char-petsitter

[char-petsitter]

🐶 Beet Boost for Your Furry Friend! 

Did you know beets are a superfood for dogs? Here's why:

Packed with nutrients that support: 🌟 Immune system, 🐾 Healthy skin & coat, 💓 Digestive health

Nutritional Powerhouse: 🍊 Vitamin C,🌾 Fiber,🥔 Potassium,🌱 Folate, 💪 Manganese

Pro Tips: 🥄 Serve in moderation,🔥 Cook or mash before serving, 🚫 Skip the seasonings, ✂️ Cut into small pieces

NOTE: Always introduce new foods slowly and consult your vet.

Guess what? Beet root powder is a key ingredient in my Valentine’s Day petCHARcuterie treat boxes and BOO bones!

These special boxes are designed to pamper your furry friends with love and health, featuring beet powder for added benefits.

Packed with natural goodness, beet powder supports digestion, boosts immunity, and promotes a shiny coat—making it the perfect addition to your pet's treats. 

If you’d like to enter to win a free V-day petCHARcuterie box, tag a friend in the comments and share this blog with them!

Also, if you’d like to get on VIP pre-sale list for discount drop the word LOVE below. Stay tuned!

Deadline Jan 31st, 2025!

->Let's stay connected: Follow me on Instagram @charspetcuterie, Facebook: @charspetcuterie. Send me an email at charspetcuterie@gmail.com if you’d like to get on the newsletter for first access to deals, blog drops, and perks!

Cheers, Char the Petsitter

[char-petsitter]

Why You Should Hire a Professional Pet Sitter

As a pet owner, the well-being and happiness of your furry friends are of utmost importance. When you need to be away from home, whether for a short trip or an extended period, ensuring your pets receive the care and attention they deserve is crucial. Here are several compelling reasons why hiring a professional pet sitter is the best decision for both you and your pets.

Personalized Care and Routine Maintenance

Professional pet sitters offer personalized care that is tailored to your pet's specific needs. They ensure that your pets follow their regular routine, including feeding times, exercise, and playtime. This consistency is vital for pets, as they are creatures of habit and can become anxious when their routines are disrupted.

Unlike boarding facilities or relying on friends and family, professional pet sitters provide one-on-one attention, which includes administering medications if necessary and maintaining a daily schedule that your pet is accustomed to.

Reduced Stress and Separation Anxiety

Leaving your pets behind can be stressful for both you and your pets. Professional pet sitters help alleviate this stress by providing companionship and attention, which can significantly reduce separation anxiety in pets. By staying in their familiar environment, your pets are surrounded by the sights, smells, and sounds they know and love, making them feel more secure and comfortable.

Reliability and Peace of Mind

One of the most significant benefits of hiring a professional pet sitter is the reliability and peace of mind it offers. Unlike friends or family who might have their own obligations and last-minute changes, professional pet sitters make your pets their priority. They are committed to showing up on time and following through with the agreed-upon care plan, ensuring your pets never miss a meal, medication, walk, or cuddle.

Professional pet sitters are often certified, bonded, and insured, providing an added layer of protection and peace of mind. They also communicate regularly, providing updates, photos, and reports on how your pets are doing, keeping you informed and reassured while you are away. Also, they may have taken courses, read books, and invested in extra training specifically for pet care.

Health and Safety

Professional pet sitters are trained to handle various health-related issues. They can check for signs of illness or injury and take your pet to the vet if necessary. This is particularly important for pets with special medical needs, such as those requiring medication or recovering from surgery. By keeping your pet at home, you also minimize their exposure to illnesses that can be prevalent in boarding facilities.

Many professional pet sitters have certifications in pet first aid and CPR, ensuring they are prepared to act in emergencies and provide immediate care if needed.

Home Security and Additional Services

Hiring a professional pet sitter also benefits your home. With regular visits, your home appears occupied, which can deter potential break-ins. Additionally, many pet sitters offer extra services such as rotating lights, watering plants, taking out the trash, and collecting mail, making it look like you are still at home.

Socialization and Exercise

Professional pet sitters ensure your pets get adequate exercise and playtime, which is essential for their physical and mental well-being. They also provide socialization opportunities, engaging your pets in activities that are vital for their overall development and happiness.

Conclusion

Hiring a professional pet sitter is a decision that offers numerous benefits for both you and your pets. From personalized care and routine maintenance to reduced stress and increased peace of mind, professional pet sitters provide a level of care that is unmatched by other options.

