A Typical Petsitting Visit: Albert; PLUS bonus visit: Frank

As anyone who works with animals can tell you, there's no such thing as a "typical" day. Each visit is as unique as the pet I'm caring for. Here's an example of what I do during a petsitting visit, based on real clients. (I've changed names and certain details to protect their privacy, and all pictures are from Google.)

My stop is a dinnertime visit to a single-family home with a fenced yard. My client is Albert, a five year old neutered male yellow lab. 

I park in the driveway and enter through the side gate. Albert stays in a large outdoor enclosure in the back yard while his people are away, so I don't need to go into the house at all. Hey there, Albert! 

Albert is barking excitedly and jumping up on the door of his dog run. I ask him to sit, and when he does, I open the door and let him out into the fenced yard. While he runs around making sure every tree and bush is right where it should be, I make his meal: half a can of wet food, and half a cup of dry kibble. I stir it together with a splash of water. Albert is a big dog, but he's bigger than he should be, so he's on a bit of a diet.  I give him his dinner and then fetch his water dish from the dog run. I dump, rinse, and refill it with fresh water, then put it back in the run.

While he licks his feed pan to be sure he's gotten every single molecule of his meal, I walk the yard and pick up any poop I find. I also take a look at the plants to see if any of them need watering. Albert's owners are big gardeners, and they pay me a little extra to run the hose if needed. 

Done eating, Albert? Okay, let's go for a walk.

Albert's owners have taught him very good leash manners. He doesn't pull on the leash at all. In fact, he tends to dawdle a bit while he sniffs here and there, and leaves a dribble to mark his favorite spots.  I take out my phone and start reading aloud to him as we stroll along. 

Wait, what?

Yes, I often read aloud to the pets in my care. I've read classics like The Iliad, The Odyssey, Canterbury Tales, Alice In Wonderland, Dicken's A Christmas Carol, and Spenser's Faerie Queene, and sometimes I read funny stuff like Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams. Today we're reading one of the Icelandic Sagas -- viking stuff. What do you think, Albert? Would you sail on a boat with this guy Hrut? He sure seems to get into a lot of situations.

Well, it's something to think about, isn't it. I think you'd look very stylish.

Albert stops to do his business, so I dig a bag out of my pocket. After picking up, I tie a knot in the bag and we head for home. I can see someone approaching about a block away with a German shepherd. Albert is fine with some dogs and not others and I've never been able to figure out what his deciding factor is, so I steer him across the street to avoid a confrontation. I wave and smile to the other walker. Nice dog! 

Back home. Dog bag goes in the trash can. Is today trash day? No, it's recycling, isn't it. I roll the green bin to the curb for pick-up. Come on, Albert, time for your treat.

Once we're safely in the yard with the gate secure, I take off the leash. Albert knows the routine, so he goes straight into his dogloo in the dog run. I toss him a treat and latch the door to the run. You be a good boy, Albert. I'll see you next time. No barking, okay?

I go through the checklist in my head: food, water, yard check, walk.. yep, everything is good. I make sure the yard gate is secure behind me as I leave. 

After a short drive across town...

My next client is a dinnertime visit to a single-family rental home with a three year old neutered male black cat named Frank.

I let myself in with my key, and I see Frank run down the stairs and into the kitchen where his food dish is. Frank is a big kitty, but he has the squeakiest kittenish "mew". He's already hollering at me about how he's never been fed in his entire life MEW MEW MEW MEW MEW

Allright, Frank, settle down; I'm getting it. 

Frank gets half a can of wet food in his dish downstairs, and a scoop of dry kibble in his food puzzle upstairs. While he gobbles down his meal, I see to cleaning the catbox. 

I put the bag of litterbox scoopings by the front door so I remember to take it out the the trash when I leave. Then I settle down on the couch and start reading aloud to Frank. He curls up on a folded blanket next to me while I pet him and read, but soon he climbs into my lap and butts his head under my chin. Then he starts kneading on my shoulder, and his claws are sharp! Ouch, Frank!  I move his paws and feel wetness. Frank is a drooler! Some cats do this when they are very content. I take it as a compliment, but I'd rather not be soggy with cat spit, so I move him back to the folded blanket while continuing to pet him. 

