duchess Archives - Stylish Paws

Tag: duchess

13
Jun
2017

Losing Valentine and Duchess

On 24 May 2017, our family suddenly changed. We lost our two beautiful bunnies. The heartache is unreal and I miss them beyond words! It’s a pain I don’t wish upon my worst enemy.

“Whoever said it’s just a bunny, has never loved a bunny” Valentine and Duchess meant the world to all of us.

I remember bringing these two fluff balls home and introducing them to Oscar. It was love at first sight from both sides. I never taught Oscar how to behave with them, he just knew. He knew to be gentle, he knew not to chase them. We would spend hours in the garden together just relaxing, watching Valentine and Duchess get more confident and explore different parts of the garden. Oscar would just lie there watching over them like the protective big brother. They would run around inside, binky up the passage and take cover under the bed for much needed naps. I very quickly learnt their personalities… Valentine was very shy, but he loved showing me how much he loved me by binkying all the time and enjoying my tickles. Duchess lived up to her name, she was ever so lady like in her ways. She ate like a lady, hopped like a lady, and slept like a lady. When she showed me a binky I knew my two fluffs couldn’t be happier. Zara was still getting used to the idea of these two fluff balls hopping around. She would just lie and stare at them through the window of their play room. They of course were not intimidated by her size and would pretty much just sniff her and hop on by.

The worst part of having fluffy family members is by far the day they leave you. Losing Valentine and Duchess was such a shock, it happened so quickly! Our vet tried absolutely everything she could to save them. For now I have left their play room exactly as it was the morning we rushed them to Dr Sally. They had the best time running through their tunnels, playing in their ball pit and relaxing in their castle. I will never be able to replace my Valentine and Duchess and I would never want to but I do know that I can give two more bunnies an amazing life, and I will when the time is right and I feel content enough with making that decision.

I have the most beautiful memories of Valentine and Duchess which I will treasure forever and ever. I have thousands of photo’s and videos which I have gone through over and over, laughing and crying at the same time. My heart is hurting and I know it’s ok for it to hurt but I am at peace knowing they are free and not in any pain.

Binky free my sweet loves. I will never stop loving you, ever!

Thank you for reading.

05
May
2017

Product Review: Njom Njoms

categories: Product Reviews, Valentine and Duchess

Valentine and Duchess, my bunny loves, are just as spoilt as Oscar and Zara! But I have to work a lot harder to find awesome spoils for my fluff balls. I often come up with fun DIY boredom busters or make some homemade treats for them, but sometimes I want to buy some yummy and fun goodies for them.

When I discovered Njom Njoms I was over the moon!! Maybe I am seriously fussy but I struggle to find awesome natural products for Valentine and Duchess. Njom Njoms came to the rescue… I placed my order and waited patiently while the goodies were handmade with tons of love.

Njom Njoms is a family affair and they too have seven wonderful bunny loves and two happy guinea pigs. It was their love for their own small critters that provided the inspiration to start up Njom Njoms and provide South Africans with good quality small pet products.

When our delivery arrived I don’t know who was more excited, myself, Valentine, Duchess, Oscar or Zara-haha! Yes, Zara was super excited when she saw a massive box being delivered and thought it was a box filled with goodies for her. Oscar was also hopeful when he saw the size of the box but not every delivery can be for them 😉 I unpacked the box and was beyond happy with what we had received!!

We received a handmade hay holder, willow gnaw sticks, willow balls to roll around, willow rings to throw around, yummy hay topper packs and three giant bags of hay-oat hay and teff grass. The packaging is awesome and the quality of each item is superb.

I quickly filled the hay basket holder with some oat hay, sprinkled in some hay topper-strawberries and cream and watched Valentine and Duchess go wild with excitement.

Instead of just giving them plain willow gnaw sticks, I pushed them through some toilet roll holders and filled them with fresh grass and Oat Hay-let me tell you these were a total hit!

I absolutely love watching them throw their willow rings up in the air and roll along their willow balls! For extra entertainment I love to tuck fresh herbs in balls and twist them through the rings. Duchess is the most impatient bunny of the two and in no time she has tossed the ring up in the air so all the herbs go flying. Valentine will happily just sit and figure out a more calm approach-haha!!

I especially love the different hay toppers that Njom Njoms offer. Each one is different and it provides just a little something special to your bunnies hay. We received the Strawberries and Cream, Vitamin C boost and a general hay topper.

