First Coast Pet

Posts Tagged ‘Pet Sitting’

Living through the credit crunch is difficult enough, but add animals which rely on you for sustenance, a home and veterinary attention, anything that can be done, helps.
It’s a sad fact that many pets are given up or abandoned every day, as animal lovers struggle to cope with today’s financial climate.
This is extremely thorny for pet charities who have look after animals when money is limited, living off on donations to keep their pets in good wellbeing.
Here are a few points which should help make owning a pet on a budget more manageable:
1. Consider every animal cost? Do you need that branded animal food or product? Easier said than done, raise pets up with variety, equally dry and wet, as well as different brands and flavours. Keep an eye on special deals. You can stock up. Think of vouchers, search on the net for some promotions. Buy based on price per pound / Kg, as sometimes, especially with promotions, the smaller pack can be more economical.
2. Wherever possible, pet owners can often club together to buy feed and bedding in bulk, reducing the overall price and passing on savings to all.
3. Vets bills are unknown but still have to be considered. If money’s a little stretched, you may find a lot of Vets will consider spreading the costs, and pay in instalments. If you can, afford it – have or keep pet insurance.
4. Can you modify the way you live? It’s not all about finding ways to keep your pet more cheaply, what about yourself!
5. What about earning some money? Perhaps find a dog walking job Dog Walking as a profession Good companies will require you do it regularly. There is also the possibility of becoming a pet sitter, though professional businesses such as London Pet Sitter will also require you be a London dog walker.
6. Do not forget your other animals, you may have put your cats in a cattery, what about considering a cat sitter? The animal may prefer it and the pet sitters often do other things.
7. Do use external stabling or boarding? Many horses can live quite happily outside for most of the year, just make sure there’s food, water and shelter available. If this is a suitable option for your horse, it could diminish the outlay on stabling greatly.
8. Are you thinking of choosing an animal, please consider taking a pet from a charity, they are suffering at the moment.
Enjoy your pet, they are worth the cost.

How do I go about choosing a new pet for the family? What is the best pet for the household? Well you are starting well by collecting information. This is vital as a pet is for life, so be 100% sure, otherwise do not have a pet.
A bit negative there, but there is such a large choice of pets to pick from, all of them can be pleasurable, but have different advantages and disadvantages. You can pick from a dog, cat, hamster, rat, fish, spider, bird and the list goes on and on.
It is important to involve everyone in the assessment, it needs to be a whole household decision. Due to its significance I propose you discuss and write down your objective for wanting a pet. Add to it on a large sheet of paper, with a column for the pet, some columns to rank each pet. The considerations for a pet include, time (yours), cost (pets are pricey), pet care, space constraint, ability to fuss, interest, collective activity, any phobias, other points.
Pets take time, some have need of more than others. Time hungry animals are those that require regular exercise such as dogs and horses. Dogs evolved from wolves and maintain many of those characteristics. They are used to regularly covering large areas every day to search for food, so most breeds need a minimum an hour or two a day walking. This needs to be part of a regular schedule and done everyday. Other pets may necessitate a lot of grooming, changing water etc. A pet sitter often uses much of their visiting time to grooming long haired cats, though the cat and the sitter enjoy it. You may aspire a specificpet, but do you have the time for him? Be straight with yourself and the potential pet.
Expenditure, consider all expenditure. There is the potential cost of the pet to start with, which for a pedigree pet can be costly. I would strongly advise you to consider adopting a abandoned pet, there are increasing numbers of these now as people are unfortunately discarding them to the pet charities – why not do good and help out? The other starting costs include cages, leads, grooming aids, blankets / beds. After that are the regular pet costs, food, which for a large dog can be substantial. I strongly advise you to have your pet sterilized, many pet specialists and research have shown that you will have less behavioural problems with a neutered animal. There are regular veterinary expenditure such as vaccinations, however some are impossible to plan for. Because of this I strongly recommend you to take out pet insurance, so you can deal with any situations that may occur. There are also regular costs for flea treatment etc. These costs mount up.
Is your house large enough for the animal? Some animals can be exciting, but you may not be able to fuss them, what is the key for you? No animal has everything. Can you pick up the animal? Rats are remarkably fascinating, but some people hate the scaly tail, or the idea of one.
You may want to review the summary paper, you may not have the time for walking the dog during the week due to work pressures, but this may pay for a professional dog walker. Not enough space for the horse, use stables, but watch the cost.
So once you have identified a type of animal, there are lots of diverse types and breeds to choose from, looking at hamsters there are five basic types, with very different characteristics. There is also the choice of how many, some animals are better off single, others as a pair because they must have the company. Then there is the choice of sex, some animals have very different behaviour between the male and female. Male rats are less active than females and urinate more.
Final steps, I would suggest you to organise a pet test drive. Find someone with a similar pet, that you can borrow for a few days, or even be a pet sitter for them during the summer vacations. Talk to the owner about the expenditure, the work that is needed, and do not forget the pleasure that the animal gives. An alternative is to do some animal charity work.
Pet breeders and dog trainers are exceptionally knowledgeable, so visit and talk with them.
I hope this helps, go and enjoy a new pet.