I hear voices outside. Neighbors? No, it's right outside the door. And there's a clanking, metal sort of noise. What is going on? I look outside and see three people standing in the driveway. Stay here, Frank. I'm gonna check this out. I take the bag of litter scoopings out to the trash can.

There's an older guy and a younger couple. They introduce themselves as neighbors and the older guy says he's here to clean the gutters. I nod and put the trash in the can. I surreptitiously take a picture of them with my phone, and then go back inside and lock the door. 

(Remember, all pictures are from Google image search. This isn't the actual guy I'm talking about.)

Inside with Frank, I text my client the picture and tell her what's going on. Does she know these people? She doesn't, so I wait while she contacts her landlord. A few minutes later, I get another text for her: it's okay, the gutter guy is part of the landlord's team. The other couple are next-door neighbors. Nothing suspicious is going on.

Allrighty, then. Frank is fed, his litterbox is clean, I'm soggy with his drool, and all is right with the world. See you tomorrow, Frank. Be good! 

I take the security of my clients' homes very seriously, and I am always alert to any situations that seem unusual. Thankfully, situations like this are very rare. 

I hope you've enjoyed this further look into what it is I do every day. Thank for reading. See you next time!

Ask a Petsitter!

I always enjoy talking about what I do, so last week I asked everyone who follows me on Facebook to give me a question to answer. Here's what they asked:


From Art S. My dog hasn’t moved much in the last 20 years. How do I get life into her?

Art, I believe you need to take a careful look at your dog. Start with the eyes: are they fixed and glassy? Perhaps even actual glass? If the tongue is protruding, is it dry and clothlike? Finally, look at the belly and hind legs: do you notice a tag or label of any sort sticking out? If so, your dog is a stuffed toy. Congratulations on your low-maintenance pet!

From Paige L. Do you find that the owners have more anxiety about the pets than the pets do?

Yes, I'd say the owners are more anxious. But that's because they have a bigger brain and understand what's going on. ("We're leaving and won't be home for two weeks!") There's always a little apprehension when leaving your pet in someone else's care. It's understandable to wonder if a change in routine will be upsetting to the pet, or if they will be lonely/worried/bored when family members leave. But I find that most dogs and cats take it very much in stride.

Some pet owners leave very detailed instructions for meal preparation and care, and I love that. I always say "the more you tell me, the better I can do my job". I want to provide care that maintains the pet's regular routine as much as possible. Being in their own home, going for walks in their own neighborhood, and eating their accustomed food at the usual time helps them feel like things are okay.

It's very rewarding to have clients tell me that they are less stressed about going away because they know their pets are happy under my care. 

From Paige L. What is the best way to prepare your pets for a pet sitter coming in?

The most important thing is to have your dog well-socialized. A dog that's used to meeting people outside of the family will be more relaxed and welcoming when a petsitter arrives. This isn't something you can do in a few days before you leave for vacation, though. Antisocial cats aren't a problem; a list of their preferred hiding places is appreciated so I can make sure they're around and avoiding me, rather than actually missing.

Try to have things arranged as they usually are. If your pet is used to having the run of the house, don't decide to keep them shut in the garage or a spare room "to make it easier". I've seen dogs dig through drywall when they feel stressed and trapped. 

Make sure that there are enough supplies (food, litter, etc) to last until you come back. Have these supplies in a location that makes sense, for example, have extra cat litter near the cat box, not stored on a top shelf in the detached garage. I will go shopping for supplies of your preferred brands if I run out, but there's an additional charge for that because of the inconvenience.

Sometimes I need cleaning supplies to manage messes. A bucket with cleaners and a roll of paper towels or some rags is a super handy thing to leave out for me. 

This is a petsitter's dream! So organized!

From Karen E. How do I get my dog to stop pulling on the leash when I take her for a walk?

From Lori B. I have a leash puller. Other than that, she's delightful. How do you stop a 60 lb retriever from taking YOU on the walk?

