Adventures in Pet Sitting http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com Meow-woof! posterous.com Sun, 06 Jan 2013 10:57:21 -0800 Dougal http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/dougal http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/dougal

AKA Mr. Floofypants, Po-Po, and Doogie Bowser D. O. G. - our 9 year old puppy, has been very patient with us. As always, he greets us with smiles and wags when we come home from our pet sitting jobs, but as soon as he gets a whiff of our cat hair covered clothing (the wah-wah-wah sound effect is nearly audible), you can see the sense of betrayal in his eyes. "You are cheating on me... with CATS!" His fuzzy ears droop and his tail wag slows and wilts.

Poor Doogy-Woogy! We love you, you silly beastie! You are always our Number One.

Dougie.wmv Watch on Posterous

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/2286862/029__640x480_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/ehTcjBYFs8ZC2 Alexandra Helena lleverett Alexandra Helena
Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:47:00 -0800 Hayley http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/hayley http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/hayley

Hayley is the friendliest kitty EVAR! From the first day all she wants to do is play, play, play. Sometimes she jumps in our laps to be petted, but that never lasts more than a few seconds because she will suddenly remember, "Wait a minute! I'm not playing!" and she will start climbing all over us, purring and jumping around. She's almost like a puppy the way she greets us at the door; wants to play, eat, and be petted all at the same time; making herself all cute and goofy from conflicting desires. She even looks sad when we leave and meows for us to come back and play no matter how much extra time we spend with her.

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/2286862/029__640x480_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/ehTcjBYFs8ZC2 Alexandra Helena lleverett Alexandra Helena
Thu, 03 Jan 2013 10:25:00 -0800 Catsby http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/catsby http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/catsby

When I first walked inside of Catsby's apartment, it had been ransacked by the little kitty! His food was everywhere, there was an entire roll of toilet paper destroyed by little claws, and there was some sort of flour everywhere (We still have no idea what it was). He must have taken a walk on the food shelves too, because tubes of chips and boxes of cereal were on the floor. 

He is still a kitten, so the silly thing probably wasn't used to being alone and didn't know any better. He was complaining with impatient little mews probably saying, "Where is everybody? pick me up! play with me! and how do you get into the potato chips?"

And that is when I fell in love.

What a cutie! So tiny and sweet (though I'm sure he grew in the last few days), and so full of fun! He is so fast that once when we were playing with the laser pointer he couldn't stop and slid halfway across the floor - almost into a wall! We don't play laser pointer anymore. Mostly we cuddle and play a weird form of kitty-cat fetch where I throw a toy and he runs for it, almost gets to it then turns around to jump in my lap for more petting.

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/2286862/029__640x480_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/ehTcjBYFs8ZC2 Alexandra Helena lleverett Alexandra Helena
Thu, 03 Jan 2013 08:55:00 -0800 Flounder the Zombie Fish http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/bubbles-the-zombie-fish http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/bubbles-the-zombie-fish

OMG It's ALIVE!!!!

We had a bit of a scare with Flounder, the fish we were caring for. We followed all the directions, but when we came to check on him the other day he was totally still in the water. Not floating, not sunk to the bottom, just kind of hanging in the middle of the bowl, slightly tilted, motionless... Of course we thought he was dead and we panicked a little because it belongs to a little girl we babysit for occasionally and love, love, love!!

We didn't know if the parents would want a memorial service or a funeral by sea, so we left him in the bowl and put some food in it just in case he was sleeping.

Anyway, we told the parents (Well, Mom texted them), but when they returned the next day they texted, "Zombie Fish lives..."  Turns out (after we did some googling) that  Vietnamese fighting fish sometimes go into suspended animation. Weird. We're relieved, but, weird.

We couldn't get a good picture of Flounder, so here is a video about zombie love.

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/2286862/029__640x480_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/ehTcjBYFs8ZC2 Alexandra Helena lleverett Alexandra Helena
Wed, 02 Jan 2013 16:44:00 -0800 Jane & Louise http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/jane-louise http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/jane-louise

 Jane and Louise have very different personalities. Jane is definitely more outgoing and rolls around on the floor meowing for attention whenever I enter the house. Louise on the other hand watches warily from the other side of the house. After feeding them I sit on the ground playing mainly with Jane, because when I try to pet Louise, Jane pushes her out the way!   There is definitely some sibling rivalry going on here. Even when Jane sees Louise eating out of the bowl, she darts over to scare her away.

Maybe Jane is jealous of Louise's beautiful and unusual markings. She certainly is striking!

Overall they are good kitties, though. Jane is really very sweet with people and loves to play with stringy things. Louise likes the laser pointer and a scratch behind the ears - she just needs more alone time. Mom says she sounds like Fanny Price in Mansfield Park and needs more positive encouragement from her Edmund.  

