Hello all my pet guardians...how was your week? The weather has been much nicer, although my throat has been burning due to all the smoke in the air. I hope that the fires have affected none of you or any of your family members, friends or associates. The fire situation is not only devastating for the people who have lost their homes, but also for the furr kids that unfortunately were not able to get out of those homes. Make sure to give your furr kid a big kiss and hug just to let them know that you are happy to have them.
Well, as my title suggested...it's Sunday and I'm beat! This has been one heck of a week for your loyal pet sitters, and with the upcoming 4th of July weekend approaching I doubt it's going to be any different for the next week or so. Nanny Elaine just started her month long pet sitting assignment with Oscar, the blind Beagle. I went over to visit with them yesterday, and Oscar just wondered around Elaine and I bumping into our legs from time to time. Elaine has started using her legs to block Oscar from bumping into sharp corners; instead he just bumps into Elaine’s leg. He may be blind, but he knows where his treats are kept and he will stand by that door for long amounts of time until he finally gets that he's had his treat quota for the afternoon. After leaving Elaine and Oscar I had lunch at Santana Row with my Sister and Brother-in-law...there we met Patrick, the CUTEST King Charles Cavalier I have ever seen! He was born in Ireland...hence the name Patrick, and he had a beautiful red and white coat with the FLUFFIEST feet I have ever seen...his feet looked like floor dusters. He was very happy to have all of us fawning over him, and we didn't mind him getting our pants a bit dusty when he jumped up to see us. Santana Row is a great place to pup watch...you can see all sorts of dogs and you can even sit down to eat with them...very pet friendly.
I finally received my June newsletters...and with some luck my furr kid guardians may even receive them IN JUNE! Yes, I was a bit behind on putting them together, but I think you will really enjoy this one...there are some fun surprises in it!!! Nope, I'm not telling you have to wait to read it. It took me close to 3 hours to fold, stamp, label and seal the nearly 200 newsletters that I will pop in the mail tomorrow morning, but my Sister was nice enough to volunteer to help me next time around...thank you Laura!
I'm getting a TON of last minute requests for the 4th of July weekend...and I hate to turn people away, but we are booked solid! Just a nice reminder to all my furr guardians...remember to book early when it comes to holidays. Why can't I just clone myself and my other Nannies...it would make things so much easier.
Until next time....
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
It's HOT outside!
Hello my furr kids and guardians, how was your week? Are you all dying from this weather, I know I am! This weather is not fun for the furr kids in my care as well as your loyal pet sitter! It's very important that you keep plenty of fresh water around for your furr kids, and even throw an ice cube or two in their dish for a refreshing treat. I was considering shaving Blackjack, (the company mascot) but I'm afraid that he may do something to me while I sleep. He's never been a fan of the Vet and a groomer...please, so he will stay fluffy and I guess I will just have to throw him in the shower from time to time to cool him down.
It's a Saturday around 9:45am and I already have a fan on. I need to get ready pretty soon for my 10:30am consultation with a new furr kid guardian. This person has two kitties, Potter and Emma and she had mentioned that they are both love bugs...which is always fun. Nanny Samantha has a consultation at noon today, and Nanny Elaine is picking up some keys from a client who will be out of town for nearly a MONTH! He has a sweet old Beagle named Oscar who is blind...before you become sad let me tell you...Oscar doesn't let it bother him one bit! Although he bumps into things more than he would probably like, he just makes the best out of the situation and stays the cool dude that he is. Nanny Samantha will be doing an overnight visit this evening with Oscar, (a different one) and Java...two very funny Dachshunds who adore Samantha and vice versa.
I talked to a fellow pet sitter who has become a friend of mine this morning...she is thinking about hiring some new people, which is GREAT! I am always so happy to hear about all you wonderful furr kid guardians, and how important good pet care is to you all. It's amazing how the pet industry has blown up over the years and I can't tell you how happy I am to be apart of it!
It's a leisurely day for your loyal pet sitter, which is nice considering I rarely have a weekend off. I received a last minute call from one of my furr kids guardians for pet care starting tomorrow, but this guardian is near and dear to my heart considering he adopted a kitty that I had rescued. He was dumped in our carport, or maybe he just escaped to our carport. He had on a filthy old flea collar, and he himself was filthy! He is a big fluffy gray and white kitty, but he was so dirty he looked gray and brown. I started to call him Skuzzy...I know, not the best name, but let's face it...he was! He had another friend that I named Puddin', but he was VERY scared and I could never get close to him/her...I'm not sure what Puddin' was. I would leave cat food under my car each day, and attempted to leave water, but the ants overran the dish. One day Puddin' started to sneeze...and a couple of days later he/she was gone...I was very sad considering I started to talk to 13th Street Cat Rescue about trapping him/her. Skuzzy seemed really sad to have lost his friend, but then he also started to sneeze. I knew I could not wait anymore...so, I put him in a carrier and took him to Akal Animal Hospital.
