Hard to believe another year has zoomed by! For those of us in the Pet Care industry it is an extremely busy and hectic time....Juggling all the requests for Pet Care can be a daunting task. Taking on new clients at Christmas is interesting because I've seen a pattern of new clients booking and then cancelling at the last minute...sadly the spots can't be filled too close to Christmas Day most of the time. I've decided after 10 years in business to enforce a non-refundable deposit for this time of year. At least as a business person I can recover a small amount of income for such a high demand time of year...This new policy is ony going to apply to new clients...
On a happier note...things with our two tabby brothers are going great! My Mother-in-law sent us a package of gifts from Quesnel BC this week and she totally spoils our boys....she wraps their gifts in lovely crinkle tissue and the boys bunny-kick their gifts until they're open....My husband placed the gifts under the tree and the boys quickly pulled two of them out and have spent the last couple of days rolling around and kicking them until they're half unwrapped...It is so fun to watch them...I have a small train on an oval track that runs around the Christmas tree and the boys are totally freaked out by this little moving object!Little Thomas still has spells where he can't stand the fact that he has a tail and it follows him around where ever he goes....Darn thing won't leave him alone....Funny thing is he uses his tail like a monkey would, it's like another arm to him....poor kid....gets himself so worked up...
So Merry Christmas one and all and best wishes for the coming year!!!
Cory, Doug, Thomas and Jesse James
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Get a free night at Mrs. Dolittle's Cat Hotel for your kitty!!!!
If you refer someone to our Cat Hotel and they follow through on a booking with us...you are entitled to a free night for your kitty at our Hotel on your next stay...
This is something I've been doing as a goodwill gesture for my regulars but I think it's worth letting everyone know....Many of my new clients come via referral and I certainly appreciate the business!
Though November is a slow month for me the week of Christmas is totally booked at this point...
Bye for now...
Cory
This is something I've been doing as a goodwill gesture for my regulars but I think it's worth letting everyone know....Many of my new clients come via referral and I certainly appreciate the business!
Though November is a slow month for me the week of Christmas is totally booked at this point...
Bye for now...
Cory
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Oct 5th 2014 This and that....
Fall has arrived though today it's more like a hot summer day out there.The Cat Hotel is quiet at this time of year with just a few guests booked in....Christmas on the other hand is almost completely booked. I have two spots left as of today. Lot's of room for New Year's but leading up to and into Christmas is another story...I find it very difficult telling my repeat clients I'm full when they book their holidays late....or at least tell me at the last minute expecting that I'll have a spot for them...Last year my husband and I were doing some home visits on Christmas Day and I actually had a guy call me at 1:00 pm Christmas Day wanting visits to start...that afternoon....Needless to say there was a long pause between his request and my answer.....(little voice in head says..."you're kidding, right")...I gasp for air and calmly explain to the guy...that it's not going to happen...firstly....it's SUPER short notice and oh ya....it's freakin' Christmas Day...RIGHT NOW!!!!! OMG!!!!! Then I worry about some poor cat who's people made Christmas plans but they forgot they had a cat that's in need food and water and someone to clean their litter box!!!! He made no mention of this being a last minute emergency or anything...he just pictured a bunch of pet sitters sitting around a table of telephones waiting to be called out at a moments notice....on Christmas Day....guess what....that place doesn't exist. Those of us in Pet Care have lives and family and though we do work strange hours sometimes Christmas is a busy time for everyone....Please keep that in mind when booking holidays...the more notice you give us the better it is for all concerned! Cheers and Ho Ho Ho....
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Well, it's been 3 long years since I've blogged...I've decided it's time to blog again a wee bit more often...Instead of just talking about our two clowns, Thomas and Jesse James I'll just yak on about whatever I feel like which will most likely be related to my pet business with updates on our two kitties from time to time...By the way, our boys are doing awesome and they love and entertain us each and every day...
I'm extremely grateful for my business and this year I am celebrating 10 years of self employment!!!!
