GO Petsitter

31/10/2024

Happy Halloween
👻
Hope you all have a Spooktacular Night!

31/10/2024

Trick or Treat!!!

Witches 🧙‍♀️ Familiars can be frogs 🐸, black cats 🐈‍⬛ or toads. Well in this case I want to talk about these cute little Dwarf African Frogs! (No witches - sorry 😂)

These guys are so fascinating. They camouflage really well in their tank & hiding is second nature to them, as are huge bursts of energy!!

But one day I came in to see E floating at the top of the tank. He had not moved a millimetre for a few minutes and so I thought he’d passed 😳 Mortified I decided to contact his owner.

They told me where to find their net to scoop him out. As I did so, imagine my surprise he finally decided to jump out of the net despite being investigated for some time prior where he had been statue still!!! Got an absolute fright with that one!! Atleast he was absolutely fine my heart - not so much 😂

For more information about these cute little guys, visit the below website

https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/freshwater/miscellaneous/african-dwarf-frog

💚

31/10/2024

As we come to an end of our Halloween series, please think about Pets Tonight as trick and treaters go about.

Close cat flaps, doors and windows 🪟 Make rooms as cosy and as quiet as possible.

You can play some relaxing music 🎵 Our fav is often chill out accoustic for Pets or Classical for Pets - ask - she knows 😂

You can even build a den or use a pheromone scent like feelaway (make sure your cat is used it it before trying it today!).

But most importantly YOU need to stay calm as pets feed off of your energy

30/10/2024

This is a picture of Charlie. He was a rescue cat who had been abused during his lifetime. He is scared to meet people. He often runs away and hides in his owners bed. Hearing his story broke my heart 💔 because even though he’s now in a loving home, the impact of how he was treated early on his life affects him still.

30/10/2024

TW - Scroll quickly if you hate snakes 🐍 or bugs 🐜

Halloween 🎃 is meant to be about scary things, fear of the unknown and the cute “trick and treaters”! Many moons ago we had the critter keeper come to do a show and tell.

Some of “scary” animals he showed us included Poison Dart Frogs 🐸, Tarantulas, the Royal Python and Madagascar Hissing Cockroach 🪳

Yes I was scared 😱 especially if he were to drop the cockroach!!!

But look at my sons’ face especially when he got to have the Python around his neck ☺️ He loved it - so did the other kids! Now each time we go to a zoo, he loves visiting the reptile and insect houses and reliving these memories.

Kids love animals and with the right exposure they learn to love and care for them too.

For more information about these two creatures click the below links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_python

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madagascar_hissing_cockroach

Our Birthday/Halloween parties won’t be as wild as this one I promise!! 😂

30/10/2024

I have never heard of some of these but I know the Scottish 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 one. Which one have you heard of before?

29/10/2024

Welcome to another story in our Halloween 🎃 series Dissappearing Act - No. 2

This is Jasper all dressed up for Halloween some years ago! We had gone camping for a local event, we even had one of those longlines that you stake into the ground!

We’d all gone to bed - ensured Jasper was properly tied up before falling asleep after a very active day!!

Well my sixth sense woke me at some point in the night, because Jasper was no where to be seen in the tent ⛺️

The little monkey had chewed through the long line and wiggled out under the front porch area!!!

Careful not to wake anyone, I quickly popped my wellies on and went on a hunt for the little minx! I soon found him when I got whiff of a BBQ!! He was enjoying a tasty treat of sausages with some neighbours in a caravan who were having a few beers 🍻!

We all had a chuckle and he came back with me where he was hugged for the rest of the night by us girls!!

29/10/2024

My greatest fear as petsitter is a missing pet!

29/10/2024

Let’s talk about something really horrific and sad 😢 Abused Animals

Sadly animals are and can be abused not just by their owners, but other humans they come into contact with.

How this manifests in animals can be as either fear of humans or even aggression. Always pay attention to the changes in your pets behavior especially if you have let them be in contact with another person.

It could be due to accidental injury, mishandling that a bruise has occurred - but if the person is unable to provide a reasonable explanation, that’s a huge red flag 🚩

We had to use a new petsitter our regular and lovely dog walker went away. It was meant to be for a week, but we stopped immediately when Jasper had an unexplained bruise and he was cowering when he came home. 🏡

His regular dog walker noted the difference as well when she came back and we were all heart broken 💔

Pay attention for to the signs and change care givers immediately. This blog below gives some really good details of what to watch out for:

Animal lovers across the globe can’t fathom how anyone could ever be abusive towards animals, yet somehow it happens, and sometimes with very few signs. Dog abuse can manifest as neglect, physical abuse, and even sexual abuse. You should be aware of some of the signs that an animal is being abused...

28/10/2024

Disappearing Act 1!

So meet B, a 1 year old kitten at the time of this story. Her owners had gone away for the first time and she’d just been allowed out in their local area via a cat flap just a few weeks prior.

As a cautious pet sitter and without revealing all my tricks 😉 I record ALOT to make sure I have covered all bases of animal care. (Important fact for later!)

As per usual I let B out during the day and in the evening I lock her cat flap so she could come in but couldn’t get back out!

The next morning I went into the house 🏡 I could see she had been in - she had eaten her food & used her litter tray but I couldn’t find her anywhere!

So there was nothing left to do but to go start searching for her before initiating missing cat protocols!!

I didn’t know it beforehand, but she has a nice little hill covered in stinging nettles behind her house. That day I was wearing a summer dress, with BARE legs!!

