I call her the “cat whisperer.” Pet sitter Bridget rescued, rehabilitated, my two precious felines, Simba and Oprah. And, she saved me.
I had a serious accident requiring multiple surgeries, a long hospital stay then two months at a rehab facility in southern France where I live. I was transported to the hospital asap with no way to arrange care for my beloved kitties.
My remarkable apartment gardien and friends stopped by to refill the food bowl and empty the litter box. Simba and Oprah were both very shy and distrustful of strangers. They stayed hidden and had no human contact for a month.
Trusted House Sitters (THS), a noted pet sitting organization, came to the rescue. I am a member of THS. So is Bridget, the phenomenal sitter who worked a miracle with my traumatized, petrified cats. Both are long-haired rescue cats. Their fur was seriously matted. With love and patience, Bridget coaxed them out of hiding. She brushed them, petted them, showered them with TLC. By the time I came home, they were back to normal.
Bridget has become a friend, as have several trusted sitters. Thanks to THS, I can take off on trips knowing my cats (Now only cat Simba. Oprah succumbed to cancer last year) are safe and happy.
Meet some of my fabulous trusted sitters:
Bridget, raised on a farm in New Zealand, has been a sitter for many years. Her animal charges in New Zealand, where she lives six months each year, often include pigs, sheep, horses, cows, and chickens, in addition to cats and dogs.
“I miss having animals myself,” she says. “I love having the company of beautiful animals… and I love providing security, giving people peace of mind, helping them to enjoy their trip and come back to a clean house. I like to help make a difference.”
She does make a difference, and not just for the pet owners. “People think their animals are pining away for them, meanwhile they are generally sitting on my knee, purring away or sleeping in bed with me…. It’s so much better than a kennel or cattery which are a shock and high stress for pets.”
Erika, a sitter from Switzerland, spent several months with Simba after I had to have more surgery and return to a rehab facility for three months. Like Bridget, she has many years of pet sitting experience and sterling reviews on the THS site. And, like some other sitters, she has no fixed home. She is in demand, and can usually move from one sit to another. Many of her “clients” have invited her to come back and stay between sits if she is in need of a “home.”
“I love animals. I like to travel and see new places,” she says. “People are very friendly. Many are very thankful that I was there and watched the pets, the plants and the house.” Erika has even had sits minus pets, just plants and a house to care for.
Clarissa and son Pierre from Geneva, Switzerland, were my most recent sitters when I went off to Paris. Clarissa, who has three cats of her own, is a devoted, zealous cat lover.
She has used THS for her own cats when she traveled. One sitter, she recalls, left her home in better condition than she had left it. I returned to find my apartment in tip top shape, plus a magnificent bouquet of roses to welcome me home.
Like many sitters, Clarissa can work remotely and enjoy sits in distant places. Son Pierre, when not in school, joins her. Another son lives at home and cares for her kitties when she is off on a sit.
Clarissa only sits for cats. “I am not comfortable with dogs,” she says. “I have met such nice people…I would never put my cats in a shelter.” She is happy to help others travel and avoid upsetting their cats.
Rose and husband Sebastien from Colorado are remote workers who have sat, not just for cats and dogs, but also a parrot, rabbits, goats, horses, chickens, even a python and a pet pig. The snake, she recalled, had recently eaten so they did not need to worry about him. But Pumpkin the pig, a 200-pound beast, liked to crawl up on the couch and cuddle with them. “He loved bananas,” she said.
Like most sitters, Rose and Sebastien began with local sits “to get a feel for it.” And, like Bridget, they prefer to have a Facetime call with pet owners before committing to a sit. “You have to think of your own requirements and what you are comfortable with.”
“It’s reciprocal. It’s an exchange,” Rose says. “Both get something out of it. It’s beyond vacation travel. It’s rewarding.”
Magdalene and Brian live in Krakow, Poland. She is Polish. He is Canadian. They too are remote workers and have had pet sits in numerous countries. Magdalene is “passionate about animals” but with their lifestyle does not think it’s fair to have pets of their own. “I like this experience. It feels like home with a pet.”
She previously worked as a nurse and remembers a sit when that experience saved a dog. The owners had not told her the dog was a diabetic. He got very sick, but she knew what to do.
A few years ago, I was able to convince my brother Steve and his wife Yoshie to try THS. Their cat Zippy is difficult, only likes them. Yoshie was very reluctant to have a stranger stay in their home in Boulder.
They had been paying $40 per night to board Zippy in a kennel, but it was stressful for them, as well as Zippy. He sensed that they were leaving, would hide, pee in the cage. “I was exhausted,” said Yoshie. Zippy cried at night for several days after their return. THS has replaced the kennel and all are happy.
Trusted House Sitters was founded in the UK in 2010 and now has 230,000 members. It operates in 180 countries. Pet owners pay a fee to join, from $129 per year, fill out the required forms detailing their pets and required care, as well as information about themselves. When they plan a trip, they post an announcement on the site with dates of travel. Owners do not pay sitters who pay their own transportation to the pet owner’s home.
Sitters pay approximately $250 for a year’s membership. To join, they fill out required forms. THS verifies their ID and contact info. Once accepted as a trusted sitter, they see the announcements of those needing sitters, and then apply to those that interest them.
Both sitters and pet owners are reviewed by the prospective parties. The reviews are published on the site. You can read what others have to say about their experiences.
If you choose to sign up with THS, please mention me, Leah Larkin, as a referral. I get brownie points.
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It’s time for asparagus. See below for link to a recipe for this seasonal favorite.
TODAY’S TASTE – Asparagus with Parmesan Butter
Click below photo for recipe. For more recipes, click here.
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