Tuesday, 29th January 2013 at 16:54 PM
You simply can't get better than having a live in pet sitter to look after your home when you are away. They will basically replace you in your home and see to all the day to day jobs you will. Your property will remain clean and cared for and although we don't class ourselves as a security service we provide a presence to deter burglars. Because of this we had to laugh when we saw this photo today. It would appear that we are certainly better than some willing guard dogs!
Tuesday, 29th January 2013 at 16:13 PM
Being a Yorkshire based pet sitting company we like to think that we have a pretty good idea of bad weather. It seems a long time since Harrogate was blessed with sunshine. Live in pet sitters are particularly useful during the weather extremes we seem to be encountering these days; we water plants when it is hot, keep an eye on leaks when it is wet, and keep your property heated and cared for in snow! A pop in service simply can't do this as well and you have no guarantee that things are not going array when the house is empty. Another important consideration is what happens if roads flood or heavy snow falls? Will a pop in service even manage to get there and if not what happens to your pets? Because our sitters live on site you can be sure that someone will always be around when you are not.
Monday, 14th January 2013 at 10:24 AM
They have been talking about it for weeks but looking out of the window it appears the snow has finally arrived! I don't know about you, but it hasn't felt right without it so I'm quite pleased!
As with previous years Pet and Property Sitters will continue to operate as normal wherever possible. However if you are due to go away and suspect you might have a problem please do let us know! It may also be a good idea to bring start times slightly forward if you do have snow to try and ensure everyone is not rushing in poor driving conditions.
The beauty of having a live in pet sitter is that they will also ensure that your home remains warm and cared for during cold snaps. Your sitter will keep an eye out for any potential problems and will be in touch if action needs to be taken. If you have problem areas in your home (for example pipes that always freeze!) make sure your sitters are aware.
We will all be getting wrapped up for dog walking this week, most our charges LOVE playing in the snow!
Tuesday, 8th January 2013 at 13:53 PM
Would you be interested in learning basic dog
first aid? Rachel Bean, qualified and registered veterinary nurse has kindly agreed
to run a practical workshop on common first aid situations for dogs in
Harrogate on Thursday 7th Feb 2013 (10.0am–1.00pm). The course will include: paw and ear bandaging on a real dog
& CPR practice. A workbook will be included and there will be first aid
scenarios for you to work out a plan of action. There will be a multiple choice test and you will receive a
certificate on completion.
The course costs £30, which must be paid at the time of
booking. This is
a small, personal course with limited places so please contact us asap to reserve yours!
Tuesday, 8th January 2013 at 13:48 PM
Happy New Year!
We hope all our clients had a relaxing Christmas break. It was a very busy Christmas for us, and next Christmas is already looking like being much the same. We are already getting booked up with people keen to ensure that they can relax knowing their pets and home are well cared for during the festive period.
Our office is now open again and we are busy taking bookings for 2013. Our clients know that it is best to get in early and if the rest of the year continues in the same way it looks like being our best ever.
If you are looking to book a sit during busy times please remember to get in touch asap.
Tuesday, 6th November 2012 at 12:26 PM
We are asked last week if we did puppy care. A lot of people presume that a pet care service would not be keen to take on a puppy of a young age but we actually do. We have cared for litters of puppies from a day old upwards so caring for the new addition to your home is not a problem. It does however make us remember how much work they are! We are happy to do a little extra though as it is great to be able to be involved with them at such a young age and get them used to contact with a pet sitter.
If you have any requirement for puppy care from a few hours to a holiday that lands at just the wrong time just give us a call, we will do our best to help!
Monday, 22nd October 2012 at 12:05 PM
As bonfire night approaches many of us are faced with a few weeks of stressed pets. It no longer seems to be one night and you have to feel so sorry for these poor animals night after night. Please ensure that if you are going away in the next few weeks you have fully briefed your pet sitter on how your pets react to fireworks so that they can ensure that they give them the very best care possible. It is also handy to know when the big organised firework displays are taking place in your area so that we are pre-warned.