Pet sitting for some individuals is a great job, for others it would be totally out of place. A great pet sitter requires to adore animals, all animals. It is not just a need, it should be a natural love. Whether it is a rabbit, guinea pig or one that some individuals may fear. Normal pet issues for potential pet sitters are scorpions, spiders, lizards, snakes and reptiles. In a larger company, they may be able to handle this, but typically pet sitting is a small business with only two or three people, so you will need to handle these animals as a pet sitter. Happily these animals require minimal care, but as a pet sitter you will still need to feed and water them. Often the owner may require the pet sitter to give small live animals to the pet. In my experience other animals that cause possible problems for pet sitters include rats, “I don’t like the scaly tail”, especially as the rats and owners adore the frequent fussing and handling of the animal.

The requirement for pet sitters is normally normally during the major holidays of Christmas, Thanksgiving and summer holidays. There is also a demand for pet sitters at weekends year round the year. Because of this seasonality, pet sitting frequently includes dog walking which is often required all year.

Dog walking in a first-rate pet sitting business will limit the maximum number of dogs to four or less. Superior companies such as London dog walking will give you T-shirts, sweaters and rain protection. This is of common benefit, as the free outfits are branded, dog walking is one of the best adverts for their pet sitting services. You will not however be allowed to have these on view when pet sitting, as it will announce that the owners are away on vacation. Though one of the benefits of pet sitting with someone entering and exiting and doing other things such as emptying the mail box, reduces the likelihood of burglary.

Pet sitting often requires the pet sitter to do other tasks around the house. A pet sitter will often look after the garden and indoor plants. Pet sitters habitually look after cats, who due to their territorial origins, rarely like being separated from their home. Cat lovers dislike the separation from their loved pets, so companies such as London cat sitting will place photos and comments on their web site for the pet owners.

Good companies such as London pet sitters and clients demand that a pet sitter be police checked as they are often visiting homes alone

So pet sitting is a wonderful job for those whom it fits, try it!