When you choose a professional pet sitter, you are ensuring that your pets receive the love, care, and attention they deserve while you are away. So next time you need to leave your pets behind, consider the advantages of hiring a professional pet sitter – it’s a choice that will make your time apart as stress-free as possible for both you and your furry friends.

HEY THERE!

If you’re looking for a pet care provider in the Colorado area… you’re in the right place. I’m Char the petsitter, here to help you with all your petsitting needs. Book a FREE consultation call HERE. Can’t wait to meet you and your fur babies!

[char-petsitter]

WAYS TO ALLEVIATE & PREVENT SEPARATION ANXIETY

Your pet is crying when you’re about to leave the house. It breaks your heart, but you need to be able to leave without this being a mini traumatic experience for your fur baby every single time.

My guess would be the rate of separation stress has increased since more people went out and bought a pet during the 2020ish years (don’t make me say the C-word). So as more people are home more often and transitioned to work from home jobs, and back into the world again, this may have thrown off your pet.

Some people aren’t aware their pet is whining and crying when they are away, but their neighbors sure do. Oof. And some people are keenly aware and simply don’t know what to do. Others have tried a few things, but it still is a HUGE prevailing issue. 

So, imagine every time you leave the house this being a smooth experience. Your pet is relaxed and you get to step away guilt free. How does that sound? Most of this advice is for dogs, but some of these tips can be applied to other pets (like cats for example) as well. 

Here’s some excellent ways to alleviate and prevent your pets separation stress:

Regardless of your pet’s age, do daily enrichment activities. Hide treats (or catnip) for your pet to find. Give them something mentally stimulating to focus on and notice how they thrive. There are lots of toys, lickmats, etc available you can buy or even some you can easily make yourself!

Take your pet for a walk and let them get some good sniffs to their heart’s content. Or a fun play session.  Snuggle session. Something they love!

Pet CBD - Make sure it’s a high quality brand: 3rd party lab results, Organic USA grown, etc. Shop here for my favorite brand For best results use daily. It’s just like any supplement, when the bottle runs out, buy another. Give it at least 90 days of consistent use before expecting significant results (however, most pets notice positive benefits within first dose). Be patient with dosing, as it can take time to find the sweet spot with what amount is best for your pet.

Avoid making a big deal when you separate from your pet. For example don’t give them a hundred hugs and kisses goodbye and hello. Just be chill. Even though it may be tempting, this can create anxiety for your pet having heightened awareness and fear around your leaving them. Treat it like its a normal thing and they will pick up on your vibe. 

Don’t do the same thing every single time you arrive/depart. Your pet will begin to have a Pavlov response and begin to associate the “thing” with the “bad separation = oh no.” Even if it's the same positive thing like the same type of treat. They will start thinking, “Oh no when I get this treat, it’s just to trick me and now I can't really even enjoy this treat anymore. Sure, I’m not above eating it, but I know what’s about to happen next.” Or "oh no not this same music again." Or "oh no, not this same movie ugh!!" :( Keep things different sometimes, it’ll keep em guessing. 

If this was helpful, please share with a friend who you think would appreciate it. If you have any questions or topics you’d like me to cover in the future, please send an email to char.petsitter@gmail.com and I will see what I can do! 

Cheers! ~Char the petsitter

[char-petsitter]

What's your pets love language? 🩷

So obviously this is just for fun, and if you haven’t read Gary Chapman’s book, “The 5 Love Languages,” go do that, like yesterday 😜

In the spirit of February and all things L🩷VE… which is your pet’s love language? If you don’t know what it is, most likely they beg you for this specific type. And they all probably enjoy them all, but have an inclination to really just absolutely have a favorite:

⏳1. QUALITY TIME - Your pet loves spending time with you. For ex: they BEG you to go outside in the sunshine with them. They get super jealous when you’re on your cell phone. They just love having your companionship. Your pet may even exhibit symptoms of separation stress when you leave. Contrastingly, they are elated upon your arrival! 

🙌 2. PHYSICAL TOUCH - Touch me, touch me, touch meeee! Your pet just non-stop loves the cuddles, the belly or cheek rubs, with TWO HANDS, or even just enjoy touching you side by side when you sit on the couch . They love to sleep with you. 

💭 3. WORDS OF AFFIRMATION - Your pet melts everytime you say, “Who’s a good boy?” “I love you.” “You’re my favorite.” They may even smile, give you major eye contact, purr or wag tail, they simply love being praised. 

