Time to reflect

Hello all my furr guardians, how was your holiday? Did your furr kids get lots of gifts? As far as Blackjack goes, he prefers the wrapping paper and ribbon as opposed to actual toys. He did however receive a very nice stocking full of toys from his friend Angels furr guardian, and actually played with quite a few of them!

We had a blast visiting all of your furr kids this holiday season! By the end of this month, (tomorrow) we will have enough dog and cat hair to knit 10 sweaters, will be pulling litter out of our shoes and socks for days, trying to get the crusted drool off of our pants and having sweet dreams of all the fun times we had. You know, I actually saw a news report on a lady who makes bags out of cat hair, (she's a groomer) wonder if we could team up.

I was driving around today, and I really started to reflect on all the furr kids that I have had the pleasure visiting with over the four years I've been in business. I cannot tell you how lucky I feel to have chosen this career and have worked with so many wonderful furr guardians. I received a holiday card from my old friends Jane and Johnny, who trusted us to care for their furr kids Tuna and Fruitcake for many years while Johnny was a part of the San Francisco 49'rs coaching staff. How sad it is for us when one of our furr kids moves away...it's like a part of us goes with them.

I was thinking about my old friend Jackson the Boxer, and one of the most enduring things that has ever happened to me in my many years of furr kid care. I hope you don't mind me sharing it with you, (although I'm sure I have gushed over it to some of you already). Jackson was, (and still is) a beautiful goofy Boxer Boy who I had the pleasure of visiting weekly for well over a year. His nickname was "my buggah" for no particular reason...it just came out one day. He is a big Boy, but had the temperament of a sweetheart. He never told me, but I think it hurt his feelings when people would walk the "long way around" instead of visiting with him. One day I was told the heartbreaking news that Jackson would be relocating to Oakland with his furr guardians, and my heart was nearly ripped out of my chest.

The last week of our visits were very hard for me, and I know that Jackson picked up on it...I mean, I was his fun Auntie Carolyn who was always smiling and playing not this depressed sad person who so obviously had a lot on her mind. As the last day approached I told myself that I wasn't going to cry, I was going to be strong for "my buggah" and make our last visit a super happy one...then I opened the door. Here he was standing right inside the door waiting for me with his earth themed ball wedged in his mouth and his big Boxer lips folding over it so you couldn't even see his nose. I burst into laughter, but at the same time I could feel the tears coming. I spent extra time with Jackson on that last visit and by the time I took him up to his apartment I was choking up. I took him inside, wrote my last note to his guardians, gave him his chicken treat and then said my goodbyes. The tears flew down my face non-stop and Jackson started to act very upset. As I closed the door for the last time, he watched me until there was only a small crack left. I went to my car blubbering, sad that I lost my good friend.

Well, the next day I had to come back to the complex to visit another furr kid, and I ran into Jackson's guardians. They told me that Jackson had been inconsolable the entire night, whimpering and throwing up. I told them about the sad goodbye and they said "he must REALLY love you", and then they thanked me for caring so much about their Boy and how I made such a difference in his life. My heart warmed up and I have to admit I smiled...not because Jackson was sick of course, but it showed how much of an impact we have on your furr kids and how much they love us. I still miss Jackson, and think about him all the time. I think I'm going to add a new part to my contract forbidding my furr guardians to move. Just kidding, but I wish I could.

I hope some of you had the chance to visit our tree at this years Christmas in the Park! I received emails from some of my furr guardians saying "I found my kid" which in itself is a challenge. My Sister went by the tree the other day and said it was holding up amazingly well, which I'm thrilled about. This is the last week the tree will be up, and I must take down the decorations on the 2nd, so if you haven't seen it you may want to make a little time to pop on over there. If you have children, (the human kind) you can make it a game...let's see if they can find their furr sibling(s).

Some of you already know, but I was actually able to take a few days off and visit Las Vegas! It was a really great time, but of course my allocation of money into the slot machines left my pockets a bit empty, but I guess that's the way it goes in the city of bright lights. On the flight there I picked up one of those EVIL Skymall catalogs and actually found some pretty cool pet related stuff. Just for fun, here are the items that I thought were really cool.

The Indoor Dog Restroom: http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102628291&c=10710

The Coolaroo: http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102100479&c=10710

Swoop Mini Pooper Scooper: http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102760900&c=10710

Climate Control Pet Carrier: http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102704142&c=10710

Litter Robot, (wonder if it's as good as the reviews say it is): http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102181776&c=10720

Fling-ama-string Cat Toy: http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102681663&c=10720

The Door Hung Cat Climber: http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102828842&c=10720

So, I guess that's it for now. I wanted to thank you all one last time for allowing us to care for your furr kids. Katy, Chandel, Samantha, Naomi, Gretchen and I hope all of you have a wonderful and SAFE New Years. We will see your furr kids next year!!!!