You would think that a kitty that was obviously not taken care of would completely freak out being put in a car...but no, he just chilled out and didn't make a peep. It turned out that he had an upper respiratory infection and most likely would have met the same fait as Puddin' if I hadn't acted. It also turned out that he was an old guy, which wouldn't work in his favor as far as being adopted. I paid for him to stay at the pet hospital for a week so he could get the medication he needed, and after that he was fostered by a wonderful 13th Street Cat person. After quite a while we had little hope that someone would find it in his or her heart to adopt this older guy, but then my furr guardian appeared and adopted him. So, I get the pleasure of not only visiting his other furr kids, but Skuzz too, (he has a new name now).
Anyway...sorry for going on so long, but I thought that was a nice story to tell. Keep cool my furr kids and guardians and I will talk to you soon.
It's a Saturday around 9:45am and I already have a fan on. I need to get ready pretty soon for my 10:30am consultation with a new furr kid guardian. This person has two kitties, Potter and Emma and she had mentioned that they are both love bugs...which is always fun. Nanny Samantha has a consultation at noon today, and Nanny Elaine is picking up some keys from a client who will be out of town for nearly a MONTH! He has a sweet old Beagle named Oscar who is blind...before you become sad let me tell you...Oscar doesn't let it bother him one bit! Although he bumps into things more than he would probably like, he just makes the best out of the situation and stays the cool dude that he is. Nanny Samantha will be doing an overnight visit this evening with Oscar, (a different one) and Java...two very funny Dachshunds who adore Samantha and vice versa.
I talked to a fellow pet sitter who has become a friend of mine this morning...she is thinking about hiring some new people, which is GREAT! I am always so happy to hear about all you wonderful furr kid guardians, and how important good pet care is to you all. It's amazing how the pet industry has blown up over the years and I can't tell you how happy I am to be apart of it!
It's a leisurely day for your loyal pet sitter, which is nice considering I rarely have a weekend off. I received a last minute call from one of my furr kids guardians for pet care starting tomorrow, but this guardian is near and dear to my heart considering he adopted a kitty that I had rescued. He was dumped in our carport, or maybe he just escaped to our carport. He had on a filthy old flea collar, and he himself was filthy! He is a big fluffy gray and white kitty, but he was so dirty he looked gray and brown. I started to call him Skuzzy...I know, not the best name, but let's face it...he was! He had another friend that I named Puddin', but he was VERY scared and I could never get close to him/her...I'm not sure what Puddin' was. I would leave cat food under my car each day, and attempted to leave water, but the ants overran the dish. One day Puddin' started to sneeze...and a couple of days later he/she was gone...I was very sad considering I started to talk to 13th Street Cat Rescue about trapping him/her. Skuzzy seemed really sad to have lost his friend, but then he also started to sneeze. I knew I could not wait anymore...so, I put him in a carrier and took him to Akal Animal Hospital.
You would think that a kitty that was obviously not taken care of would completely freak out being put in a car...but no, he just chilled out and didn't make a peep. It turned out that he had an upper respiratory infection and most likely would have met the same fait as Puddin' if I hadn't acted. It also turned out that he was an old guy, which wouldn't work in his favor as far as being adopted. I paid for him to stay at the pet hospital for a week so he could get the medication he needed, and after that he was fostered by a wonderful 13th Street Cat person. After quite a while we had little hope that someone would find it in his or her heart to adopt this older guy, but then my furr guardian appeared and adopted him. So, I get the pleasure of not only visiting his other furr kids, but Skuzz too, (he has a new name now).
Anyway...sorry for going on so long, but I thought that was a nice story to tell. Keep cool my furr kids and guardians and I will talk to you soon.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
It's a Wednesday and I'm beat!
Hello my furr kid guardians...how has your week been so far? Well, it's a Wednesday and I thought I should write something since I promised all of you that I would do this daily, (doesn't look like it's going to happen). My day was relatively slow, but non-the-less enjoyable! I talked to some fabulous potential furr kid clients...one who has THREE NORWEGIAN FOREST CATS!!!! How fun is that!!!!