💝 4. GIFTS - Your pet freaks out when you give them a new toy, or even spoil them with a treat/toy box subscription, or maybe even a @charspetcuterie box? (shameless plug, sorry not sorry!)

🫧 5. ACTS OF SERVICE - Your pet loves when you refresh their water, clean their bowl, build them a new sleep palace or dog house, give them a grooming treatment, etc. ESPECIALLY when it’s not even necessary, they just like to know you care enough to do a nice action for them. Dote on them.

😍 Share this with a friend who you think would love this!

[char-petsitter]

Life of a Pet Sitter

Hey! I’m Char the petsitter. 

I grew up in the boonies and my mom introduced me to the world of volunteering with animals. We rescued animals that had been injured or abandoned, and helped rehabilitate them to be released into the wild again. We got to work with oppossums, squirrels, geese, birds. It was important not to give them a name (as to not domesticate them, so when they returned to nature, they could survive and thrive better). It was exciting!

Aside from the wild animals we took in, my family also had dogs, chickens, rats, goats, cats, frogs, ducks, and even a pony! Our neighbors hunted the wild boar and made honey. My mom sold fruit from our fruit orchards at the farmers market and to local businesses. We heard mountain lions and coyotes howling at night. Ah, the country life. 

Of all the animals in the world, I have always been a DOG person. 

Senior pitbulls especially. 

I went on to volunteer for other organizations like SPCA, Cattown Cafe, and Maxfund. I always wanted to do something with animals as my line of work, like become a veterinarian. I really wasn’t ever into medical stuff though. 

Then, while I was in college studying psychology, I started petsitting casually for a family friend, who I call my auntie. On my winter break and spring break, I would travel to her place and stay the night with her sweet orange tabby. 

It wasn’t until almost 10 years ago, when I suffered an injury. I needed to take a step back from my psychology career. I needed to get creative with how I could earn income. I started working for a petsitting app, but got so many requests, I ended up starting my own business. I was not expecting to at all, it almost fell in my lap. I made business cards, flyers, and word of mouth referrals (thank you), to the point where I was working all the time! I’m now at a point where I’m looking to hire petsitters as backup.

Funny, how I always wanted to work with animals in some capacity, and because of an injury, I took a detour back into this field. So applying my knowledge of psychology as well as my lived experience of having chronic pain, to my petsitting work has been an asset. Especially since I work with so many animals with PTSD, separation anxiety, and pain/arthritis! 

Just a couple years ago, I aligned with a company so I could offer products for my petsitting clients (and people with pets all over the country, thanks to social media!) that help with mood, pain, digestion, and all sorts of other amazing health benefits. It is so important to invest in our pets' well being, so they have the best quality life. And in return they provide us SO MUCH LOVE.

So, that’s my story. ♥️ Stay tuned for more.

[char-petsitter]

https://www.facebook.com/CharsPetsitters/

[char-petsitter]

Petsitting Video Transcript: “Hi there I’m Char and I am petsitting this little guy Dubai and Mops, hey look over, hey Mops! I love animals and often times people tell me that their animals are really shy and don’t like people at first but usually they open up to me really fast which is really nice... so I’d love to take care of your animals and take care of your house! Thanks, bye.”

[char-petsitter]

Char was fabulous! I truly recommend her! She was wonderful! Cesar had a great time with her. He has terrible separation anxiety and she handled it with ease. I could tell he was in very good hands.

5 star review! Bryan (Rover.com) July 2017

[char-petsitter]

Cesar & Lafoo

[char-petsitter]

Char took great care of our pets and our house, and I really appreciated how she sent us periodic updates. She's a keeper!

 5 star review! Aileen (Rover.com) April 2017

[char-petsitter]

[char-petsitter]

Josie

[char-petsitter]

Char is a GREAT sitter, reliable, on time, loves dogs!

 5-star review! Tim (Rover.com) March 2017

[char-petsitter]

Griffin

[char-petsitter]

Char is very caring and gentle with my cat Boo. She is always professional with her interactions and communications. She has extensive knowledge on cats and volunteers with a cat non-profit. Boo loves being around her. He comes home relaxed with a playful spirit. I trust Char to watch Boo overnight.

James S. (friend) Feb 2017

[char-petsitter]

Boo

[char-petsitter]

Char gave my little sweetness (Miette) tender loving care while I was away and even made some organic cat treats for her at Christmas!

Dina (Care.com) Nov 2016