Saucy Pet

Posts Tagged ‘Pet Sitting’

Surviving the credit crunch is difficult enough, but add animals which rely on you for food, protection and veterinary care, every little bit helps.
It’s a sad fact that many animals are abandoned or given up every day, as animal lovers struggle to cope with today’s financial climate.
This is very thorny for animal charities who have look after animals when money is scarce, surviving on donations to keep their animals in good shape.
Here are a few points which could help make owning a pet on a budget more manageable:
1. Consider every pet expenditure? Do you need that specific pet food or product? Easier said than done, bring pets up with variety, equally dry and wet, as well as different brands and flavours. Watch out for special deals. You can stock up. Consider vouchers, search on the net for some good deals. Buy based on price per pound / Kg, as sometimes, especially with promotions, the smaller pack can be cheaper.
2. Wherever possible, pet owners can often club together to buy feed and bedding in bulk, reducing the total price and passing on savings to all.
3. Veterinary bills are unknown but must be considered. If money’s a little stretched, you may find a lot of Vets will consider spreading the costs, and pay in instalments. If you can, afford it – have or keep pet insurance.
4. Many people can make lifestyle changes! It’s not all about finding ways to keep your animal more cheaply, see if you can do it for yourself!
5. What about earning some cash? Perhaps find a dog walking job Dog Walking as a profession Good companies will require you do it regularly. There is also the possibility of becoming a pet sitter, though professional businesses such as London Pet Sitter will also require you be a London dog walker.
6. Do not forget your other animals, you may have put your cats in a cattery, what about using a cat sitter? The pet may prefer it and the pet sitters often do other things.
7. Do use external stabling or boarding? Many horses can live quite contentedly outside for most of the year, as long as there’s nourishment, water and protection to harsh elements available. Could this be an option for your horse, it should diminish the cost of stabling greatly.
8. Are you thinking of choosing a pet, certainly consider rescuing an animal from a charity, they have so many animals looking for a home during this crisis.
Enjoy your pet, they are worth the cost.

Where do I start a new pet for the family? What is the best pet for the household? Good start by collecting information. This is key as a pet is for life, so if in doubt do not have one.
However there is such a large choice of pets to pick from, all of them can be exciting, but have diverse pluses and negatives. You can pick from a dog, cat, gerbil, guinea pig, reptile, rabbit, bird and the list is never ending.
I can advise you to involve everyone in the choice, it needs to be a whole household decision. Due to its importance I suggest you talk about and write down your objective for wanting a pet. Add to it on a large sheet of paper, with a column for the pet, some columns to rank each pet. The considerations for a pet include, time (yours), cost (pets are costly), pet care, space constraint, ability to fuss, interest, shared activity, any phobias, other points.
Pets take time, some require more than others. Time hungry animals are those that have need of regular exercise such as dogs and horses. Dogs originated from wolves and maintain many of those characteristics. They are used to regularly covering large areas every day to search for food, so most breeds need at least an hour or two a day walking. This must be part of a regular schedule and done rain or shine. Other pets may necessitate a lot of grooming, changing water etc. A pet sitter often spends a lot of their visiting time to grooming long haired cats, though the cat and the sitter enjoy it. You may crave a specificpet, but do you have the time for him? Be direct with yourself and the prospective pet.
Cost, consider all costs. There is the potential cost of the pet to start with, which for a pedigree animal can be dear. I would like everyone to think of taking a abandoned pet, there are more and more of these at the moment as households are unfortunately discarding them to the pet homes – is this an opportunity for you to help out? The other starting costs include cages, leads, grooming aids, blankets / beds. After that are the regular pet costs, food, which for a large per can be substantial. I strongly advise you to have your pet sterilized, many pet experts and studies have suggested that you will have less behavioural problems with a neutered animal. There are routine veterinary costs such as vaccinations, however some are difficult to plan for. Because of this I strongly recommend you to invest in pet insurance, so you can manage with any situations that may occur. There are ongoing costs for flea treatment etc. These costs mount up.
Is your house large enough for the pet? Some pets can be exciting, but you may not be able to fuss them, what is the crucial for you? No pet has it all. Can you handle the pet? Rats are outstandingly interesting, but a few people do not like the scaly tail, or the idea of one.
You should to review the summary paper, do you have the time for walking the dog during the week due to work pressures, but this may pay for a regular dog walker. Not enough space for the horse, use stables, but watch the cost.
So finally you have identified a type of animal, there is often a huge variety of different types and individual species to choose from, looking at hamsters there are five basic types, with very different characteristics. There is also the choice of numbers, some animals are better off single, others as a pair because they require the company. Then there is what sex, some animals have very different behaviour between the male and female. Male rats are less active than females and urinate more.
Final steps, I would advise you to take the pet for a test drive. Find someone with a similar pet, that you can look after for a few days, or even be a pet sitter for them during the summer vacations. Discuss with the owner about the expenditure, the work that is needed, and do not forget the pleasure that the pet gives. An alternative is to do some pet charity work.
Pet breeders and dog trainers are exceptionally knowledgeable, so visit and discuss with them.
I hope this helps, go and enjoy a new pet.

