Hope you’re all enjoying the Forum so far! Today we thought it would be fun to open up a discussion on the special pets that have stayed with you long after your house sit ended.
Maybe it was a particularly aloof cat that warmed to you during your sit (and even honoured you by FINALLY sitting on your lap?). Or, maybe it was an unusual pet (we’ve had people sit for pigs, alpacas, goats and more!) that stole your heart.
Tell us the story (we know you have a great one to tell) and bonus points for any photos…
Like me I’m sure everyone will find it hard to choose just one pet who stays in the heart when leaving a sit … there’s been George the pig who kept taking Charli the geriatric Labrador for ritual nightly, escape walks, Stella the puppy mill rescue who it took three days of crawling across the floor before she trusted me enough to put the leash on her harness and so many others but the one who really left his paw print on my heart was an adorable, labradoodle called Alfie.
6 weeks with him in New York and then five more times when he became a bi coastal pooch moving to San Diego, CA
He was so so special and when he passed away two years ago his Mum, Terry & I cried together.
“I’m not going to have another dog” … bottom picture is Casey the “not going to have another dog” puppy. A cavapoochon Casey came from the same breeder as Alfie, “I want to see if I can have another dog with a little bit of Alfie”
Casey is a LOT of Alfie, I’ve been his THS Mum five times now and when he looks into my eyes it’s Alfie and Casey saying “I love you … and isn’t it time for treats!!”
Strangely enough it’s been two different Newfoundlands, one in Cornwall, one in France but I missed both of them terribly when we left. They’re such gentle giants and, maybe because of their size, they seem virtually human. Sadly they’re short-lived and I was heart-broken when I got the news that one of them (Baloo) had died. Hoppity is still going strong as far as I know.
We took care of Moses, Apollo, and Gracie for six months in Asheville, North Carolina. Loved every minute. It has been two years since we moved on and I still enjoy thinking about them.
It’s so sad when they leave for the “Bridge” Jane … they do become like our own.
That’s a LOT of dog to love and for those who haven’t been lucky enough to care for these gentle giants, unlike Jane who had twice the love, here’s 5 things you may not know about Newfies
“A man is not a good man to me because he will feed me if I should be starving, or warm me if I should be freezing, or pull me out of a ditch if I should ever fall into one. I can find you a Newfoundland dog that will do as much.” Henry David Thoreau
@Angela_L You’re spot on! How to choose just one pet?.. Impossible!
Sergio’s favorite cat is Cupid, the most dog like cat we’ve ever met. He would play hide n’ seek and play ‘wrestle’, all while still being the most cuddly cat ever. And funny… we put a cat leash on him and he just flopped to the ground every step!
Shannon’s favorite was Seth, our “Warrior” cat. He had heart issues and we learned to give him pills by hand down his throat. He had an episode during our sit, which scared us and broke our heart. But the owner said it was expected and to just continue to keep an eye on him. He became Shannon’s shadow and stayed close by for the rest of the sit. Sadly, a year later we found out that his heart finally quit. However, we consider ourselves fortunate to have had the time we had with him!
Together, Kayla and Molly are two dogs that we think of often. Molly is a Lab and Kayla’s an African Mastiff (140lbs and bread to hunt lions!). We became fast friends with their owners and when we arrived were asked what we’d done with Kayla and where was their protective dog? They simply couldn’t believe that Kayla let us pet her right off the bat and didn’t seem at all threatened by us (new people). We quickly fell for the Kayla and Molly duo!
And this might be pushing the limit, but Masie must be mentioned! She’s an adorable Chihuahua that loved to search for her treats. So we’d break them up in pieces and hide them around the house. It became a game she (and we) looked forward to each day!!
After a trip to Scotland owner Wendy Kellis shared this quote; “Our dogs with their sitters living their best lives” We’re sure these pets “stayed” with their sitters after they left.
