What Do You Carry In Your Pet Sitting Car Kit?

Filed Under Pet Business Tips, Pet Sitting Business Tips | 5 Comments

Terry at the Dear Labby blog wrote a great post this week about the supplies every pet sitter should carry with them in their car.  His suggestions included:  

  • poop bags
  • litter scoop
  • ant traps (non-toxic)
  • leashes, collars
  • sunscreen, hat
  • first aid kit
  • fanny pack
  • towels
  • paper towels
  • flashlight
  • pillowcase
  • can opener, scissors
  • phone number of emergency vet
  • hand sanitizer
  • maps/GPS or cell phone with maps application
  • trash bags

As a part time sitter my kit is in need of a lot of additions. How about yours?

I would also suggest carrying some marketing materials such as business cards, flyers, bulletin board ads, and spare pet sitting forms.

What other supplies do you recommend a pet sitter should carry?  

2 Bonus Reports and Recording of Lasts Nights Call Posted For Members

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I just finished posting last nights call recording to the Pet Sitting Success Circle member download site. Members will also get a written transcript of the call later this week. 

We had a terrific call - Thom told us why he launched the Million Petizen Rally and why his is on a mission to teach all pet owners about the 5 steps to achiving optimal wellness.  If you missed the call it is only $7 to sign up to try out the Pet Sitting Success Circle and get your hands on the recording - as well as the recordings of our last 12 calls.

I also have 2 bonus reports for members this month. The first will give you 14 strategies to get more reaction and interaction on your pet sitting blog. The second report will give you some ideas for launching a new product or service.  These reports are packed with info and great new ideas.

14 Strategies for More Interaction and Reaction on Your Blog

21 Product Launch Strategies  

Plus members also receive access to 3 original articles every month related to pet care or pet health that they can use to add interesting content to their ezine or newsletter, use as the basis for press releases, publish on their blog, or post on their website.  This months article topics are:

Why do Witches Have Black Cats

Animals that Carry Salmonella

Potty Training a New Puppy

To try out the Pet Sitting Success circle membership and pick up all these October treats sign up today at:

http://www.petbusinesssuccesscircle.com

I look forward to helping you grow your pet sitting business!

Danielle

The Million Petizen Rally - Free Call Tomorrow Night

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Our next pet expert call for the Pet Sitting Success Circle is tomorrow night Tuesday Oct 13th at 7pm CT, 5pm PAC and 8pm EST with Thom Somes - The Pet Safety Guy. On the call Thom will be sharing the details of his Million Petizen rally and discuss how you can use his book “Knowing Your Pets Health” to:

1) Market your pet sitting business and attract new clients

2) Ensure the good health of pets in your care

3) Impress potential clients by performing the Snout-To-Tail Assessment at the inital client interview

4) Set your pet sitting business apart from your competitors

5) Reinforce to your local community that your pet sitting business is the caring and professional option for people who love pets!

It should be a great call - I hope you can join us!  To register for the call and get the call in numbers just sign up for free now at http://www.petbusinesssuccesscircle.com/MillionPetizen.htm.

If you can’t make it to the call live - all members of the Pet Sitting Success Circle will receive a free mp3 recording and full written transcript of the call.  Sign up now to make sure you don’t miss all Thoms great tips and get immediate access to the archives of our past 12 calls - http://www.petbusinesssuccesscircle.com

On the call Thom will be making some special offers to everyone who orders “Knowing Your Pets Health” by midnight October 25th:

1) Get a 20% discount off your order

2) Get your books signed by Thom - The Pet Safety Guy

3) Get a free PDF file of Thom’s Snout to Tail Worksheet

You can place your order anytime but make sure you get your discount code here : www.workingwithpets.com/knowing.html

I just got 40 copies of the book in the mail last week and have started to give them to all our new clients as a welcome gift.  What better way to let your clients know that you are committed to the health of their pets!

Keep Your Pets Safe This Halloween

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Halloween can be a stressful time for your pets.  Strangers dressed up in costumes knocking on the door, yelling Trick or treat can really cause your pets to get stressed out.  Here are some things you can do to keep your pets safe this Halloween.

·         Pet Halloween Costumes – Yes they are adorable to look at, but they can be extremely hazardous.  Be sure to watch out for any outfits that have rubber bands on them, because they can cause gastrointestinal blockage if digested.  Also be careful of costumes with bandanas, or anything that ties around your pet’s neck in case of choking.  Try to avoid ribbons and bows as they also can cause chocking, and can be very dangerous if swallowed.  There are many pet Halloween costumes to choose from, so keep your pets safe by examining the outfit you choose. Do not buy an outfit with zippers, because you can catch skin and fur, and badly injure your pet. Just because it looks cute on the shelf, does not mean it will be safe for your pet.  Examine it and be sure it’s 100% safe before purchasing your pets Halloween costume.  If you have sewing talent, the best way to avoid dangerous materials is to make your own pet Halloween costume. This way you will know exactly what to put on it to keep it as safe as possible.