Not a day goes by that I don't thank the universe for allowing me to live this way....I LOVE being my own boss and taking full responsiblity for everything that occurs through my business. In this last 10 years I have meet hundreds and hundreds of clients all with different pets with completely different personalities from one another! I've had the Cat Hotel open for 5 years since we bought our new home and it is a place where cats can be free to roam, climb, sunbathe, and play in tons of space with a lovely "catio" where they can get fresh air and do some bird watching...One of my biggest joys is checking in a cat that is nervous or has never been around other cats and over time teaching them that they are with "their people" and a good time can be had by all...Most people say dogs are social and cats aren't, they're just independent....I beg to differ.....BIG TIME! I want to thanks so many of my regulars who come to the hotel and find friends and playmates...Let's give a shout out to some of them now...Mau, Shadow, Pete, Frank, Alley, Phoebe, Felix, Max and LC, Leo, Mouse, Lily, Pumpkin and Sparky, Misty Moon, Tombi, Cody, Java (Beaner), Goose, Buddy, Lucy, Willow, Muji,
Blackjack, Timmy, Flash, Lynx, Chilco, Odin and Arthur, Marco and Polo, Suki, Odin, Sammy, Banana, Solly, Lulu, Dawson, Katie, Amelia, Holly, Bandit and Sophie...Love all you guys!!!!
I also want to thank all my dog walking clients, my regular group now is Flynn, Monty, Ziggy and Belle, Abby, Stitch, Jemma and Chloe, Jack and Toro and Margs..all my lovely furry friends who I love to go walking with during the week...such a pleasure to spend time with each and everyone of these dogs!
And let's not forget my regular Pet Sitting clients too...Jersey and Emily, Maxie, Thurston and Lovey, Winston and Callie, Pischke, Samir, Winnie and Buddy, Loki and Thor and many many more....
Time to go but I will be back...sooner than 3 years!!!!
I'm extremely grateful for my business and this year I am celebrating 10 years of self employment!!!!
Not a day goes by that I don't thank the universe for allowing me to live this way....I LOVE being my own boss and taking full responsiblity for everything that occurs through my business. In this last 10 years I have meet hundreds and hundreds of clients all with different pets with completely different personalities from one another! I've had the Cat Hotel open for 5 years since we bought our new home and it is a place where cats can be free to roam, climb, sunbathe, and play in tons of space with a lovely "catio" where they can get fresh air and do some bird watching...One of my biggest joys is checking in a cat that is nervous or has never been around other cats and over time teaching them that they are with "their people" and a good time can be had by all...Most people say dogs are social and cats aren't, they're just independent....I beg to differ.....BIG TIME! I want to thanks so many of my regulars who come to the hotel and find friends and playmates...Let's give a shout out to some of them now...Mau, Shadow, Pete, Frank, Alley, Phoebe, Felix, Max and LC, Leo, Mouse, Lily, Pumpkin and Sparky, Misty Moon, Tombi, Cody, Java (Beaner), Goose, Buddy, Lucy, Willow, Muji,
Blackjack, Timmy, Flash, Lynx, Chilco, Odin and Arthur, Marco and Polo, Suki, Odin, Sammy, Banana, Solly, Lulu, Dawson, Katie, Amelia, Holly, Bandit and Sophie...Love all you guys!!!!
I also want to thank all my dog walking clients, my regular group now is Flynn, Monty, Ziggy and Belle, Abby, Stitch, Jemma and Chloe, Jack and Toro and Margs..all my lovely furry friends who I love to go walking with during the week...such a pleasure to spend time with each and everyone of these dogs!
And let's not forget my regular Pet Sitting clients too...Jersey and Emily, Maxie, Thurston and Lovey, Winston and Callie, Pischke, Samir, Winnie and Buddy, Loki and Thor and many many more....
Time to go but I will be back...sooner than 3 years!!!!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
More Antics....
Oh my goodness, it's been a long time since our cats have blogged about their lives! I decided to take over this time, it's me, Mrs. Dolittle....
My husband Doug and I are truly entertained on a daily basis by Thomas and Jesse James. It's hard not to compare them to humans and human traits. One thing we've really noticed over time is that little Thomas seems to have some underlying need to get into the fridge. We think he's actually a frustrated chef at heart and longs for thumbs so he can open jars and cans and whip together a meal from time to time. It's a world he longs to be a part of...."tonight ladies and gentlemen we'd like to present to you......Gordon Ramsey and his special guest....
