Things to Consider Before Adopting a Cat

This August Fetch! Pet Care is dedicating the month to rescue cats and cat adoption. It seems only fit that our fun feline friends have the whole month to themselves! There are millions of cats in shelters waiting to find a happy home. Adopting a cat is a big responsibility but with careful planning you can do it! Here are some things to consider to determine if you’re ready to add a kitty to your family.

First, make sure your home is cat friendly. If you rent your home or apartment, the first thing you need to do is see if you are permitted to have animals in the building. Going against your lease agreement can be a big headache! If your lease agreement does not allow for pets, you might call your landlord and see if they are flexible on the issue. Also, decide if you have room for a cat. While cats need less space than dogs, they still need their own area. Decide where you would put the cat’s litter box, and have his own play area once he arrives.

The second thing to consider is the other people in your home. Talk with your family or roommates and see how they feel about having a cat. Do they have any allergies, or other concerns? Don’t forget the other animals in your family too! If you have other pets it’s important to know how they will react to having a new brother or sister. Does your pet do well around others? When other pets are involved it may be a good idea to set up a trial visit, so you can gauge how both animals will get along. Animals are very in-tune with emotions, so it’s important to make sure you will be bringing your cat into a welcoming and loving home.

The third thing to consider is if your current lifestyle permits the time and money associated with caring for a cat. Be honest: are you constantly on the go, does your other pet require all of your attention? Not all cats are the same; research different breeds to see which would best suit your lifestyle. If you’re busy, roommates and family members can be a great resource for co-parenting too!

Your cat will also come with some added monthly expenditures. Put together a basic budget of what your cat will cost you per month. Make sure to include: food, toys, possible medical expenses, and other kitty services, like a Fetch! Pet Care cat sitter who can provide daily, or cat visits and playtime exercise. Be honest about what you can afford so you are prepared and your kitty will be well cared for.

Lastly, consider where you want to get a cat from. Remember, there are way too many cats in rescue and adoption shelters who need a home. Consider these sources first and help to change a furry one’s life for the better.

If having a pet is new for you, it’s a great idea to watch a friend’s pet for a while, so you know what to expect when you have your own. Your new cat will give you tons of unconditional love, attention and laughs! All of the responsibilities are well worth it and remember Fetch! Pet Care is always here to cover your tailand has your tail covered!

Keep Your Pet Cool When Traveling To The Great Outdoors

Let’s face it, things aren’t getting any cooler. With record temperatures and humidity it’s likely going to be a hot, hot summer! So, as we get ready to go out and enjoy the great outdoors, let’s remember that as we try to keep ourselves cool we also want to keep our pets comfortable too.

Pets can be subject to the same issues with heat as us humans, including overheating, dehydration and sunburn. By example, a dog’s normal temperature is somewhere between 100 and 102.5 degrees. Heat stroke, which occurs at 106 degrees or higher, can affect dogs rapidly and must be treated right away to avoid a fatal situation.

Here are some tips to help your pet stay cool and help ensure an enjoyable summer for everyone:

• Research your pet’s specific breed information online or consult with your veterinarian. Some pets overheat faster than others and you should take special precautions for their individual needs. 
• When outdoors, don’t take your pet with you unless you can ensure your pooch will have a shady area to escape the heat, cool off and maybe even take in that relaxing summer nap. 
• Always have plenty of fresh, cool water – whether on a walk, in the car or in the house or yard. 
• During the summertime, walk your dog before and after the heat of the day – early morning or late evening. 
• Never leave your dog unattended in your car. Even while running a quick errand, the temperature inside a parked car can get to fatal levels very quickly, even if the car is parked in the shade with the windows down. 
• Use a specially formulated pet sunscreen for your pets, particularly if they are known breeds to be subject to sunburn. 
• Consider booties to protect your pet’s paws. Pets have sweat glands on their paws and some form of covering will keep them cool on the asphalt and in hot weather climates in general. 
• If traveling long distances, consider bringing a small baby pool or letting your pooch get hosed off or take a cool bath while at your hotel. You can also buy cooling specific products for pets, such as water filled pet pads, collars, and vests. 