 

·         Keep your pets inside on Mischief night and Halloween – The day before Halloween is known as Mischief night.  This is the night where kids play tricks, make trouble, and roam the streets.  This goes along with the history of Halloween and how some people use animal sacrifices on this night.  It is always best to keep your pets indoors on these nights just in case someone wants to cause trouble.  Halloween night is also an important night to keep your pets indoors.  You have ghost, and goblins roaming the streets looking for candy, and a child may give your pet some, just trying to be nice.  In reality, this could be fatal to your pet, not to mention all the screaming kids will scare them.  Keep your animals in a safe room where they will feel comfortable. 

 

·         Halloween Candy – Dogs are not designed to eat the same foods that we do.  During Halloween it’s absolutely critical that you keep your pets away from candy and especially chocolate.  Dogs love the taste of sweet things, and they will go out of their way to find and eat large quantities of candy without regard as to the effects. The hazardous material in chocolate is called “Theobromine”.  This chemical causes vomiting, diarrhea, fast breathing, seizures, and can even cause death. Even in small quantities chocolate can be lethal.  This is why it is important for you to keep your Halloween candy up high, and when trick or treaters come, put your dog in another room.  This way if a child drops some candy on the floor, the dog will not be the first to find it. Putting them in another room can also help them to not get to hyper when kids ring your door bell.

If you are cautious of potential dangers, then Halloween can be fun for you and your pets.  Look at your pets Halloween costumes to be sure there is no danger, keep your pets inside on Mischief and Halloween night, and please beware of candy that your pets can get into.  If you avoid these things, then you are sure to have a stress free pet for Halloween.

Preventing Toxoplasmosis While Pet Sitting And Pregnant!

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Last Thanksgiving and Christmas rush season one of my pet sitters was 8-9 months pregnant.  During her pregnancy she expressed some concerns about cleaning litter boxes for our cat clients as she was worried about Toxoplasmosis.  She continued to pet sit but researched the disease and took precautions to protect herself while sitting.  As most of our clients have indoor only cats it was less of a risk - but if you find yourself pregnant and pet sitting it’s always better to be safe than sorry!  Here is some more info about the disease and some tips safe sitting:

Toxoplasmosis is a parasite infection that can be transmitted through infected cat feces or in soil where cats have defecated.  Although felines are the natural host of this parasite, some birds can carry it as well.  It reproduces in their intestines.   A cat can become infected by eating prey that has it, eating undercooked meat, or eating other cat’s feces that has the parasite.  Toxoplasmosis is generally mild in a healthy, non pregnant person.  It may cause some flu like symptoms, and should clear up fairly quickly.  You may not even know you have contracted the parasite.  If you are pregnant, however, it is important for you to protect yourself from coming in contact with this parasite.  It is known to infect the placenta, and the baby.  It can have devastating effects on you, and your unborn child.  It can cause brain damage, effect the heart and lungs, cause stillbirth, miscarriage, death after birth, long term damages, slow brain development, structural and neurological problems, Cerebral palsy and Epilepsy.

Cat feces and litter boxes are the main source of Toxoplasmosis, but this does not mean you need to give your kitty cat a new home.  It just means you should take some extra precautions.  Here is a list of ways to avoid Toxoplasmosis while pregnant:

§         Avoid public sand boxes

§         Keep your sand box covered at home

§         Have someone else change the litter box until your baby is born

§         Keep cat from jumping onto the kitchen counters

§         Feed cat only store bought cat food

§         Never feed raw or undercooked meat to your cat

§         Keep your cat indoors

§         Wash your hands after playing or touching any cats

§         Keep cat away from dinner table while eating

§         When gardening, wear mask and gloves

Here are some signs to look for:

§         Swollen lymph nodes

§         Muscle pain

§         Fatigue

§         Severe Headaches

§         Fever

§         Rash

§         Sore throat

 

If you feel you may have contracted Toxoplasmosis, it is vital that you see a doctor right away.  A blood test will show if you have been exposed.  Then medicine will be proscribed.

Since you will be exposed to cats while pet sitting, I feel it is important to address this issue and make you aware of it.  If you are pregnant while pet sitting a cat, just remember to be careful and take measures to avoid being exposed, until your baby is born.

Take some time to educate your clients about the disease if you know they have cats and are expecting or trying to have children.