my cat-sitting jobs

I've done a bit of cat-sitting over the past couple of weeks - it's the
holiday season, and people like to go out of town.

One of them is for a couple who are gone for two weeks. They have two
cats, and I go there to feed them every day. It's been a week by now, and
the kitties, who were a bit cautious around me at first, are starting to
warm up to me a lot. One of them, Shakti, is a gorgeous long-haired, very
fluffy, striped girl. I think she might be a Maine Coon. Her person told
me that she was a shy cat, but she started hanging out with me right away.
She *loves* to have that long, luxurious fur brushed, and whenever I hold
up the brush, she comes running. The other cat, Artemis, who her person
told me would be needy for pets and lap time, was actually a lot more
reticent at first, but now sits on my lap. She's a light grey shorthair.

These people have a satellite dish, so after feeding and litter-scooping
duties are over, I settle on their couch and channel-surf, with two cats
purring on top of me. I'm going to be sad when this couple returns home!

Over this past weekend, I had a second cat-sitting job with *three* cats,
and they even had me stay overnight one night. They are all rescue cats,
and, if not feral, they are pretty skittish around people. But the night
I slept over, one of them shared the bed with me, which was very sweet!

Too bad I can't make a living doing this. I figured it out - I'd have to
care for cats at 13 homes per day, 5 days a week, to make something close
to what I was making in my last job. I'd enjoy the work, but you just don't
get that many cat-sitting jobs all at once, and it's not very reliable
employment either.

Does anyone on this ng do animal care professionally?

Joyce

wrote
I've done a bit of cat-sitting over the past couple of weeks - it's the
holiday season, and people like to go out of town.

snip

Does anyone on this ng do animal care professionally?

It sounds like great fun. Sharon (Fuga) in Canada just started her
pet-sitting business. Haven't seen much of her lately, so she might be very
busy with it this time of year. I suppose there would be great fluctuation
according to seasons, where you would have very few jobs at some times and a
lot at other times of the year. Sorry I can't help, but that does sound like
the purrfect job.

--
Marina, Frank and Nikki
Email marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi
Pics at http://uk.f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/frankiennikki

That would really have been a purr-fect job, especially since kitties start
to trust you so soon, but 13 homes per day is a *lot*.
Best wishes,
--
Polonca & Soncek

wrote in message
...
snip Too bad I can't make a living doing this. I figured it out - I'd
have to
care for cats at 13 homes per day, 5 days a week, to make something close
to what I was making in my last job. I'd enjoy the work, but you just
don't
get that many cat-sitting jobs all at once, and it's not very reliable
employment either.

Does anyone on this ng do animal care professionally?

Joyce

wrote in message
...
I've done a bit of cat-sitting over the past couple of weeks - it's the
holiday season, and people like to go out of town.

snip
Too bad I can't make a living doing this. I figured it out - I'd have to
care for cats at 13 homes per day, 5 days a week, to make something close
to what I was making in my last job. I'd enjoy the work, but you just
don't
get that many cat-sitting jobs all at once, and it's not very reliable
employment either.

Does anyone on this ng do animal care professionally?

Joyce

I work for a pet sitting company here in Raleigh. It's very off and on,
like you said. I only really count on it for extra spending cash. I like
it because I grew up with d*gs and now am owned by cats. I get a little bit
of d*ggie time without having to actually own one. And I get paid for it!
But I tell you, if I have to take care of one more labrador retriever who
lives in an apartment and doesn't get enough exercise from its
owners......grrrrrrr.

lal

I recently started cat sitting. I joined a pet sitter newsgroup and there
seem to be quite a few people there who have been able to make successful
career out of it. I think it takes alot of time developing a name out in
the community.

I don't think you can watch just cats. I got the impression that most of
the money is made from doing the dog walking (taking 5 dogs a day at $10.00
a dog for an hour walk).

Fuga

fuga =^o^= wrote:

I recently started cat sitting. I joined a pet sitter newsgroup and there
seem to be quite a few people there who have been able to make successful
career out of it.

Pet sitter newsgroup? What's it called?

Joyce

It's on yahoo it's called AboutPetSitting

fuga =^o^= wrote:

It's on yahoo it's called AboutPetSitting

Oh, an email list! Thank you, I'll check it out!

Joyce

wrote:
fuga =^o^= wrote:

It's on yahoo it's called AboutPetSitting

Oh, an email list! Thank you, I'll check it out!

Joyce

Seems to be a similar group like our own 'catslaves' at Yahoo!.
Located he
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AboutPetSitting/
(dang, I can't resist butting in and looking for stuff...)

--
Christine in Vantaa, Finland
christal63 (at) yahoo (dot) com
photos: http://photos.yahoo.com/christal63

CK wrote:

Located he
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AboutPetSitting/

I subscribed, but wow, they sure do have rules! If I don't post an
intro within one week, they're going to kick me off. Whatever happened
to the old internet custom of hanging out quietly on a new group or
list until you get the flavor of it? I do prefer to do that, I think
it's more respectful.

Well, I'll let you know how it is.

Thanks!
Joyce