HAPPY 2009!!!!!

WOW, a whole month has passed!

Hello all my furr gaurdians, I hope you had a wonderful November and are still stuffed with turkey and all the trimmings. I can't believe it's been an entire MONTH since I last posted a blog, and the only excuse I have is that November was crazy busy!

There has been so much going on I don't even know where to start! I guess let's start with something fun and in my mind really cool. Our tree at Christmas in the Park!!!!! We had SUCH a fun time decorating our beautiful tree and I still can't believe we were able to get all the ornaments on!!! I believe that we had close to 200 ornaments all of which are pictures of your furr kids. I personally handmade each ornament, which was quite the project! The other items on the tree are candycane shaped rawhides, kitty jingle balls, stuffed mice, doggy squeeky toys, and the tree is topped with a round doggy ball. We also have a fire hydrant, and a shiney red bowl with red glass ornaments in it.

I have mentioned to some of you that finding your furr kid could be as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack, but if you see a picture of your furr kid on our website then he/she is up on the tree! We are really proud of this tree and being a true part of the community. Christmas in the Park goes through January 1st and our tree is #633 right next to Santa's House. If you get the chance you should really spend an afternoon viewing all the cool displays and the many decorated trees. http://www.christmasinthepark.com/

There are so many fun pet related holiday events going on in December, and I wanted to mention a couple of them.

Santa Paws at PetSmart! This is an event that benefits my friends at 13th Street Cat Rescue and it's a great opportunity for you to meet these wonderful folks. Your furr kid can pose with Santa Claus and have their picture taken for a resonable $9.95. Five dollars of your fee will do directly to 13th Street Cat Rescue, which will help them incredibly. This event will be held on December 13th and 14th between 11:00am and 4:00pm at the PetSmart located at 607 Coleman Ave, San Jose, CA 95110. To learn more about 13th Street Cat Rescue please visit their website at http://www.13thstcats.org/

Santa Paws at Santana Row! This is a fun event where you can bring your four-legged friends, (cats and dogs only) to Santana Row's Park Valencia for a keepsake photo with Santa Claus! Photos are just $20.00 and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Humane Society Silicon Valley. This will be held on Sunday, December 7th from 11:00am to 3:00pm. Registration begins at 10:30am, so make sure to come early.

I know that this isn't really pet related, but coming from a long line of SJSU alumni I thought I would mention it...besides, we all would love to see happy Children. The SJSU University Police Department is collecting contributions for its 16th annual holiday toy drive. Each year, UPD delivers new and gently used toys to 1,000 needy children living near campus. You can help by contributing cash or toys. Cash contributions should be made online or via check or money order to the Tower Foundation of San Jose State University, One Washington Square, Attn: UPD Holiday Toy Drive, San Jose, CA 95192-0183. Please write "UPD Holiday Toy Drive" on the reference line of your check. Toys can be dropped off in the UPD office lobby on the ground floor of the Seventh Street Gargage by December 12th. To learn more you can contact Liza Rios, UPD administrative analyst, at (408) 924-2171. Since 1991, the San Jose State University Police Department Holiday Toy Drive has been providing community children with toys to celebrate the holiday season, and over the years, Santa's list has grown from 50 families to more than 300!

This is the second year in a row that my Sister, Mom and I have donated and I must say...we go a little overboard. :o)

I wanted to welcome all our new furr kids to our SVPN family...Gadget, Mia, Cherry-Pie and Hummer, Newbie and Pinky, Buck, Chocolate, Cisco, Duff, Hudson and Slash, Clara, Muddy-Pie, Killer, Loverboy and Rebel, Candy and Nugget, Bentley, Gucci, Ambrosia and Clem and Toshio. I also want to welcome and thank all you furr gaurdians who have allowed us to care for your wonderful furr kids. If I have forgotten any of you please let me know and your furr kid will be included in the next entry.

Since it's the holidays, I thought it was only appropriate to include a yummy "Howliday Recipe" for your pooch or kitty if they are adventurous eaters.

Giggy's Corn Muffins with Turkey Giblets!
Yield 12 to 18 mini muffins

2 oz. bacon grease or shortening
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 C. flour
1/3 C. water
1 tsp. parsley flakes
7.5 oz. box corn muffin mix
2 -3 oz. chicken/turkey giblets, (enclosed pack minus the neck)

-Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.
-Grease a muffin pan with nonstick vegetable spray.
-Melt the bacon grease
-Puree the liver and giblets in a blender or food processor.
-In large mixing bowl, whisk together the pureed liver, water and bacon grease.
-In separate bowl, stir together the corn muffin mix, flour, and spice. Mix into the liquid mixture.
-Divide the batter evenly among the muffin slots and bake for 15 minutes or until the toothpick test is dry, turning the pan once for even baking.