Planning your holidays, what are you going to do with our favorite pet? Being apart from your favourite pet is so difficult. Many even think it is less painful to be split from the children for a week. It’s a surprise that some individuals think it is a pleasure when the spouse is away for a fortnight or so on business, no problems on what to eat and watch on the television. What pain, however, with deciding what to do with your loved one whilst you are away on vacation .
What are the pluses of pet sitting? They fall into two parts, ones for you and those for your pet. You know who is the most important, so let’s start with the pet first.
Pets, particularly cats, are often anxious by nature, displacing them away from their comfort zone, immediately puts them on edge, thats why using cat sitters is so popular. One isn’t surprisedusing a, through evolution these animals have had their area, which they kept to and mark with urine, to make it clear. They will fight for this area if needed. No wonder they do not like leaving their home. How was your pet when he came home when he was in boarding? Was he filthy? Was he thinner?
This doesn’t happen when you use pet sitting, as they live in their known home, with number one toy and all views, smells and noises they are used to.
Your pet will be protected and played with. The pet will not be worried as you introduced the pet sitter to your favourite one.
How are you going to get the pet to the boarding home? Another trip, another expense. You know the circumstances, you arrive home, you are drained; tons still to do. It would be good to have your pet, but we can’t collect him until tomorrow. Pets do not like being in moving cars, with all the bizarre noises and smells, often disturbs them. It is also more dangerous for the pet (you as well!)
Neighbours, friends and family can be a disaster for your pets, either at your home – or theirs Are you not liking going to them to ask for a good deed to do the pet sitting? With professional pet sitting companies such as London dog walking, they will do other activities such as tidying the yard and watering the garden. Burglars will notice the activity and diminish the likelihood of burglary.
Do you worry how the pet is managing whilst on holiday. Have the neighbours remembered to come round and water them, it was incredible that the rabbit dug itself out of the pen year before last, over one night! Are they giving them too much food? The London pet sitters will even send you photos, or make them accessible on the web, and write a diary of how your pet is managing on. Is he eating well? How are the babies Pet sitting is even more positive for the young animals, where movement is an even more stressful event.

For Father – it is often the cheapest solution.
Go away and have a brilliant vacation.

As in any pet care, the wild origins dictate a lot of what is important in Guinea Pig care. The guinea pig is a type of rodent sometimes known as the Cacy. They are not in fact pigs, as their name would have suggested.  They come from the Andes, and research has shown they are descendants of closely related species such as Cavia aperea, C. fulgida, or C. tschudii, so therefore do not exist naturally in the wild.
They play an important role as both a food source and the culture of many South Americans. Guinea Pigs were domesticated 5000 years ago for food and have appeared in the history and culture and are regularly used in metaphors.
The guinea pig came to Europe in the 16th century by traders and since then has seen common reputation as a family pet.  In the early days they were seen as an mysterious pet and even Queen Elisabeth I had one. They were widely used for biological experimentation since the 17th century, giving way to the metaphor “guinea pig” for a test subject, though more recently they have been replaced by mice and rats.
They are extremely calm easy to look after and are responsive to handling and feeding and are therefore popular with pet sitters. They hate exploring and will not try to escape, even if the cage door is left open (no promises!). They will often whistle on occasions of interest, for example when they hear food being prepared or the owner comes near.
There are several breeds of domesticated guinea pigs, which vary in hair and color differences. The most normal varieties are the shorthair (or American shorthair), the Abyssinian whose coat is ruffled. More specialist long hair types include the curly long hair Texel and the long haired Sheltie or Peruvian breeds.