Thomas Walker!" Thomas would then say " tonight I'm preparing a black truffle cat food pate on a bed of crushed Tempations with a milky cream sauce.....Meow!" And so it would be....Thomas would be living the life he dreams about everyday while we plunk the same food in front of him over and over and over again.
Now as far as Thomas's hobbies go he may also long to be a super hero of some kind....one that wears a cape for sure. The reason we know this is that every single time Thomas comes across a large plastic bag (and I mean the big blue ones we use for recycling) he manages to get his head through the handle and then he proceeds to charge around the house ricocheting off everything in his path with Jesse hot on his tail waiting to see what carnage awaits at the end of the road. How he fits his head through these handles to start with is a bit of a mystery because trying to get his head out of the handle is quite a chore! Maybe Jesse helps....and snickers while he does....
Well that's about it for now.....until we meet again....
My husband Doug and I are truly entertained on a daily basis by Thomas and Jesse James. It's hard not to compare them to humans and human traits. One thing we've really noticed over time is that little Thomas seems to have some underlying need to get into the fridge. We think he's actually a frustrated chef at heart and longs for thumbs so he can open jars and cans and whip together a meal from time to time. It's a world he longs to be a part of...."tonight ladies and gentlemen we'd like to present to you......Gordon Ramsey and his special guest....
Thomas Walker!" Thomas would then say " tonight I'm preparing a black truffle cat food pate on a bed of crushed Tempations with a milky cream sauce.....Meow!" And so it would be....Thomas would be living the life he dreams about everyday while we plunk the same food in front of him over and over and over again.
Now as far as Thomas's hobbies go he may also long to be a super hero of some kind....one that wears a cape for sure. The reason we know this is that every single time Thomas comes across a large plastic bag (and I mean the big blue ones we use for recycling) he manages to get his head through the handle and then he proceeds to charge around the house ricocheting off everything in his path with Jesse hot on his tail waiting to see what carnage awaits at the end of the road. How he fits his head through these handles to start with is a bit of a mystery because trying to get his head out of the handle is quite a chore! Maybe Jesse helps....and snickers while he does....
Well that's about it for now.....until we meet again....
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Strays and Holidays.....
So much has gone on in the neighbourhood since Jesse James and I last blogged...Mom and Dad just cut our nails so it's easier to use the keyboard right now....
So for those of you who don't know me I'm Thomas...aka....Baby Thomas...I'm Jesse's little brother. We take turns blogging...So last month a lovely fluffy white and grey girl showed up on our street prancing around looking all lovely and happy....little did we know that she was actually a stray kitty who had shown up on our street and was living on the roof of a carport amongest some trees. A neighbour told us she was a stray so Mom headed right over to the carport, called the little girl who jumped in Mom's arms and came home with her. Mom made her a bed out front of the house under cover and gave her food and water.....Wow....and I thought I was a pig at dinnertime....you should have seen this little lady eat. It was like she was rehearsing for a hot dog eating contest.
Ads were put on the internet and the search began for her owner....that person was never found but a nice young woman on the street adopted her so her other kitten would have a playmate....thank goodness for nice people. Little Orphan Annie as we called her was taken to the vet and pronounced in good shape. She had been spayed too so at some point someone cared enough to do that for her...Her new name is Callie and she now lives happily ever after with a new family.....She was making a habit of coming to our sliding glass door on our sundeck and taunting Jesse and I with wicked swiping movements and hissing....for such a dainty little thing she had a big attitude....that's what living on the street will do to ya! So it was a happy ending.....
A couple weeks ago we got back from a week of camping in our travel trailer...as usual it was an adventure.
