and dread the thought that he is not long for this world. After giving Rusty three medications that he always fights, cleaning the litter box, and replensihing his food and water, I am on my way again.

8:30: A quick stop to feed one of my sitter's cats, Cassandra and Boo. My sitter is doing an overnight job on the other part of town, so I offered to feed them so she wouldn't have to make a special trip home today. Back in my car and on my way again....

8:45: Time to see Katie kitty...a very social little cat that is full of personality. I picked her up and she started purring loudly. I always look forward to kitty sitting for my friend, Katie. My client's left me a note and asked me to water some outside plants and help myself to as much lettuce from the garden as I desired. Yay! I love the perks of pet sitting....what a nice treat. I was going to stop at Fred Meyer next to get some lettuce for Lil' Miss Funny Face, the turtle, but now I don't have to. After giving Katie lots of TLC, cleaning her box, feeding her and taking care of the plants, I'm on the road again.

9:30: a quick stop at the ATM to deposit last weeks' checks. It's hard to find the time to do these things.

9:45 am: Fish, geckos and Lil' Miss the turtle are next on my agenda. I prepare a bath for Lil' Miss so she can get hydrated. While she is swimming, I care for the geckos, fish, and plants. Then I clean Lil' Miss's cage and rip some of the fresh lettuce for her. I let her walk about the apartment...she loves to stretch her legs. Then I put her back into her aquarium...she dives into the pile of fresh lettuce...yummm. Back to my car and on my way.

10:30 am: Time to see Rusty and Sammy, two cutie tabby cats. Same routine as above. Sweet, social cats. Fun to see.

11:15 am: I swing down to the North end to see Iggy and Hobo....two sweet kitties. We spend all of our time on the deck, enjoying the beautiful day. After caring for them, I also water plants and turn the drip line on and off.

12 noon: Off to SW Boise to care for 3 corgis and a puppy. So cute! I take lots of photos.

1:00 pm. Back to the first kitties...Bibi needs a blood test mid-way between her shots.

2:00 pm. Home for a break! Then I jump on the computer to send updates up to my clients.

5:00 pm: Back to the corgis for dinner time, play and outside time.

5:40 pm: I head over to Mitchell and McMillan to see Max and Abby...two labs. After dinner, we enjoy a nice walk. Treat time when we get back.

7:00 pm: Round three with the first set of kitties...time for insulin.

8:00 pm. Time to visit Rusty for his second visit today. Not so many meds in the evening. He was a good boy for me.

9:00 pm. Home to take care of my pups, email clients, throw a load of wash in.

11:15 pm. Finally, I drop into bed so I can do it all again tomorrow!

Crazy schedule? Yes, but I still love pet sitting!

There you have it! What do you think now?!

My name is Julie Fredrick. I am a professional pet sitter and owner of The Pet Sitter, LLC of Boise, ID. I've been in the pet sitting business since 2003. My services include pet sitting, house sitting, dog walking, and pet taxi services. http://www.thepetsitterboise.com

Holiday Pet Sitting

I just finished a busy weekend of pet sitting. It was Memorial Day weekend. It was exhausting, but really fun as I had some dogs to walk and that always gets me out and about, which is a good thing. I wonder if other pet sitters enjoy the cat or the dog clients better. I can say that I have my favorites, both cats and dogs, but I do like the added bonus that I get from the dog jobs. I get paid to get some exercise. How cool is that? Dog walking is always enjoyable, except if it is too cold or rainy. I am fortunate that all of my dog walking clients live in nice walking areas, such as Park Center, Boise's North End, or just nice subdivisions with good walking paths.

I had another unexpected adventure this weekend. I walked into one home and into a flood! The line going to the toilet in the master bathroom had burst and the bedroom carpet was saturated. What a mess. I called the owner and he got a professional service out to handle the damage, which was pretty extensive to the bathroom, bedroom, and walk in closet. Good thing he had a pet sitter coming in...this happened on Sunday and he wasn't getting in until Wednesday!

Other than that, the weekend went pretty smoothly. Now comes summer...I'm already pretty booked up for the summer and I think it's going to be a busy one!

Spring Break

Spring break is one of the busiest weeks of the year for most pet sitters. It kind of hits me from left field. There is an errie quiet before the storm right before it. Then, it just sort of hits from out of nowhere. Some of my clients plan ahead, but others call at the last minute and my schedule fills up in an instant.

The funny thing is that I love spring break. It's like reuniting with old friends. My pet friends...Boots M and Boots P, Doug, Hilda, Candy, Anna, Zoe, Sampson...the list goes on. It is also a great time for me to remember how lucky I am to be paid for dog walking in beautiful neighborhoods with great dogs. It is a very exhausting time, but fun too.

Burmese Mountain Dog Weekend

When it rains it pours! Between my sitters and me (The Pet Sitter, LLC), we are caring for 4 Burmese Mountain dogs between two families. They are really wonderful dogs! Big teddy bears! When we are out walking them, people come up to see them. They are like people magnets because they are so incredibly cute! They just make me so happy....they are big, lovable creatures. If you haven't seen one, look them up...they are cool dogs!



Read more about Bernese Mountain Dog information at www.greatdogsite.com