My Great Pet Sitters

This blog is all about my adventures in pet sitting. I've talked about myself and the pets I care for. I need to mention my pet sitters. They are awesome. I'm really lucky to have a team of experienced, dedicated, honest pet sitters. They have great attitudes and always put the pet's needs first.

So, I just want to say thanks to Torrie, Cathy, Jeff, Fay, Suzanne, Pam, June, and Dru for the great work you do! My business could not grow without you!

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!

Survived Spring Break

Well, looks like I survived spring break pet sitting for the most part! I am still pretty exhuasted for sure. I do have a busy weekend coming up and then, after that, my calendar is pretty sparse. But, as most pet sitters know, that can change pretty quickly. As the weather gets nicer, clients start waking up and spontaneously start planning little get away vacations. And they should! Seems like McCall and Sun Valley are popular right now as folks are getting in some last minute spring skiing and Mother Nature just dumped some great powder on them! So, my pet sitting adventures continue, as always!

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.

Quiet Time in Pet Sitting

The past couple of weeks have been eerily quiet. This is a slow time of year for pet sitting. People are laying low before the holidays. I call it the quiet before the storm. I am savoring the time alone with my dogs and few emails coming in. This is a great time to recharge and relax. My dogs, Nikki and Lucy, are enjoying having mom home. I think I will take them to the Nampa dog park this weekend. If you haven't been there, I highly recommend going. It is 6 acres of fenced, grassy land. Nampa should get a gold metal for pulling this off. It's not easy to find a good location, get the surrounding neighbors to allow it, and to get the funds to get it up and running and keep it maintained...thus Boise has failed to get a dog park as nice...not for lack of effort by many groups.

So, everyone....follow my example...lay low, enjoy some rest and relaxation before the holiday madness begins!