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)! 😊
Remboursement intégral en cas d'annulation avant midi la veille du début de la réservation, remboursement de 50% si l'annulation survient après cette échéance.
. Aucun remboursement n'est prévu si la réservation est annulée à la date de début de la réservation ou après.
Note : Toutes les heures sont basées sur le fuseau horaire du gardien.
May is excellent! We have hired her many times. She gives our cat insulin injections, thyroid medication and takes great care of him.
Excellent services very friendly. I felt very safe leaving my cat and home in May hands