Decisions are having to be made for the holiday season, what are you going to do with our favorite pet? Being apart from your favourite pet is so hard. Many even think it is less agonizing to be split from the children for a fortnight. I know that some people think it is joyful, delightful when the spouse is away for ten days or so on business, no questions on what to do and watch on the television. What stress, however, with deciding what to do with your loved pet whilst you are on holiday .
What are the pluses of pet sitting? There are two parts, ones for you and those for your pet. We recognise who is the most important, so let’s start with the pet first.
Pets, especially cats, are often anxious by nature, moving them away from their comfort zone, immediately puts them on edge, thats why using cat sitters is so popular. One isn’t surprisedusing a, through evolution these animals have had their area, which they protected and mark with urine, to make it clear. They will defend this area if needed. Not surprising they do not like leaving their home. How was your pet when he came home when he was in boarding? Was he filthy? Was he thinner?
Boarding the pet at home is better, as they are in their loving house, with favourite toy and all views, smells and noises they are used to.
Your pet will be looked after and played with. The pet will not be on edge as you introduced the pet sitter to your favourite one.
Before and after the holiday, when stressed out with all the work to be done, all you need is the hassle to take the cat to, or collect from, the boarding place. You know the situation, you get back late, you are tired; you still have a load to sort out. It would be great to have your pet, but its not possible to collect him until tomorrow. Pets do not like travelling in cars, with all the bizarre noises and odours, often disturbs them. It is also more dangerous for the pet (you as well!)
Neighbours, friends and family can be a disaster for your pets, either at your home – or theirs Are you hating going to them to ask for help to do the pet sitting? With professional pet sitting companies such as London dog walking, they will do many things such as emptying the mail box and watering the plants. The bad guys will notice the activity and decrease the likelihood of burglary.
What concerns worries you the most about your pet when you are on holiday?. Have the neighbours remembered to pop in and water them, it was strange that the rabbit dug itself out of the cage year before last, all in one night! Are they giving them too much food? The London pet sitters will even email you photos, or make them accessible on the web, and write a diary of how your pet is getting on. Is he eating well? How are the little ones? Pet sitting is even more valuable for the young pets, where movement is an even more stressful event.

For Father – it is often the most economical solution.
Go away and have a great holiday.

As in any pet care, the wild origins dictate a lot of what is important in Guinea Pig care. The guinea pig is a species of rodent sometimes known as the Cacy. They are not in fact pigs, as their name would have suggested.  They come from the moutains of South America, and studies have shown they have been breed from closely related species such as Cavia aperea, C. fulgida, or C. tschudii, and do not exist naturally in the wild.
They play an important role as both a food source and the culture of many South Americans. Guinea Pigs were domesticated 5000 years ago for nourishment and have appeared in many folk stories and are often used in metaphors.
They came to Europe in the 16th century by European traders and since then has seen common reputation as a household pet.  Originally they were seen as an exotic pet and even Queen Elisabeth I had one. They were widely used for biological experimentation since the 17th century, giving way to the metaphor “guinea pig” for a test subject, though more recently they have been replaced by mice and rats.
They are very calm easy to care for and are easy to handle and feed and are therefore popular with pet sitters. They are timid explorers and rarely attempt to escape. Guinea pigs will often make a noise like a whistle when interested, like for when the owner comes – or they hear the food container opening.
There are many breeds of domesticated guinea pigs, which differ in color and hair differences. The most normal varieties are the shorthair (or American shorthair), the Abyssinian with a ruffled coat. More unique long hair types include the Peruvian and the Sheltie (or Silkie) and the curly long hair Texel.

So should I choose a Guinea Pig?

Guinea Pigs are very sociable animals – so require time for fuss, otherwise they will feel lonely and this might lead to stress and sickness. This could be important if you are buying one for the kids, on the understanding that the children will care for the guinea pig. Noting they typically live for around four, but may live for 8 years and the Guinness Book of Records has the record age for a guinea pig at 14 years.
Guinea pigs are relatively big for rodents, weighing between 700 and 1200g (1.5-2.5 pounds), and measuring between 20 and 25 cm (8–10 inches) in length. So they need quite a large cage. Though as a tough pet, this could be located in a shed or a protected spot outside. They will deal with cold better than excessive heat. Avoid wire mesh floored crates, as this can damage their feet and lead to infection.
As for many pets you do not want to put two males together as they will fight  together when they become mature at about 6 months for leadership. Females can however be grouped together. Obviously you do not want to add a male to the group as they breed very easily.

Grass is their normal diet in the wild, so they have a very long colon to help the digestion. This is however not long enough, so if they are eating a lot of grass you will see them eat their faeces. Like humans they cannot produce vitamin C and will need to acquire obtrain this through their food,   the guinea pig version of scurvy is deadly. Scurvy is often identified by sluggishness.  So feed them regularly fresh, raw fruits and vegetables (such as cabbage, broccoli, apple, carrot, spinach and celery). Alternatively, but not a preferred option through dietary vitamins. They are fickle eaters when mature, so with a young guinea pig give a wide variety of foods. They feed continuously, so ensure there is hay available for them to eat.
Guinea pigs, as well as scurvy, may also suffer from respiratory tract infections, diarrhea,  abscesses due to infection (often in the neck, due to hay embedded in the throat, or from external scratches), and infections by lice, mites or fungus.