So is a Guinea Pig the right pet for me?

Guinea Pigs are very companionable pets – so you need to be able to dedicate enough time for them, otherwise they will feel lonesome and this might cause them to be stressed and go ill. This is especially important if you are buying one for the kids, on the basis that they will care for the guinea pig. Especially as they typically live for four or five years, but may live for 8 years and the Guinness Book of Records has the record age for a guinea pig at 14 years.
Guinea pigs are relatively large for rodents, weighing between 700 and 1200g (1.5-2.5 pounds), and measuring between 20 and 25 cm (8–10 inches) in length. Which means that you need to have more space for the cage. Though as a tough pet, this could be located in a shed or a sheltered spot outside. They will deal with cold better than excessive heat. Try to avoid wire mesh floored crates, as this can damage their feet and lead to infection.
As for many animals you should not put two males together as they will fightfor domination when they are mature at 6 months or so. Females can however be grouped together. Obviously you do not want to add a male to the group as they breed very easily.

Grass is their normal diet in the wild, which they digest with the help of their long colon. Hay is an alternative to the grass in a domestic situation. Like humans they cannot synthesise vitamin C and will need to acquire obtrain this through their food,   the guinea pig version of scurvy is deadly. Scurvy shows itself through sluggishness.  So give them often fresh, raw fruits and vegetables (such as broccoli, apple, cabbage, carrot, celery, and spinach). Another option is through dietary supplements. They are fickle eaters when mature, so with a young guinea pig give a varied foods. They feed continuously, so ensure there is hay in their cage for them to eat.
Guinea pigs, as well as scurvy, can also suffer from respiratory tract infections, diarrhea,  abscesses due to infection (often in the neck, due to hay embedded in the throat, or from external scratches), and infections by mites, lice or fungus.

They are lively throughout the day and will sleep on and off, waking for some activity. They often groom themselves and will groom others.

Living through the credit crunch is difficult enough, but add animals which depend on you for food, a home and veterinary attention, anything that can be done, helps.

It’s a sad fact that many pets are abandoned or given up every day, as cat lovers fight to cope with today’s financial climate.

This is exceedingly problematic for animal charities who have look after animals when money is limited, surviving on contributions to keep their animals in good wellbeing. 

Here are a few points which could help make owning a cat on a budget more manageable:

1. Consider every animal cost? Is it a key part of pet care? Do you need that branded pet food or product? Easier said than done, bring cats up with variety, equally dry and wet, as well as different brands and flavours. Watch out for special deals. You can stock up. Investigate vouchers, search on the net for some promotions. Buy based on price per pound / Kg, as sometimes, principally with special deals, the smaller pack can be more economical.

2.      Is it possible that you can club together to buy feed and bedding in bulk, reducing the overall price and passing on savings to all.

3.      Vets bills are unknown but still have to be considered. If money’s a little stretched, you may find a lot of Vets will allow you to spread the cost, and pay monthly. If you can, afford it – have or keep cat insurance.

4.      Can you modify the way you live? It’s not all about finding ways to keep your animal more economically, what about yourself!

5. Can you earn some cash? What about the idea of cat sitting, though good businesses such as London Cat Sitting will require you also to do dog walking. Why not offer to walk other peoples dog? Become a Dog Walker. Good companies such as London Dog Walking will require you do it regularly.

 6. Do not forget your other cats, you may have put animals in kennels, what about considering a cat sitter? The cat may prefer it and the cat sitters often do other things.

7.  Are you thinking of choosing a pet, please consider rescuing a cat from a charity, they are suffering during this crisis.

Enjoy your cat, they are worth the cost.

