Search Results for: blog leaving your pets in the care of a sitter

Spending on Pets Skyrockets

Despite our recession (though apparently it’s recovering), some industries are on the rise. One of them, according to BBC News, is the pet industries. That’s right, in a time when pet food banks are growing at Animal Control facilities across the country and some people are still losing/struggling to stay in their homes, Americans are spending more on their pets than ever before. As you might guess, 65% of the overall amount spent is on food and veterinary costs. More people are also buying pet insurance. Maybe this just indicates that more people are looking to own more pets. This … Continue reading →

Preparing your home for vacation

As time draws near for going on an vacation, I am beginning to compile in my mind all of the things I need to before I leave. This is a good opportunity to share these things with you. 1: Use a note book or journal: The first thing you need to do is get and find a notebook or journal to use for your vacation and vacation planning. I like to use a bright colored folder with a clasp on it so nothing falls out. In it I put a notepad and this is where I begin to compile important … Continue reading →

Coming Back to Hurt Pets After Vacation

When Wayne and I went on our vacation to Alaska, we boarded Murphy in a “pet resort.” A neighbor watched the cats for us. (She graciously offered to watch Murph, too, but we didn’t want to overwhelm her. She has four kids, school had only started the week before so they were still getting back in that groove, plus she has two dogs –one of which is a new puppy with potty training problems– and a cat of her own. We didn’t want to add having to walk Murph four times a day to her To Do list.) Separation Anxiety … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: When Vet Opinions Differ

I know I talk a lot about vaccines, both here in the Pets Blog and over in the Health Blog. The way I see it, immunization helps prevent diseases that would otherwise ravage the population. The one vaccine we require at the cats-only boarding facility is FVRCP — the upper respiratory combination vaccine. Cats from different families never come into physical contact with each other, but they are breathing the same air in the room. Some veterinarians believe that the FVRCP vaccine is good for three years; others feel that it only absolutely protects cats for one year. The vet … Continue reading →

Planning for Pets When Emergencies Call You Away: A Checklist

Yesterday I wrote about what we’d do with our pets if an emergency called us away. Do you know what you’d do? Do you have a plan in place? If not, I created a list of things to think about and prepare for ahead of time. 1) If you take your pets with you, will you have a place to stay that welcomes them too? If you won’t be staying with relatives (or can’t), make a list of pet-friendly hotels in the area. (Before you need them, but confirm the pet-friendly status still exists when you book your room.) Use … Continue reading →

Code Red: Planning for Pets When Emergencies Call You Away

This has been in the back of my mind for a while now because Wayne’s grandparents are in their mid-80s and my parents are in their mid-70s. They all live in Denver, and while Wayne’s grandparents are relatively healthy, my parents have both been struggling with increasingly declining health. So I’ve been trying to put some plans in place in case we get the worst call any person can ever get. Just yesterday I asked Wayne what we would do in such an emergency. “You shouldn’t think like that. You attract what you think about, you know.” “I know, but … Continue reading →

Running a Pet Care Business: Chatting with Marlene Richardson, Former Pet Care Professional

Marlene Richardson with her pooch Zeus. Photo provided by Ms. Richardson and used with her permission. Meet Marlene “Marly” Richardson, a neighbor of mine. We met because we both walk our dogs. One day we got to talking about our pets (she has four others in addition to Zeus: Tipsy, a free-roaming house rabbit; Pip the guinea pig; and two doves, Cisco and Cecilia) and our love for animals. Somehow my being a Pets Blogger came up and she mentioned how she’d been a pet sitter. I thought, “How interesting. That’d make a neat blog.” So I asked if she’d … Continue reading →

Hot Spots: Treatment and Prevention

If your dog has a circular, red, weeping sore — it may be a hot spot! Treating a hot spot isn’t just about dealing with the wound; you also have to take a look at the cause and work to prevent the hot spot from coming back. You can try to treat a hot spot at home without calling the vet, but an office visit and a course of antibiotics may be necessary to clear things up entirely. Try this at home: Trim the hair away from the sore to prevent matting, help stop the infection from spreading, and expose … Continue reading →