May

Want to go on vacation and can't take your pets with you? Do your pets get super stressed out when staying in a kennel and/or hate the drive there & back? Send out a beacon to beckon the Mayday Mobile to your home, and Super May will come to the rescue! 😎

I can fill in for you to care for your pets in their own home, where they're most comfortable, to avoid disrupting their routine too much. I would treat your pets just as you would if you were there and treat your home & belongings with the same respect as I would my own.

You know your pets best, so I would make sure to follow any instructions you specify for your fur babies, feathered friends, or scaly buddies.

I have many years of experience caring for various animals, including:

- cats 🐈

- rabbits 🐇

- other small animals such as guinea pigs & hamsters 🐹

- parrots & other birds 🐦

- snakes 🐍

various reptiles 🐢🐊

My experience includes:

- having two pet rabbits 🐰🐰

- volunteering at Little Ray's Reptile Zoo for a summer 🐍🐢🐊

- shadowing Dr. Roscoe (specialized avian vet) at Lynwood Animal Hospital for a summer 🐦

- working as a live-in avian caregiver at Parrot Partners of Canada, which involved (among other things) training & rehabilitation as well as taking the birds out to various events (ex.: educational birthday parties for kids)

- volunteering at the Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary for two summers 🐕🐁

- dog walking, house sitting & drop-in visits for hundreds of happy clients (both furry & human!) since 2015

Each home visit includes:

- Fresh water

- Wet and/or dry food (as per your instructions)

- Litter box(es) cleaned

- Any required medication(s) administered

- Some TLC (if they like attention)! ❤

- An update (with the occasional photo!)

As needed, I can:

- Bring in mail and/or packages

- Take out the garbage, recycling, and/or compost bin

- Water plants

- Alternate lights, the radio and/or the TV on and off for added security

By special request:

- Two visits per day, about 12 hours apart, if your cat needs medication or eats only wet food

- $25 × 2 = $50/day

On a case-by-case basis:

- If caring for your pet requires more time than would normally be expected, the cost per visit would be higher (to be negotiated during the meet & greet)

- Ex. 1: If you know that your cat vomits frequently as a side effect of their medication or due to a habit of eating too much food too quickly & that each visit would therefore more likely than not involve cleaning up a lot of cat vomit, including spot-cleaning couch upholstery & hand-washing soiled bedding/throw blankets/duvets/etc.

- Ex. 2: If your pet requires that I cook *complex* meals for them (such as a meal of rice, beans & cooked chicken; cutting up a few fruits & veggies or washing some leafy greens is fine/not complex)

Areas serviced include:

- Downtown (incl. Sandy Hill & By-ward Market)

- Centretown

- Vanier

- Gloucester

- The Glebe

- Westboro

- Nepean

- Rockliffe

- Little Italy

- Chinatown

- Old Ottawa South

- South Keys

- Findlay Creek

- Greenboro

- Alta Vista

- Herongate

Possible but at additional cost (depending on distance):

- Orléans

- Blackburn Hamlet

- Kanata

- Stittsville

- Manotick

- Greely

If your area isn't listed above, feel free to ask whether or not I can do it.

Information Needed from You:

- Your address (obviously! 😂)

- A way to reach you while you're away (ex.: Pawshake, cell phone, e-mail, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, pager, at your hotel, telegram, messenger pigeon, smoke signals - whatever works! 😉)

- At least one back-up contact (preferably someone local vs. someone who will be going with you) in case I can't get a hold of you (ex.: if the messenger pigeon gets lost 😜) who is authorized to make medical decisions for your pet and to deal with any house-related emergencies (ex.: break-in, flooding, fire)

- Your vet's info (name, hospital, address & phone number)

- Details about any current medical conditions, including which symptoms are normal for your pet & which should cause concern

- Medical history if they are prone to recurring infections (ex.: UTIs), so I can be vigilant about early warning signs

- If applicable, your alarm code (or a temporary one just for me)

- Especially for those who live downtown or in a building & for others without a driveway (ex.: townhomes with designated visitor parking): details on where to park (Note: If only paid parking is available, I ask that you reimburse me for any costs incurred.)

