Stay at Home Paws

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Stay at Home Paws

Planning your next vacation or business trip? Please keep in mind your pets best interest! They are They want them to be HAPPY! Human "stuff" gets in the way.
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In my 27 years as a Veterinary Technician I have worked in several animal clinics. In the course of daily conversations with our clients, I have come across one consistent desire that people have for their pets. We provide our pets with good food, lots of petting, toys, exercise and regular trips to the vet in order to keep them healthy and happy. But as much as our pets would like it, we cannot b

e home with them all of the time. Work, school, after school activities, socializing with friends and family.. Humans also need the occasional vacation or need to travel for work. Back to the part about your pets being HAPPY: I have found that my own pets prefer staying at home when I am not there. If I travel, they would much prefer to pout at home on their own couch or cat tree, eat their own food out of their own bowls, walk their usual route, play with their own toys (or steal their buddy's toys).. P**p in their own yard.. well, maybe not all of them.. Routine is important for your pet. They rely on it to keep order in their lives and reduce stress. Please consider having a Stay at Home Paws caretaker stay in your home while you are away from your beloved pets. I will try to keep their stress level down and keep their routine as close to normal as possible, feed their regular diet, give any medications needed (including insulin for diabetics) and of course, lots of cuddles, play time, brushing, walking, loving, and picture taking (if they want to be on my page that is!). =^--^=

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(952) 852-5948

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https://stayathomepawsmn.com/

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Lazy dog playtime with Gabby and Feliz

These two crack me up! The desire to play is there.. But it's just too much work! 😆😆

🌄 Good Morning! 🌄

Lula giving me the business..

Making Biscuits with Patch

Happy Saturday!

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Stay At Home Paws - My Story

When I decided to become a Veterinary Technician in 1990, I was told that there were many different career options for me. Not only private practice, but emergency work, research, specialization, equine and other large animal also. Upon graduating in 1992 and passing my national and state certification exams, I officially became a Certified Veterinary Technician. Since then, I have worked in several veterinary hospitals, all in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas. I have worked with horses, cows, goats, dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, guinea pigs, and hamsters in a clinical setting. I also worked one year in emergency veterinary medicine during which I learned a lot!

During my very first full time, paid vet tech position, I was chatting with a client about their dogs. They had about 15 champion show English Springer Spaniels. They traveled all over the country doing dog shows and were sometimes away from home for weeks at a time. The dogs that were not showing, in heat or pregnant had to stay home. They were telling me how stressful boarding was for the dogs and how they wished they had someone that could be a “stay at home dog caretaker”. Although I knew absolutely nothing about pet sitting or boarding or doing anything at all, really, with 15 show dogs at a time, I offered to help. I’m sure they got their money’s worth. Oh, more accurately, they got a heck of a deal. I can guarantee that they liked my naivete because, let’s just say that I think it would have qualified as “less than minimum wage”.

Plus, I’m not going to lie, it was a horrible experience! The dogs were beautiful and well behaved, but I had not anticipated the amount of work that it took to properly care for that many dogs. And most, importantly, the need to keep them all separated because they had both intact males and females. That was fun. Oh, did I mention I got the flu that week? Yep, the kind where there is no way you are traveling further than a couple of rooms from the bathroom, and you really have no idea if you are hot or cold, and you can’t tell where exactly it hurts because it pretty much hurts everywhere, and you don’t really even know what planet you are on? I’m pretty sure I did not sleep at all that weekend. Mainly because I couldn’t breathe. I often wonder why, with that first experience, I ever wanted to do it again??

Well, the longer I continued in the animal care business as a Vet Tech, the more I realized that the human-animal bond is something pretty amazing. People don’t always want to leave their pets behind when they travel, but for the most part they do not have a choice. What they do have a choice about, however, is where their pet spends his/her vacation. Now remember, this was in the early-mid 90’s. Most boarding facilities lacked a certain “homey feeling”. If the animals were not in stainless steel kennels, they might be in slightly larger runs. They didn’t have comfy suites back then and their interaction with humans was likely limited to twice daily potty breaks and a bowl of food given to them once or twice a day, which incidentally might not even be their regular diet. There were very few places that even allowed any contact between the animals. Dogs, especially, are social animals and I could see how they could become depressed in a relatively short period of time. That was not something that I wanted to see. It made me sad. So even though my one experience up to that point was less than ideal, I could not deny that when I was there, those dogs were happy. They didn’t have to leave home! They had their best buddies, their best beds, their best couches and toys and chairs and carpets and fireplaces and food / water bowls. And yards! Did I mention they got to play in their own yard? Where their family knew they would be safe and comfortable? Yep, they scored.

So my goal is to have all the pets I care for SCORE! I want them to be able to stay in their own (or their family’s own) beds. I want them to eat their regular diet so they don’t get diarrhea and get their favorite treats out of the same cupboard they always do. I want them to play in their own yard, chase their own frisbee and even swim in their own pool if they have one. I want them to guard their own front stoops from strangers and threats, like leaves blowing.. I want cats to climb their own cat trees and play with their own toys and sleep on a human’s head if they want. They get to use their own litter box that is in the same spot it’s always been and is kept clean, of course!

Over the years, I gained experience and the confidence to ask for payment for what I felt I was worth. I provide my pet sitting buddies with the best experience that I can give them without being their actual human. I also provide the bonus perk of many years (27 years now!!) of veterinary care experience. In the physical form I can administer medications confidently, recognize signs of discomfort or pain or just “not acting right”. I know how to recognize an emergency and am aware of possible hazards and keep a vigilant eye. In the behavioral form, I know how to read body language and can tell if a pet is uncomfortable with me visiting. Then I can give them some space. More often than not, their curiosity gets the better of them and they come to me for some attention. The bonus, of course, is that I’m the one that feeds them too. That can do wonders to establish a bond! Also, being the human to take them on a walk so they can show me their neighborhood. The dogs are always so proud to show me around their ‘hood! In the emotional form, I provide one on one companionship and also hang out with the gang. I give love, cuddles, pets, brushes, smooches, food, water, play and more.

I think the most rewarding time for me is when night time comes and I don’t leave. I stay and cuddle. Then I stay overnight and hear that big “sigh” that dogs do when they are happy and content and the purring of the sleepy cat that is burrowed in the covers next to me. That’s what they do when they scored!! It’s the best sound in the world. =)

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