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Some gladly would trade their office job for a gig watching pets all day. Bartlett resident Laura Parkin did, and she said she will never regret her decision.
Parkin turned her passion into her career by starting a pet-sitting business — Bartlett Pet Sitting Services — at the beginning of this year. Building clients by the day, she now is known as Bartlett’s pet sitter extraordinare.
Q: What drew you to this type of work?
A: As I grew up in Bartlett, we always had animals who were a part of our family. Since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to work with animals. The thought of being a veterinarian had crossed my mind. The problem was I wanted to get to know them, to interact with them and not just get to see them when they were sick. I was first introduced into the pet-sitting world right after high school, and it was like a dream come true. A friend of mine had a sister who had her own pet-sitting business. I was looking for a job, and I started working for her. She trained me, and eventually, I also became her office manager and learned the business side of it. I was inspired by the fact that she had started her business from scratch.
Q: Why did you decide to start your own business?
A: There’s a nurturing spirit in me that makes me feel really rewarded, even inspired, to take care of our loyal companions. Pet sitting allows me to meet many caring and interesting people. I wanted to make pet sitting my career, to make my own decisions and be independent. I like making my own hours and being very organized in how I set up my business. With five years of experience under my belt, I joined Pet Sitters International, became insured and bonded and set up my own business. My Web site — Bartlettpetsitting.com — immediately brought me clients, and my business has been growing ever since.
Q: What does a pet sitter do?
A: The most important thing a pet sitter does is give tender, loving care and companionship to a client’s best friend, who can become very distressed when left alone and is so dependent on us for care. Being a pet owner myself, I understand how much love one shares with our loyal companions and how much they are a part of our families. Of course, this also includes taking care of their basic needs such as fresh food and water, giving them vitamins and medications, walking them, cleaning their litter box or whatever else is required. I am certified in pet first aid by the American Red Cross in case of an emergency. Additionally, I take care of a client’s home because I pick up the mail and newspaper, bring the garbage can to the curb, water the plants, change blinds and lights and generally make it look like someone is there.
Some gladly would trade their office job for a gig watching pets all day. Bartlett resident Laura Parkin did, and she said she will never regret her decision.
Parkin turned her passion into her career by starting a pet-sitting business — Bartlett Pet Sitting Services — at the beginning of this year. Building clients by the day, she now is known as Bartlett’s pet sitter extraordinare.
Q: What drew you to this type of work?
A: As I grew up in Bartlett, we always had animals who were a part of our family. Since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to work with animals. The thought of being a veterinarian had crossed my mind. The problem was I wanted to get to know them, to interact with them and not just get to see them when they were sick. I was first introduced into the pet-sitting world right after high school, and it was like a dream come true. A friend of mine had a sister who had her own pet-sitting business. I was looking for a job, and I started working for her. She trained me, and eventually, I also became her office manager and learned the business side of it. I was inspired by the fact that she had started her business from scratch.
Q: Why did you decide to start your own business?
A: There’s a nurturing spirit in me that makes me feel really rewarded, even inspired, to take care of our loyal companions. Pet sitting allows me to meet many caring and interesting people. I wanted to make pet sitting my career, to make my own decisions and be independent. I like making my own hours and being very organized in how I set up my business. With five years of experience under my belt, I joined Pet Sitters International, became insured and bonded and set up my own business. My Web site — Bartlettpetsitting.com — immediately brought me clients, and my business has been growing ever since.
Q: What does a pet sitter do?
A: The most important thing a pet sitter does is give tender, loving care and companionship to a client’s best friend, who can become very distressed when left alone and is so dependent on us for care. Being a pet owner myself, I understand how much love one shares with our loyal companions and how much they are a part of our families. Of course, this also includes taking care of their basic needs such as fresh food and water, giving them vitamins and medications, walking them, cleaning their litter box or whatever else is required. I am certified in pet first aid by the American Red Cross in case of an emergency. Additionally, I take care of a client’s home because I pick up the mail and newspaper, bring the garbage can to the curb, water the plants, change blinds and lights and generally make it look like someone is there.
Q: What's your most unusual experience?
A: An owner told me that their cat didn’t like anyone touching his litter box, which was in a laundry room off the basement. Little did I know just how much. After I cleaned the litter box and went up the stairs to leave, the cat was waiting for me, perched on a ledge above the doorway. He seemed very angry and began hissing at me with claws extended and wouldn’t let me through. I went back down into the basement to find something to shoo the cat away from the door. I found a sprayer without a bottle, filled a bucket with water and shot water at the cat so I could make a safe getaway. When I returned for other visits, the cat was perfectly fine, and we treated each other with mutual respect. I did, however, bring my own spray bottle every time.
