Question:
As most of you probably know, we will be away in January for our wedding!! Usually, when we go away, we have a friend or family member come to the house each day and spend time with the pets and make sure that they are doing well. We would do the same for the wedding...except anyone that would look after them will be with us in the Dominican!

We had put the cats in the kennel for almost two weeks a few years back but Max didn't do very well. He hardly ate while he was there. We believe that he will be better this time because he is more comfortable being alone.

We've also been thinking about hiring a pet/house sitter. I've never dealt with a pet-sitter so I was looking for some of your experiences. I feel a bit uncomfortable having a stranger coming to my house everyday.


Answer:
I've done both and I feel more comfortable with a petsitter. I asked people I knew if they could reccommend anyone. I'm just not comfortable boarding my animals at a kennel unless I have to.


Answer:
We have a petsitter who is absolutely TERRIFIC and we wouldn't do it any other way. The girls are so much more comfortable with Kristin coming over. They stay in their environment with their things, familiar smells and noises, etc. We find they get much less stressed out about us leaving when they can be in their environment. In addition, Kristin also takes care of our plants, picks up the mail and can also pick up basic groceries before our arrival if we wish.
What I would recommend is for you to meet with any prospective nanny beore going away and check her out as thoroughly as possible. When we did that with Kristin, she came in with her portfolio. She showed us that she was fully insured and bonded, provided us with references that we checked, presented certificates for animal CPR and first aid training, and had recommendation letters form several vets, including our own. by the end, we had no hesitations about letting her into our home And the girls love her to death!
If you'd like, I can ask kristin if she has any people she would recommend in your area. You may also want to check out petsitters international for a certified petsitter.


Answer:
Thanks girls! Sophie, if you could speak to Kristin, that would be great. She sounds wonderful! Hopefully she can recommend someone. I would definitely be looking for someone that is insured and bondable. I don't need to come home to an empty house!


Answer:
Yeah that wouldn't be good
I sent Kristin a note. I'll let you know what she says


Answer:
And here's her reply:
Tell your friend to go to www.acpsn.com . That is the All Canadian Pet Services Network. Then she can type in Calgary and I'm sure that she will find someone. ACPSN has very high standards, so I'm sure she will find someone that she will feel comfortable with.
Hope this works out for her.


Answer:
Awesome, Sophie! Please thank Kristin for me.


Answer:
I actually found two on the website that were in our area. I emailed both and they got back to me within a few hours. The one claimed that she didn't like taking "out of town" jobs over the winter in case the highway was closed because of a storm. I think it's a lame excuse for not wanting to winter drive because a) we are 15 minutes out of town and b) in the 25 years that I've been alive there have been no situations where the town was not accessible (there are two ways to access both by highway). So, she's out.

The other one sounds fabulous! Neither had chin experience (which I figured) but the one that I have been speaking to said that she would feel comfortable and would be able to identify illness. And I was shocked at how inexpensive it is! I was expected it to be very expensive but most places are between $15-25 per day.


Answer:
That's great!
That would take alot off your mind.. plus the cats will be much more relaxed staying in their own environment.


Answer:
That's great Candice Kristin didn't have any chin experience either but she knew our vet and I prepared a little packet for her with info about the most common illnesses and what to look for. She had also done research one her own to find out more before we met. I think I still have a copy of the sheets I'd left her. Do you want me to send them over?
The price for a sitter is really reasonable. We pay $22 per day with Kristin and she stays for about 30 minutes plus she'll pick up the mail and water our plants. I really can't ask for better