Do you leave a note for your petsitter?

phenomsmom

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Since Lee and I are leaving tomorrow I am leaving a note for my mom with special instructions for the girls. She will take good care of them but I just tell her things like they won't eat out of the same bowl and their favorite toys. But I make the letter from them. And I sign it for them with paw prints!! I was just wondering if any of you did that or if I am crazy!
 

hell603

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Normally I would, but since my cat sitter is a girl friend of mine who knows Loki very very well there is no need.
 

luckygirl

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You are NOT crazy!!! You are just a good Meowmy!!!
I did the same thing for my turtle when we went to Disney....how much food it gets, when, turning the light on & off, etc. I would be even worse with the kits!
I'm not even sure I could leave them with anyone!!! We are taking them with us!!!
 

katiemae1277

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When I was going to Cedar Point for just ONE day, I swear I typed
out a page long list of instructions
I think I made her go over like 3 times too
 

lookingglass

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I don't leave a note; I leave an instructional DVD with nice menu options. It's nice to have friends in the video production business.
 

pushylady

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Please do leave a note!
I find it nice to get some input from my petsitting/dog walking clients, especially if I haven't met them. And it's always better to overdo the instructions rather than leave someone in doubt.
 

mirinae

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I always leave a note; my cats eat different kinds of wet food, and they have their own particular bowls that they use (they actually have a preference!). One Christmas when I wasn't home (my boyfriend and I still did the separate Christmas things), my boyfriend not only left a detailed note for our friends, he also put Post-It notes all over the house to direct them to the cats' food, toys, etc.! And he was only gone for one night!
I'm pretty sure our friends thought he was convinced they were morons ... fortunately, they're still willing to come take care of our furry miscreants.
 

crystal211

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When I go out of town I have a family member come over and take care of them, and I always leave a detailed note. I'm such a worrying mommy, lol.
 

kluchetta

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I leave a note usually - down to which order to feed the cats in. I usually don't mark the food, but I will from now on. Last time I came home to food bowls OVERFLOWING with DOG food. The poor kid tried everything to get those kitties to eat, LOL.
 

tari

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I leave very detailed instructions. My cats all eat different foods, in different places, etc, so my catsitter needs to know what to do. (Though it's usually my parents and they pretty much know the drill by now.) I also leave contact information for my vet and for how to reach me in an emergency. In fact, I've got them typed up in my computer ready to print out and leave when we go away. I usually leave the instructions along with a note from my cats thanking them for taking care of them.

I usually also get a note left back for me, also from my cats, with a report of how badly they were abused and neglected while I was gone. (e.g., "Gramma was totally unfair and would only give us 10 treats a day. She wouldn't even give us extra food when we told her we were starving to death."
)
 

emrldsky

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Nuh uh...might give me away!
My sister in law thinks I'm nuts, but I leave a note.
She usually is the one to check in on the boys and feed them, so I'm sure she already knows what to do, but I worry.
 
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phenomsmom

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Good!! I ma not the only one that worries about them being treating like royalty while I am gone! But I already know my mom will spoil them. She says she has kitty story withdrawls when I don't tell her a daily tale about how funny they are!!
 

mooficat

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O M G, yes, just like other posts, usually a detailed note, how to mush food, where they like to eat, where all the water bowls are, which toy who plays with
all the hiding places, who poops when, who gets what treat
..... O M G think I need to check in a rehab clinic
 

crittergirl

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Originally Posted by Malena

I don't only leave a note - I call twice a day. I just can't realx without all my family.

I also leave a mile long list of phone numbers ICE
 

epona

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Originally Posted by Tari

I usually also get a note left back for me, also from my cats, with a report of how badly they were abused and neglected while I was gone. (e.g., "Gramma was totally unfair and would only give us 10 treats a day. She wouldn't even give us extra food when we told her we were starving to death."
)
Hilarious!

When we went away my mate did the cat & flat-sitting thing. I didn't leave a note, but sent lots of text messages asking if things were ok. I got a lot of text messages back telling me what Radar had broken, what objects he'd tried to eat, and how much of a general all-round terror he was being. I received one message that read: "I have now found all the broken glass from the vase. Are roses poisonous? He's also chewed the receiver off the phone. Every time I try to leave he lies down in front of the door to stop me going out. He is trying to cut off my contact with the outside world. When are you coming home?"
 
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phenomsmom

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Originally Posted by Epona

Hilarious!

When we went away my mate did the cat & flat-sitting thing. I didn't leave a note, but sent lots of text messages asking if things were ok. I got a lot of text messages back telling me what Radar had broken, what objects he'd tried to eat, and how much of a general all-round terror he was being. I received one message that read: "I have now found all the broken glass from the vase. Are roses poisonous? He's also chewed the receiver off the phone. Every time I try to leave he lies down in front of the door to stop me going out. He is trying to cut off my contact with the outside world. When are you coming home?"
Its a good thing your friend has a sense of humor!!
 

mom of 10 cats

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We had our first-ever petsitter experience last month. We were like parents leaving their baby alone for the first time! We had them (a pair of friends, both named Sarah) up to the house twice to meet the cats and teach them Dodger's dressing changes, left an Excel document with a cat roster on the desktop of my computer, and wrote a 2 page letter for them LOL. I also called twice to check on the kitties. We were only gone camping for 3 days.

It all went well, thank goodness. But I don't know that we will ever leave them again, we were nervous wrecks being away from our babies!
 

cdubbie

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I'm petsitting right now and annoyed he didnt leave a note.
There are so many little details if you wish to care for another's pet in just the right way...I prefer to do what the pet likes/is used to...NOT how *I* think it should be done.
He didnt even leave me a contact # or vet info! Argh!

So, yes please! Leave a note!


(For one client I work for...they leave me a "Thank you" card from the pets, paw prints and pics included
)
 

starryeyedtiger

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I definitely do!!!! I leave an individual note for each animal (even my bettas lol), I always leave lots of food and supplies out as well in easy to access places for the pet sitter. Also- i'm a very paranoid meowmy lol....so I always leave the numbers for about 5 different vets, all of the local shelters, as well as the after hours vets numbers -and I leave my cell phone # should an emergency arise so that I can get in contact with them as well as the vet and use my credit card over the phone. I also leave little notes about my girls pet peeves ( a pet sitter who might try to pet Abilene's tummy would definitely wind up with some nasty cut and bite marks if they didn't know otherwise
) and I leave little notes with what my girls like - they don't all like the same treats or toys...as well as information on how I serve their food and what they can / can't have. I think the more information I provide my pet sitter with, the easier it will be for them to do a good job and the less stress it will cause my beautiful furbabies. - just in a little side note, in a pinch - I've had awesome experiences with CritterSitters here in Memphis....they took excellent care of my furbabies the last time I went out of town (my dog was kenneled- she had surgery the week we went out of town- so we kept her at the vets office so they could watch her) - but critter sitters took great care of all my cats as well as my rabbit and even my fish- the little girl who we had even left little notes of how the animals were that day, how much they ate, if they played, etc...she was wonderful!!! They were also very reasonably priced. I always recommend them to my friends/family- they've also had good experiences with them as well
 
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