Purple and Paws Last month, a family friend asked me to pet sit their three dogs and three cats while they went to Europe for ten days. They wanted me to stay at the house instead of driving back and forth (which I was okay with because their home is up in North Phoenix, a forty-five minute drive from my home in South Phoenix). My parents looked after Socks, and I began my staycation, not sure what would happen. Here are some of the things I learned while pet sitting.
Cats Are Nocturnal
I like cats. I’ve never owned a cat, but I like them. In the back of my mind, I always thought that maybe one day I would even adopt one.
Pet sitting helped me change my mind.
My first couple nights were miserable because the cats kept jumping in and out of my bed. I would fall asleep, then jerk awake when one of the cats would appear by my head, purring and rubbing his or her face against my hair. Sweet, but not helpful for my sleep pattern. I eventually got used to these constant wake up calls and after my sister reminded me that cats are nocturnal, I decided I’ll stick with dogs and dogs only in the future.
I Am Not a Snake Person
One of the cats, Squeamie (don’t ask about the name because I don’t know), likes to hunt snakes and bring them into the house to show off his finds. The family friend told me this during my visit pre-pet sitting, and asked if I had a problem with snakes. I hesitated and said, no, in theory, I did not. Then I prayed that Squeamie wouldn’t catch any snakes while I was around.
My praying was in vain, of course, because one night I spotted Squeamie waltzing by with what looked like a black, wiggling piece of string. When I realized he had a snake, I freaked. And, I’m sorry to say, killed it. I just could not stand the idea of the snake getting away and slithering around the house while I was there. My best friend informed me it was just a harmless garden snake and I felt terrible about bringing its life to an end. But it was necessary.
Poop, Pee, and Vomit Do Not Bother Me
As a dog owner of over 20 years, I already knew animal bodily fluids didn’t bother me but this pet sitting jaunt confirmed it. Every day I had to clean up poop, pee, and vomit. It wasn’t pleasant but I did it because, as all dog and cat owners know, you have to.
Pet Sitting is Serious Business
Three days before the family friends came home, one of the dogs, Nero, came paddling out of the bedroom where all the pets liked to sleep. As he passed by me, I noticed a streak of red on his upper front leg. Upon taking a closer look, I realized he was bleeding quite severely. He didn’t appear to be in any pain, though, so since the vet’s office was closed, I decided to wait until the next day to do anything. I hemmed and hawed over my course of action. Wait and let the owners deal with it when they came home or deal with it now? I reminded myself that the whole reason I was in this house was to care for these dogs and cats. This dog was not one hundred percent healthy, and it was my responsibility to do something about it. So I called the vet and they were able to make an appointment for me to bring him in at lunch. Turned out the wound was a puncture mark and they cleaned Nero up and gave him some antibiotics. Pet sitter, to the rescue!
All in all, pet sitting was a fun experience. As an animal lover, I was surrounded by cute canines and felines and I got paid for it. What could be better?