I guess that's all for now...enjoy this last bit of our Indian Summer and a wonderful weekend.

Until next time.....

WOW, does time FLY!

Hello all my furr guardians out there. First, I must apologize for another HORRIBLE delay in posting a new blog, as well as the delay in getting my newsletter out. It has been a really crazy month, and with my first cold of the season lasting nearly two weeks it hasn't been easy to get to them both. With the cold behind me, and my head much less congested it's time to get back on the blog and newsletter Horse.

Let's see...I feel like I have so much to talk about!!!! I guess I last left off with the Bark in the Park, which you should really take a minute or two to look at the pictures if you haven't already. Some exciting and heart warming things have happened since that wonderful event, and hope you don't mind me sharing them with you. First off I had a wonderful article in the San Jose Mercury News back on September 20th!!! Some of you have mentioned that you really enjoyed the article, and it really helped you be more prepared for your loyal pet sitters. For those who weren't able to read it or didn't know about it here is the link: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10559861?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com

The next story is a heartwarming one, and I still have a happy feeling just thinking about it. A good friend of mine emailed me for help about two weeks ago. Unfortunately his Grandmother passed away and she left behind her beloved mini Poodle "Spike". The family wasn't able to keep Spike, and they were desperate to find him a loving new home with people who would love and adore him like his late person did. I sent an email to some of my furr guardians who I felt may have the space and desire to give Spike a new home, and was overwhelmed by the response that I received. Within 5 minutes of sending the email I received emails from 5 of my clients, all with questions regarding Spike, and within 30 minutes Spike had a new home!!!! In fact, it just shows what a small world we live in...Spikes new person actually worked in the same building as my friend, (not the same company) so when I told my friend about him not only did he work right downstairs, but my friend also knew him!!!!! My friend just took a stroll downstairs to talk face to face with him about Spikes adoption, and within 3 days he brought Spike to his new person. Spike was able to spend the whole day at his new person's workplace, and brought smiles to everyone who worked there. I heard wonderful news that Spike bonded with his new person almost immediately, and followed him from room to room the entire day. I want to thank all of you who were so generous by sending out my help request to your friends and families, and to Corrine who forwarded it to Spikes new person John. You all have such great hearts and I appreciate you taking the time to help Spike.

The "Spike story" should also remind you all to make sure you have made arrangements for your beloved furr kid if something were to happen...either and illness, accident or anything else. You can contact the Silicon Valley Humane Society to discuss their "Pet Guardianship Program" which ensures that if you cannot find a suitable furr guardian the SVHS will do everything in their power to find a perfect person for him or her. www.hssv.org/donate_guardianship.html or you can call Bridget Keenan at (408) 727-3383.

Your loyal pet sitters awesome service record has been celebrated! We have been chosen to be preferred vendor for the Prometheus Real Estate Group!!! What does this mean? Well, Prometheus manages three new apartment communities that reside in Santa Clara, Palo Alto and Mountain View. When new furr guardians move into their communities they will be given your loyal pet sitters information. Some of you were nice enough to allow the management team to talk to you regarding our service level, and I thank you so much for that. With the background check out of the way my hope is that the furr gaurdians will feel confident in their managements choice, and give us the chance to care for their furr kids. This is a big honor for your loyal pet sitters, and we look forward to visiting with our new furr kids! Don't worry, this will not affect your service or nanny availability, in fact if this goes well I will be hiring a dedicated nanny who will service only these properties.

My furr guardian Holly sent me the COOLEST thing the other day, and she said I could share it with all of you. She found a company called "ArtPaw.com" who transformed three separate pictures of her girls into a VERY cool work of art! She was nice enough to allow me to list the link on my blog so you can see the transformation:
http://www.artpaw.com/proofpages/proof_hjones.html

She said she opted for Proof #2, and ordered a 24 x 36 portrait that she now has proudly hanging in her home. She thought that many of you might think it was cool as well, and with the holidays approaching might make a great gift.

And to another potential very cool holiday gift...I came across an advertisement for "Mutt Lynch Winery" who produce custom labeled wines that feature your furr kid!!!! I read their entire website, and they look like a COOL bunch of pet loving people! They even have a listing for animal charities and feature a wine program called "Club Mutt". If nothing else you should take a minute to check out their site...I had a lot of fun going through it. http://www.muttlynchwinery.com/

I wanted to welcome all my new furr kids that have joined the SVPN family since late September...Goldie, Zakin, Anya & Max, Sandy, Cassie, Max, Emmitt, Boo, Scruffy, Toby, Isabella, Alex, Tahoe & Emma, Mozart & Pixel, Baily, Guinness, Mighty & Sparky, Bianca & Sophie and Kiely. I am so happy that your guardians have allowed us to care for you while they were either at work or on vacation. If I have forgotten any of our new kids please drop me a line and I will add them on my next blog.