 Surviving the financial crisis is difficult enough, but add pets which depend on you for nourishment, protection and veterinary attention, every little bit helps.
It’s a shame that many animals are abandoned or given up every week, as animal owners struggle to cope with the current economic climate.
This is particularly difficult for pet charities who have look after animals when money is scarce, having to rely solely on donations to keep their animals in good shape.
Here are a few points which could help make looking after a pet on a budget a little easier:
1. Consider every pet expenditure? Do you need that specific animal food or product? Easier said than done, bring pets up with variety, both dry and wet, as well as different brands and flavours. Keep an eye on promotions. You can stock up. Think of vouchers, search on the net for some good deals. Buy based on price per pound / Kg, as sometimes, principally with special deals, the smaller pack can be more economical.
2.      Wherever possible, pet owners can often club together to buy feed and bedding in bulk, reducing the overall price and passing on savings to all.
3.      Vets bills are unknown but must be considered. If money’s a little tight, you may find a lot of Vets will allow you to spread the cost, and pay in instalments. If you can, afford it – have or keep pet insurance.
4.      Can you modify the way you live? It’s not all about finding ways to keep your pet more economically, see if you can do it for yourself!
5. Can you earn some cash? Why not offer to walk other peoples pet? Dog Walking as a profession Good companies will require you do it regularly. There is also the possibility of becoming a pet sitter, though good companies such as London Pet Sitting will require you also to do dog walking.
6. What about your other pets, you may have put your cats in a cattery, what about considering a cat sitter? The pet may prefer it and the pet sitters often do other things.
7.      Do use external stabling or boarding? Many horses can live quite cheerfully outside for most of the year, as long as there’s nourishment, water and protection to harsh elements available. If this is a suitable option for your horse, it could reduce the cost of stabling considerably.
8. Are you thinking of choosing an animal, please think about taking a pet from a charity, they are suffering during this crisis.
Enjoy your animal, they are worth the cost.

  How do I go about choosing a new pet for the family? What is the best pet for our family? Good start by collecting information. This is key as a pet is for life, so if in doubt do not have a pet.
However there is such a large choice of potential pets to choose from, all of them can be pleasurable, but have diverse pluses and negatives. You can decide from a dog, cat, gerbil, rat, fish, spider, bird and the list goes on and on.
You need to involve everybody  in the assessment, it needs to be a complete household decision. Due to its importance I propose you discuss and write down your objective for desiring a pet. Add to it on a large sheet of paper, with a column for the pet, some columns to rank each pet. The considerations for a pet include, time (yours), cost (pets are costly), pet care, space requirement, ability to fuss, interest, shared activity, any phobias, other issues.
Pets take time, some require more than others. Time hungry animals are those that require regular exercise such as dogs and horses. Dogs originated from wolves and maintain many of those characters. They are used to regularly covering large areas every day to search for food, so most dog breeds necessitate at least an hour or two a day walking. This should be part of a regular schedule and done rain or shine. Other animals may need a lot of grooming, changing water etc. A cat sitter often uses  much of their visit to brushing long haired cats, though the cat sitter and cat enjoy it. You may yearn a certainpet, but do you have the time for him? Be candid with yourself and the potential pet.
Cost, think of expenditure. There is the purchase cost, which for a pedigree animal can be expensive. I would strongly advise you to think of taking a salvage pet, there are more and more of these now as people are unfortunately abandoning them to the pet homes – why not do good and help out? The other set up costs include cages, leads, grooming aids, blankets / beds. Then there are the regular pet costs, food, which for a large animal can be substantial. I strongly urge you to have your pet sterilized, many pet experts and research have shown that you will have less behavioural problems with a sterilized pet. There are routine vet expenditure such as vaccinations, however some are difficult to plan for. For this reason I strongly propose you to take out pet insurance, so you can deal with any problems that may occur. There are ongoing costs for flea treatment etc.  These costs mount up.
Is your house large enough for the animal? Some pets can be interesting, but you may not be able to fuss them, what is the key for you? No pet has everything. Can you pick up the pet? Rats are very interesting, but some people do not like the scaly tail, or the idea of one.
You should to review the summary paper, you may not have the time for walking the dog during the week due to work pressures, but this may pay for a regular dog walker. Not enough space for the horse, use stables, but watch the cost.
So finally you have chosen a type of pet, there are lots of different types and breeds to decide on, taking hamsters there are five basic types, with very diverse characteristics. There is also the choice of how many, some animals are better off alone, others as a pair because they must have the company. Then there is what sex, some animals have very different behaviour between the male and female. Male rats are lazier than females and urinate more.
After all of these decisions, I would propose you to take the pet for a test drive. Do you know anyone with a similar pet, that you can borrow for a few days, or even be a pet sitter for them during the summer vacations. Talk to the owner about the expenditure, the effort that is needed, and do not forget the pleasure that the animal gives.  An alternative is to do some pet charity work. 
Pet breeders are exceptionally knowledgeable, so visit and talk with them.
I hope this helps, go and enjoy a new pet.