They are energetic throughout the day and will sleep on and off, waking for some activity. They often groom themselves and will groom others.

Surviving the financial crisis is difficult enough, but add cats which rely on you for sustenance, shelter and veterinary attention, anything that can be done, helps.

It’s a shame that many cats are abandoned or given up every week, as pet owners fight to cope with today’s financial climate.

This is very thorny for pet charities who have look after animals when money is limited, surviving on donations to keep their animals in good shape. 

Here are a few points which should help make looking after a pet on a tight budget more manageable:

1. Consider every animal cost? Is it a key part of pet care? Do you need that specific pet food or product? It is always a good idea to bring cats up with variety, equally dry and wet, as well as different brands and flavours. Keep an eye on special deals. You can stock up. Investigate vouchers, search on the net for some good deals. Buy based on price per pound / Kg, as sometimes, principally with special deals, the smaller pack can be more economical.

2.      Wherever possible, cat owners can often club together to buy feed and bedding in bulk, reducing the total price and passing on savings to all.

3.      Vets bills are an unknown factor but still have to be considered. If money’s a little tight, you may find a lot of Vets will allow you to spread the cost, and reimburse monthly. If you can, afford it – have or keep cat insurance.

4.      Can you modify the way you live? It’s not all about finding ways to keep your animal more economically, what about yourself!

5. Can you earn some cash?  There is also the idea of becoming a cat sitter, though good companies such as London Cat Sitting will require you also to do dog walking. Why not offer to walk other peoples dog? Become a Dog Walker. Good companies such as London Dog Walking will require you do it regularly.

 6. Do not forget your other cats, you may have put animals in kennels, what about using a cat sitter? The cat may prefer it and the cat sitters often do other things.

7.  Are you thinking of choosing an animal, certainly think about taking a pet from a charity, they have so many cats looking for a home at the moment.

Enjoy your pet, they are worth the cost.

  How do I go about choosing a new pet for the family? What is the best pet for the household? Good start by collecting information. This is critical as a pet is for life, so be 100% sure, otherwise do not have a pet.
A bit negative there, but there is such a large choice of pets to choose from, all of them can be fun, but have different pluses and negatives. You can decide from a dog, cat, hamster, rat, reptile, spider, snake and the list goes on and on.
You need to involve all and sundry  in the choice, it needs to be a whole household decision. Due to its significance I advise you talk about and commit to paper your purpose for desiring a pet. Add to it on a large sheet of paper, with a column for the pet, some columns to rank each pet. The considerations for a pet include, time (yours), cost (pets are pricey), pet care, space requirement, aptitude to fuss, interest, collective activity, any phobias, other points.
Pets take time, some necessitate more than others. Time hungry animals are those that have need of regular exercise such as dogs and horses. Dogs evolved from wolves and still have many of those characteristics. They are used to regularly covering large areas every day to search for food, so most dog breeds have need of at least an hour or two a day walking. This should be part of a regular schedule and done everyday. Other pets may require a lot of grooming, changing water etc. A cat sitter often uses  much of their visiting time to grooming long haired cats, though the cat and the sitter enjoy it. You may want a specific  animal, but do you have the time for him? Be straight with yourself and the potential pet.
Expenditure, think of expense. There is the purchase cost, which for a pedigree pet can be expensive. I would strongly advise you to consider taking a rescue pet, there are more and more of these now as families are unfortunately abandoning them to the pet charities – why not do good and help out? The other starting costs include cages, leads, grooming aids, blankets / beds. After that are the regular pet costs, food, which for a large per can be substantial. I strongly recommend you to have your pet sterilized, many pet specialists and research have shown that you will have less behavioural issues with a sterilized animal. There are routine veterinary expenditure such as vaccinations, however some are difficult to plan for. For this reason I strongly propose you to take out pet insurance, so you can manage with any situations that may occur. There are ongoing costs for flea treatment etc.  These costs mount up.
Do you have the space for the animal? Some animals can be interesting, but you may not be able to fuss them, what is the most important for you? No animal has everything. Can you handle the pet? Rats are exceptionally exciting, but a few people hate the scaly tail, or the idea of one.
You should to revisit the summary table, do you have the time for walking the dog during the week due to work pressures, but this may pay for a regular dog walker. Not enough space for the horse, use stables, but watch the cost.
So once you have identified a type of pet, there is often a huge variety of different types and individual species to decide on, taking hamsters there are five basic types, with very different characteristics. There is also the choice of numbers, some animals are better off single, others as a pair because they need the company. Then there is what sex, some animals have very different behaviour between the male and female. Male rats are lazier than females and urinate more.
After all of these decisions, I would recommend you to take the pet for a test drive. Find someone with a similar pet, that you can borrow for a few days, or even be a pet sitter for them during the summer vacations. Talk to the owner about the expenditure, the work that is required, and do not forget the pleasure that the pet gives.  An alternative is to do some animal charity work. 
Pet breeders are exceptionally knowledgeable, so visit and talk with them.
I hope this helps, go and enjoy a new pet.