One last small reminder...if I do not have a picture of your furr kid on my website PLEASE email one to me.

I guess that's all for now, my fingers are starting to burn...but thank you so much for being a part of our extended family and I appreciate all of you very much.

Until next time...

Bark in the Park 2008!

Hello all my furr guardians, how did the weekend treat you? We had a very busy but fun weekend. Saturday was the Bark in the Park festival, and BOY was it a blast! We had a much more streamlined booth this year, and even added a prize wheel! We had really cool give-a-way items which included custom printed "bags on board" poop bag holders, personal cooling fans, safety whistles, bone shaped jar openers, custom printed pedometers, paw shaped chip clips and frisbees! We also decided to add a water dispenser for all the thirsty doggies, and WOW was that a popular stop! We had a couple of "party poopers" who wanted to pee on the dispenser, but luckily their guardians were able to stop them before they were able to taint the water.

We saw SO many fun doggies, some of whom we have never seen before, (breed wise). We were located next to Titans Kingdom which is a doggy daycare located in Fremont. The namesake of the daycare was there to represent, and WOW was he a cool guy! Obviously his name was Titan, and he is a beautiful golden retriever. As we all set up our booths he ran around playing with our mascot Fozzy, and rolled in the grass. He loved us, especially because we had yummy treats that his people allowed us to give to him. Hours into the festival he was sacked out behind his booth and slept through the majority of the day.

Our mascot Fozzy represented our booth like the beautiful girl she is and sported her pink bandanna. She was really good with most of the doggies who ventured into our booth, and liked hanging out with our friendly visitor Boo. She had to tolerate watching as her person lavished attention on all the other doggy visitors, but all of us made sure to tell her that she was our special girl, and the honorary mascot of our booth, that made her happy.

We were so happy to see many of our furr kids and guardians who came to visit us at our booth. We saw Smush, Sake, Hershey, Coco, Rufus, Bandit, Joanie, Harry and Winnie. We also were visited by Bailey and Cognac's guardians and Zakin's guardians. We hope next year we will even see more of you!

At one point of the day there were probably close to 10,000 attendees and I couldn't even guess on how many furr kids were there. We saw some of the largest furr kids we have ever seen and some of the tiniest. We were covered in doggy kisses, and our booth was covered in muddy doggy paw prints.

We had a donation jar which went to 13th Street Cat Rescue, and I'm happy to report we brought in $92.00 in donations! It was a wonderful feeling to be surrounded by people and vendors who dedicate their lives and time to help furr kids. It was also wonderful to see how important and loved all the furr kids were, and how much their guardians value their relationship. We heard many funny stories about the visiting furr kids, and we loved all of them. We are looking forward to visiting with our new furr kids, and thank all of our existing furr kid guardians for making it a point to visit us.

Until next time, give your furr kids a big kiss from their nannies.

Happy September!

Hello all my furr guardians, and happy September to you all! Where does the time go? I swear it was just June and now it's September...did I skip a couple of months? It's probably due to this horrible heat wave that we're having! How are all your furr kids doing? Remember to keep plenty of cool water around for them, even throw in a few ice cubes for a refreshing treat. NEVER leave you furr kids in a car, even if the windows are down, and make sure to have ample shade if they are left outside during the day.

I have had one busy couple of weeks! Needless to say, whenever there is a holiday we are busy and this past Labor Day was no exception. Nanny Chandel, Katy, Samantha and yours truly visited lots of your furr kids and they all acted like perfect ladies/gentlemen. We had the pleasure of visiting Zakin, Marissa, Moki & Mara, Baily & Cognac, Ben & Mie, Pumpkin, Bianca, Cecilia & Odin, Hugs, Kisses and Zoey, Pipsqueak, Pippen and Sierra, Oscar & Java, and Max & Anya. What a fun bunch of furr kids they are!

Some exciting news...we are now an Accredited Business through the Better Business Bureau! I have wanted to do this for sometime, and finally I signed up! I have the very cool looking plaque hanging on my wall directly under my business license, and it makes me pretty proud that's for sure.

