Then , while she ’ s staying , Cary takes on any duties needed to ensure the health and safety of the animals – as well as the safety of the home .
“ I ’ ll take your trash out . I ’ ll water your plants . I ’ ll mow your yard . I ’ ll get your mail There ’ s activity in and out of the house so it doesn ’ t look like nobody ’ s there ,” she said .
“ It helps keep potential burglars away too if they see activity in the house ,” she added .
There are many reasons someone may want a pet sitter to stay at home while the owner is away .
“ It allows the animals to stay in their environment . It allows them to be in their bed . And if they sleep with the pet owner , they can sleep with me . I don ’ t force it , but if they want to sleep with me they can ,” Cary said .
It also lets them have access to everything in the home that they are used to , from their toys to their medications .
Many pets these days need insulin or other prescriptions to keep them healthy , Cary said . She is capable of giving those medications when needed .
She is also there as a backup plan should something happen and the homeowners not be able to get back on schedule . While Cary said she leaves the home before the owners return , she does check in with them to make sure they got back on time and the pets aren ’ t sitting by themselves too long .
“ I always let the pets know , ‘ Mommy and daddy are coming home today ,’” she said .
She also likes to leave a thank you note for the owners , and maybe a parting treat for the pet .
But as far as security for the pets , Cary talked about one person she sat for who had to go for out-of-town cancer treatments every four weeks . She had made arrangements for where the pets were to go if she passed away , which sadly did occur . Cary followed through on those arrangements .
An owner may have simpler reasons for wanting to hire a pet sitter , however . For example , they may not want to force their pet to have to stay at a kennel for a long time . Or , Cary pointed out , the pet may not be up to date on their immunizations , and kennels require that .
Or it may be that the pet to be watched isn ’ t a traditional pet that can be kept at a kennel . It ’ s something that Cary said she found out the hard way – back in the beginning of her pet sitting days when she didn ’ t always ask what kind of animal she would be watching .
“ I ’ ve had to learn to ask what kind of animals you have , because some people have some crazy animals . ... I ’ ve stayed with rabbits , horses , goats , and chickens . I ’ m not a big fan of the reptiles but I have stayed with them . Then I had somebody who had two pet rats . And I said , no !”
So what is her motivation for staying in the homes of friends or strangers , rather than sit in the comfort of her own house ?
“ I ’ m a pet lover . People always ask , ‘ Do you have any animals yourself ?’ And I ’ m like , no , because I ’ m never home . But I like pets , and I just started [ pet sitting ] to help out . And it ’ s just grown so much .”
She doesn ’ t really do it for the money either – she doesn ’ t charge a set amount , and it may vary depending on the circumstances . She doesn ’ t charge at all when someone has to go to a funeral , for example .
She also thinks it ’ s important for the homeowner to feel absolutely comfortable about the person who will be watching their pets , even if that
12 • SEKY - Life in Southeast Kentucky april 2023