Pet Sitting

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Mostly cats, dogs, chickens, and donkeys. The week of March 20, 2011, I took care of a 17 year old tortoise, 2 dogs, 3 cats, 22 chickens, and a rabbit at one place and 2 cats at another place.

I have work nearly every day but do most of my business on holidays and weekends.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. When I petsit, I am responsible not only for your pet but also the home in which they reside. It is crucial that you leave with a petsitter emergency contacts that include:
A written list of instructions for feeding, walking, etc.
Your cell number or where you can be reached
A relative's contact info if you cannot be reached
Your pet's veterinarian info

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. It is really important to me that your pets are friendly and have no serious behavior issues. I will not work with violent or dangerous animals. I prefer taking care of dogs that have been trained.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. I have been told by customers that finding reliable help is not always easy. My fees are reasonable and the fact that I can administer medications and injections is a plus. I can care for a wide range of animals including exotics and farm animals which makes my services more broad in scope.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. Interacting with animals and being outdoors are two aspects I like most about my job.
I love pets and enjoy giving each one individual attention and care.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. Most customers ask about my fees and what I do. I generally charge $20 per visit. A visit usually lasts up to 30 minutes. For cats, I feed them, play with them, and clean litter boxes. For dogs, I feed, walk them, and spend quality time with them. I can administer medications if necessary including injections (I have given insulin to cats and antibiotics via injection to an iguana.)
For chickens and farm animals, I feed and water but do not muck stalls. For rabbits, rats, mice, hamsters, gerbils,and other small pets (turtles, snakes, spiders, sugar gliders, crickets, fish, etc) I feed and water and sometimes will clean cages if not too much trouble.

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. One of my most cherished moments petsitting was in early 2011. A dog I was taking care of named Hazel played with an adult deer in the front yard of her home. The deer and Hazel playfully chased each other about. I wanted to record it with my camera but did not want to disturb them as my camera was in my car close to where they were.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. Education:
**AA Mathematics from Dutchess Community College,
Poughkeepsie, NY
**BA Psychology (Minor Anthropology) from State
University of New York at New Paltz

Volunteer:
**Treasurer of New Paltz Garden Club
**Coordinator, Treasurer, and Order Coordinator for
New Paltz Food Shares
**Treasurer for Committee to Elect Manna Jo Greene
**Clearwater Revival Festivals
**Atlas 2000 http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7312.html

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. When I was a child I loved nature and pets. I began caring for others' pets around age 9 and did so throughout my childhood. I wanted to be a veterinarian but my educational pursuits took me in other directions. A few years ago as a favor to a neighbor I took care of their dog when they needed to go out of town for a few days. They in turn told a few friends about me. In a short time thereafter, I had a thriving business getting paid doing what I loved.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. I am currently being trained in IET (Integrated Energy Therapy) for humans and animals. I also read frequently about animals and health to keep abreast of new discoveries.