I have also decided to "go green" when it comes to my newsletters. Although I really enjoy sending out my newsletters, it is a part of my "footprint" that I can change over. So, I'm not exactly sure if I will do one more paper newsletter just so my furr guardians who do not read this blog will know, but after this one you will be receiving online newsletters. If you do not wish to receive a newsletter online just let me know! I'm planning on putting them up on my website so you can read past issues. I'm not exactly when this will happen, but it will very soon.

I have had the pleasure of speaking to many new SVPN furr guardians over the past month or so. It's so wonderful to hear all your stories and to hear how loved your furr kids are. I wanted to remind my existing furr guardians and to tell my new furr guardians to remember to send me a picture of your furr kid(s) if you do not see one on my site. Also, I have yet to receive a nomination for our newsletter pet! I know you ALL have a funny, heartwarming, sweet story about your furr kid(s), so make sure to send one in so your furr kid might make it to the front of the newsletter!

Well, until next time my friends, be good to your furr kids and make sure to give them a big hug from their Nannies.

So many fun new kids!

Hello all my furr kid guardians...how has the week treated you? My week has been hectic, but that's the way I like it! Two of my furr guardians have moved, and that always makes me sad. Do you think it would be out of line to put a "do not move" clause in my contract? :o)

I just finished my day visiting with Sake, Smush and Sienna...wow, all three start with an "S". My girl Sienna was SO funny today! She kept trying to take a bite out of apples that had fallen off the tree and were lying on the ground. I said, "Sienna, you're not supposed to like apples", but she kept trying for them...luckily I'm fast and she didn't get one nibble. Katy visited our Boy Coco today...he was bit at his doggy daycare last week and required stitches in his tongue and a small bit cut off...he has a zigzag tongue now, which just adds to his charm. You know, people really have a negative view of Pit Bulls, (which Coco is) but the dog who bit him was a small terrier sort and after it happened Coco just started to cry and ran to hide. Not the vicious guy that people probably see him as; in fact he is one of the sweetest guys ever.

Did I mention that I was lucky enough to find an awesome replacement for Nanny Elaine? Her name is Cynthia and she's been a professional pet sitter for 5 years. To say she knows her stuff would be an understatement, and she will be the Nanny for all my South San Jose clients. I have also decided to do another expansion of sorts. During the interview process I met a wonderful girl name Christina, who fit the pet nanny profile to a tee. The only down side was that she is located on the boarder of San Jose and Milpitas, so asking her to drive to the South San Jose area wouldn't be a good match. So, I started thinking that I receive a lot of requests from furr guardians who live in that area, and I always have to turn them away due to it being out of all of our service areas. So, I decided to bring Christina on as my Milpitas/Great Mall Nanny and I couldn't be happier! She will start training with me next week, and hopefully will be ready to go by the second week of September.

I was looking at my photo gallery the other day, and realized that I don't have many of your furr kids due to your nanny not having a camera. If you notice that your furr kid isn't a part of my gallery please send me a picture of them and I will put them up ASAP.

We have a fun filled weekend coming up! Nanny Katy is visiting with sweet little Bandit and Zaelen. Nanny Samantha gets to spend time with her special girls Hugs and Kisses. Nanny Chandel gets to spend some time with two very sweet kitty cats, and yours truly will be running the office and hopefully talking to some more of your wonderful furr kid guardians.

I've enjoyed talking to all you new SVPN clients lately...it's really fun hearing all the stories about your furr kids. It's also very interesting to hear about your life and what you do in your work and personal time. So many of you are so loving and spend much of your personal time doing work with animal organizations. I want to thank all of you who do, whether it's with donations, or actually doing the rescue work.

Well, that's it for now my friends. Until next time give your furr kids a big hug and kiss from their nanny, and I will "talk" to you soon.

It's Friday! Yeah!!!!

Hello my furr kid guardians, how are you this evening? I would like to apologize for the horrible amount of time that has past since I last posted a blog. I have had one heck of a couple of weeks, and your loyal pet sitter is burned out!

This was a sad week for your loyal pet sitter...Nanny Elaine decided to hang up her nanny cap to find something with a bit more of a set schedule. Being a pet nanny comes along with some CRAZY hours which can change daily, and it's a hard adjustment to get used to. She was a great Nanny over the year plus that she was with me, and she was wonderful with all the furr kids that she visited over that time. I suggested to her that maybe she look into working at a doggy daycare since she is so great with doggies, and this would give her more of a structured schedule so she didn't have to keep track of our crazy ever-changing schedule. I have been interviewing for a replacement for Nanny Elaine, but after receiving nearly 100 inquiries it is taking some time trying to find that needle in a haystack. I have talked to some AWESOME candidates, but I am committed to finding the perfect Nanny who can join the superstar ranks of Nanny Samantha, Nanny Chandel, Nanny Heather and of course Nanny Katy, (well, me too). If any of you former Nanny Elaine clients would like to discuss this situation please do not hesitate to call me.