I did a pet taxi with Coco the absolutely lovable pit bull this morning, had Sake my little destructor doggy, Smush, my super model and of course Sienna who is my protector doggy. Sienna is an Australian terrier...looks slightly like Toto, but not the same. She is a very funny girl...she protects me from everything out in the wild...including large white bags that landscapers use to collect lawn clippings and balloons that may be hanging on different mail boxes. She also LOVES to stop a couple of times during our walk to lie in the cool grass and roll around in it for good measure.
Did I tell you about Scooter? No, I couldn't have since this is my second blog entry! Well...sit back and get ready to hear about this amazing little guy! So, I'm sure a lot of you have heard me gab about 13th Street Cat Rescue and what wonderful work they do with homeless kitties...well, Joanne, (the founder) not only has an open heart when it comes to kitties, but also doggies!!! Coco, (the pit bull I mentioned) was found wandering the streets and Joanne just couldn't let him be homeless...come to find that Coco is a big old love bug who although is a bit shy around Men is a trusting and loving female lover boy. So, I have been doing a lot of pet taxi service for Joanne and taking Coco to Pawin' Around Dog Day Care. The other day she called me and said "when you pick Coco up don't forget to look in the bathroom and meet Scooter". I said "Scooter...who's that?" and she told me that he was a kitty that she was babysitting who had some back leg paralysis who would most likely have to have one of his back legs amputated.
The next day I showed up to cart Coco off to daycare and remembered that I was supposed to look in on Scooter. Not knowing exactly what I would find I slowly opened the bathroom door and there was the CUTEST kitten I have ever seen!!!! A 10-week-old Maine Coon mix with the face of an angel. As soon as Scooter saw me he started rolling around and talking to me! Even with his back leg not moving he was the happiest little guy I have ever seen! He just wanted to be with me, and didn't let that leg hold him back! I wanted to take him home immediately...could I kidnap the kitten? Would that be out of line? Would my Husband divorce me for bringing another kitty home? These were questions I wasn't too worried about, but then I remembered that Joanne mentioned that a Woman who recently lost her kitty who also had a back leg problem already adopted him and I knew he wasn't meant to be mine.
You know, Humans can take a lesson from little Scooter...even with a bum leg, he just kept going! I talked to Joanne today and she even said that he's been acting like a typical kitten and climbing up on things he really shouldn't. This is my favorite part about being a furr kid Auntie...getting to meet wonderful kitties, doggies and other critters and just being able to experience these wonderful little beings.
Until next time!
I did a pet taxi with Coco the absolutely lovable pit bull this morning, had Sake my little destructor doggy, Smush, my super model and of course Sienna who is my protector doggy. Sienna is an Australian terrier...looks slightly like Toto, but not the same. She is a very funny girl...she protects me from everything out in the wild...including large white bags that landscapers use to collect lawn clippings and balloons that may be hanging on different mail boxes. She also LOVES to stop a couple of times during our walk to lie in the cool grass and roll around in it for good measure.
Did I tell you about Scooter? No, I couldn't have since this is my second blog entry! Well...sit back and get ready to hear about this amazing little guy! So, I'm sure a lot of you have heard me gab about 13th Street Cat Rescue and what wonderful work they do with homeless kitties...well, Joanne, (the founder) not only has an open heart when it comes to kitties, but also doggies!!! Coco, (the pit bull I mentioned) was found wandering the streets and Joanne just couldn't let him be homeless...come to find that Coco is a big old love bug who although is a bit shy around Men is a trusting and loving female lover boy. So, I have been doing a lot of pet taxi service for Joanne and taking Coco to Pawin' Around Dog Day Care. The other day she called me and said "when you pick Coco up don't forget to look in the bathroom and meet Scooter". I said "Scooter...who's that?" and she told me that he was a kitty that she was babysitting who had some back leg paralysis who would most likely have to have one of his back legs amputated.
The next day I showed up to cart Coco off to daycare and remembered that I was supposed to look in on Scooter. Not knowing exactly what I would find I slowly opened the bathroom door and there was the CUTEST kitten I have ever seen!!!! A 10-week-old Maine Coon mix with the face of an angel. As soon as Scooter saw me he started rolling around and talking to me! Even with his back leg not moving he was the happiest little guy I have ever seen! He just wanted to be with me, and didn't let that leg hold him back! I wanted to take him home immediately...could I kidnap the kitten? Would that be out of line? Would my Husband divorce me for bringing another kitty home? These were questions I wasn't too worried about, but then I remembered that Joanne mentioned that a Woman who recently lost her kitty who also had a back leg problem already adopted him and I knew he wasn't meant to be mine.