You most likely spend time on the safety of yourselves and your family. However do not forget your pets. This is a crucial element of pet care. Summer is particularly difficult and dangerous for your animal. The two areas to pay attention to are the results of the heat and holidays.

Lets start with the results of the heat on the pet. They are like us – they will need more water, keep it on hand at all times. If you regularly go dog walking make sure they have the ability to have water, every sixty minutes or so, or even more often if you are of the energetic type.

Whilst you would not think or leaving your children or baby in a locked car in the sun, it is astounding and a shame the number of people who do this to their pets. This can murder a pet, temperatures in the sun, can swiftly increase to more than 100 degrees. Leaving the window slightly ajar, does not help that much.

Pets are similar to ourselves, with no change to activity level, you need less food to sustain your weight in the summer. If you, or your pet, keep consuming the same, you certainly will increase your weight. Pet obesity is becoming more of an issue. Increasing weight during summer, will slow the pet down in winter and this can then lead to more weight gain, so consider reducing the food, or as a minimum, monitor your pets weight.

Also be careful with leaving moist / wet food out. The food will most quickly go off as its temperature gets near to blood temperature of ~100 degrees. If the animal does not consume moist food within half an hour, through it away. Dry food is very safe, as long as it does not become moist. So if you have a slobbery pet, often and little should be the rule. Also be careful about condensation, or drips from the air conditioner.

Whilst exercising the dog in the heat, you may have done it for the last six months without a problem, watch out, he may suddenly want to bound into some water, with company – you if you do not let go of the lead. Probably more dangerous is the jump into a river, if he is not on a leash. In London, if you are by the Serpentine, regularly you see people being pulled in! Not helped by dogs chasing the ducks. In summer there are often more animals around for them to chase, so be even more careful.

Summer, is often the time of the great holiday. So if you are having to find a pet sitter, try to find a professional company such as London Pet Sitting, who vet and train their pet sitters. A good pet sitter, will even check out all the dangers as part of their contract. This is often the wisest option for the pet, they prefer to be in their house. If not, and you have to board them, check the boarding out. Ideally a personal recommendation, as in everything there can be great and not so good. The animal may not like it, but they are secure.

You may be wanting to take your animal on vacation with the family. Without doubt the most dangerous choice for an animal. Prepare and plan well. Food, water, toys, blankets etc. The trip in the car is dangerous for ourselves as well. Certainly consider using a pet restraint, you use one, for good reason, so buy one, if you don’t have one for your pet. The danger of dehydration, so stop for water stops for you and your pet every sixty minutes, perhaps a bit longer if you have the clime on. Be particularly vigilant during the stops, there are often cars moving about, and the pet may want to take a runner (you might as well).

When you arrive you will be in a strange location. So do a thorough review for any risks to your animal. The biggest one is running away, especially in motels, rooms opening out onto a busy highway and cars. Did you know that digestion of fruit and especially {raisins and grapes} is dangerous to dogs, so keep an eye on them.

Pets, will struggle to find their way back to your motel, if lost, its not as likely as if they were at home – and the neighbours know them. This is not the case in a strange place. Ensure you have solid and visible name / phone tags and keep them on a leash.

I wish you and your animals have a happy, event free holiday.

Living through the current difficult financial times is difficult enough, but add horses and ponies which depend on you for nourishment, shelter and medical care, anything that can be done, helps.