On a lighter note...I received all of my "swag" for the Bark in the Park! WOW, what cool stuff! I am super pleased about it, and feel that I made some very cool picks. I have electric personal fans, pedometers, bone shaped jar openers, paw shaped chip clips, a safety light/whistle and I'm still waiting on the poop bag holders...you know, the kind that you can clip onto your leash or belt buckle! We assembled the prize wheel last night, and my wonderful Husband designed a really cool graphic for it! Even if you do not have guardianship of a pup...you should still make a plan to visit the Bark in the Park, which is on September 20th at the Williams Street Park in Naglee Park. You can find everything that has to do with doggies, and a lot of kitty stuff too!!!!

I met the CUTEST pup the other day! Nanny Chandel is doing a 10 night overnight visit with a wonderful Shitzu named Molly Mae. Oh my goodness is this girl cute! She has a smile that would melt your heart, and is such a love bug! Nanny Chandel says that Molly Mae sleeps with her every night, and won’t let her out of her sight while she's there. I went to drop off some things for Nanny Chandel and that's when I had the pleasure of meeting this little girl. As we drove away Molly Mae was on the living room sofa looking out the window with a "please, come back" look on her face. I love when I get the chance to meet cute furr kids...although; they are all cute in my book, so that makes me the luckiest gal in the world.

One of my favorite things about working with furr kids is hearing the wonderful and sometimes hilarious names that they were given by their guardians. I talked to a new SVPN furr guardian the other day that has a Pug named...get this...Rhino. When I asked his guardian why she named him that, she replied, "because his butt is as big as a Rhino"...could you not laugh hearing that! I also met a furr guardian as I was walking Smush, (the Pomeranian) with a Dachshund puppy named...Banana!!! How appropriate is that name!

I still do not have nominee's for Septembers news letter pet...please do not make me go the nepotism route again and be sure to send me a cute short story about your furr kid. You can talk about anything...how they got their name, cute things that they do...does you kitty play fetch...that could be a story. Also, if you do not see your furr kid on the website please make sure to e-mail a picture of them to me so they can make their website debut.

That's all for now...until next time!

Sam...the attack cat!

Hello all my furr kid guardians...how has this week treated you so far. It was a bit of a warm day today...I could honestly say that I broke a sweat a few times. One of the steady doggies that I walk Sienna made sure to stop a couple of times during our walk to rest in the cool shaded grass...she's quite cute when she does that.

So, you may be wondering what the story behind the title of this blog is all about. Let me give you a little background about the subject first...many times in the past people have asked me if I had ever been bitten by any of the dogs that are in my care, or if I was ever afraid of any breed of dog...my answer to this is "no, I have neither been bitten or scared of any of the dogs in my care...but I HAVE been bitten and scared of a cat that was in my care". Yes, that's right...your loyal pet sitter was afraid of one particular crazy attack cat. This cat was very scary...he would hide from me when I was in the house, but I could hear his continuous eerie growling from wherever he was hidden away. From time to time I would see his glowing devil eyes glaring at me from his hiding place, which was a good thing, because if I didn't know exactly where he was and walked anywhere near him he would dart out from his hiding place and attack my legs! I know that it sounds fairly humorous, but believe me...it was a scary thing to happen and quite shocking too! So, I have been really lucky over the past years to avoid crazy attack kitties...until now!

I'm watching two kitties for one of my new furr guardians...one of them, (Milo) is one of the cutest kitties I have ever seen...the other one is Sam. Now, Sam is not like the other crazy attack cat that had attacked your loyal pet sitter in the past...Sam is a 13 year old Siamese Boy who's not crazy...just plain cranky! He's not all together thrilled that his furr guardian is gone, and this stranger has entered his home. He keeps at a distance when I enter his domain, and if I dare to get too close he will let me know with a quick hiss or growl. Well, on Monday I made the dreadful mistake of trying to give him treats a bit closer than he was comfortable with, and he snapped! He attacked my leg like it was a team of vicious dogs trying to get at him! Thank goodness I had my legs covered, because it could have gotten ugly! It more startled me than scared me, and afterwards I felt bad for Sam because he was obviously just very nervous and I entered his personal space that he had warned me about in the past visits. So, as of now I give Sam plenty of personal space, and leave his treats close, but not TOO close. I do talk to him, and ask him how his day was, but he doesn't answer...he just sits with me in his sights to make sure I keep an agreeable distance.

