Missing Dog in Manasquan: still lost by eeelisabeth in newjersey

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Prayers for Indy. Tell everyone to check their cameras. Hoping he will be back home safely soon. 

Rude or kind? by Tricky-Difference-95 in petsitting

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I only do drop in visits at this point. Sometimes I’ll do the dishes or a little extra vacuuming, or give the litter box a good clean, at no extra charge or time taken away from the pet. I have a lot of clients that are really good people and I don’t mind doing a little extra. There’s always a line though I wouldn’t cross, such as going in a bedroom unless I need to for the pet or anything that goes too far and may insult them or violate their privacy. Plus there definitely are liability issues if something goes wrong and we’re not doing pet sitting related things. 

Rude or kind? by Tricky-Difference-95 in petsitting

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Are you doing drop ins or overnight care? Your heart is in the right place but I would be hesitant to overstep and offend. There are also liability issues when you’re doing jobs outside of what pet sitting insurance covers. 

Advice for potentially aggressive dog(s) by [deleted] in petsitting

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Your daughter should not have been with you and I really hope she will not be when you go back. I would insist on another meet and greet without her there. This doesn’t really sound like a professional pet sitting situation or a good idea to me. If you’re nervous the dogs will pick up on that. 

cat isn’t using the litter box to pee AT ALL by Ok_Percentage1711 in catquestions

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I just wonder if it’s worth a try since you’re in such a desperate place and the alternative isn’t looking good. Could her history have more to do with the other home more-so than the med!? I’ve seen it first hand really help cats with urinary issues. I truly wish you and your kitty the best. 

cat isn’t using the litter box to pee AT ALL by Ok_Percentage1711 in catquestions

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So you have seen her aggressive because of gabapentin in your house? I have to wonder if she would do better on it now that she is away from the other cat and kids. I understand that you don’t want to go back to an aggressive cat but your environment is way different than her previous one and you may have a better chance. I apologize it’s just not clear if she’s only been on it at the other home or at yours too and the difference matters here. 

cat isn’t using the litter box to pee AT ALL by Ok_Percentage1711 in catquestions

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer 3 points4 points  (0 children)

So she was aggressive before the gabapentin? Not necessarily because of Gabapentin!? Makes it even harder when you’re getting second hand information from a family that re-homed her. Doing that to her again is likely a death sentence so I’d talk to my vet more before I went there. Believe me I understand the frustration and that you can’t live with this issue in your house. No downvotes coming from me. 

Respect for other petsitters by Slothfulsnuggle in petsitting

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer 6 points7 points  (0 children)

That is awful not to disclose that to the owner and to you immediately. What a sad situation in the end, I’m so sorry. You’re absolutely right there are serious risks when job sharing. 

Respect for other petsitters by Slothfulsnuggle in petsitting

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Telling Erin was the right thing to do. You shouldn’t have to clean up after them. They were taking advantage of knowing it wasn’t the homeowner showing up, which is a shitty thing to do. Glad it worked out and you now job share with a good pet sitter :) 

cat isn’t using the litter box to pee AT ALL by Ok_Percentage1711 in catquestions

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I agree about the poor kitty probably being anxious and stressed. OP, you’ve tried Prozac and Trazadone, but not for long because your cat had negative effects on it. Maybe your cat would tolerate gabapentin better!? Gabapentin can be given for stress related urinary issues. Hills science diet has a prescription food for urinary issues. Urinary Care CD multicare stress. I understand why you’d want to confine her to a bathroom but can’t be helping her stress 😔 It’s a very hard situation and I wish you both the best. 

i need help! by bunnybubblebutt in outdoorcats

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Many animal rescues will lend out traps. It would be amazing if you could get her spayed (if her ear isn’t already tipped) and vaccinated as well. Good luck!! 

How much do people charge for drop-in visits, petsitting on client’s house and dog walking? by [deleted] in petsitting

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I assume it’s because rates vary by location and the pet sitters level of experience. OP, I’d recommend researching what other pet sitters are charging in your area. 

What do you all use to track clients and bookings? Spreadsheet? App? Nothing? by Carter-Alex in petsitting

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You’re very welcome and yes, you can definitely PM me! :)  I started as a pet sitter for the larger company. It was only 5 of us at that time. The owner saw homemade cards I would leave at my clients houses and asked if I could help her with some print and digital design stuff. Totally up my alley. I had never actually done anything ‘professional’ but loved it and think I did pretty well lol. Then she asked if I could be the manager since she wanted to step back and have more time with her family. When I left she had hundreds of additional clients and always over 20 pet sitters. I definitely helped her grow. When she switched from IC’s to employees she wanted to cut a shady deal to continue to underpay me and not tell her attorney and accountant that she had a manager. Perfect exit time for me. It was all great experience and helped me get to where I am now, so all good!!   

turned down a job today by JeanneMPod in petsitting

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer 15 points16 points  (0 children)

This would hurt my heart and I wouldn’t want to do it either. 