You  in all probability think of on the safety of yourselves and your family. However do not forget your pets. This is a key part of pet care. Summer is especially difficult and different for your pet. The two main things to pay attention to are the results of the heat and vacations.

Lets start with the results of the hot weather on the pet. Just like us – they will need more water, make it accessible at all times. If you frequently go dog walking make sure they have the ability to have water, every hour or so, or even more regularly if you are of the vigorous type.

Whilst you would not think or leaving your children or baby in a locked car in the sun, it is astounding and a shame the number of people who do this to their pets. This can kill a pet, temperatures in the sun, can swiftly increase to over 100 degrees. Leaving the window slightly ajar, is next to useless.

Just like ourselves, with the same amount of activity, you need less food to preserve your weight during summer. If you, or your pet, keep consuming the same, you without doubt will increase your weight. Pet obesity is becoming more of an issue. Putting on weight during summer, will slow the pet down in winter and this can then lead to more weight gain, so think of reducing the intake of food, or as a minimum, keep an eye on your pets weight.

Also be careful with leaving moist / wet food out. The food will most rapidly go off as its temperature approaches blood temperature of ~100 degrees. If the animal does not consume wet food within half an hour, remove it. Dry food is very safe, if does not become moist. So if you have a slobbery pet, often and little should be the principle. Also be careful about condensation, or drops of water from the air conditioner.

Whilst exercising the dog during the hot weather, you may have done it for the last six months without a problem, nevertheless, he may without warning want to bound into some water, with company – you if you are holding onto the lead. Even more risky is the jump into a river, if he is not on a lead. In London, if you are by the Serpentine, regularly you see people being pulled in! Not helped by dogs chasing the ducks. In summer there is often more wildlife around for them to chase, so be watchful and controlling.

Summer, is additionally the time of the great vacation. So if you are having to choose a pet sitter, try to find a professional business such as London Pet Sitting, who vet and train their pet sitters. A professional pet sitter, will even identify all the risks as part of their agreement. This is often the wisest option for the pet, they prefer to be in their home area. If not, and you must board them, check the kennels out. Ideally a personal commendation, as always there can be great and poor. The pet may not like it, but they are safe.

You may be wanting to take your pet on vacation with you. Without doubt the most dangerous choice for an animal. Prepare and plan well. Food, water, toys, blankets etc. The trip in the car is dangerous for us as well. Certainly consider using a pet restraint, you use one, for obvious reason, so ensure your pet has one. The problem of dehydration, so stop for water stops for you and your pet every hour, perhaps a bit longer if you have the clime on. Be particularly careful during the stops, there are often cars moving about, and the pet may want to take a run for it (you might as well).

When you arrive you will be in a new location. So do a thorough review for any dangers to your pet. The greatest one is running away, above all in motels, rooms opening out onto a busy highway and cars. Did you know that digestion of fruit and especially {raisins and grapes} is dangerous to dogs, so keep an eye on them.