It’s safe to say that Valentine and Duchess give Njom Njoms a five paw rating and we will be ordering some more awesome goodies very soon!

If you would like to get in touch with Njom Njoms you can visit their website at www.njomnjoms.co.za or their Facebook page at click here

We hope your small pets enjoy these goodies as much as Valentine and Duchess did!

Thank you for reading.

08
Feb
2017

My Furry Valentines.

categories: Recipes

Valentine’s Day. You either love it or hate it. Of course having someone special to share it with makes a world of difference. Luckily I have my four furry companions as well as my two-legged companion to share this super cliche day of love with.

Any chance I get I love to spoil my furry loves and Valentine’s Day is no different. It doesn’t always have to be something bought, homemade gifts often make the greatest gift. Taking time out of your busy day to prepare and make something for someone you love often speaks louder than the gift itself.

This year my fur babies will be receiving a giant collection of home made treats. When it comes to food, you have my furry loves sold-all four of them! To keep in line with the love theme I decided to make some homemade beetroot doggy treats for both Zara and Oscar and special beetroot bunny treats for Valentine and Duchess. Here are the recipes:

Beetroot Doggy Treats

Ingredients

2 large beetroots

1 egg

2 tbs coconut oil

2 cups flour

Directions

Start by peeling the skin from the beetroots. Then cut them into chunks and steam them for about 40 minutes or until cooked and soft. Let them cool then blitz them up so it becomes a beautiful dark red paste. Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees. In a bowl mix together the egg, coconut oil and the beetroot paste until combined then add the four one cup at a time. You can judge how much flour is needed by how sticky or dry the mixture is. Then roll it out onto a floured surface and using heart cookie cutters cut out your valentines treats. Place them onto a greased baking tray and into the oven for +-20 minutes or until cooked and slightly golden-not too golden otherwise they will lose their red colour. Once cooked let them cool, you can package them into cute boxes ready for your pup to enjoy on Valentine’s Day.

Beetroot Bunny Treats

Ingredients

1 large beetroot

1 cup oats-blitzed up to make oat flour

Directions

Start by peeling the skin from the beetroot. Then cut it into chunks and steam it for about 40 minutes or until cooked and soft. Let it cool then blitz it up so it becomes a beautiful dark red paste. Then set aside to cool slightly. Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees. Once the paste has cooled enough for you to handle, mix in the oat flour a little at a time. You want to get a firm consistency but it will still be sticky. You should be able to break off tiny pieces and roll into bunny bite sized bits. Place them onto a greased oven tray and bake for +-15 minutes or until they are hard and cooked. Be careful not to over cook them. Once done set aside to cool. You can package them in toilet roll holders with tissue paper wrapped around. This will provide some entertainment for your bunny while trying to reach the treats.

And if you are feeling in the mood to spoil your pups even more, then head on over to our online store and shop for some gorgeous collars, beds and toys.

Enjoy this Valentine’s Day with the ones you love most.

Thank you for reading.

02
Dec
2016

Santa Paws is coming to town.

categories: Holiday fun

Most of us would agree that when it comes to our pets they are our four legged children. And just like any other member of the family, Santa comes to visit them too.

There is so much excitement in our house around Christmas time. This year will be slightly different because we now have an extra stocking to hang up-Zara’s. Oscar knows the drill, I put the Christmas tree and decorations up, bring out the dress up goodies and take a million super cute photo’s of him looking like Santa’s little helper. While putting the Christmas tree up last weekend, there was so much curiosity from Zara. She really did think it was Christmas when she saw this giant tree going up inside as something to chew on and pull all over the house! This year it is strategically placed next to the couch with a coffee table in front of it-yes I am learning how she operates! Santa won’t be able to make his delivery until late on Christmas Eve when Zara’s inquisitiveness has been put to sleep and she is too tired to investigate.

On Christmas morning Oscar is like a proper excited child! He wakes up knowing he has tons of gifts to open and he runs straight to the pile that Santa delivered. Somehow he just knows exactly which ones are for him, and they are not all treats for him to sniff out! He just knows! I love watching him tear open the wrapping paper and his pure excitement with whatever it is he has discovered. He loves new things be it homemade treats, a new teddy to chew the eyes off or a new collar. He loves anything that is just for him. I cannot wait to see the excitement and chaos that Zara will bring to Christmas morning. Of course I will be there with my camera in hand ready to capture the fun and excitement. She is so much fun to be around and she brings so much joy to all of us.