You know, Humans can take a lesson from little Scooter...even with a bum leg, he just kept going! I talked to Joanne today and she even said that he's been acting like a typical kitten and climbing up on things he really shouldn't. This is my favorite part about being a furr kid Auntie...getting to meet wonderful kitties, doggies and other critters and just being able to experience these wonderful little beings.
Until next time!
Monday, June 16, 2008
My first post!
Hi everyone, and welcome to 'The Pet Nanny Diary" and my very first post. I decided to do this because of the wonderful feedback we have received regarding the newsletter we publish and stories that I have about the awesome group of furr kids and guardians that I have met over the past 4 years.
The story of how I came to be the owner of Silicon Valley Pet Nanny and a full time professional pet nanny is an interesting one...well, I think it's interesting and hope you will too. From the time I was born I was an animal lover, and have had cats for as far back as I can remember. If I went down the line of my wonderful kitties you would hear about Boomerang, (my first kitty) Teddy Bear, (the great one) Macaroni Salad, (my Sister's cat) Dolce, (the one we didn't ask Mom about) Coco Puff, (our supermodel) Magilla, (the love of my life) and of course...the superstar...the wonderful...the reason that I get up in the morning...Blackjack...my #1 buddy. Oh yeah...we have Corn too who is my Husbands kitty, but he really only likes my Husband.
I knew from early on that I will eventually be a crazy cat lady...you know, the one who has 15 thousand cats and chases little kids around with my cane, (Well, okay, not really, but I cannot see myself ever living without a furr kid of some kind) but my career of caring for furr kids would take MANY years to come into vision and it was not without it's criticism. I graduated High School in 1986, (eeeh gad) and with my black mohawk, (yes, I did have a mohawk) started to realize that I wanted to work in the music industry....which too has it's fair share of animals. I started to help out my friends punk bands...answering fan mail, selling t-shirts, grabbing food for them when they would record...you know, those kind of things. After realizing that money is a good thing, and at that time didn't have any I decided to get a "real job" which was a medical biller for a small ambulance company. This was the beginning of my "cube life"...no windows...no fresh air...just me...a computer and a cube. I worked there for close to 10 years before coming down with a horrible case of carpel tunnel syndrome, which required major surgery and a 2-year break from work.
After my hand had regained most of its function it was time to look for a new job...and guess what...I landed a job in the music industry! Well, it was for a small company that produced audio CD's, tapes, LPs, etc...but it was close enough for me! This was a fun time in my life...I was able to travel and do music trade shows, I met very interesting people, and enjoyed talking to musicians...however...it was still a "cube life" and at this point I started to realize that I wasn't cut out for it. I ended up moving to Los Angeles in hopes of furthering my music career...and let me tell you, after a year there I wanted NOTHING to do with any kind of entertainment career! The one great thing of living there was I got to see first hand my girlfriend Gwen's pet sitting business blossom! It was the first time I had ever heard of pet sitting, and she LOVED doing it! I started to talk to her about it, and was jealous about how happy she was and that she was able to hang around with wonderful animals all day long...the seed had been planted!
I landed a few more "cube life" jobs and hated nearly every minute of it. Don't get me wrong...some of the jobs were very important and highly paid, but I wasn't happy...AT ALL. I really started to look at other options for my life, and how it is too short to waste being sad and unfulfilled. Finally I spoke to my Husband, (who is wonderfully supportive) and told him that I wanted to start a pet sitting business. I cannot lie...I was scared to death to talk to him about it, but to my pleasant surprise his reaction was "if you think you can make a go of it do it". And that was it...my cube life was over, and my pet nanny career was about to begin.
If only everyone had the same reaction as my Husband...I cannot tell you the number of horrified reactions I received. A lot of "you're going to do WHAT" and "you're CRAZY" but I pushed on and here I am....4 years later...surrounded by my extended family of furr kids and wonderful furr kid guardians. It's the most wonderful career I can think of, and it's been that happiest time of my life. I SO look forward to seeing my furr kids each day, and no matter what type of foul mood you may be in, when you open the door and see their smiling faces just so happy to see you...you just can't stay mad. Don't get me wrong...it is HARD work and I'm sure some of you have heard me mention that I haven't had a day off in like 2 years, but I love it...it's what I was meant to do, and my Nannies love it too. They call me at least once a day to tell me a cute story about one of their furr kids, or to just say how much they love doing this type of work.