- The dates & approximate times of your departure & return so that I may schedule my visits accordingly

- Upon your return: a confirmation that you have made it home safely so I can be sure that you haven't had unexpected travel delays which may require (an) additional visit(s)

- Optional (but appreciated!): your Wifi network name & password, especially if your pet(s) like(s) lots of attention and/or to have company; this would allow me to extend the duration of my visits whenever my schedule permits (ex.: so I can do schoolwork while hanging out with them)

Items Needed from You:

- A front door key or door code; for buildings: an entrance key/fob/card (If applicable, please notify your building's concierge/security that I will be accessing the building.)

- Carrier(s) in case a trip to the vet is necessary

- Enough food (dry and/or wet) to last for the duration of your trip, and pet treats if your pet is accustomed to getting them

- If applicable, medication to last for the duration of your trip & whatever is needed for administration, ex.:

* syringe for orally-administered liquids,

* single-use needles or re-usable syringe & screw-on, single-use needle tips for injected meds such as insulin + a sharps container,

* pill gun,

* pestle & mortar to grind pills and a delivery medium (ex.: canned food into which I can mix it),

* Pill Pockets,

* food such as cheese in which you hide pills, etc.

- For difficult-to-medicate animals: a blanket or towel large enough for me to wrap them in while doing so

- For cats:

* enough litter to last for the duration of your trip

* a litter scoop

* something into which I can scoop the litter (ex.: poop bags, grocery bags, compost bag/bin, garbage can, Litter Locker)

* not required but helpful: a broom & dustpan with which to clean up stray litter

* for long-haired cats/cats who are prone to having hairballs: a brush

- Dish soap with which to wash pet dishes & hand soap with which to wash my hands after handling pet waste

- If your pet gets wet food: at least two bowls (or two sets of bowls for multiple-pet households), so one can soak overnight

- If your pet gets fresh 'people food' (ex.: fruits, vegetables, berries, rice, cooked meat...): please make sure that the fridge is stocked with the applicable foods; if they have any unique allergies or intolerances, please make it clear what you'd like for me to feed them & what NOT to feed them (i.e.: if something would normally be safe to feed to an animal of their species but your specific pet can't have any)

- Supplies to clean up any pet messes, ex.:

* Paper towels & cleaning spray or vinegar

* Moist, disinfecting wipes

* If applicable & you care, dedicated fabric cleaning spray safe for your carpet/upholstery

- If you'd like for me to water any plants: a watering jug or hose

- If you'd like for me to retrieve your mail: a mailbox key (if applicable)

Please note that a typical meet & greet should take no longer than about 30 minutes and that only the first meet & greet is free of charge.

Please ensure that you have a spare set of keys ready for me prior to scheduling a meet & greet. Should a second meeting be required after the initial meet & greet for the key hand-over, I ask that you please:

- book a (paid) drop-in visit,

- hide the key somewhere (ex.: in the mailbox, under the doormat, in a lockbox)

- leave the key with your building's concierge/security, or

- deliver the keys to me rather than having me come to pick them up

Thank you for understanding!

P.S.: For repeat clients, I recommend providing me with a copy of the key(s) that I can keep; this prevents us from having to meet up before each trip & allows for last-minute, unexpected bookings (ex.: if you go on a day trip and your car breaks down in a different city, if you're admitted to the hospital, if you need to go away to attend a funeral, etc.).

More About Me:

I'm a part-time student (academically in 4th year) at The University of Ottawa and am working towards my BA Honours with Specialization in Theatre. 🎭

I will be directing a one-act play in Fall 2019 and am also directing an independent, short film at the moment. 🎥

I look forward to meeting you and your pet(s)! 😊