What Do You Do When a Client Mentions Medication Hours Before a Visit but Does Not Answer Your Calls?
A countryside visit that should have taken around an hour turned into a much longer appointment when a client asked me via WhatsApp voice note to administer medication to one of her dogs shortly before I arrived. With no details about the medication and no answer when I called the client for further instructions, I was left trying to work out what was needed while ensuring the dogs received their care. This experience highlights why clear instructions and timely communication matter in pet sitting.
The Punctured Tyre That Stopped Me in My Tracks. Literally.
A 4am start, a worried trip to the vet with Fluffy, back-to-back pet-sitting appointments and a punctured tyre that brought my day to a grinding halt. What followed was a long day of an unexpected delay, a few personal errands, and caring for my four-legged clients, all while running on nothing but water and effervescent supplements until 4pm. This is what a day in the life of a pet sitter really looks like when nothing goes to plan.
When a Dog Walk Turns Into a Flood: What Would You Do?
I was looking forward to finishing my last appointment of the day and heading home. It was supposed to be a straightforward 30-minute dog walk. Instead, I opened the door to find water flooding the living room and kitchen. What followed was an unexpected emergency involving a leaking water filtration system, frantic mopping, and a FaceTime call to the client. Ever tried mopping the sea? Welcome to the unpredictable side of pet sitting!
When Your Job Is Already a Workout
Ever wondered how a pet sitter stays fit without ever stepping foot in a gym? Between dog walks, pet visits, lifting, bending, standing and constantly moving from one appointment to the next, some workdays feel like a full-body workout. And while other people are heading out for a run in the heat because they want to exercise, I’m sometimes wondering how they have the energy! A humorous, honest look at the physical reality of a busy pet sitter’s life - and why, after a long day, putting my feet up can feel like the perfect workout recovery.
If Only I Had a Magic Nose…
Ever wished you had a little magic to make everything on your to-do list disappear? If I had Samantha Stephens’ famous nose twitch from Bewitched, I could make the dog walks, pet visits, messages, household jobs and unexpected problems magically sort themselves out. But until that magic twitch arrives, I’m left juggling the realities of pet-sitting life - one appointment, one responsibility and occasionally one mysterious car noise at a time.