Milo is completely the opposite...she ADORES me, and wont leave my side the entire time I'm visiting. The first thing I do is to pick her up and carry her around like a baby...she's a drooler cat; so my arm is usually soaked by the time I put her down. Once I put her down it's like I've done something unacceptable so she weaves in and out of my legs as I try to make my way around the house. After finishing with the food, water and litter I sit on the couch and brush her long beautiful calico fur and try to get the ever-returning mattes out of it without hurting her. She is so adorable, and loves to rub against ANYTHING and usually bangs her head in the process. By the time our visit is over I'm covered in her beautiful fur, and she stands at the door as I walk out and just gives me that "please don't leave" face. Tomorrow is my last visit with them, and I'm sure they will both be thrilled to see their guardian, (especially Sam).

Nanny Elaine finished up with her nearly one month assignment with Oscar the blind Beagle. She said as she drove away from his home she started to ball uncontrollably and misses him SO much. His guardian said that Elaine did an excellent job, although she spoiled him A LOT! She was scared for him to walk down his narrow tall stairs, so she began to carry him up and down the steps rather risking him falling. His guardian said "now he just sits at the top of the steps waiting for me to pick him up"...we can't help spoiling the furr kids sometimes...it's like being a Grandparent.

So, I guess that's it for now, but I will write again in a few days. Until next time give your furr kids a big hug and kiss for me, and tell them that we love them.

Woo...I need a vacation

Hello all my furr kid guardians, how is the week treating you so far? At least the weather has turned around...I actually had to sleep with a sheet on last night! I can tell you that our cats are much happier, although Blackjack has been a bad boy today...he has an obsession with chewing on anything and everything and today his "prey" was one of my houseplants, (you know the one with teeth marks all over the leaves) some ribbon in our closet and last but not least my hands free charger cable! I told him he would be crispy Blackjack if he continued to do that, but I don't think he cares. Well, I since moved it to a place where hopefully he wont find it, although he can be very clever when he wants.

I started to visit Sidney again this week after a nearly 2 month break. His furr guardian hurt his back and had some time off to rest, so Sidney got all sorts of attention. Well, I missed this little guy, and his quirky personality. He is such a funny Guy, and really does have a quirky personality...for example, when he's waiting for a cookie he exhales out of his nose really hard making an almost sneeze like sound. If that doesn't get your attention, he will start "tap dancing" around on the hard wood floors until you look at him...then when he realizes he's going to get one he stands on his back legs and trembles until the tasty morsel is on the ground. I'm not exactly sure what type of breed he is, but I would say he is a Pomeranian mix of some kind, and not to toot my own horn, but he sure adores me! :o)

Nanny Elaine will be finishing up her nearly 0ne month stay at Oscar, the blind Beagles house. I asked her last night if she was sad and she wrote back that she's going to be heartbroken on that last day, and how much she adored Oscar. That's a hard part about being a "Nanny" it's when long assignments end, or if one of our furr kids move away, and of course the worse part is when one of our beloved furr kids passes away. And you know...it's not just rough on us! I used to do weekly walks with a wonderful Boxer named Jackson, and I guess I was his loyal pet nanny for well over a year. Well, one day his guardian said that they would be moving to Oakland at the end of the month and my heart nearly fell out of my chest. On my last day with Jackson I couldn't stop sobbing...and keep in mind that our furr kid clients never see us cry...we're always happy. Well, Jackson became increasingly more concerned about me, and started to lick my leg as we walked. By the time our walk was over I was a mess, and as I closed the door for the last time, he just stood there and watched me with this sad look on his face, as if he were going to burst out crying too. The next day I ran into his guardians, and they told me that Jackson had been up half the night throwing up, and that he was very upset. Of course I felt horrible that my Guy had been so sick, but it also really touched my heart that my Guy was that concerned about me. We have lots of stories like that, and I'm sure you will "hear" more as this blog goes on.

Things are starting to pick up around here, and WOO looking at my calendar it doesn't look like I'll have a day off for some time! Remember my furr guardians to book in advance if you need an overnight visit, and especially around the holidays! Until next time, give your furr kids a big smooch from their loyal pet sitter, and I will talk to you soon!

With tears in my eyes

Hello all my furr kid guardians, how are you today? Have you survived the heat? Today wasn't as bad, but WOO is it HUMID outside! Yuck...feels like I've been slapped in the face with a wet rag.

Don't worry about the title...it's more of a heart felt cry than a sad cry. My friend Seth Casteel with Little Friends Photography (you may remember me mentioning him in a couple of newsletters and e-mails) has been doing volunteer work with Los Angeles City Shelters photographing doggies that need new homes. Well, he posted the most heart-warming video on YouTube that made me burst into tears. He basically has been taking professional shots of homeless doggies, which replace the not-so-great amateur shots taken by shelter folks, and the difference is HUGE. If you want a smile on your face, or a quick little cry you should check the video out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d-0_9r5hj4 It always makes me happy to meet people like Seth or my friend Joanne over at 13th Street Cat Rescue who donate their time, money and life to help homeless kitties and doggies.