Here are a few helpful tips we have found for coping with firework anxiety:
- Condition your dog: Victoria Stilwell says 'Conditioning a dog to feel differently about the sound of fireworks can
be achieved by gradually exposing the dog to audio recordings of
fireworks at low volume levels and, if the dog appears relaxed, playing
his favorite game or feeding him his favorite food. Allowing the dog to
play and relax in the presence of the soft noise for a period of ten
minutes, taking a break of five minutes and repeating the exercise
ensures that the dog doesn’t become bored with the training. Introducing
the audio at a low level again and slowly turning up the volume if the
dog continues to be relaxed and able to concentrate on playing the game
or eating the food allows the dog to habituate to the noise without a
fear response. If the dog shows signs of stress, going back to the
previous level and building up the noise level again will take pressure
off the dog. The object of noise desensitization is to gradually expose
the dog to louder and louder sounds over a period of time, progress
being determined by the dog’s reactions. Going too fast might make the
dog even more frightened, so taking things slowly will ensure maximum
benefit from the process'- The most important way to help your dog is to allow him a place to 'hide away'. When scared dogs tend to prefer enclosed areas to make them feel safe. If they are used to a crate a good option is to cover this and let them hide in there.
- Make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise during the day so that they settle better.
- Always keep them inside during displays
- Give your dog something fun to do to occupy their mind: a kong is a great way to give them something else to think about.
Wednesday, 17th October 2012 at 10:58 AM
One of the questions I get asked a lot by our clients is are we an agency? The answer is no! We employ all our sitters and get to know them well. Pet and Property operate a little differently to many of the larger Southern based companies. We choose to operate in the North and as such only employ Northern based sitters who know the area well.
Rather than recruiting people via the internet we maintain a traditional recruitment process. As wonderful as the internet is I find it scary to think that anyone would trust their home and pets to be cared for by someone who they have only seen online. It is far too easy to provide fake references and embellish experience (or even personality) online. We always request character references in writing and even then I've been known to receive them on the same paper with the same font and wording! This is why we also ensure that we follow them up with a phone call to make every possible effort to ensure all is in order. Unlike online agencies we also take 20 years employment history and verify this in writing with the companies concerned. Our clients can be sure that we have taken every step possible to ensure that we only employ sitters who have been through this process.
The other difference between us and other companies is that we interview all our sitters in their own home. I personally ensure that I have met them and that they fit the bill for our clients. Anyone can put on their best act for an office based interview but we find that by meeting them in their own home we get to know the real them. It is also a much more relaxed way to get to know the sitters more, find out what makes them tick and know that we can match them better with our clients. I often walk away from interviewing someone already planning which clients will love them!
Using a Northern based company really does ensure that you can combine modern day technology and service with a few traditional values!
Tuesday, 16th October 2012 at 11:55 AM
As we get ready for long sits over the months ahead I thought I'd give our new clients (and remind our existing ones!) a list of things they might like to do in order to ensure that their pet sit runs as smoothly as possible . . it also makes for an easy handover!
- Please ensure that your Checklist, Property Information Sheet and Pet Information Sheet are completed and left for your sitter. This will ensure that they have all the information they require to hand from vets details and next of kin contacts to the location of the fuse box and the time the postman comes (in case you dog likes to give them a 'warm' welcome!).
- If you have a house file this needs to be up to date.
- It is handy if you also leave appliance instruction books on hand to your sitter.
- Your pet food store should be topped up to last throughout your stay (your sitter can always purchase fresh food if your pets are fed this way, just leave them details and some money).
- Your sitters will appreciate a handy supply of dog towels, treats and poo bags to ensure that your dog has everything they need while you are away.
- For security purposes we work on the basis that if we don't know about it, it does not happen so please leave details of any likely deliveries or anyone who is likely to turn up at the property from cleaners and gardeners to window cleaners, workmen and deliveries.
- If you are likely to need your sitters to pay for anything while you are away (from pet food, to window cleaning or in order to buy food supplies for your return).
- Your sitter will need access to keys for all doors as well as the front door key; it is handy if you mark these for them.
- Our pet sitters supply all their own bedding (they will need to know what size) so just require a bed. You can either strip this or leave it made up; whichever you choose it will be left in the same way.
- If possible a little hanging space for clothes is always appreciated for longer sits.
- It is very helpful if you could leave some fridge and freezer space.
- Most clients like to let their vet know they a pet sitter will be caring for their pets. This is especially important in the case of older pets or pets with ongoing medical requirements.
- Please try to ensure that your garden is safe and secure.
- A provisions allowance and travel expenses payment will be due direct to your sitter.
Friday, 5th October 2012 at 10:39 AM
The dog commandments that we posted on our facebook page yesterday proved to be one of the most popular images we have ever posted. We had numerous messages about how it had brought a tear to the eye of many a dog lover. With that in mind I thought I would try and find the cat version for all our cat lovers. A google search found me one but it appears that cats see the world slightly differently! Had to share it with you as it says it all!
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