Our Policy Regarding Frequency of Visits

We require at least one visit to your home every day while you are away.  Your pets are part of your family, and used to social interaction with you.  Leaving them alone too long makes them lonely, sad, stressed, and vulnerable to many kinds of dangers.  We do realize that this policy may make some potential clients choose another Sitter whose policies are less stringent.  That's okay with us.  We want clients who want the best for their pets, because that's what we want to give.

Some cat owners feel that their pets can go two to three days between visits.  We don't agree.  Because of their curious nature, a cat can get into all kinds of trouble when left alone for too long.  Recently, we were speaking to another Pet Sitter in St. Petersburg.  She told of how she went into a home to visit a cat, and found the cat lying at the top of the stairs, curled into a ball, vomiting blood and whimpering through respiratory distress.  The Pet Sitter rushed her to the Emergency Vet Clinic, where it was discovered that she had a tumor in her stomach that had burst.  The Vet said that the cat would have lived for another day or so, in agonizing pain and suffering, if the pet sitter had not come in when she did.  (After surgery and a few days in the hospital, the kitty survived and is recovering nicely.)

Dog owners who have installed access doors to a fenced in back yard may feel that a visit every other day to refill food and water is sufficient.  Again, we don't agree.  A determined dog can escape from any fence, and a bored dog can do a lot of damage to your lovely sofa, carpet or hard wood floor.  Also, the doggie access doors can malfunction, trapping your pet inside, or outside without access to food and water.  The worst thing we've ever heard of is when a raccoon came inside the house through a doggie access door and got into a fight with the family dog.  The dog killed the raccoon, but later died from injuries suffered during the fight.  The Pet Sitter was scheduled to come every other day, so the dog lay in the house, injured, alone and in pain for many hours.

Yes, the above examples seem like extreme coincidences - but we're of the mind that the well-being of your pet and the safety and security of your home are among your greatest priorities, and they are ours as well.