Pet Sitting

First & foremost – SAFETY!

It’s a sad, but true, sign-of-the-times ... Police cuts – Crime increase – seems to be unstoppable!

My parents worked hard & saved hard. Now that they’ve retired, (my sister & I having long-since flown the nest) whilst they’re still fit enough to travel, they are making the most of a well-earned retirement. Why not, as they can afford to & whilst healthy enough; they have every right to enjoy their time. Theirs is a large ‘pad’ & they regularly disappear to explore another part of the Globe. I know they used to worry, despite alarm systems, about leaving their home empty. I also appreciate that they are far from alone in that sentiment as I, plus most of the people that I know, feel the same way. My father, an electronics guru, was the first I heard tell, “By far the best deterrent is a human deterrent!”

Well, whether it’s myself or one of our Team, we can combine looking after your pets, be they dogs, cats, or other domestic animals, whilst you are away. I will meet with you beforehand & agree times of arrival & departure. If it will not be myself that is looking after your home then I will, of course, introduce the actual member of our Team who IS going to be residing within your home. We will confirm feeding instructions for your pets, watering of plants & if it would help, we are also more than happy to do some shopping for you, so that you don’t arrive home to open an empty fridge & having to think about an instantaneous run to the supermarket ... Not exactly the first thing that we usually desire when suffering from jetlag!

Equally important, I have done it once & NEVER AGAIN, most of us would rather that our pets can stay in surroundings that are familiar to them if we can’t take them with us. One of my boys (dogs) stayed in Kennels once & when I picked him up he was much thinner than I remembered him & very ‘clingy’ for a wee while. I also have known others that have been most distraught as they’ve watched their Best Friend convulsing with the infamous Kennel Cough which can be transferred to other pets & takes up to a month to clear ... Still prone to it thereafter for the rest of their lives!

Whether it’s myself or another that is going to look after your home – we are CRB (DBS) checked for your peace-of-mind … & please feel free to ask to see a copy if we forget to provide you with one.

We are also perfectly happy to take a call in the evenings to check that everything is OK ... just please don’t forget that your ‘early evening call’ could be 3 o’clock in the morning back here in Dear Auld Blighty. You may well not feel the need for this though as we regularly take photographs & videos that we send you - & in my case as photography is a hobby of mine – we’ve often had a mini photo-shoot. 

We will take regular trips around your garden if you would like us to do so in order to ensure that all is secure & of course it is necessary to furnish us with your Contact Details wherever you are OR those of a Family Friend / Relative here so that we can inform you immediately ‘in the unlikely event’ that something is alarming!

We do ask that you leave your home clean & tidy for us & we assure you that it will be handed back in the same condition. We don’t expect it to be ready for a military inspection – it is a home & therefore to be lived in – but hoovered, dusted & clean worksurfaces; should we have to clean on arrival there is a £50 surcharge.

This is the ONLY Service that we provide where Uniform is not worn. The reasoning behind this is simply that we have no desire to make a conspicuous difference to the habits ordinarily associated with activity around your home. On that subject, we would also be more than appreciative if you could either introduce us to your neighbours or at least tell them that we will be looking after your home & pets so that we don’t answer the door to a concerned member of the local Constabulary (... you may laugh – this HAS happened)!