Of course Valentine and Duchess are included in our Christmas celebrations and they get gifts too. They, like Oscar love getting new toys, treats and boxes. And this year will be no different.

Here are some gorgeous goodies that are on Oscar, Zara, Valentine and Duchess’ wish list this year, we hope you find something special for your furry love too…

Friendship Collar

This is a stunning gift for you to share with your furry love! The concept of these collars is beautiful and we are in love with them. Your pup gets a stylish collar and you receive a matching bracelet. The quality of these collars goes far beyond our expectations, they are made from vegan approved leather and super soft. There is a variety of colours and designs to choose from, making sure there is a set to suit everyone. They don’t know it yet but Oscar and Zara have got the Top Dog collection, because after all they are my Top Dogs! Spoil yourself and your pooch, because best friends should match! Click here to shop

PetStages Dog Wood

What pup doesn’t love sticks? We often find ourselves unsure on what type of wood a particular stick is which Zara has brought home with her, many of which are toxic! With the PetStages Dog Wood Toys, you don’t have to worry. This toy is so durable, made from innovative material that combines real wood with durable synthetic material to create a stronger, safer stick. The natural wood smell attracts and keeps Zara’s interest for hours. Zara loves her Dog Wood so much that she has asked Santa for another one 😉 Click here to shop

Four Paws and Me Box

Four Paws and Me offers a wonderful box filled with surprises for you and your pooch. The limited edition Christmas boxes are filled with wonderful goodies that won’t disappoint! There is a box for everyone with three different options to choose from. When Oscar and Zara received their November box, there was so much excitement and I got to share a gift with my fur babies-what could be better than that? Have some fun opening a gift with your pup too. When placing your order use the code STYLISHPAWS and R10 from each sale will go to Woodrock Animal Rescue. Click here to shop

Egg Shaped Pet Pod

These Egg Shaped Pet Pods from Cosmic Pets are absolutely gorgeous and are on Valentine and Duchess’ Christmas list. Of course they can be used for cats and small breed dogs too. It comes with a soft inner velvet cushion and a fleece blanket to keep your furry love happy and comfy. Make sure your furry love sleeps in style, they deserve it. Click here to shop

Pupcorn

No Christmas stocking is complete unless it has treats in it-Oscar knows this all too well! Spoil your pets with some yummy Pupcorn they will want all year round. Choose from two yummy flavours for your pup to tuck into while you enjoy your Christmas treats. The food we eat is often far too rich for Oscar and Zara so instead they can have fun with their Pupcorn without feeling sick later. Click here to shop

Christmas Bandana

Make your pup feel extra special this Christmas in a one of a kind Christmas Bandana from Swanky Mongrel. Sizes available fit Yorkies to Rottweilers, so everyone is included. Each bandana is made with tons of love. Go on, spoil Santa’s little helper, he has been a good boy! Click here to shop

Cat Collar

Cats love to show off so why not make your kitty feel extra special with a new stylish Gummi collar for him to show off to all his friends. These collars are durable and come with a removable bell and have a safety strip too. There is a variety of colours to choose from, and when held under a uv light they glow in the dark-how awesome!! Click here to shop

Cat Nip Spray

What cat doesn’t love cat nip? Let your kitty go a little wild with this Cool Cat cat nip spray. Simply spray it on your cats toys, bedding and scratch posts and watch them have fun. Click here to shop

Cat Feather Buddy

Fill your cats stocking with these super cute Feather Buddy’s from PetStages. Feather Buddy will become your kitty’s new best friend. With bunches of colourful feathers, this cute creature offers hours of play. So spoil your kitty this Christmas. Click here to shop

Cat Tree

Cat tree’s are awesome and your cat thinks so too! Valentine and Duchess have also asked for a cat tree for Christmas, are they bunnies or are they cats-haha? Cat tree’s provide so much entertainment for your kitty and it will keep him from scratching things he shouldn’t… You can also hide some feather buddy’s in the tunnels and spray come cat nip spray on it too. Make this Christmas amazing for your kitty. Click here to shop

Little Critters Rescue Club

Christmas time at Little Critters is not always a happy and festive time. Families want to go away on holiday and it is the Little Critters who suffer, being abandoned without a second thought. If you can, any donation would be greatly appreciated. No pet deserves to be abandoned and left unwanted around a time that is supposed to be all about families coming together. Please email lauren.namer@iburst.co.za if you would like to donate. Click here to visit their Facebook page