I'm afraid I've become quite obessed with eating grass....I may need rehab.....on my leash infused walks with Dad at the lake front campsite I managed to eat a long stiff piece of grass that got caught in my throat....It was scary. Dad knew something was wrong when I headed back to the travel trailer on my own.....that never happens. Of course it was a Sunday and we were 20 kms in the woods on a logging road as Mom was getting ready to rush me to Campbell River to find a vet as they couldn't see the grass in my throat or get it out by hand.Lucky for me I had a hairball and the grass came up too....there was much rejoicing!!!! Jesse was disappointed this year as no little mice came into the trailer at night for him to catch....he looks forward to that all year. It gave him far more time to launch himself on and off Mom and Dad while they were sleeping. This year he even added a new twist....stepping on their faces like they were sidewalks...good times!
We got to do something new this trip and that was go to the ocean....our noses were working overtime. What a place. We loved our walks by the beach, keeping our eye on the sky as we had a family of bald eagles nearby. What yummy little appies we'd make eh.....We met up with other friends on this trip and they had dogs.
Jesse was super duper brave and got within a foot of something they called a "rotty".....he soon discovered that rotty's jump up and down and make alot of noise when kitties get close to them.....I think I heard him screaming something like "BAD IDEA....BAD IDEA!!!!!" Anyway, camping was fun and we slept for two days when we got home.....Have a happy and safe summer everyone...
So for those of you who don't know me I'm Thomas...aka....Baby Thomas...I'm Jesse's little brother. We take turns blogging...So last month a lovely fluffy white and grey girl showed up on our street prancing around looking all lovely and happy....little did we know that she was actually a stray kitty who had shown up on our street and was living on the roof of a carport amongest some trees. A neighbour told us she was a stray so Mom headed right over to the carport, called the little girl who jumped in Mom's arms and came home with her. Mom made her a bed out front of the house under cover and gave her food and water.....Wow....and I thought I was a pig at dinnertime....you should have seen this little lady eat. It was like she was rehearsing for a hot dog eating contest.
Ads were put on the internet and the search began for her owner....that person was never found but a nice young woman on the street adopted her so her other kitten would have a playmate....thank goodness for nice people. Little Orphan Annie as we called her was taken to the vet and pronounced in good shape. She had been spayed too so at some point someone cared enough to do that for her...Her new name is Callie and she now lives happily ever after with a new family.....She was making a habit of coming to our sliding glass door on our sundeck and taunting Jesse and I with wicked swiping movements and hissing....for such a dainty little thing she had a big attitude....that's what living on the street will do to ya! So it was a happy ending.....
A couple weeks ago we got back from a week of camping in our travel trailer...as usual it was an adventure.
I'm afraid I've become quite obessed with eating grass....I may need rehab.....on my leash infused walks with Dad at the lake front campsite I managed to eat a long stiff piece of grass that got caught in my throat....It was scary. Dad knew something was wrong when I headed back to the travel trailer on my own.....that never happens. Of course it was a Sunday and we were 20 kms in the woods on a logging road as Mom was getting ready to rush me to Campbell River to find a vet as they couldn't see the grass in my throat or get it out by hand.Lucky for me I had a hairball and the grass came up too....there was much rejoicing!!!! Jesse was disappointed this year as no little mice came into the trailer at night for him to catch....he looks forward to that all year. It gave him far more time to launch himself on and off Mom and Dad while they were sleeping. This year he even added a new twist....stepping on their faces like they were sidewalks...good times!
We got to do something new this trip and that was go to the ocean....our noses were working overtime. What a place. We loved our walks by the beach, keeping our eye on the sky as we had a family of bald eagles nearby. What yummy little appies we'd make eh.....We met up with other friends on this trip and they had dogs.
Jesse was super duper brave and got within a foot of something they called a "rotty".....he soon discovered that rotty's jump up and down and make alot of noise when kitties get close to them.....I think I heard him screaming something like "BAD IDEA....BAD IDEA!!!!!" Anyway, camping was fun and we slept for two days when we got home.....Have a happy and safe summer everyone...
Sunday, May 1, 2011
To the vet....AGAIN.....
Hi, Jesse James here....holy catnip!....it's been awhile since Thomas or I posted anything....so here goes....
