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Archive for December, 2009
Three ways to ensure your pet has a…Happy New Year!
The start of a new year is quite an exciting time. When making your plans to ring in the New Year, please keep these three pet safety tips in mind.
No midnight champagne toast for Fido – Since alcohol is potentially poisonous to pets, place all champagne, wine, beer and spirits well out of Fido’s way.
Please, don’t pass the hors’ d’oeuvres - Rich, fatty foods, chocolate and other sweets and candies can be harmful or toxic to pets.
These foods have been linked to pancreatitis in pets. Signs and symptoms of an inflamed pancreas include vomiting and abdominal pain. Severe pancreatitis requires emergency medical care and treatment.
In addition, certain foods like onions, avocado, chocolate, grapes and raisins are especially toxic to pets.
Let’s not start 2010 with a bang – Loud noises, like fireworks and noise makers, cause anxiety in some pets. Be mindful of this when planning your New Year’s Eve bash and make sure all pets are placed in a comfortable, quiet room away from all the hub-bub.
Following these safety tips will help ensure that you and your pets will have a happy, and safe, New Year’s Eve!
Does your holiday travel plan include your pets?
’Tis the season for marathon shopping trips, festive parties and seeing the extended family, but what if the invitation doesn’t include Fido?
For pet owners with holiday plans, there is still time to book a professional pet sitter. Pet Sitters International, the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters, has three simple steps to help pet owners find the very best in-home pet care.
Step 1 - Find a professional pet sitter in less than one minute.
Finding the right professional pet sitter for the family dog, cat, bird, reptile, horse…you name it, is just a few clicks away. PSI’s Pet Sitter Locator is a ZIP code-driven search tool that enables pet owners to conduct a criteria-based search of nearly 8,000 independent professional pet-sitting businesses in less than one minute.
Step 2 - Ensure the safety and security of your pet and home.
Since 1994, PSI has asked all members to adhere to the Recommended Quality Standards for Excellence in Pet Sitting. PSI encourages pet owners to consider its Quality Standards when searching for the perfect pet-sitting professional. These standards describe a pet sitter who:
- is bonded and insured.
- visits your home before the first pet-sitting assignment to meet the pets and get detailed information about their care.
- exhibits courtesy and professionalism.
- provides references.
- provides a service contract that specifies services, fees and time allocated per visit.
- conducts business with honesty and integrity.
- has adequate knowledge and experience in caring for pets and is clearly mindful of their safety and well-being.
- phones to confirm you have returned home.
- has a veterinarian on call for emergency service.
- has a contingency plan for pet care in case of inclement weather or personal illness.
Step 3 – Find the best fit for you and your pet.
PSI recommends that all pet owners conduct an initial interview to evaluate candidates and review credentials. It’s also the best way for sitters to familiarize themselves with the pets and homes in which they will be working. PSI offers a one of a kind Pet Sitter Interview checklist to help pet owners evaluate their pet’s caregiver.
For more information on the advantages of hiring a professional pet sitter, visit www.petsit.com/owners.
Professional pet sitters share their holiday gift ideas
Is your pet hard to shop for? Has even Santa Claws run out of ideas? Check out what professional pet sitters are giving their pet-loving clients this holiday season:
“The best gift toys for dogs are Kongs. They come in all shapes and sizes and you can put the pet’s favorite treat inside.
“For cats, I like to give balls with bells in them. My clients’ cats chase the ‘bell balls’ around - with or without me! The best gifts for clients are what THEIR pets prefer.”
-Christine Santora, The Paw Walker, Lakewood Ranch, FL
“In the past, I made calendars with photos of my clients’ “babies” on the cover. The following year, I used the same digital picture and inserted it into little frames. I also give toys to the pets. This year I’ll donate to a favorite charity in the clients’ pets name.”
-Judi Balisciano, Wiggles N’ Wags Pet Sitting, Camarillo, CA
“We get a bulk subscription rate for the Whole Dog Journal and send it to our best clients for a holiday gift. We ask the Journal to put ‘compliments of Comfy Creatures’ above their address mailing label. That way our clients get our gift every month of the year with valuable dog-care information!”
-Roberta Chapman, Comfy Creatures Dog Walking & Pet Sitting, Livonia, MI
“I’ve found a very nice gift to give my clients for Christmas. Bed, Bath & Beyond stores sell a set of glass coasters in a holder for $9.99. Each coaster is also a picture holder. You can slide any picture that you wish in between the glass layers of the coaster and it makes a useful and beautiful keepsake. I have bought several of them this year and since I am always taking pictures of all of my clients ‘fur children,’ I will have some great pictures to put in the coasters! I think this is a beautiful and unique gift. My clients’ guests will surely notice them and my clients will always remember their pet sitter!”
-Nancy Kreigline, Paws Plus Pet Sitting Service, Pittsburg, PA
“We give our clients homemade dog and cat treats from a local bakery. The bakers are excited to get their product out to potential customers, so we get a great discount. We put the treats and coupons from other local businesses into a mini stocking and we write the pet’s name in silver or gold fabric paint. We do this for any client who books with us for Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s. In the past, we have made custom dog and cat photo frames with magnets on the back. We take photos all year long so at the holidays we can insert the picture into the frame and leave it for the people as their gift from their pets.”
-Jennifer Haralson, A Pause For Paws Inc., Lincoln, NE
“I give my clients gift certificates for my service. This helps both the pet sitter and client in economically trying times by not having to spend money on gifts.
-Xanthe’ Kleis, See Spot Run Petsitting Service, Tarpon Springs, FL
Make a difference in your community this holiday season
Pets fill our lives with love and joy. Don’t we owe it to them to make sure their bowls never go unfilled?
PSI member pet-sitters across the country are currently doing their part to help local shelters in need. As part of PSI’s new Hungry Bowl ™ Pet Food Drive initiative, members have partnered with local businesses, families, friends and clients to collect cat and dog food donations December 1-12. Once collected, these donations will be given to a local shelter or animal rescue group of their choice.
During the last holiday season, PSI staff members rallied together to collect donations for their local shelter and a local rescue group hard-hit by the economic downturn and overwhelmed by the influx of pets surrendered.
Disheartened by the dire need of the shelter and touched by their genuine appreciation, PSI staffers committed to organizing a similar campaign to benefit shelters throughout the country and abroad.
Based on their experience collecting pet food donations in 2008, PSI created the Hungry Bowl ™ campaign to provide member businesses with the information and resources to organize local drives.
At the conclusion of the pet food drive, participating members will submit the total pounds of pet food collected—and the results of this international, concerted effort by PSI members will be reported in a future entry. Stay tuned!
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