The other day I met a husband & wife who saw our car signs for our business & was busy jotting our phone number down when I approached my car. After confirming I was a pet sitter; they asked for information on our cat care services. They were going on vacation for 10 days & were looking for someone to care for their cat.

It’s a month since my Pippin crossed over the rainbow bridge. It’s a privilege to know a special connection with your pet. I was blessed to have it with Pippin from the first day we met.

For those who didn’t know, Pippin was adopted from the Ct. Humane Society by her second master, an elderly gentleman who desired to have a companion to share his golden years with. He wanted a older dog to adopt as they pretty much ????? are trained & don’t have the high energy level of a puppy.
When her new master had to leave town on a family emergency he called us to see if he could board her with us while he was away. After the initial meet & greet with our pack, Pippin became our very first client of Bed & Biscuits Pet Sitting Services!

We got to know & love Pippin more with each visit. She particularly liked to keep company with me. Wherever I was, there was my “shadow” Pippin.  She was staying with us for Thanksgiving when we got the call from her new master’s family. Could we keep her a couple more weeks? Her master wasn’t feeling well when he had come back in town & was in the hospital having tests done. Of course we would make arrangements for her to continue to stay.

An update from the family was the news Pippin’s new master needed heart surgery & he had a 50/50 chance of surviving. He did make it through the surgery but sadly died of complications a couple of days later.  His family notified us that we was in his will. In the will he requested for us to adopt Pippin. His family travels extensively; none had the time to give to his beloved girl.

We knew chances for Pippin to be adopted again was slim. By this time she was 8 years old & had been diagnosed with a collapsing trachea. Not many people want an “older” dog never mind one with a medical condition. She already fitted in with the rest of our pack; we decided we would give her her furever home.

There’s been many “firsts” with Pippin. She was the first senior dog we adopted. Certainly easier than a puppy in care, she had all the house rules down the first day. She was very clever & when given her medication for her collapsing trachea would hold it in her mouth for as long as it took till she could spit it out when we weren’t looking. She kept Taco on his toes in alerting us of a possible intruder to the house. She LOVED to go for long walks & rides in the car.

Pippin would always be waiting for me at the door; tail wagging no matter how late I came home from work. She also tolerated a certain amount of time one would be on the computer or phone. After that she wanted to share being in the moment with you, actually “talking” little barks & such as she snuggled next to me. At night she went to bed with me spooning beside my side. We could talk to each other just by looking at the other.

A year & a half ago Pippin’s cough was becoming worse. A visit with our vet confirmed that Pippin’s trachea was becoming more closed, judging by the x rays & tests she didn’t have much time left. I didn’t realize her trachea issues was what was going to shorten her time with us. She’s so full of life it was hard to believe she just turned 10 years old. A new medication is prescribed to keep her comfortable; liquid form this time – hooray!

The new medication plus Pippin’s general natural spirit helped her to outlive the prognosis for 15 months longer. During that time she

Is fruit ok to feed my dog?

That was my question as I was snacking on a bowl of blueberries. Pippin & Taco were giving me the “eye “ hoping they could score on having whatever I was eating. Especially Pippin. As her illness progressed she showed a high interest anytime she found me eating fruit. Some fruit appeared to be more desirable than others. Here is a list of 5 fruits we found that can be good for your dog with a few precautions to keep in mind. [Read more…]

It’s finally here. The dreaded snow with a wind chill temperature to boot! As you prepare to take your dog for a frosty walk; here are are 5 tips to consider as you both embrace the snowy cold weather. [Read more…]

I’m getting ready to get in my car & drive over to help a friend in Stratford , Connecticut. We had made a backup plan a month ago for Chuck or I to come to her house several times a day to care for her dog, her cat & fish. Our friend was going in the hospital for surgery for a 80% blocked carotid artery.  Thankfully, she came through surgery just fine. What she didn’t count on was her length of recovery was going to be longer than first discussed. Lucky for her I was planning for that “what if scenario”. [Read more…]

Time for an adventure!

It’s been too long since Chuck & I have taken a vacation. Part of our challenge was where could we go with our pack of 4 dogs?  Where would we be accepted as responsible pet owners wanting to spend quality time with the ones we love? For those who didn’t know; our Pippin has a health issue. She has to be monitored & must have her medication at specific times to keep her comfortable. We want what time she has left to be as fun as she is. Gigi has traveled with us before & charms everyone she meets. After 2 years living with us; Taco & Belle are more trusting. They are now ready to learn how to travel & behave in public places. [Read more…]

Gigi is our first of 4 small dogs to enter into our lives. She’s a Pocket Beagle that had been bought as a surprise birthday gift for the wife of a neighbor of ours. It became a different surprise for them when they found that the wife was extremely allergic to dogs. The neighbor came to us asking if we would be interested in adopting Gigi for he knew how we care ( and I admit, spoil) our dogs. Besides the size difference; here’s a few lessons we have learned along the way living with small dogs.

[Read more…]

It’s that time of year again when vacations & plans for your pet’s staycation are being made.  At our Meet & Greet Consultation we go through a worksheet with you on the needs your pet requires while you’re away. We strive to be as through as possible with our questions & encourage you for any extra information to keep your pet comfortable in our care.  Here are 5 tips in preparing for your pet sitter. [Read more…]

In our household we try to ensure our pack eats a healthy quality dry dog food along with a pinch of wet food mixed in. This helps to ensure they are receiving the nutrition needed specifically for a dog. But we all love to share our table scraps with our beloved pets as that “special treat” for them. While sharing this “special treat” makes us feel good; it’s not always such a good thing for our pet. Obesity is a huge problem for our beloved pets as it is for us. [Read more…]

I’m just finishing putting a harness on our fur client when I spot a new gadget on her collar. The concern of keeping track on how much exercise one does per day has now filtered down to also tracking your pet’s activity. With pet obesity being a very common problem; you can now track how much exercise your dog really gets per day too. The owner of my fur client can check either through her laptop or smartphone how active her dog is during the course of her day . She can tell when we are out on our walk & how vigorous a walk we had.

Listed below is some information I found on 2 kinds of trackers meant to specifically track your pet’s activity. [Read more…]