Oh, this is my favorite question! Here's the simple answer: don't let them. For more details, see my blog posts here on the magic and science of dog walking.  I wrote a whole series. It takes time and you have to be consistent, especially when you have an adult dog that needs retraining, rather than a puppy, but it's totally doable -- and usually you don't need any special tools, just a regular collar and six-foot leash. 

From Elias T. What do you do with a dog who is generally a well behaved dog, but won't stop jumping on people when they come in the house?

You introduce the magic of "sit."  Right now, your dog jumps and dances because that's what she's always done and you haven't told her to do anything different. 

Keep some small treats by the door. When you come in, ask her to sit and give her a treat when she does. Don't stand there watching her bounce around while you say sit sit sit sit sit Sit Sit Sit SIT SIT SIT DARN YOU THIS ISN'T WORKING SIIIIIIIT. That way she's still getting your attention and you're just saying weird sounds but oh well I guess this is how it goes now. Walk in, say SIT and if she doesn't, turn away. Look at your phone or something. Don't push her away or anything. Just pretend she's not there. She'll jump and bark probably, escalating her behavior because HELLO I AM HERE HELLO PET MEEEEEEE and don't you DARE give in to that. Just wait. Eventually, three hours later, she will stop in confusion (or fatigue) and sit down to think about why you are being so weird. Yes! Sit!  you say, and finally give her that treat.

Then go outside again.

Wait, what? 

Yep. This isn't something that will be fixed in one or two tries. Out you go. Wait a few minutes and then come back in. Say SIT and repeat what you did before, ignoring that bouncing dog and only giving her attention when she sits and is quiet. 

But that will take forever! 

Yes it will. Or at least it will feel that way. And believe me, it's not fun for her either-- she's going to be confused. It's how you would feel if a friend came to visit and was suddenly speaking a foreign language. Come on, you'd say. Let's speak English like I'm used to! I don't understand what you're saying. So you make it easier by being calm and quiet and saying that one word you know that she knows: "sit".

She's a smart dog. She wants to do the right thing -- you say she's well-behaved. You'll probably notice the little light bulb over her head click on about the fifth time you come through the door. OOOH I get attention when I sit! then she'll stop jumping and start sitting faster and faster.  

Again, you'll have to be consistent. And you'll have to tell everyone who comes in to ignore her as well, until she learns.

Alternatively, you could give her a roast chicken every time you come in, and then she'll be so busy eating chicken that she won't have time to jump. But that's gonna be a lot of chicken. 

From Laura O. Can you teach an old dog new tricks? Or manners?

Absolutely! Any dog can learn new behaviors, although your success will be determined by how consistent you are and how valuable the reward is for the dog. 

It's easier to teach a dog something new than it is to get then to un-learn an established behavior. If your dog is used to sleeping on the couch, for example, and then you get a new couch and decide that you'd rather it wasn't covered in pawprints and dog hair so the new rule is "No dogs on the couch", it's going to take some time to break that habit -- especially if there's someone else in the home that says things like "It's just a for a little while," or "But he looks so comfortable!"

Thank you for your questions, everyone! I'm always happy to talk about what I do. Keep sending me more, and I'll answer them in upcoming blog posts. 

Litterbox Troubles

All cat names have been changed to protect the guilty little poopers' identities and privacy.

Over Thanksgiving I had four cat clients whose care presented litterbox challenges. I thought an insight on how I work with them might be interesting for you. Here's our kitties:

Sammie is a 13 year old spayed female. She takes daily blood pressure medication that causes constipation, so she also gets a mild laxative powder in her food. She has two litterboxes she uses consistently for peeing, and she poops on the linoleum floor about a foot outside the box.

Jerry is a 6 year old neutered male. Like Sammie, he has two litterboxes available. He pees in the boxes and poops on the floor nearby.

King Leo is a 17 year old neutered male in excellent health. He has one large litterbox he uses consistently, but often pees over the edge.

Carlos is a 19 year old neutered male. He takes blood thinners and has a slight limp due to a recent blood clot in his thigh. He has four litterboxes that he uses occasionally, but he prefers to pee and poop just about anywhere on the cement basement floor.

