Crazy Reasons To Hire a Professional Pet Sitter

In my business, I've heard countless pet-sitting disasters that could have been avoided if someone had simply hired a professional.  A few of these stories are repeated on a regular basis, while others are simply...unique.

Here are some crazy reasons you might want to hire a professional pet sitter:

Roomba wants us to starve!

😾  You left out enough food for the cats for several days, but you didn't count on the Roomba getting stuck on top of the cat food dish, thereby preventing your kitties from getting any food.

😞  Your neighbor's kid loves dogs and does a great job walking your dog, but she wasn't expecting an unleashed dog to come blazing out of someone's backyard and attack your dog.   She doesn't even have a car to take your dog to the vet.

😡  You asked a friend to watch your bunny while you were out-of-state for a week, but she said the front key didn't work.  You frantically called a locksmith for help, but your friend stopped answering or returning your phone calls.

😿  You left for a three-day weekend with a 2-gallon self-serving water container for your cat, but Muscles the Cat knocked over the whole thing and emptied it within a matter of hours.

💩  Your friend agreed to take care of your dogs over the holiday, but a last-minute all-day event came up and she just had to go.  Your dogs also had to go, and the pee and poop caused permanent damage to your hardwood floor.

🙀  Your friend didn't bother cleaning cat litter boxes, and didn't notice that one of your two cats was missing.  Waldo the cat was stuck in a closet for a very long weekend.

😒  Your friend happily agreed "We can watch Rover in our house!" while you were on vacation, but the dog was stressed and howled constantly for the 5 days you were on gone. Your friend will never speak to you again.  Or worse, Rover chewed up their brand-new, $1500 leather couch.

😰  Your water heater broke while you were on vacation and completely flooded the basement.  A pro pet-sitter wouldn't be able to prevent this, but he or she could prevent a lot of the damage by discovering the problem early and working immediately to fix it.

❄  An unexpected blizzard hit while you were gone for New Year's, and your friend was unable to feed your guinea pigs for several days. One of the guinea pigs died shortly after you returned home. Professional pet sitters always have a backup plan: either calling a neighbor, leaving out extra food and water, or staying at the client's house.  A blizzard is never an excuse to abandon a pet.

In my own history, a client's furnace broke down when the temperatures hit 21 below zero this past January. I was able to keep the kitty warm with heating pads, call for emergency furnace repair, and let the furnace guy in so he could fix it.

Some of the things that my pet-sitter friends have experienced:

•  A cat tangled up in the cords of the blinds.  Luckily the cat was only stuck for (at most) a few hours.

•  Two sibling dogs that had never before had any altercations, suddenly got into a bloody, serious dog fight.  This is a distressing situation for any pet sitter, but the professional knew how to break up the fight safely, without getting bitten, and prevent the dogs from going at it again.

•  A cat that got stuck (yes, stuck) in the bricks in a chimney flue.

•  A dog that caught and almost killed a squirrel. Yes, the pet sitter had to make sure the squirrel was dead and not suffering.

•  A pet sitter that walked in while a client's house was being robbed.  This retired military woman had a concealed carry gun and shot the robber, then waited for police to arrive.

•  A dog that started suffering from bloat and would have died if the pet sitter had not recognized the symptoms immediately and taken the dog to the emergency vet.

The moral of the story?  Crazy things sometimes happen, even to the best of us... but professional pet sitters prepare for the "what-ifs" and worst-case scenarios, and they can use their experience and knowledge to prevent accidents and lessen the impact of any unavoidable disasters.

Cats Who Can't: "I'm not using that litter box!"

Is your cat avoiding the litter box? When my mom's cat, "Puma," started peeing outside the litter box, she thought he was just being ornery.  When she finally took him to the vet, they found a urinary blockage that would have been fatal if untreated. 

In a newsletter published by veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker, he discusses other causes that might keep a cat from using the litter box.  First and foremost, rule out any medical issues  by taking kitty to your vet.  Other possible causes:

Stress. This includes changes in routines, other pets in the house, or even new cats in the neighborhood.

Dirty litter box. Cats try their hardest to keep themselves clean, and they have very sensitive noses that detect the smallest odor. If you think the litter box smells terrible, imagine how it must smell to the cat, up close and personal. Make sure to keep it as clean as you can.

Difficult access. If the litter box sides are too high, your kitten or elderly cat may have trouble crossing the threshold. Arthritis is very common in older cats, so maybe try a box with a lower threshold.

Location. Many people keep litter boxes in the laundry room or basement, but imagine how frightening the sudden noise of a washer spinning, or an igniting furnace can be! Also, if the litter box is too far away from where the cat normally eats, drinks, or relaxes, it might be difficult for kitty to make it to the box.

Here are some helpful guidelines:

--Clean the litter box twice a day. 
--Once a week, empty the litter and wash out the box with soap and water. 
--Because some smells stick to plastic, Dr. Becker recommends throwing out the litter box and buying a new one every six months. 
--He suggests a minimum of one litter box on each floor of your home. 
--You should have one more litter box than the number of cats. 
--Studies show cats prefer non-scented, clumping litter about 2 and a half inches deep.

You can sign up for Dr. Becker's informative newsletters, highlighting a variety of pet issues, here:  http://www.drmartybecker.com/

Bright Star Pet Services: Customer Service Award for 2015/16

Gordon Larsen Business Achievement Awards

The Business Achievement Awards are presented annually by the Lake in the Hills village board.  Each year, the board recognize businesses that have made a positive impact in our community. People from Lake in the Hills and surrounding areas are encouraged to nominate a local business that stands above the rest in one of three different categories: customer service, community service, or employer of choice.

Judy playing with Lucca and Brisby.

Anita snuggles with the puppy Gee-O

We were thrilled to be nominated by several clients for the award in the field of customer service. It was even more exciting yesterday when the village President, Paul Mulcahy, presented the 2015/16 award to us. We are proud of our business and will always work hard to be responsive to our customers' needs.

Nick shares some love
with Gannon and Blarney.

We now have a web page with testimonials and pictures of happy client pets on our website,
http://www.brightstarpets.com


We want to say thanks to the Lake in the Hills village board for presenting us with this award, and to our many wonderful customers who nominated us. Most of all, we offer our heartfelt gratitude to our outstanding employees who work hard, every day of the year, and provide exceptional care and love to so many pets.