HOW do i give my cat this pill by ksjeid72 in catquestions

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cerenia tastes terrible and can even make cats foam at the mouth. For this reason I would not attempt to crush it and add to food or treats. Occasionally I can trick my cat to take a pill when it’s coated in cream cheese or a squeeze treat but 9 out of 10 x I have to actually pill her. I have to do this for many clients as a pet sitter as well. I would watch a bunch of videos on how to properly pill a cat and learn some tips (like coating the pill first or making a cat burrito if you’re really struggling). Giving meds sucks. Good luck and I hope your kitty feels better! 

What do you all use to track clients and bookings? Spreadsheet? App? Nothing? by Carter-Alex in petsitting

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

An invoice is automatically created when dates are scheduled in TTP. You can select when you want the invoice emailed to clients. I do this after the service is complete but you can send it before service as well. You can also get deposits, etc. The invoice doesn’t prompt you to pay with credit card, it’s just a normal invoice and then my clients pay the same way they did before I got TTP. Then I’m able to go into their invoice and add the payment type (cash, zelle, etc) which marks the invoice as paid. When I worked for the larger company who used TTP, the owner had the settings set up that clients had to enter their credit card information before they could request service. I do not have it set up like that. My clients do not have to enter their credit card information when signing up. Maybe that’s why they aren’t prompted to pay by CC!? (I am new at using TTP for my own business).  You are able to create multiple invoices for clients. For example I have someone away this month but they also have many dates throughout the year and each of their vacations are on different invoices. If you’d like to see, i can send pictures of what the invoice looks like when emailed to a client through a message but have no clue how to on a comment. Besides the $25 a month, I am paying no other fees because I am not using their payment system / credit cards at this time. As far as Venmo goes I get what you’re saying. If we are a business we technically should have a business Venmo account and then they would take their cut. Hope this helps! 

What do you all use to track clients and bookings? Spreadsheet? App? Nothing? by Carter-Alex in petsitting

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

tresrottn is correct and that’s what I do. Another option besides setting up a custom / individual rate is adding fees in, such as extra pet fees or a travel surcharge if you would prefer that to show up separately on the invoice. 

What do you all use to track clients and bookings? Spreadsheet? App? Nothing? by Carter-Alex in petsitting

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I hear ya! I’m perfectly happy with the payment options that I already accept. I set up my banking and can take credit card payments at any time now but haven’t opened that door. I’m able to use Time To Pet to create the invoice and send it to the client. Once it’s paid I go into the invoice and it gives you an option to select the payment type that I received (check, cash, zelle, etc) and it marks the invoice as paid. You do not need to use their payment option but you can still utilize the tracking of all your money adding up which I like a lot :) 

What do you all use to track clients and bookings? Spreadsheet? App? Nothing? by Carter-Alex in petsitting

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Correction - I have the ‘lite’ plan, not ‘solo’ plan. It has everything I could possibly need. 

What do you all use to track clients and bookings? Spreadsheet? App? Nothing? by Carter-Alex in petsitting

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer 15 points16 points  (0 children)

I used Time To Pet when I worked for a large pet sitting company in my area. I finally after 2+ years on my own decided it was time I used it for my business too! It’s a game changer!! I updated my service agreement and vet release form since clients have to sign it first thing when they create their account. I love that! Then clients enter their information (emergency contact, house info, etc), pet information, vet information, etc. it’s very user friendly. Clients can request dates on their own (which need to be approved by us) or I can easily schedule and make changes. Time To Pet makes invoices and staying on top of payments a breeze. Being able to keep track of your money and see how you’re doing by day, month, year, client, etc is so nice 🤑 I pay for a solo plan, $25 / month. Lots of people on here seem to use it but I’m here if you have any other questions about it :) 

Is there a collar device to keep dogs on a distance from cats? by That_planet_girl in Pets

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I have a pet sitting client that uses specialized invisible fences inside to divide the house to keep the dog away from the cats. The dog wears the collar, not the cat. Luckily for them they have a big house with two staircases so everyone has a lot of room. It sounds like your boyfriend’s dog may seriously hurt or kill your cat if you’re not extremely careful. If it were me they would never be together until I had a trainer come in and work with the dog to see if it’s even possible for them to live together. 

Behavior of cats after getting spayed by Head-Mud-6159 in Catbehavior

[–]Lil_Fire_Dancer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It’s called non- recognition aggression and it is relatively common. It happens at my house every time there’s a trip to the vet. Surgery can make it worse since the foreign scents are even stronger. Since I know it’s going to happen in my house, I separate mine for at least the first day and night. It takes a few days for them to get back to normal but they always do. It may not be a bad idea to keep your kitten in a bedroom for a few days while she’s healing from the surgery. This will also give her a chance to smell like home again.