We hope we have given you some wonderful ways to spoil your furry loves this Christmas! This year will be chaos in our house and I cannot wait!! We wish you a wonderful festive season. Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Thank you for reading

23
Nov
2016

Little Critters Rescue Club.

categories: Valentine and Duchess

My mom and I were fortunate enough to visit the Little Critters Rescue Club at the beginning of November. We took some much needed supplies and we wanted to spend some time and get to know each Little Critter. We fell in love with all the critters, including the permanent residents! It is such a special place and one that is close to my heart, especially since Valentine and Duchess came into my life. When Lauren opened the door we were greeted by the cutest pack of wagging tails. Marmite, Peanut, Misty, Molly and Barney to be exact. Isabel who is one of Lauren’s rescue cats quite proudly showed us where the Critters were and then demanded some tummy tickles as a reward for her efforts.

Lauren started Little Critters Rescue Club out of pure love and adoration for smaller pets such as rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, mice and chinchillas. The club is a rescue, rehabilitation and re-homing center, but of course some of the critters that come in become permanent residents, mostly because they are special needs critters.

Lady, Gladys and Odette, the permanent residents

We met Gladys who was an abused little guinea pig girl who now has scars across her back. Her fur is long enough to cover them up and when you look at her you would never know just how hurt she was before she came to Little Critters. She was so friendly to my mom and I, we even got little piggy cuddles. She melted our hearts!

Lady is another piggy permanent resident who was so over bred that her bottom eyelids suffered such trauma from inbreeding that they now protrude outwards. She also has ovarian cysts and has had many ovarian issues as a result from all the breeding and she needs constant care. We also got piggy cuddles from her and she was such a sweet heart.

And then there is Odette, who is very special to Lauren! She has kidney failure and needs three supplemented feeds a day to make sure she gets all the vitamins, proteins and fluids she needs!

Then we met Sooty and Sweep, two cute baby bunny sisters! Lauren hand fed these babies and taught them everything they know. Luckily at the same time they came in, another guinea pig family came in and the three amigo baby guinea pigs and Sooty and Sweep became inseparable. Luigi, Herbie and Peanut are such curious little boys. My mom and I could have sat for hours listening to them chat amongst themselves, feed from their mom, explore their surroundings and play with Sooty and Sweep.

Sooty and Sweep are gorgeous baby bunnies and remind me of Duchess

The Critters live a life of luxury while at the club. They have access to a massive mansion that has ramps, pillows, hideouts and lookouts. When they are not relaxing in their mansion they have access to the most awesome herb garden where they can run free and just be Little Critters! There is also a playground for everyone to enjoy with things to jump over, hide under and gnaw on.

Visiting Little Critters has inspired me and given me new ideas on how I can improve Valentine and Duchess’ play room, hutch and outdoor area.

Before any adoptions, strict home checks and interviews take place. It is very important that anyone wanting to adopt is doing so for the right reasons. Lauren will also educate the adoptive family on proper care, food requirements and how to keep your Little Critter truly happy.

These critters were abused, abandoned and not cared for, yet they still have enough love and trust in them to allow us to show them what its like to be loved, it honestly is heart warming.

The guinea pig family enjoying a meal together — The guinea pig family

This Christmas I ask you to please think of these Little Critters.

Before Valentine and Duchess came into my life I had no idea just how much effort goes onto making sure they are kept happy and healthy! Meal times are a lot more than a lettuce leaf and a carrot. Despite their size, their food bill and toy bill is costly. I can’t imagine having more than two Critters to feed and look after. If you can, please donate any amount to the Little Critters Rescue Club. They always need Burgees Pellets, Timothy Hay, blankets to snuggle in, and interactive toys. You can contact Lauren on lauren.namer@iburst.co.za and please be sure to follow them on Facebook (click here) and Instagram (click here), every share is one step closer to finding these Little Critters their perfect forever home!

