As professional pet sitters we tend to ‘tune in’ to a pet more than the average person would.
Recently I visited two cats that I’ve been pet sitting for since they were kittens. I know their routine and their personalities so I knew something was off when one of the cats was desperate for water from the faucet This was not a behavior he had ever exhibited to me before; not even the month before when I had seen him last.
It concerned me enough that I called the clients on vacation.
I told them of his new faucet habit and how he just seemed desperate for water and that the litter box was constantly soaked (as a result of said water). I told her I was concerned and thought he *may* be diabetic and offered to take him to the vet. They said they would take him to the vet upon their return home.
Thankfully they listened.
I just received the following email:
“Hi Wendy: as expected Sunbeam is diabetic. Not too far gone and all other functions are ok. We have him on injectable insulin twice a day and both cats on a modified eating schedule. I want to thank you for your excellent instincts and support 🙂”
All I can say is THANK YOU for listening to me. THANK YOU for taking my concerns seriously. THANK YOU for taking him to the vet!
This situation has happened several times over the years. As the pet sitter we don’t see your pets every day whereas you do so slight changes aren’t as noticeable to you. I once walked into a cat sit and noticed the cat was incredibly thin. I left the comment in my notes and another responsible client took the cat to the vet as soon as she got home. She learned the cat had cancer and he only survived a few months. On another sit I noticed a dog only pooped a tiny little amount instead of his usual large amount during each visit. Client took him to the vet and he too was diagnosed with cancer. Thankfully she caught it early and he lived longer because of it.
Unfortunately not all pet parents are as responsible and caring as the aforementioned situations. We’ve had clients that we’ve practically begged to bring their pets to the vet and were met with deaf ears. Those are not our “purrfect” client.
All we can do is point out our observations and hope that you will take them seriously.
Just another reason to hire a PROFESSIONAL pet sitter!
I mentioned to a client that their cat had lost quite a bit of weight since the last time I saw him. They replied that he had his annual checkup a few months ago and was fine. They opted not to take him in for a recheck.
Three weeks later, they emailed me to say they had put him to sleep because of a heart condition that was beyond treatment.
Apparently, he developed a thyroid condition, which is highly treatable. That increased his heart rate and blood pressure, which in turn stressed his heart to the point that it began to fail.
I hope anyone that is told that their pet is behaving differently takes notice and addresses the issue.