BettyKat

thanks for doing that--i didn't find the calendars on either site. saw your PM and will get in touch with folks separately. thanks for going out of your way to help!

gradvmedusa

Haha no problem...it's my good deed for the month

BettyKat

Thanks to those who posted helpful things (most of you!).

Mods, I've found a match--can you close this thread?

BettyKat

But you'd leave them alone with food and water and hope for the best?

Analise

Not at all. I would have a friend come by to check on them. I do this for one of my closest friends who has two cats. When she goes away for a week, I check her cats every other day...change the litter, refill the water and food dishes plus spend time with them. They're adorable.

But didn't we discuss this last April?

BettyKat

Actually, I was referring to your post where you said, "Otherwise, leave enough food and water for the time you are away...", in response to my post where I said I'd be gone for 6 days/5 nights. I took "leave enough food and water for the time you are away" to mean, leave them with enough food and water for a week, since that is the time I was going to be away. I must have misunderstood.

We did discuss this last April - and then, as part of a new year's clean-up, going through my Flyertalk to delete any old PMs and such, I refound this thread and reread it. At that time, I was really focused on finding someone to care for the cats, and so didn't pay too much attention to your post. When I reread the thread, though, I found your posts offensive and condescending - and not even remotely helpful in response to my question or even productive. For example:

"Pets are family and deserve to be cared for by people you know and trust. This is a big mistake."

And then later on, after I'd politely pushed aside whatever assumptions you'd made about how I care for my cats, you wrote:

"I'll still never understand soliciting a stranger on the internet to live in my home to take care of my beloved pets. Pets are family as far as I'm concerned."

And so on...

There was probably a better way to handle it - I could have probably just said, "I appreciate your opinion but your tone in these posts is condescending - there is a better way to express yourself that doesn't involve insulting people" - but hey, I'm human, and I redredged up the thread in a way that was sarcastic and not terribly productive! Long story short, apologies for responding to it again.

Happy new year,
Katherine

**Edited to reflect problem with tone/condescension, not advice itself.

SmilingBoy

So how did it work out?

BettyKat

It worked out well. I got a response from a British gentleman/Flyertalk member (living and working for the WHO in continental Europe) who wanted to have a trip to New York - a fellow cat owner (one cat, in his case, I believe). I asked a lawyer friend of mine the best way to handle - I had a good feeling about him and had verified his employment, but you never know - and she suggested at least one phone call, references and a security deposit.

He came the night before we left and stayed until the day we came back - then finished his last night in NYC at a hotel before flying back - other than that last night, we were able to coordinate our schedules well enough that there was just the right amount of overlap (by non-NYC standards, a small 1BR apartment - so not terribly comfortable in accommodating a couple plus two cats and overnight guests).

In the end, we did the security deposit (refunded to him right after he left) and the phone call but I didn't check references - I would probably do it in some other cases but didn't feel it was necessary with him. It really worked out great, since he was able to enjoy a private apartment (and had a bit of feline companionship) and we felt comfortable knowing he was taking good care of the cats. We took him to dinner the night before we left and he bought us two bottles of wine he'd discovered as a welcome back present, but otherwise it was just a cat/house sitting arrangement. I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

adamak

That sounds like a perfect arrangement. Maybe next time I fly, I'll consider having someone over to petsit.

Analise

Perhaps during your "new year's cleanup" you had some desire to be insulting. Cats will always be considered members of the family as far as I'm concerned and like any family member, I would never entrust my cats or dogs to a stranger. I never have. I wouldn't want a stranger in my home alone. Sorry you view my concerns about cats to be condescending; they are in fact what I do so I guess you can swallow that for 2007. I hope your new year goes on the positive from here on!

vatraveler

If this service is needed in 2007, I'd like to be pro-active and volunteer myself. :-)

BettyKat

Fair enough...although why you would want to stay in someone's house who would entrust a member of the family to strangers is beyond me!

stockmanjr

If you want a cat sitting I can suggest one that we've used many many times.
cheers
howie

BettyKat

Sure - would love the referral.

Regards,
Katherine

dugknight

BettyKat, I think you did fine. Finding a professional pet sitter is still basically using a stranger. They may be insured but if something happens, that still doesn't give you your pet back. Some people always feel they need to voice their opinions, productive or not. Hey, kind of like I am doing now. lol Anyway, glad it worked out for you!

Happy New Year!