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/2286862/029__640x480_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/ehTcjBYFs8ZC2 Alexandra Helena lleverett Alexandra Helena
Wed, 02 Jan 2013 14:43:00 -0800 Loretta http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/loretta http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/loretta

What a diva! Loretta loves to strut around as if to say, "Aren't I GORGEOUS! Worship me."   Loretta is definitely not the playtime kind of cat. She plays for 2 minutes then rolls around asking for love and affection. She's quite spoiled for attention, but you can't help giving it to her because she is so charming.

She also loves to strike a pose for dramatic effect. For instance when we pet or groom her, she outstretches her arms and paws at the air. If we stop for one second she meows in protest, gives the look with her big green eyes, and nuzzles us until we pet her again.

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/2286862/029__640x480_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/ehTcjBYFs8ZC2 Alexandra Helena lleverett Alexandra Helena
Mon, 31 Dec 2012 14:51:44 -0800 Buzz & Mama http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/buzz-mama http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/buzz-mama

Buzz and Mama only want to do two things when are taking care of them: Eat and play. Buzz and Mama definitely love their food, eating it immediately after being served. Then came play time! They absolutely love the tail on a string, especially when sprayed with the catnip spray! They go insane when either of them catch it, rolling around and attacking it like crazy.

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Mon, 31 Dec 2012 14:01:27 -0800 Iris & Elka http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/iris-elka http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/iris-elka

Both cats are extremely fun and amusing to care for. Whenever we feed them, they meow almost in chorus and nuzzle us incessantly. When we are filling the waterbowls, they leap up on the countertop and paw at our arms gently.

When it is time for play, they dart down the hallway, dart back, and flop right down in front of us to beg for tummy rubs. What attention hogs!

As for the laser pointer - they're obsessed and don't want to play with anything else. We have been trying to keep them from being bored by changing up the games, but they treat every other plaything with chilly contempt. 

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/2286862/029__640x480_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/ehTcjBYFs8ZC2 Alexandra Helena lleverett Alexandra Helena
Mon, 31 Dec 2012 06:27:04 -0800 Lieutenant Dan http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/lieutenant-dan http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/lieutenant-dan

Lieutenant Dan is such a fun, charming kitty! Always purring and ready to play. We are in love! He is so fast, too! He can run, jump and catch things just as quickly as any kitty on four legs. He is always surprising us and making us laugh with his daring. Can we keep him?

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/2286862/029__640x480_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/ehTcjBYFs8ZC2 Alexandra Helena lleverett Alexandra Helena
Sat, 29 Dec 2012 19:38:00 -0800 Moonlight & Oreo http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/moonlight-oreo http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/moonlight-oreo

Moonlight is a ninja. I only saw her once the entire time and even then she kept her distance, mocking me from across the room. She dared me to come closer, and as soon as I did, she ran away under the bed. Alexandra, the cat whisperer, is the only one who can get close enough to pet her even a little bit. Maybe Alexandra is the cat ninja shogun and we know less about her than we thought.

Oreo, however, meows extremely loudly to welcome us to his domain. He is super lovable and nuzzles us every chance he gets. He even leapt up on my lap and fell asleep during one visit.

Oreo is definitely not a ninja. He is like the cookie monster with his food and leaves a big kibble-y mess. NOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOM!!!! (♫♪ K is for kibble/ ♪ that's good enough for me... ♫♪)

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/2286862/029__640x480_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/ehTcjBYFs8ZC2 Alexandra Helena lleverett Alexandra Helena
Fri, 28 Dec 2012 21:42:00 -0800 Pumpkin & Frieda http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/pumpkin-frieda http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/pumpkin-frieda

When I first stepped into Pumpkin and Frieda's home I couldn't see any kitties, but then I heard a little mew and I realized that the orange fluff on the ground was in fact a kitty - little, tiny  Pumpkin. Then I wondered where in the world the other cat could be. She must be hiding! But once I started to play with Pumpkin, Frieda appeard and inspected us from the other side of the room. By the second visit, she approached me and played a bit, but stayed out of reach! Finally, last night I actually got to pet her.

Pumpkin is very friendly and chases everything that moves, and once Frieda opened up, she turned out to be crazy fun.

There were no problems with Pumpkin eating her special diet (I did think it was funny that she has to have pumpkin actually mixed into her food... Ahhhhhhh!!!! She's eating herself!!!). On the other hand, I don't know which one destroyed the rainbow sack from the toy box (twice. I fixed it both times). It must be their favorite!

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Fri, 28 Dec 2012 20:47:00 -0800 Recommendations http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/recommendations http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/recommendations

Here is the space for recommendations from our clients' hoomans. :)

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Fri, 28 Dec 2012 18:14:00 -0800 Pola http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/pola http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/pola

Pola is quite the queen. Everytime we enter the apartment she meows loudly as if to say, "Fill my food bowl, you peasants," yet she manages to make it endearing (she's magical!).

