It Had Always Been About The Cats
And then in 2006..
Feline diabetes changed my life, though my little man-kitty Spot would say it changed his. Long before I was a pet sitter, I was just a cat owner. Spot was my first diabetic cat and while I thought I knew everything there was to know about cats, I was about to embark on a journey I never foresaw. The journey defined my life, my career and my passion.
Growing up on a farm, we were always host to discarded cats. We had dozens, and back then, with no Trap Neuter Return programs, I had a great many “best friends”. It was during these years as a child that I developed my lifelong love of learning about these gorgeous and wildly intelligent animals.
Upon learning to treat Feline Diabetes, I met and helped dozens of cats and their owners in my zeal to “pay it forward” like had been done for me. Pretty typically of me, I went way overboard and never stopped helping. I still work with Diabetic Cats in Need as a foster for the most special of the special needs. I’ve learned to treat so many age related, diet related and endocrine related illnesses that it was quite natural that it become my life path.
And so it began..
I became a professional pet sitter when I found an instant friendship with another FD member who happened to be an excellent pet sitter and I’ve been doing it ever since. My understanding of cats and their behavior is my favorite past-time. It didn’t take long for me to start working on making sure the cat clients weren’t overshadowed by the dog clients. We cherished our cat clients and they cherished us right back. No longer were cat owners getting short-shrift, it was the most rewarding work I’d ever done – and of course, it never felt like work to me. I was well on my way to being the first cats-only pet sitter in our area.
As a cat-only owner, I understand. I’ve gotten The Look, I’ve seen my cats treated like small dogs, I’ve gotten highly annoyed in pet stores and fended off machismo from people who “hate cats”. I’ve got a long history of spoiling cats, and I’m not about to stop now!
In a nutshell, I..
- Don’t charge for medication dispensing. At all.
- Don’t think your food prep is weird.
- Excel at hospice care.
- Don’t charge for fluids (or any) demonstrations.
- Believe an informed client is a relaxed client.
- Keep your information accessible to you at all times.
- Bring toys with me, from predator toys to catnip.
- Scoop litter boxes every visit.
- Communicate with mom and/or dad after every visit.
- Love to catch great pictures of your babies, so expect them!
Welcome to my world, I hope you’ll love being a client of PurrSit!
Carolyn
Owner, PurrSit
(Also: Feline Can Opener, Feline Treat Giver, Feline Scratching Post)
Roxanne
Roxanne has many names, not all of them sensible, but all of them come from lengthy conversations she has with anyone who will listen. She’s a diabetic in remission with a large side of sassy!
Niko
Niko is like many orange cats, very adept at getting himself into trouble. He’s hilarious and frustrating and absolutely hilarious. Wait, I said that already.
Home Team of PurrSit
There’s never a dull moment with these two, my welcoming committee for sick foster kitties, my comic relief and my two favorite cats in the world.