I will try my best to post a new Nanny Diary each day, so you can read about the day in the life of a professional pet sitter. Thank you so much for being a part of my life, and allowing us to care for your special furr kids. I hope that by doing this you will feel more like a part of this very strange world, and who knows...it may put a smile on your face while I'm at it.
That's all for now!
The story of how I came to be the owner of Silicon Valley Pet Nanny and a full time professional pet nanny is an interesting one...well, I think it's interesting and hope you will too. From the time I was born I was an animal lover, and have had cats for as far back as I can remember. If I went down the line of my wonderful kitties you would hear about Boomerang, (my first kitty) Teddy Bear, (the great one) Macaroni Salad, (my Sister's cat) Dolce, (the one we didn't ask Mom about) Coco Puff, (our supermodel) Magilla, (the love of my life) and of course...the superstar...the wonderful...the reason that I get up in the morning...Blackjack...my #1 buddy. Oh yeah...we have Corn too who is my Husbands kitty, but he really only likes my Husband.
I knew from early on that I will eventually be a crazy cat lady...you know, the one who has 15 thousand cats and chases little kids around with my cane, (Well, okay, not really, but I cannot see myself ever living without a furr kid of some kind) but my career of caring for furr kids would take MANY years to come into vision and it was not without it's criticism. I graduated High School in 1986, (eeeh gad) and with my black mohawk, (yes, I did have a mohawk) started to realize that I wanted to work in the music industry....which too has it's fair share of animals. I started to help out my friends punk bands...answering fan mail, selling t-shirts, grabbing food for them when they would record...you know, those kind of things. After realizing that money is a good thing, and at that time didn't have any I decided to get a "real job" which was a medical biller for a small ambulance company. This was the beginning of my "cube life"...no windows...no fresh air...just me...a computer and a cube. I worked there for close to 10 years before coming down with a horrible case of carpel tunnel syndrome, which required major surgery and a 2-year break from work.
After my hand had regained most of its function it was time to look for a new job...and guess what...I landed a job in the music industry! Well, it was for a small company that produced audio CD's, tapes, LPs, etc...but it was close enough for me! This was a fun time in my life...I was able to travel and do music trade shows, I met very interesting people, and enjoyed talking to musicians...however...it was still a "cube life" and at this point I started to realize that I wasn't cut out for it. I ended up moving to Los Angeles in hopes of furthering my music career...and let me tell you, after a year there I wanted NOTHING to do with any kind of entertainment career! The one great thing of living there was I got to see first hand my girlfriend Gwen's pet sitting business blossom! It was the first time I had ever heard of pet sitting, and she LOVED doing it! I started to talk to her about it, and was jealous about how happy she was and that she was able to hang around with wonderful animals all day long...the seed had been planted!
I landed a few more "cube life" jobs and hated nearly every minute of it. Don't get me wrong...some of the jobs were very important and highly paid, but I wasn't happy...AT ALL. I really started to look at other options for my life, and how it is too short to waste being sad and unfulfilled. Finally I spoke to my Husband, (who is wonderfully supportive) and told him that I wanted to start a pet sitting business. I cannot lie...I was scared to death to talk to him about it, but to my pleasant surprise his reaction was "if you think you can make a go of it do it". And that was it...my cube life was over, and my pet nanny career was about to begin.
If only everyone had the same reaction as my Husband...I cannot tell you the number of horrified reactions I received. A lot of "you're going to do WHAT" and "you're CRAZY" but I pushed on and here I am....4 years later...surrounded by my extended family of furr kids and wonderful furr kid guardians. It's the most wonderful career I can think of, and it's been that happiest time of my life. I SO look forward to seeing my furr kids each day, and no matter what type of foul mood you may be in, when you open the door and see their smiling faces just so happy to see you...you just can't stay mad. Don't get me wrong...it is HARD work and I'm sure some of you have heard me mention that I haven't had a day off in like 2 years, but I love it...it's what I was meant to do, and my Nannies love it too. They call me at least once a day to tell me a cute story about one of their furr kids, or to just say how much they love doing this type of work.
I will try my best to post a new Nanny Diary each day, so you can read about the day in the life of a professional pet sitter. Thank you so much for being a part of my life, and allowing us to care for your special furr kids. I hope that by doing this you will feel more like a part of this very strange world, and who knows...it may put a smile on your face while I'm at it.
That's all for now!
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