Pet sitting and home visits

Most cats would far rather stay put. Their own windowsill, their own smells, their own routine, and none of the stress of being carried into a cattery in a box. Home visits let them keep all of it while you are away.

I worked in boarding kennels before this, which is where I learned to keep proper track of who has had what, and why I think most animals do better at home than in one.

What a visit looks like

• Fresh food and water, bowls washed properly rather than topped up
• Litter trays emptied and cleaned
• Medication where it is needed: tablets, drops and creams, but not injections
• Proper company: a fuss, a play, or just sitting quietly in the room if that is more their style
• A health check every time: eating, drinking, toileting, and anything that looks off
• The house looked after too: post picked up, curtains and lights changed, plants watered, bins out

And a message with a photo before I leave, so you know how they were rather than wondering.

How often

Once a day suits most confident adult cats. Twice a day is better for dogs, kittens, elderly animals, and anyone on medication that has to be timed.

Visits run as long as your animals need rather than to a fixed clock, and we will work out the right pattern for your animals at the meet and greet, rather than selling you more than you need.

Cats who hide

Plenty of cats vanish under the bed the first time a stranger lets themselves in. That is normal, and I will not drag anybody out to prove they are alive. I check the food going down, the litter being used and the shape of the duvet, and most of them are sitting on the stairs watching me by the third visit.

Keys

I can hold a key, use a key safe, or collect and return keys either side of your trip. Keys are labelled with a code, never with your name or address, and kept in a locked box at my house. Key safe and alarm codes are kept somewhere else entirely, in a secure folder on a device that is password protected. Somebody who got hold of one would still have nothing to open.

If you would rather not hand a key over at all, a key safe by the door is the simplest answer and costs very little.

If something goes wrong

I will have your vet's details and your written permission to act, taken at the meet and greet. If your animal needs a vet, they go, and you hear from me straight away.

You will also give me a second contact, someone local who can make a decision on the days you are on a plane or somewhere with no signal.