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#1
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Margaret Fine wrote:
Hi All, We had a HORRIBLE thanksgiving weekend. The pet sitter we hired basically defrauded us and didn't do the job that we paid her for. (snip awful mistreatment of your loved ones) I hired a reputable company and met the sitter beforehand and checked references. I sure hope you filed a complaint with that company! Reputable my arse! That's no way to treat someone's furkids! Anyway, we are no longer going to be traveling without the dog. I can't find a good kennel here and at 9 yrs old and with some health problems I just don't want to stress him out. Does your vet board dogs? Mine does, as well as cats and birds. He does like to travel with us, tho. We did find a nice cat facility for Oliver that we're going to try it out but we were planning on being gone a long time over Christmas and New Years and I just don't like to kennel him for too long. I'm wondering if anyone successfully takes their cats to "Grandma's house" and how that works out. Steven thinks it would actually be kinder to leave him at the cat facility and just cut our trip short by a few days so he doesn't have to be in the car for 7 hours there and back and adjust to a new place with all the Christmas hustle and bustle. I feel torn between the people I love in my life (far flung family I only see once a year) and my little Oliver. Naturally they don't like to be kennel'd (I couldn't figure out the right word for that!) But if the place is anything like the vet where I board Persia, they play with her and spoil her rotten. Dad says to bring Oliver to his house which would be quieter but I'd be worried that Oliver would escape (My dad has MS and isn't a very coordinated person anymore. Oliver would take advantage of that). Whaaaaaaaaaaaa! :-( I'm sorry to hear about your woes. Purrs for a good solution and happy holidays for all. Jill P.S. One of my best friends has MS and my heart goes out to you and your dad. |
#2
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On 2004-12-02, Margaret Fine penned:
Hi All, We had a HORRIBLE thanksgiving weekend. The pet sitter we hired basically defrauded us and didn't do the job that we paid her for. [snip] Ugh. What did the sitting company say when you told them about the atrocious behavior of their employee? What a nightmare. It's stressful enough leaving pets at home without a c*ck-up like this. Oscar is terrified of other people, other cats, and just about anything other than what she's used to, so we leave her at home when we travel. She free-feeds, so we just have friends check on her every few days to refresh food and water and clean up the litter box. Our friends report that their only sightings of her are typically a pair of reflective eyes and hissing coming from the basement rafters. *sigh* -- monique, caretaker of Oscar |
#3
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This is horrible. And it sounds like the dog was traumatized by more than
just not getting out when needed. I always leave our dogs at cats at their vet when we are gone. They don't much like it but they are at least safe and cared for. Jo "Margaret Fine" wrote in message ink.net... Hi All, We had a HORRIBLE thanksgiving weekend. The pet sitter we hired basically defrauded us and didn't do the job that we paid her for. We were lucky we figured out what was going on because Steve had put in an alarm system that allows you to see when the system was armed and disarmed via the web. We got to North Carolina on Thursday afternoon, realized there was a problem Thursday night and talked to her on the phone. Her attitude was that her Thanksgiving was more important than my animals and she didn't feel she should interrupt her holiday to do the job we paid for her to do. But she said that she was now going to stay at our house like she agreed to. Right after that she armed the alarm again and didn't disarm it for almost 11 hours. By that time we were already headed back home. I highly suspect she wasn't here for the hours we paid her to be here. When I got home it looked like the bed had not been slept in. She left the dog to suffer without food and potty breaks for two 10.5/11 hour periods and now he is very sick. Heck, I am sick too because he ended up pooping in the house (the darling did it near the toilet) and I just know that having to do it in the house distressed him and I hate that he felt like that. He also vomited several times and the sitter didn't clean that up. Luckily for Oliver I had left food out (he self feeds) and he had a brand new litter box before we left. I hired a reputable company and met the sitter beforehand and checked references. When we got home both boys were very clingy and had to be on us or pressed up against us for the first 24 hours after we got back. Makes me think while she was here for two brief periods she must of scared them somehow. Anyway, we are no longer going to be traveling without the dog. I can't find a good kennel here and at 9 yrs old and with some health problems I just don't want to stress him out. He does like to travel with us, tho. We did find a nice cat facility for Oliver that we're going to try it out but we were planning on being gone a long time over Christmas and New Years and I just don't like to kennel him for too long. I'm wondering if anyone successfully takes their cats to "Grandma's house" and how that works out. Steven thinks it would actually be kinder to leave him at the cat facility and just cut our trip short by a few days so he doesn't have to be in the car for 7 hours there and back and adjust to a new place with all the Christmas hustle and bustle. I feel torn between the people I love in my life (far flung family I only see once a year) and my little Oliver. My Dad says to bring Oliver to his house which would be quieter but I'd be worried that Oliver would escape (My dad has MS and isn't a very coordinated person anymore. Oliver would take advantage of that). Whaaaaaaaaaaaa! :-( -- Margaret Fine |
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Monique Y. Mudama wrote:
On 2004-12-02, Margaret Fine penned: Hi All, We had a HORRIBLE thanksgiving weekend. The pet sitter we hired basically defrauded us and didn't do the job that we paid her for. [snip] Ugh. What did the sitting company say when you told them about the atrocious behavior of their employee? They said that this isn't the policy of their company and they have "suspended" the employee and they won't be doing any sitting for the company "for a while." What a nightmare. It's stressful enough leaving pets at home without a c*ck-up like this. Oscar is terrified of other people, other cats, and just about anything other than what she's used to, so we leave her at home when we travel. She free-feeds, so we just have friends check on her every few days to refresh food and water and clean up the litter box. Our friends report that their only sightings of her are typically a pair of reflective eyes and hissing coming from the basement rafters. *sigh* With Oliver it is just the opposite. He is so social he gets depressed if he gets left by himself for any length of time. I don't work outside the home and even if we're not here Boone the dog is her to play with. -- Margaret Fine |
#5
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jmcquown wrote:
Margaret Fine wrote: Hi All, We had a HORRIBLE thanksgiving weekend. The pet sitter we hired basically defrauded us and didn't do the job that we paid her for. (snip awful mistreatment of your loved ones) I hired a reputable company and met the sitter beforehand and checked references. I sure hope you filed a complaint with that company! Reputable my arse! That's no way to treat someone's furkids! Anyway, we are no longer going to be traveling without the dog. I can't find a good kennel here and at 9 yrs old and with some health problems I just don't want to stress him out. Does your vet board dogs? Mine does, as well as cats and birds. He does like to travel with us, tho. We did find a nice cat facility for Oliver that we're going to try it out but we were planning on being gone a long time over Christmas and New Years and I just don't like to kennel him for too long. I'm wondering if anyone successfully takes their cats to "Grandma's house" and how that works out. Steven thinks it would actually be kinder to leave him at the cat facility and just cut our trip short by a few days so he doesn't have to be in the car for 7 hours there and back and adjust to a new place with all the Christmas hustle and bustle. I feel torn between the people I love in my life (far flung family I only see once a year) and my little Oliver. Naturally they don't like to be kennel'd (I couldn't figure out the right word for that!) But if the place is anything like the vet where I board Persia, they play with her and spoil her rotten. This place has nice "cat condos" with multiple levels and he can have 3 play sessions of 15 minutes a day. We walked in unannounced for a tour and they actually had someone there playing with a cat. Since they didn't know we were coming it couldn't have been for show. Our vet doesn't kennel dogs and Boone doesn't do well in kennels anyway. He has noise sensitivity and all the barking drives him nuts. I don't mind just going to places where he can come along. At 9 he is getting older anyway and I don't like to stress him out. Dad says to bring Oliver to his house which would be quieter but I'd be worried that Oliver would escape (My dad has MS and isn't a very coordinated person anymore. Oliver would take advantage of that). Whaaaaaaaaaaaa! :-( I'm sorry to hear about your woes. Purrs for a good solution and happy holidays for all. Jill P.S. One of my best friends has MS and my heart goes out to you and your dad. Thanks Jill. My Dad is actually pretty lucky. He got the disease later in life (40s) and so the progression of the disease has been slower so he can still get around without any mobility aids. He is just a little unsteady at times. He is 62. -- Margaret Fine |
#6
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Jo Firey wrote:
This is horrible. And it sounds like the dog was traumatized by more than just not getting out when needed. I always leave our dogs at cats at their vet when we are gone. They don't much like it but they are at least safe and cared for. Jo It turns out that he might have developed an ulcer from the lack of food, vomiting, and stress. We're going to keep him on a bland diet for a few days and then see if he can go back to tolerating his usual food. "Margaret Fine" wrote in message ink.net... Hi All, We had a HORRIBLE thanksgiving weekend. The pet sitter we hired basically defrauded us and didn't do the job that we paid her for. We were lucky we figured out what was going on because Steve had put in an alarm system that allows you to see when the system was armed and disarmed via the web. We got to North Carolina on Thursday afternoon, realized there was a problem Thursday night and talked to her on the phone. Her attitude was that her Thanksgiving was more important than my animals and she didn't feel she should interrupt her holiday to do the job we paid for her to do. But she said that she was now going to stay at our house like she agreed to. Right after that she armed the alarm again and didn't disarm it for almost 11 hours. By that time we were already headed back home. I highly suspect she wasn't here for the hours we paid her to be here. When I got home it looked like the bed had not been slept in. She left the dog to suffer without food and potty breaks for two 10.5/11 hour periods and now he is very sick. Heck, I am sick too because he ended up pooping in the house (the darling did it near the toilet) and I just know that having to do it in the house distressed him and I hate that he felt like that. He also vomited several times and the sitter didn't clean that up. Luckily for Oliver I had left food out (he self feeds) and he had a brand new litter box before we left. I hired a reputable company and met the sitter beforehand and checked references. When we got home both boys were very clingy and had to be on us or pressed up against us for the first 24 hours after we got back. Makes me think while she was here for two brief periods she must of scared them somehow. Anyway, we are no longer going to be traveling without the dog. I can't find a good kennel here and at 9 yrs old and with some health problems I just don't want to stress him out. He does like to travel with us, tho. We did find a nice cat facility for Oliver that we're going to try it out but we were planning on being gone a long time over Christmas and New Years and I just don't like to kennel him for too long. I'm wondering if anyone successfully takes their cats to "Grandma's house" and how that works out. Steven thinks it would actually be kinder to leave him at the cat facility and just cut our trip short by a few days so he doesn't have to be in the car for 7 hours there and back and adjust to a new place with all the Christmas hustle and bustle. I feel torn between the people I love in my life (far flung family I only see once a year) and my little Oliver. My Dad says to bring Oliver to his house which would be quieter but I'd be worried that Oliver would escape (My dad has MS and isn't a very coordinated person anymore. Oliver would take advantage of that). Whaaaaaaaaaaaa! :-( -- Margaret Fine -- Margaret Fine |