Today was a pretty slow day for your loyal pet sitter...I visited my love bug Smush and will be visiting Catalina a little later. We had a last minute Bandit and Zaelen booking, which is okay in our books because they are the NICEST furr kids. Bandit is a little black and white Lasaoodle who has a black band across his eyes...hence the name Bandit. Zaelen is like no cat I've ever met...he is such a cool guy! He loves to be held like a baby, he gives tons of head butts, and follows you around like he's a dog. Sometimes we will say, "get him Bandit" and little Bandit will try and tackle Zaelen...usually getting the short end of the stick. Zaelen also loves drinking out of the bathroom faucet...now I know a lot of kitties do, but he will stick his entire head under the faucet...not caring that his head is drenched when he's done. His guardian told me the story about when she realized he was doing that...she said "I kept noticing that his head would be soaking wet and didn't know how, then I realized that one of our faucets leaked and he would be sitting under it with the drips going right on his head!" Bandit is also a funny little guy; one of my nicknames for his is "skipper-von-skipperbutt" because he does this cute little skip when we're out walking.

Yes, I have lots of nicknames for your furr kids...some make absolutely no sense at all, but I just feel the name when I meet them. My own cat Blackjack has about a million nicknames from Bologna Butt, monkey lips, and The Boob, (which is the most common one) and my Husbands cat’s names from Cornjulio, Cornivorous and Corndog. It's just one of those funny things that I have always done...I wonder if some of the furr kids I watch even realize that what I'm calling them isn't there actual name...hmmmmmm.

I talked to lots of potential new SVPN furr guardians this week, and always enjoy hearing new stories. I also ordered all my give-a-way items for the Bark in the Park, which is September 20th. I think I made some really great choices and hope to see some of you there.

Anyway, I'm off to visit Catalina who is a look-a-like of my beloved Blackjack. But I will gather up some more stories about all my furr kids and talk to you all soon.

Until next time......

It's been a while!

Hello all my furr kid guardians, how was everyone’s 4th of July? I hope everyone stayed safe and you're furr kids were not totally traumatized. I can tell you that our cat Corn spent most of the week hiding in our bathroom...he's not a fan of fireworks, especially those loud M-80's that our neighborhood kids seem to be so fond of. Blackjack is pretty brave, but he too was not thrilled at the loud bomb like blasts. I know that many of you have "kids" that do not handle this time of the year very well, (a few had to be put on tranquilizers) but it's over now...and we have another year to prepare.

Our Nanny schedule was INSANE over the Holiday weekend! Nanny Sam had quite a few visits on the 4th, but said that she liked being busy due to unfortunately losing two of her beloved kitties in the past month! I felt SO horrible for her...losing a furr kid is very difficult and no matter how many times you go through it, it never gets any easier. Nanny Elaine is still with her blind Oscar dog, and is really getting his schedule down to a science...it's a MUCH different experience when you have a blind furr kid in your care. I'm very proud of her, and it just proves to me how she is just meant to work with animals. Nanny Katy was extremely busy over the holiday, but handled it like a champ...not that it surprises me...she is a champ. Nanny Heather finished up with her kitty job, and Nanny Chandel finished up with her bunny and guinea pig visits. As for me...well, I had a much lighter schedule than the rest of the girls, but that's due to me trying to spend more time in the office and less time actually out doing visits. You know how it is when you take a day off of work and when you get in the office the next day it seems like the world has exploded? That's what I'm trying to avoid.

This is week is going to be bitter/sweet for me...sweet because I get to visit Scooter again! Remember Scooter...the little kitten with paralysis in his back legs? Well, my client is babysitting him again and since I'm doing a pet taxi for her doggy, I get the pleasure of spending some time with the little guy! Bitter because it's going to be SUPER HOT this week! They are predicting temperatures close to 104!!!!!! This weather again, is not good for your furr kids or your loyal pet sitters, but remember to keep lots of fresh water out for your kids and we will make sure to have lots of "nanny water" for us. I must admit, I do enjoy visiting those guardians homes that have air conditioning...it's a nice treat for your loyal pet sitters.

Well, I guess I better go and get ready to visit some of your furr kids. I wanted to make sure to mention that if you're looking for something fun to do this coming weekend, (12th and 13th) the annual Obon festival is going on in Japantown...it's a lot of fun, and you may even run into your loyal pet sitter hoping to win in the bingo tent.

Until next time!

It's Sunday and I'm beat!

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....

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 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!

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!