Pets, will find it difficult to get back to your motel, if lost, we all know of good cases and happy endings when pets get lost near their normal home. This is not the case on vacation. Make sure you have solid and visible name / phone tags and keep them on a leash.

I hope you and your animals have a happy, event free holiday.

Living through the credit crunch is difficult enough, but when you have horses and ponies which rely on you for food, shelter and veterinary attention, anything that can be done, helps.

It’s a sad fact that many ponies and horses are abandoned or given up every day, as horse lovers fight to cope with the current economic climate.

This is very thorny for pony charities and Sara Tuppen from the Horse Refuge in Wittersham Kent, knows all about looking after horses when money is in short supply, surviving on donations to keep over 40 saved horses in good health. 

She believes there are a few points which could help make looking after a pony on a tight budget a little easier:

 1.      Most horses can exist quite cheerfully outside for most of the year, as long as there’s nourishment, water and shelter available. Could this be an option for your horse, it could reduce the cost of stabling greatly.

2.      Removing shoes is often an painless way to keep costs down. If not ridden regularly, or on rocky ground, many horses will not require shoes.

3.      Sharing your horse is a wonderful way to reduce (even halve!) costs, and provides a cheaper introduction to horse ownership for somebody else.

4.      Often you can get free stabling and occasionally hay and bedding in return for doing jobs. Mucking out, grooming, maintenance etc. are all jobs which could save you cash for a  little hard work!

5.      Vets bills are unknown but must be considered. If money’s a little stretched, you may find a lot of Vets will consider spreading the costs, and pay monthly.

6.      Many people can make lifestyle changes! It’s not all about finding ways to keep your horse more cheaply, see if you can do it for yourself!

7. What about your other animals, you may have put pets in boarding, what about a pet sitter? The animal may prefer it and the pet sitters often do other things.

8.      Is it possible that you can club together to buy feed and bedding in bulk, reducing the total price and passing on savings to all.

9.      I hope it does not come to it, you can look into getting your horse a foster home, even as a companion.

  If you’re in a position to loan, or even buy a horse or pony, there are many horses and ponies that are for sale, a good source of information is the Horse and Pony Directory.

  Living through the financial crisis is difficult enough, but add pets which depend on you for nourishment, shelter and veterinary care, anything that can be done, helps.
It’s a sad fact that many animals are given up or abandoned every day, as pet owners struggle to cope with today’s financial climate.
This is extremely thorny for animal charities who have look after animals when money is in short supply, having to rely solely on contributions to keep their animals in good health.
Here are a few points which should help make owning a pet on a tight budget a little easier:
1. Consider every animal expenditure? Do you need that specific animal food or product? It is always a good idea to raise pets up with variety, both dry and wet, as well as different brands and flavours. Watch out for special deals. You can stock up. Consider vouchers, search on the net for some good deals. Buy based on price per pound / Kg, as sometimes, principally with special deals, the smaller pack can be more economical.
2.      Wherever possible, pet owners can often club together to buy feed and bedding in bulk, reducing the total price and passing on savings to all.
3.      Vets bills are unknown but still have to be considered. If cash is a little tight, you may find a lot of Vets will consider spreading the costs, and pay in instalments. If you can, afford it – have or keep pet insurance.
4.      Most people can make lifestyle changes! It’s not all about finding ways to keep your animal more economically, see if you can do it for yourself!
5. Can you earn some money? Perhaps find a dog walking  job Become a Dog Walker. Good companies will require you do it regularly. There is also the possibility of becoming a pet sitter, though good companies such as London Pet Sitting will require you also to do dog walking.
6. Do not forget your other pets, you may have put your cats in a cattery, what about considering a cat sitter? The pet may prefer it and the pet sitters often do other things.
7.      Do use external stabling or boarding? Most horses can exist quite happily outside for most of the year, just make sure there’s food, water and protection to harsh elements available. If this is a suitable option for your horse, it should reduce the cost of stabling considerably.
8. Are you thinking of choosing a pet, certainly think about taking an animal from a charity, they have so many animals looking for a home during this crisis.
Enjoy your pet, they are worth the cost.