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Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

2505.0. "Kennel/Babysitter needed for Jake & Munchie" by DELNI::MOSHER (cyclone) Wed May 24 1989 17:00

    Hi Cat-lovers,
    
    Jake and Munchie (see note 2370) have settled into our new home
    and, I'm glad to say, they LOVE it!! 
    
    Now, I have a new (minor) problem to solve for them. I am going
    on vacation for 2 weeks in August (hiking in Peru!) and need
    some place to board the cats during that time. (I have a roommate
    who loves cats, but she's almost never at home and doesnt want to
    commit to their care, since she may be away for some/part of that
    same time).
    
    2 questions: 
    
    (1) Can someone recommend a good "cat kennel" in the Leominster
         area?
    
    (2) Do you recommend other alternatives, eg, having someone come
        into the house daily.....or having someone take the cats
        temporarily into another house/family...or...?
    
    Thanks for any advice. If this has been posted in another note,
    just point me to it.
    
    Robyn, Jake and Munchie (with our new roommates Cheryl, also
    Mr. Fish and Ms. Parakeet!)
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
2505.1CRUISE::NDCSlave to the Furry Foursome and Tymothee-tooWed May 24 1989 17:2111
    Glad to hear everyone is settling in.  How's the job hunt going?
    I have paid some of the neighborhood kids to feed my crew for
    a few days.  Of course I know them and their mother and know that
    Denise (the mother) will make sure the kitties are taken care of.
      The cats would be best left in their own homes but I wouldn't
    feel comfortable having someone come in unless I knew them very
    well.  Perhaps a friend could stay at your house for the two 
    weeks?   
      Good luck
       Nancy DC
    
2505.2Ahhh...vacation!MARKER::REEDA laugh a day keeps the blues awayWed May 24 1989 20:0518
    
    Robyn,
    
    When I was in college I used to house/animal sit.  I found that the
    animals were alot happier in their own home.  I used to have regulars
    and found that the various pets would remember me the next time.
    (The wildest one was a 3 week stint in Wayland for 2 horses, 4 goats,
    3 sheep, assorted fancy chickens (30+), 4 dogs, 3 cats, and nesting
    finches. We had a ball!) I _lived_ at the house while the owners
    were gone.  Mainly, they wanted the place to be lived-in to avoid
    possible break-ins.  I'd get the mail, papers, water plants, etc.
    
    If you get a sitter, get references AND check them out.  Since you're
    new to the neighborhood, I take it the neighbors are out.  Try the
    bulletin boards at the supermarket for school-aged sitters.  I'll
    also check some kennels for you.
    
    Roslyn
2505.3SHOW KEY/FULL PET_SITTINGVAXWRK::SKALTSISDebWed May 24 1989 22:241
    
2505.4<any more suggestions/kennels?>DELNI::MOSHERmachu picchuWed May 31 1989 21:3022
    Hi,
    
    Well I looked through all the other notes that -.1 pointed me
    to- thanks.
    
    There was a lot of mention of having someone come to your home -
    but only 1 reference to Leominster and she was not (I think) a
    professional cat-sitter. I'm a little wary of letting a stranger
    into my home as several others mentioned...
    
    One thing I didnt see was a lot of kennel references. Are there
    any kennels that are "home-like" (ie where the cats have some
    freedom of movement, whether thats a run or being let out once
    or twice a day, or even having free run of the house/building?)
    Also I need some that are local to Leominster or possibly the
    `Newton area (where I'd drop off my car at parents house on my
    way to my vacation).
    
    Thanks..
    
    Robyn (and Munchie and Jake)
    
2505.5a suggestionYOSMTE::CORDESBRO_JOWed May 31 1989 22:3031
    Robyn,
    
    I have had great luck finding cat sitters through my vet's office.
    My current cat sitter is an AHT for my former vet, and I found her
    by calling the vet office and asking to speak to the technician
    on duty.  When she got on the phone, I asked if she would be interested
    in making some extra money on the weekends and occasionally during
    the week by cat sitting for me.  She said it sounded interesting,
    so I asked her to come over so that we could interview each other.
    
    It has worked out wonderfully.  We "interviewed" for two hours,
    and arranged for her to sit over a weekend on a trial basis.  It
    went off without any problems, and worked out for both of us.
    
    She has been sitting for me for about a year and a half, and now
    has a key to my home at all times, in case of emergency.  My cats
    love her and behave well for her.  Her tech training has been an
    added plus, since she can easily recognize early signs of illness
    that a less experienced person might miss.  She knows what is important
    for me to know, and what isn't.
    
    You might try this approach at your vet's office.  I paid Judy $10.00
    a day and that was really not enough in my opinion (I have a lot
    of cats) but that is all she would take.  She comes twice a day,
    and stays for a minimum of an hour.  She waters plants, feeds cats,
    changes water bowls, scoops boxes, and she also picks up accidents,
    and hairballs (which I have told her she doesn't have to do).  Right
    now I don't pay her at all...I gave her a kitten in exchange for
    30 free cat sittings.
    
    Jo
2505.6VAXWRK::DUDLEYThu Jun 01 1989 14:446
    Did you read Note 400 which is the PET SITTING note?  400.30
    lists a pet sitter in Leominster.  What do you mean by "she
    was not (I think) a professional pet sitter."?  I'm not clear
    on what you're looking for here.
    
    Donna