Thank you for reading

27
Jul
2016

Bunny boredom busters

categories: Valentine and Duchess

I absolutely adore Valentine and Duchess and in the 9 months they have been apart of our family I have learnt so much about raising happy and healthy bunnies! Keeping your bunny happy and healthy is not as easy as you may think. They need a lot more attention than just a lettuce leaf and a carrot. Each day we are together they become cuter and cuter, they play with Oscar and completely trash their play room every night, yes I find this behaviour cute! I am constantly on the lookout for things to keep them entertained, a bored bunny is a very unhappy bunny! Bunnies get bored quickly and easily so it is very important you spend time with your bunny loving them and playing with them. Bunnies are also very intelligent and they need mental stimulation everyday. Luckily Valentine and Duchess have no idea whether I paid good money for a toy or if its something recycled, if they can toss it, climb through it or jump onto it they love it. Any empty box, plastic bottle lids and toilet roll holders go in Valentine and Duchess’ box so I can create fun and interesting toys for them to play with, which they love!

Get creative with your bunny's food. — Get creative with your bunny’s food.

Here are a few of their favourite boredom busters, we hope your bunnies love them too…

Toilet roll holder balls: These are a firm favourite with Valentine and Duchess! I like to fill them up with fresh herbs that I grow in my garden. These balls keep the two of them entertained for quite some time. They toss them and roll them around eventually pulling the rings apart so they can eat the herbs. They also toss the individual rings around too. It really is very cute to watch! And since everyone uses toilet paper, you can have a constant supply of these cute toys.

Directions

Simply cut the toilet roll into rings and intertwine them until it forms a sturdy ball shape. Then stuff the herbs inside and watch your bunny have fun.

Valentine and Duchess love these herb stuffed homemade balls.

Empty boxes: Valentine and Duchess absolutely love climbing through empty boxes. I usually cut a whole in the side for them to get through. I fill the box with shredded paper, brown paper or hay and it keeps them entertained for hours each night! Sometimes I stack more than one box on top of each other so they can knock them down and push them around. At our local pet shop we found a ‘seed box’. It is a box covered in edible seeds which they absolutely loved and have devoured, I will definitely be on the look out for another one of those!

Climbing through boxes filled with hay, shredded paper and brown paper is so much fun!

Food fun: I like to make breakfast and dinner interesting for Valentine and Duchess. Stuffing lettuce, carrots and celery into toilet roll holders, dried herb refill boxes work well too, or using a piece of string across a section of their play room which I peg bits of fresh veggies to. I like to have fun with their actual food too, making them bunny sushi or fruit and veggie skewers. The options are endless when it comes to having fun with their food.

Stuff toilet roll holders with your bunny's favourite fresh veggies and hay. — Stuff toilet roll holders with your bunny’s favourite fresh veggies and hay.

Food-line

Hang some string across an area either in your bunny’s cage, play area or a section of your house. Then use wooden pegs and peg all sorts of fresh fruit and veggies up: apple, pear, cucumber, green beans, celery, rocket, mint, basil etc… I love watching Valentine and Duchess have fun at meal times.

This is so easy to do for your bunnies and they will love it.

Bunny sushi

Who says sushi is only for humans 😉 Simply cut thick pieces of cucumber and take the soft middle part out leaving you with a round whole in the centre. Then cut some thin carrot sticks, celery sticks, some corn or whatever it is that your bunny loves and fill the centre. You can use a variety of ingredients for this which is why I love making this for them.

Herb board

The herb board is also a favourite for Valentine and Duchess because once they have found and eaten all the herbs they then pull out the strips cardboard and toss them around, keeping them entertained for hours! All you need is a cardboard base, a cardboard box that you can cut into strips and some toilet roll holders cut in half. Then you slide in their favourite herbs and watch them have fun.

Games: I love playing games with Valentine and Duchess and it’s always fun when they engage, of course if they are not in the mood I have no chance of playing-haha! We particularly love playing with Oscar’s IQ board game. I hide their dry food pellets or some homemade treats and using their noses they push the wooden pieces so they can get to their treats. We have great fun playing this.

Playing games with Valentine and Duchess is my absolute best!

We also enjoy playing with ping pong balls, rolling them to each other, Duchess tends to ‘chin’ them rather than send them back to me (chinning is said to be her way of telling me the ball belongs to her, it’s a sign of possession in the bunny world). We have a skittle set that we play with too, but sometimes the noise of the skittles crashing onto the floor gives them a little fright. Since our entire house is tiled I usually place a blanket down so the skittles don’t fall as hard. The last thing I want to do is scare my babies while we are supposed to be having fun!

They enjoy tossing small objects in the air too so I always keep plastic bottle lids and usually place them all in a box for them, in the mornings I wake up to find them hidden and thrown all over the place 🙂

Duchess loves hiding inside the seed box.