As long as you follow these tips your pet will have a great time with you on your many summer adventures. They’ll come back relaxed, refreshed, and happy just like you.

And remember, Fetch! Pet Care knows how to keep your pet cool and happy this summer with our nationwide dog walking and petsitting services wherever, whenever you need us most. Whether you want us to care for your pet at home while you’re away, or you want us to provide daily care at your destination of travel, we’ve got your tail covered!

Finding A Great Pet Sitter During The Busy Summer Season

Summer is most certainly a busy time of year!  That goes double for anyone in the service industry.  From the local dry cleaner, to the local travel agency, any business that serves a regular or rotating customer base is going to be working very hard to keep everyone happy during the busy Summer.

Without proper planning, you can find yourself in quite a jam if you’re looking for short notice service over the Summer.  You’ve booked your trip we

Wait, you went to that adoption event over the Summer, and met those great folks from Fetch! Pet Care, they even told you that one of the ways they ensure their client’s peace of mind is by having a large, licensed, bonded, and insured professional staff.

Success! Fetch! Pet Care worked out perfectly, they were able to provide you the service you desperately needed, and on short notice to boot.  However, the best way to find a pet sitter or dog walker during the busy Summer season is to be prepared.  Book Summer dog walking or pet sitting services well in advance, perhaps even have a few services performed prior to the Summer to ensure everything is to your and your pet’s liking.ll in advance, got you’re nicest clothes professionally cleaned weeks ago, you even scheduled the airport shuttle two months out.  But wait, who’s watching your pets? The neighbors are staying home for the holidays, but that’s an awful lot to ask – it is their holiday too, after all.  The kennel, that’s an option, right? It is, if you’re alright with your pets being in an unfamiliar environment with alpha pets, being in a crate for the majority of the day, oh, and the risk of those airborne illnesses like kennel cough. 

What you need is a professional pet sitter!  You’ve called some smaller local operators, but it’s just the owner as a one person operation providing services – and  they’ve been overbooked for weeks. 

Win $500 for your Local Animal Shelter Courtesy of Healthy Paws Pet Insurance

Could your local animal shelter use a little more help? Fetch! Pet Care is here to help!  We've teamed up with Healthy Paws Pet Insurance to donate $500 to an animal shelter of your choice.  Tell us why you believe you and your pet are the perfect match in the form of a photo, video, or story. Do you spend your evenings throwing the ball in the yard or curled up on the couch? Simply send in photographic evidence.  The winning entry will also receive $100.    

The Importance Of Having Your Home Look “Lived In” While You’re Away

Finally! The weather is warming up and that long-awaited vacation away from the stresses at home and work is within reach. Plane tickets are purchased, hotel is booked, activities planned, and you’ve hired a pet sitter to spend some time with kitty and give your dog the walks and exercise he needs while you’re away. Great thinking on hiring that pet sitter, but not for all the obvious reasons you may be thinking.

While a great many home breaks-ins may seem like a spur of the moment/opportunistic crime, you can be assured, most of the individuals who commit such crimes are much more calculating. Burglars regularly case neighborhoods to better understand schedules, a method that can reduce their risk of getting caught. They’ll target a home or homes, and take note of who comes and goes. Busy homes typically present too much risk; they’re in search of the sleepy home, and homes can certainly look sleepy while you’re away.

There are old standard tactics that can be somewhat effective, such as setting lights to go on and off with a timer, putting your mail on vacation hold, etc., but these can be thin veils. That’s why we commended your thinking when hiring that pet sitter. Hiring a dog walker or pet sitter to care for and spend time with your pets while you’re away is a great way to not only assure your pets get the loving care they deserve and maintain their routine in the safety and comfort of their home environment, but also makes your home continue to look lived in. Obviously, a pet sitter’s priority will be the well-being of your pets, but here are some additional tasks that you could ask any professional pet sitter to perform:

· Make visits to the home at regular times. Three times daily is best, in the morning, afternoon and evening.

· Turn lights on/off, and open/close blinds.

· Retrieve the mail/paper.

· Turn on/off the radio or television

Having somebody keep your home looking lived in while you’re away can be a big deterrent against the risk of burglary. Again, great thinking on hiring that pet sitter!