Before I copy and paste said email into this blog in its entirety I need to give one short, but very important, disclaimer. When this new pet-sitter, who is a friend of ours and is my aunt's best friend, came over for her "orientation" walk-through I was not here. Though she has been to our house once before, she had never pet-sat for us before. I was off walking Buffy at the beach and didn't get back in time to be here to do the walk through with her. Jack did it on his own and when I asked him a bunch of questions about what he told her it seems that he left A LOT of very important points out of the walk-through (like where the cat box is...she was going to be staying at our house and watching the animals for 4 days...imagine the smell if she had not ever cleaned the cat box). Also, I had left for Texas on Tuesday morning and Jack did not come out until Thursday, so I wasn't available to have her come back over and do a walk-thru with me. So, I composed the following email on Wednesday night from Texas (brace yourself, it is kinda long):
Hi Dina,
I am so sorry that I missed you the other day. I am usually the one who gives the "pet care tours" of our house, so I thought I would help my wonderful husband out
by supplementing the tour he gave you with this note since when I quizzed him about what he told you it seems he left a few important things out (like introducing you to Spike!). First of all, THANK YOU so much for staying at our house and taking care of our babies. Spike and Buffy are our 4-legged, furry little kids and I am so glad that they will be in capable hands while we are away. Since I can't entirely remember what Jack said he went over with you I am just going to cover everything I can think of and sorry if I tell you stuff that Jack already did. You can use this as notes in case you forget anything.First the important stuff! Our pets love to be loved! Spike loves to be picked up and held against your shoulder and kissed on the head and petted. He is so super sweet and he loves hugs. He is also a little sneak attacker sometimes so you do sort of have to be aware around him. If he lays on his back and coos at you with all 4 paws in the air, this is only an invitation to pet his stomach if you want your arm attacked. With a normal cat this would be fun play, but with Spike it is only fun if you are wearing hawk gloves or 3 sweatshirts to protect your arms. He doesn't mean any harm, but he doesn't know his own jaw strength (he has no front claws, only back ones, so it is mostly teeth you have to worry about). Really, he is usually very very sweet, but I always like to give a disclaimer to just be aware around him, his mom was a completely feral cat and I think some of the instinct is still alive and well deep inside him. Buffy is the sweetest, happiest dog on the planet. She loves to be around you and she loves to be scratched on the chest. When you pet her head and she lifts it up she is not trying to lick or bite you, she is trying to redirect your hand to pet her chest instead of her head. She is a girl who just knows what she wants and works to get it. Do not say the word "Walk" unless you intend to at the very least go up to Bunny park with her (middle of our street) because as soon as you ask her if she wants to go on a walk she will start doing little dog pirouettes and get super excited. She is a dog who is pretty sure she is not a dog but a person. She will occasionally choose to spend time in the backyard by herself watching birds and barking at gardeners, but usually she wants to be where the people are. She is allowed on the furniture so it is ok if she gets up on the couch with you. We actually selected a fairly sturdy couch based on specifically it being able to handle her (how is that for planning your world around your pets?!). Buffy doesn't like her paws being touched much, so if you notice her being sensitive about her paws that is perfectly normal for her. She will shake though (but only with her right paw, she doesn't know how to do a left shake), that is a trick she knows and is proud to show off...for a treat of course!
Hiding places/sleeping:
Spike has many hiding places around the house: dining room chairs, the basket of blankets under the end table in the family room, the baskets in the master closet (they are full of my clothes..and cat fur), on either guest bed (and under the comforter on the bed in the room you are sleeping in), and he also loves sleeping on just about every piece of furniture in the house. He does not usually sleep on the bed with us at night (but not because he is not invited, he just doesn't for some reason), he usually prowls around the house and sleeps down on the couch in the family room or living room. He loves to lay on your lap while you are sitting watching tv in the evenings and be pet. Hopefully you will get to experience this, it is one of his favorite times for cuddles. Buffy loves laying on the couch in the family room, on the rug in front of the back door (to keep an eye on things and catch some rays), on the floor in the hallway outside the office, and on the floor in our bedroom. In the evenings she very much likes to be up on the couch with you, so if she is pushing around and looking at you and looking awkward, it is because she either doesn't think there is sufficient room and she wants you to make room or she doesn't know if she is invited and she wants you to invite her up to the couch. At night she will usually sleep at the very back of the walk in closet in our master bedroom. We figured out that she has claimed that space as her dark cave at night. It is pretty funny. She may choose to sleep in the guest room with you at some point and she may even jump up on the bed (if you are comfortable with that). She actually spent a night in there with Mel and Keith when they were visiting (and we were home and in our room!!!). She has a very special relationship with them! :)
Poop:
...ok, this is just details about Buffy's pooping habits and how to clean out Spike's litter box and is pretty boring, so I skipped it for the blog...
Food:
Buffy's food is in a tall container (I am sure Jack showed you and he will probably have it marked) and she gets one scoop in the morning and one in the evening. If you have trouble finishing a meal, she will usually be more than willing to help you out with that also :). Her food and water bowls are the big ones on the iron stand right next to the kitchen "pass through" counter. Spike's food situation is a bit more complicated than Buffy's. If he starts being really obnoxious and howling and knocking water glasses off of nightstands (I highly recommend taking a water bottle with a lid to bed rather than an open glass for this reason) around 5am it is because he is telling you it is time for you to get your lazy ass out of bed and feed him what we affectionatly refer to as "First breakfast". This consists of one scoop of dry food in our master bathroom. The food is on the counter in a cute little container and he has a food and water bowl on the floor in there as well. You can do this and then stumble back to bed knowing that the beast will be sated for a little while at least. Then, when you get up at a more decent, human hour, he will remind you again that it is time for "second breakfast", this consists of one scoop of food from his dry food container down in the kitchen. His food bowls are located near the window in the breakfast nook. Don't worry, he won't usually start bothering you for 2nd breakfast until you actually come downstairs, or are very close to doing that. And you can feed Buffy breakfast at the same time as you feed Spike 2nd breakfast (she is so much lower maintenance when it comes to food!) Then, for dinner, please feed him some of his wet food. I usually give him approx 1/3 of a can or so of his wet food (Jack should leave it out, but if not, it is in the bottom shelf of the pantry. Both of them eat dinner in the kitchen at their bowls. Right before bed they also both get treats. There are cat treats and dog treats in our bathroom either on the counter or in the cabinet just to the left of the left hand sink (in the cabinet next to the vanity area). One treat for Buffy (they are pretty big) in the master bedroom and a good shake of treats for spike from the treat container on the bathroom floor (can't remember what brand they are). Buffy also has lots of those little chew bone things in the bottom of the pantry, feel free to give her one of those now and then. She will take it and go sit at the back door and wait for you to let her out to go eat it. It is pretty funny :)
OK, I am very tired (it is later here than there) and I think I have covered everything. If you have any questions at all please don't hesitate to call either Jack or me on our cell phones. My number is x, Jack's is x. Thanks again and we'll see you soon! Ali
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Highest maintenance pets (or owner?) EVER. ; ) Kidding, of course.
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