These are just a few ways in which I like to entertain Valentine and Duchess. I rotate their games each day and I never leave the same toys down constantly because they get bored with them. Instead I pick them up and will rotate them each couple of days. Even though it is the same toy, to them it’s new! But most of all have fun playing with your bunnies, a happy bunny is the best bunny!

Thank you for reading.

11
Jul
2016

Finding the perfect house sitter…

categories: Oscar

Last week we took a short break and went exploring the African bush in Botswana. It was wonderful to be in nature, have no access to wifi or have any cell phone reception. You realise just how much you reply on your cell phone and how often you check in on what’s happening in the social media world. I realised that I won’t actually die without it-haha! We did however buy a local sim card and some airtime to check in on our babies at home as well as our family members, we didn’t want the flying squad to come looking for us 😉

There is one very important task we have to tackle before we can go away on any holiday… Finding the perfect house sitter! Unfortunately we cannot take Oscar, Valentine and Duchess on every holiday we go on. Living away from friends and family is tough as it is, but you truly realise just how alone you are when you have no one to rely on and help you out! Inviting a stranger into our home, to live in and look after our babies, is terribly daunting for us. Alexis was recommended to us by a mutual friend and she turned out to be the absolute best! Oscar got on well with her and Valentine and Duchess warmed to her too. She sent us photo’s regularly although we only received them once back in the land of the living 😉 It was comforting and heartwarming to know everyone was enjoying themselves. Unfortunately Alexis will not be available to house sit for us again as she returns back to her home country-The USA. SO the process starts all over again….

Oscar has no problem staying at home to look after things while we go away... — Oscar has no problem staying at home to look after things while we go away…

Here are my top tips for finding the perfect house sitter:

Ask questions- Write down a list of everything you want to know from the potential house sitter and don’t be afraid to ask what you really want to know. After all this person will be sleeping in your home and looking after your most precious beings-your furry loves! Try and get to know the person as well as you can in the time you have available. See how they react and respond to your questions. If something doesn’t sit well with you, move onto the next person ASAP! Always trust your gut…

Oscar is allowed to sleep on the couch if he feels like it. Let your house sitter know this information.

Let them know- Always let the potential house sitter know what it is you expect from them. Explain how things usually work in your home, for example, Valentine and Duchess expect their breakfast at around 8am every morning and dinner time is around 6pm (depending on what time the sun goes down). Oscar is less demanding when it comes to his meals, however he has 2 homemade bedtime treats every single night. Explain the smallest detail and expect it to be carried out. The idea of a house sitter is to keep your fur babies as undisturbed as possible, so the house sitter needs to slot in and take your place for a few days.

Valentine and Duchess expect their meals at certain times of the day.

Type it out- I always type and print out everything that was said while showing the house sitter around. It is a lot of information to process and to ensure mistakes don’t happen it is best to give them something typed out. To you it may seem simple and obvious, but you do it every single day without even thinking about it. To someone new there could be an overwhelming list of things to do. We are not perfect and having a typed out sheet makes the house sitters job a lot easier. I include photo’s too. It is a lot easier when you have a visual image to refer to. For example, how Oscar likes to be covered at night or how I plate Valentine and Duchess’ meals. The more information you provide, the better things will be.

Oscar likes to be covered in a certain way every night.

Prepare them a room- Just like having any other guest over, it is important to make sure they have a comfortable bed to sleep in and space to unpack. They need to feel welcome in your home. Add some flowers or leave a chocolate under their pillow, after all they are a very important guest!

Oscar and Valentine have a special 'bromance' going on! — Oscar and Valentine have a special ‘bromance’ going on!

Invite them for dinner- Sometimes this one is a bit tricky as time doesn’t allow it. But it is not a bad idea to invite your chosen house sitter round for dinner or even a cup of tea or coffee and have a friendly casual catch up. Notice how your fur babies respond to them and how they interact with your fur babies! Let your babies get used to this person before they suddenly have to share their home with them.

Thank them- Make sure your house sitter knows exactly how much you appreciate them helping you out. After all, without them you wouldn’t be going on an amazing holiday! Leave a special treat for them to enjoy and buy some of their favourite foods. The more you appreciate them, the better they will look after your home and fur babies.

Having peace of mind knowing everything is absolutely fine at home and your fur babies are being looked after allows you to enjoy your holiday that much more.

Thank you for reading.