#7
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On 2004-12-03, Margaret Fine penned:
Monique Y. Mudama wrote: Ugh. What did the sitting company say when you told them about the atrocious behavior of their employee? They said that this isn't the policy of their company and they have "suspended" the employee and they won't be doing any sitting for the company "for a while." Bleh. Then again, from their point of view, I suppose they could imagine you were lying or something. But still ... With Oliver it is just the opposite. He is so social he gets depressed if he gets left by himself for any length of time. I don't work outside the home and even if we're not here Boone the dog is her to play with. Sounds like a fun cat to have around, though it must be tough when you need to be out of the house for a while. I got Oscar to keep my old dog company, but I am striving not to fall for puppy fever, as I am pretty sure I don't have the time resources to properly care for a dog. It kills me, though. -- monique, caretaker of Oscar |
#8
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Monique Y. Mudama wrote:
"suspended" the employee and they won't be doing any sitting for the company "for a while." Bleh. Then again, from their point of view, I suppose they could imagine you were lying or something. But still ... Well, in fairness to the employee, it wouldn't be right to simply can her based on the word of one client - you only have their side of the story, and it's their word against hers (unless they have evidence of wrongdoing). If, however, they get any other complaints about her, then she should be booted out. Joyce |
#10
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On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 22:25:31 GMT, Margaret Fine
wrote: Hi All, We had a HORRIBLE thanksgiving weekend. The pet sitter we hired basically defrauded us and didn't do the job that we paid her for. We were lucky we figured out what was going on because Steve had put in an alarm system that allows you to see when the system was armed and disarmed via the web. We got to North Carolina on Thursday afternoon, realized there was a problem Thursday night and talked to her on the phone. Her attitude was that her Thanksgiving was more important than my animals and she didn't feel she should interrupt her holiday to do the job we paid for her to do. But she said that she was now going to stay at our house like she agreed to. Right after that she armed the alarm again and didn't disarm it for almost 11 hours. By that time we were already headed back home. I highly suspect she wasn't here for the hours we paid her to be here. When I got home it looked like the bed had not been slept in. She left the dog to suffer without food and potty breaks for two 10.5/11 hour periods and now he is very sick. Heck, I am sick too because he ended up pooping in the house (the darling did it near the toilet) and I just know that having to do it in the house distressed him and I hate that he felt like that. He also vomited several times and the sitter didn't clean that up. Luckily for Oliver I had left food out (he self feeds) and he had a brand new litter box before we left. I hired a reputable company and met the sitter beforehand and checked references. When we got home both boys were very clingy and had to be on us or pressed up against us for the first 24 hours after we got back. Makes me think while she was here for two brief periods she must of scared them somehow. Anyway, we are no longer going to be traveling without the dog. I can't find a good kennel here and at 9 yrs old and with some health problems I just don't want to stress him out. He does like to travel with us, tho. We did find a nice cat facility for Oliver that we're going to try it out but we were planning on being gone a long time over Christmas and New Years and I just don't like to kennel him for too long. I'm wondering if anyone successfully takes their cats to "Grandma's house" and how that works out. Steven thinks it would actually be kinder to leave him at the cat facility and just cut our trip short by a few days so he doesn't have to be in the car for 7 hours there and back and adjust to a new place with all the Christmas hustle and bustle. I feel torn between the people I love in my life (far flung family I only see once a year) and my little Oliver. My Dad says to bring Oliver to his house which would be quieter but I'd be worried that Oliver would escape (My dad has MS and isn't a very coordinated person anymore. Oliver would take advantage of that). Whaaaaaaaaaaaa! :-( -- Margaret Fine Margaret, I am so sorry you and your furkids had to go through this. I would definitely complain about the sitter, and loudly! With eight cats, there is no way we could go anywhere with them all. So I am resigned to never having a vacation again -- lol! I have done overnight trips a couple of times, and had a neighbor/friend feed the cats. You know, even *then* she didn't follow all my directions, and she's a trusted person and a vet assistant! I've called professionals and still have not gotten around to interviewing them. If I ever do go on another overnight trip, I'd like to know I have someone I can trust. I'm going to have them come over here, see how the cats react to them, get a "feel" for them, etc. Even then, I guess, you never know. Anyway, best of luck that things work much better for you on the next trip! Ginger-lyn |
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