After that last trip to the vet and a round of deworming medication Mom and Dad soon realized that my problem was more than that. I had been coughing and wheezing and they feared I had asthma...So off to the vet we went again for xrays and blood work. This time Mom had to leave me for a few hours and go home. Apparently the look on Thomas's face when she got home empty handed was priceless. His face said something like "you lost him didn't you....way to go.....now I have no brother.....guess who's ass I'm going to have to bite now when I'm in the mood to play....ya......yours.....". So after a good long cuddle to calm Thomas down Mom and Dad headed back to get Jesse. They found out that yes, it is asthma. After a shot and some medication we headed home. What happened next is not for the faint of heart....I Jesse James Walker started a sneezing festival that was of epic porportions. As "sneeze-a-palouza" ended I shook my head one last time and let go with the largest most nasty bogger any living being has ever manufactured. After a couple more coughs over two days my asthma was gone. What I gained was a whole new lease on life. Mom and Dad thought my energy level was just fine during my sickness but I showed them otherwise. I think my antibiotics contained a wee bit of "smart ass". I now run like the wind for no apparent reason and have become a serial face kisser in the middle of the night. I love the look on Mom's face when she opens her eyes at 4 am and see's my sweet face 2 inches from hers....then I just kiss her entire face while she dives under her pillow to protect herself. I haven't really enjoyed the "pilling" part of my day though that has now ended and we're waiting to see if the asthma comes back or if it's gone for good!!! Mom and Dad had to work together to pick me up, hold me, shove this yucky pill in the back of my mouth then tell me how great I was. I learned quickly that I can shut my throat off completely and work that foreign object into my mouth and out the side. Bingo....no more pill....I rock!!! They were relentless though and in the end I kind of liked all the attention. Does that make me a bad person? (fur person)? Anyway, other than that life is great. We went out in the yard on our leashes recently which was cool. Thomas headed straight for our large cedar tree in the back yard where the bird feeder is. He's been watching those birds for so long dreaming of the day he could get out there and chase them in person. He didn't waste anytime getting into the zone. He struck out but he had fun trying. Well, that's it for now...thanks for taking time to read about our life....
After that last trip to the vet and a round of deworming medication Mom and Dad soon realized that my problem was more than that. I had been coughing and wheezing and they feared I had asthma...So off to the vet we went again for xrays and blood work. This time Mom had to leave me for a few hours and go home. Apparently the look on Thomas's face when she got home empty handed was priceless. His face said something like "you lost him didn't you....way to go.....now I have no brother.....guess who's ass I'm going to have to bite now when I'm in the mood to play....ya......yours.....". So after a good long cuddle to calm Thomas down Mom and Dad headed back to get Jesse. They found out that yes, it is asthma. After a shot and some medication we headed home. What happened next is not for the faint of heart....I Jesse James Walker started a sneezing festival that was of epic porportions. As "sneeze-a-palouza" ended I shook my head one last time and let go with the largest most nasty bogger any living being has ever manufactured. After a couple more coughs over two days my asthma was gone. What I gained was a whole new lease on life. Mom and Dad thought my energy level was just fine during my sickness but I showed them otherwise. I think my antibiotics contained a wee bit of "smart ass". I now run like the wind for no apparent reason and have become a serial face kisser in the middle of the night. I love the look on Mom's face when she opens her eyes at 4 am and see's my sweet face 2 inches from hers....then I just kiss her entire face while she dives under her pillow to protect herself. I haven't really enjoyed the "pilling" part of my day though that has now ended and we're waiting to see if the asthma comes back or if it's gone for good!!! Mom and Dad had to work together to pick me up, hold me, shove this yucky pill in the back of my mouth then tell me how great I was. I learned quickly that I can shut my throat off completely and work that foreign object into my mouth and out the side. Bingo....no more pill....I rock!!! They were relentless though and in the end I kind of liked all the attention. Does that make me a bad person? (fur person)? Anyway, other than that life is great. We went out in the yard on our leashes recently which was cool. Thomas headed straight for our large cedar tree in the back yard where the bird feeder is. He's been watching those birds for so long dreaming of the day he could get out there and chase them in person. He didn't waste anytime getting into the zone. He struck out but he had fun trying. Well, that's it for now...thanks for taking time to read about our life....
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