Disclaimer: Sometimes a cat will change their bathroom habits when they are sick. It's a good idea to have a vet check your kitty if they are having litterbox issues. My four example cats (with the exception of Sammie, who is a pretty pretty princess whose medication regimen sometimes affects her bathroom habits) are healthy and have no medical excuse for their sinful ways.

The first thing I look at when a cat "thinks outside the box" is cleanliness. No one wants to use a toilet that is dirty or smells bad. I scoop out all the clumps and solids, and clean any messes around the box.

If it's a hard surface like tile or linoleum, I prefer to use bleach. It kills germs and odor and it's cheap.  One of my clients told me about using rubbing alcohol to use on rugs or carpets, and I find it works just fine. It also kills germs and odor and is cheap, it evaporates and dries quickly, and it won't discolor the fibers. (Test it in a hidden area first, to make sure.) There are also special enzyme cleaners available in stores, and I've used them with good results.

Getting rid of all traces and smells is imperative. Any lingering residue or odor signals the cat that this is a place where it's okay to go. Scented air fresheners will do nothing; the spot must be scrubbed and sanitized!

Once the area is clean, then I look at the location and position of the box. Does the cat feel exposed? Their animal brains may be domesticated, but their feral instincts still worry about being ambushed. Make sure the cat has little privacy and they feel secure. A place that doesn't get much traffic like the laundry room or a spare bathroom is good. Place the box near a wall or corner for an added feeling of security.

Okay, cats. Your litterboxes are clean and cozy. Let's see how you react.

King Leo promptly steps in and pees over the edge onto the carpet. Well, this is surprising, especially since I was standing right there watching him, and he was looking at me. His nonchalance leads me to believe that he had no idea anything was amiss. He had all four feet in the box and thought he was being a proper gentleman. My recommendation: get a box with taller sides. He's an old cat but he's in great shape, often jumping onto the kitchen counter, so he won't have any trouble jumping over the sides of a tall box, and the taller sides will keep everything inside the box. No more "splash zone"!

Sammie makes no change to her habits; pees in the box, poops on the floor nearby. I wonder if she's trying to communicate that she doesn't feel well? I clean the floor, put down an absorbent puppy pad, and text the owner with my observations.

Jerry continues to use the box for peeing, and moves his pooping place to the carpeted stairway that leads to the room downstairs where his food dishes and litterbox are. I think he's upset that I cleaned up that room, destroying his scent marking, and he's trying to make his territorial boundaries clear: This is my space. No intruders allowed. Stay away!

I clean up the droppings and put some in his litterbox, to help him get the idea. I think he's only marking territory like this because he doesn't know me that well. I'll have a discussion with the owners when they get home about what to do if he continues. There are two small boys in the household and it may be that the cat wants more space and alone time than he's getting.

Carlos is a challenge. He's old and used to doing things his own way. I cleaned and deodorized the main area of the basement where he had been soiling, then blocked it off so he couldn't reach it. I moved the boxes to a different spot nearby hoping that he would use them based on scent. And he sort of did. Then he just found a new area of the basement to whiz all over.

Because I am only hired to clean the litterboxes once a week, it's difficult to tell what the problem is. It may be that he is fussy, and once a box has been used a time or two, he won't use it. Or it may be that he doesn't like the litter. The particular brand his owner uses isn't great at controlling odor, and it may be that he doesn't like the smell.

I clean and deodorize the new place he's found to soil, and block it off so he can't get to it. The same thing has happened when I come the following week: slightly used litter, freshly soiled area of the basement.

Next week I will be assuming daily care of Carlos for a few weeks, and that is when I can really pinpoint what is going on. I'm going to deep clean his litterboxes, try some different litter brands in two of them, and minimize the space available to him in the basement.

Doing this much work isn't really part of my service, but the situation is so advanced that I consider it a health and safety hazard and I must do something in order to continue to provide good care. When the owner returns, I will have a meeting with her to discuss what I've done and to make a plan for going forward.

In closing, most cats are litterbox champs and don't cause a bit of trouble. If there is a problem (and the vet has ruled out medical causes), careful clean-up and some simple changes can often get your cat on the right track. I am happy to help, of course!

And hey, at least you don't have cows.