Over a couple of visits - after taking care of all the necessities - Alexandra, Pola, and I sat down to watch Forrest Gump (Pola's hooman bribed us with DVDs and cable to stick around extra). Pola loved laying in our laps getting petted and scratched continuously. If we stopped she would meow and paw at us to that insist we begin again. When we weren't watching the movie, out came the toy on the string, which she adored. She also loved to chase the red dot from our laser pointer and try to run it off her kingdom grounds.

She is a good queen, but also a sassy thing. Here she is channeling Eartha Kitt.

 

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/2286862/029__640x480_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/ehTcjBYFs8ZC2 Alexandra Helena lleverett Alexandra Helena
Thu, 27 Dec 2012 20:13:43 -0800 Mac http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/mac http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/mac

When I first heard about Mac, I was a little worried. I was told that he was a little unpredictable, and frankly, I was a bit scared. When I met him, though, it was a whole other story. Mac is a big sweety-pie who loves to cuddle. His face is ultra-adorable, and his big 'ol eyes are irresistable. He loves the laser pointer, and chases the evil red dot almost the whole time!

Probably the best part of every visit is watching him roll around in the catnip. Either that or how he always greets me with the cutest, smallest little "Meow" ever. It makes me laugh every time, especially since he was supposed to be kinda moody.

The video below is of him chasing the laser pointer and of him trying to convince me to pet him!

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/2286862/029__640x480_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/ehTcjBYFs8ZC2 Alexandra Helena lleverett Alexandra Helena
Thu, 27 Dec 2012 18:20:00 -0800 Dante and Arya http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/dante-and-arya http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/dante-and-arya

Dante and Arya are the chill-est of cats and were really a pleasure to take care of. Well, they were chill until it came to mealtime. It was very amusing to watch Dante run to his automatic feeder every time it rotated!  And whenever I filled up Dante's feeder, Arya would try to sneak some noms from the dish!

Arya was definitely the cuddliest, she would lay in my lap and beg to be petted and scratched.

But the cutest thing was to watch Dante attack the knit mouse toy and then almost immediately lick it as to apologize for his violence. So funny!

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/2286862/029__640x480_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/ehTcjBYFs8ZC2 Alexandra Helena lleverett Alexandra Helena
Wed, 26 Dec 2012 18:24:00 -0800 Fox and Meeka http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/fox-and-meeka http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/fox-and-meeka

Fox was kind of wild - chasing almost anything that moved and very dominant - but very affectionate and sweet when he was done playing. He knows what he wants and goes for it. He's definitely an A-type cat! When he wanted some love he was quite charming yet insistent for cuddles, when he wanted treats he knew how to hint for it. Very smart.

Meeka was soooooo shy!!! Helena got her out from under the tub the first day, but she didn't really feel comfortable enought to play until the last day. She has the best meow - so insanely cute! - and her eyes are almost seductive. Such a lovely girl.

The only hiccup was that we couldn't get into the apartment door on the first day. It took nearly a half hour with Fox on the other side trying to tell us "push a little harder!! It's time to PLAY!" Next time we are definitely going to ask if there are any tricks to the lock.

Here is the video. The funniest part is the very end with Fox and his catnip-soaked toy :D

 

 

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Tue, 25 Dec 2012 16:31:00 -0800 Bob and Brooke http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/bob-and-brooke http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/bob-and-brooke

Bob and Brooke have been the sweetest, most adorable kitties! Bob has been really good about taking his eyedrops. He doesn't like it, but he puts up with it as long as it doesn't take too long to get it in his eye. His lysine medicine was more challenging because Brooke thought the treats were for her (of course all the treats were for Brooke - she's the queen!), and Bob being the gallant hero, would let her have it.

To solve the problem we made it so Bob just couldn't refuse. We picked up some wet food (organic) and smooshed it into the treat, then gave a little to Brooke so she wouldn't feel left out. Bob could not resist the yumminess and he got his medicine in the end.

We think Bob's dashing moustache is the best! He is a big flirt and we are sure he does it to make Brooke jealous. We made a video about it:

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/2286862/029__640x480_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/ehTcjBYFs8ZC2 Alexandra Helena lleverett Alexandra Helena
Tue, 25 Dec 2012 16:07:00 -0800 Hello! http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/kittehs http://adventures-in-pet-sitting.posterous.com/kittehs

Welcome to our new blog. We are Chicago's premier pet sitting service in fashionable Hyde Park.

This holiday break we have mostly cats - just one fish. Dad says he doesn't fancy Flounder's chances with all those kitties, LOL!

We are going to start the blog as a series of letters to pet owners with photos and silly video montages (Mom is teaching us video and sound editing - this is our homework), and see where this takes us.

Hope you enjoy!

H & A

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/2286862/029__640x480_.jpg http://posterous.com/users/ehTcjBYFs8ZC2 Alexandra Helena lleverett Alexandra Helena