It’s a shame that many horses and ponies are abandoned or given up every week, as horse lovers fight to cope with today’s financial climate.

This is exceptionally difficult for horse charities and Sara Tuppen from the Horse Refuge in Wittersham Kent is an expert about looking after horses when money is in short supply, living off on donations to keep over 40 saved horses in good health. 

She lists below a few points which could help make owning a pony on a budget more manageable:

 1.      Many horses can exist quite happily outside for most of the year, as long as there’s food, water and shelter available. Could this be an option for your horse, it should reduce the cost of stabling significantly.

2.      Removing shoes is often an painless way to keep costs down. If not ridden regularly, or on rocky ground, many horses will not require shoes.

3.      Sharing your horse is a great way to reduce (even divide in two!) costs, and provides a cheaper introduction to horse ownership for someone else.

4.      Frequently you can get free stabling and occasionally hay and bedding in return for chores. Mucking out, grooming, maintenance etc. are all jobs which could save you money for asmall amount of hard work!

5.      Veterinary bills are unknown but still have to be considered. If money’s a little tight, you may find a lot of Vets will consider spreading the costs, and pay monthly.

6.      Many people can make lifestyle changes! It’s not all about finding ways to keep your horse more cheaply, see if you can do it for yourself!

7. What about your other animals, you may have put pets in boarding, what about a pet sitter? The pet may prefer it and the pet sitters often do other things.

8.      Wherever possible, horse owners can often club together to buy feed and bedding in bulk, reducing the overall price and passing on savings to all.

9.      But as a last resort, investigate getting your horse a foster home, even as a companion.

  If you’re in a position to loan, or even buy a horse or pony, there are many horses and ponies that are for sale, try a good directory such as the Horse and Pony Directory.

We have pets in our home that relates to us like buddies or sometimes even an addition to the family. We are responsible on giving these pets the proper love, affection and concern they deserved not only as animals but also like a friend too. Often times we are so occupied on important things that we forget to do our duty for them. Fortunately there are people who are designed to do those tasks for us, and those are the pet sitters.

Pet sitter is a service provider who takes care of pets in the comforts of their own homes. They devote their time and effort to make sure that your pets are well look out for. These pet sitters are trained to do their jobs well. There are a lot of advantages for you and your animal friend when acquiring the services of a pet sitter.

These are several advantages and services provided in hiring a pet sitter:

– The pet will be more at ease and common if taken care at their homes. Pets will not get baffled and tense by activities inside the populated kennel.

– Less time is spent in transferring your pet from your home to the kennel. The pet will not have a travel trauma because of the usual trips.

– Your pet will be cared and loved for by a pet sitter who they are familiar with. A pet sitter will also give the necessary attention for your animal friend.

– A more secured home is attainable because of the activities being performed by the sitter and pet.

– Some additional services like picking your mail and taking care of plants can be offered by the pet sitter.

– The pets are kept away from specific sickness and parasites from other animals in the kennel.

– Relatives, neighbors, and friends are not compelled to look out for your pet.

– The change of environment in the kennel will not confuse your pet and will have a common daily habit.

– Compulsory vaccinations will be more flexible than those required in a kennel.

– Walking and giving a proper exercise for your pet can also be done by a pet sitter.

– Managing feeding diets for the pets.

– Other pet sitters can train your animals with attentiveness. These are services that can be provided by a professional pet sitter

– Picking up the droppings and cleaning them is one of the jobs of a pet sitter.

These are the many positive advantages when getting the help of a pet sitter. And this is probably the best and effective way to prove and establish more love, affection, care, and concern to your animal friend while you are away.

Today, pet sitters are widely recognized in the market as an important provider of pet care services. You can get the services of these pet sitters from a variety of sources. You can look via the internet or find a pet sitter near your neighborhood.

Being too busy for work can really affect your responsibility for your pet, and obtaining the services of a pet sitter will certainly assist in this task. So that when you finally to get home, your pet will be waiting happily for you.

Long Island Pet Sitting works with all kinds of Dog and Cat Care help. If you’re in need of a Pet Sitters Long Island then you need look no further. For more great advice and articles about Long Island Dog Walkers come visit us today!