Undeterred with gritted teeth 😬 I trundled through those nettles, shaking her Dreamies before returning to the house (scratching away), stopping to speak to the neighbours as I went.

When I got through the door, perhaps a short minute after in she comes, meowing for her breakfast!! 😂

You might be wondering whether I REALLY locked her cat flap - I had! I checked the footage from the evening before!

Perhaps she learnt how to flick open the flap… perhaps it was a gust of wind?

But the cat flap was still set for her to come in but not to be let out, as I STILL had to open it again for her after she had eaten!

28/10/2024

Check back later to see why this little fun fact has played mischief in my pet owning and pet sitting life!!

28/10/2024

👻Scary Stories👻

Join me as I share some of my scariest (& even gross 🤮 ) experiences as a pet owner and pet sitter this week in the spirit of Halloween 🎃

27/10/2024

Hi 👋 Everyone
Had to share because it’s too cute. Back from Holibobs on Monday 4th November 💚

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/223MoqnzJpbrR73R/?mibextid=WC7FNe

22/10/2024

SPACES AVAILABLE IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER
*XMAS IS FULL*

20/10/2024

Happy 1/2 Term Folks! This will be me when I get back!!! I am back 4.11.2024. I will check in on emails intermittently but please bear with me as I won’t have access all the time. If you know my plans please don’t post on here for security reasons 😉

18/10/2024

I have not stopped smiling since I met this wonderful little ball of fluff!! Meet Mr R who is just weee kitten 🐱🩵 Isn’t he adorable? He’s just 14 weeks old and is just soooo cute 🥰 It’s so nice to hear he’s settled in nicely into his new home and gets along well with his big sister 🧡 Will share more pics 🔜

18/10/2024

I am SUPER EXCITED TODAY!! Im going to meet a new furry friend & I can’t wait to show you guys later!!

16/10/2024

The BEST thing about petsitting is knowing I am genuinely helping people by taking care of their pets. Sometimes it’s providing cover during an unplanned illness, a funeral or happier occasions like a heartfelt needed holiday to see loved ones or a romantic weekend.

I adore the people I have come to meet through this job and the connections we have made.

And as for the pets… well I am animal crazy and love them to bits too! 😁

16/10/2024

Good Morning All,
Don’t worry the sun is up - these pics were taken one night last week, when I had the fortune of petsitting this little guy 😍 P absolutely adores his mummy, but was graceful enough to let me keep him company for a few hours 😂

15/10/2024

Did you know I NEVER charge EXTRA at PEAK times of the year?

11/10/2024

Mrs P and Mrs I enjoying a relaxing weekend a couple of weekends ago. We defluffed and groomed, enjoyed the garden 🪴 before the winter ❄️ set in ☺️

10/10/2024

Winter Safety Advice!!
PLEASE READ 🖤

Driving home last night a man was walking his Black Lab on a long lead. The man had no reflective wear and no lights on and neither did the dog!! It was so dark at 9pm - and he really wasn’t the easiest to spot and the owner was wearing all black!

Safety of ourselves, our pets and children are paramount as the evenings are getting darker earlier. Wear Bright, Reflective Clothing Jackets, Hats 🧢, welllies for yourself and the kids. Keep pets on a short leash as well!

BE BRIGHT! BE SEEN!!

Pets can get in on the action too with reflective collars and even GLOW IN THE DARK tags 🏷️ Jasper was our Black Lab whom we loved dearly. He always wore a reflective collar and Light UP tag in winter.

Keep being SEEN. Keep SAFE!!

Check out this article by Police Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 which has some great advice.

https://www.scotland.police.uk/advice-and-information/road-safety/winter-road-safety/

You can find some recommended items in the link at the top of my page for both cats and dogs.

Feel free to share or tag a friend 🖤

10/10/2024

🐈‍⬛
Can you see him? Help drivers 🚗 see your pets in winter. Grab a reflective collar today

09/10/2024

Teckles needs help!!

*EDIT: Thank you everyone for your kind donations! We’ve been inundated with poo bags 😁😆 We appreciate all your support so much 🙏🏼*

We are all out of poo bags! 😱💩

If you have any dog p**p bags you can donate to us, we’d be extremely grateful! Feel free to drop off at our centre, at our donation collection points or you can send us some from our Amazon wishlist - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/MTT09WS7XGEA?ref_=wl_share

We’ve been totally overwhelmed by your kind donations of towels after our plea! We are all stocked up for winter and can’t thank our kind supporters enough for your incredible response! Thank you so much for your help 🐕🐶

08/10/2024

Some great advice on keeping dogs safe on darker nights ☺️

With autumn comes shorter days and longer nights, meaning your normal evening walking routine may be affected by the dark! 🌃

Heading out with your pooch usually involves walking on roads or pavements, which can be dangerous for dogs if we’re not careful.

Here's a refresher on how to keep your dog safe around roads 👇

[Visual description: An infographic displaying a winding road with a dog sat at the forefront. The text around the image reads: How to keep your dog safe around roads. Plan your route carefully to avoid roads without pavements. Keep your dog on a short lead attached to a well-fitted collar or harness. Don't use an extender lead as it won't give you the control you need if your dog suddenly dashes off or jumps into the road. Be prepared with a collar, tag, microchip and insurance. Teach your dog awareness to help them learn some road sense with simple commands such as 'sit' and 'wait'. Using a reflective lead, high visibility dog coat or an LED collar will ensure you and your dog can be seen when you're out walking, especially when it's dark or when visibility is poor. It's a good idea to teach them an emergency command such as 'stop', so you can get them to stop immediately if they are faced with a dangerous situation.]