We are blessed beyond measure to have the best house-sitter/pet-sitter in town! She has become a "stepmom" to our calico cat, Callie Marie.
We met Karen several years ago when we first moved south. At that time we were active "snowbirds" and would leave for several weeks at a time, particularly during the summer. We seldom wanted to travel north in the cold months and expose ourselves to bone-chilling ice and snow. One year we went for Christmas and got iced in. We were both sick when we finally arrived home.
These days we spend most of our time here where it is warm and sunny. When we do travel, we know that our house is in good hands and so is Callie Marie. Callie loves Karen and we can tell how much Karen loves Callie in return. Callie gets anxious when she sees us pull out the luggage and start piling things on the spare room bed. She knows the drill. Karen is great at soothing her with comforting words and touch.
Our somewhat temperamental feline even lets her stepmom massage a daily dose of thyroid cream onto the inside of her ear. Karen especially makes points with Callie when she follows this up by feeding her a favorite salmon-flavored treat. She even lets Karen groom her and only bristles when the brush gets too close to her tail.
When Karen house- and Callie-sits, she takes care of all the routine details for us, like getting the mail, putting out the trash and keeping my plants watered. She even cleans up Callie's hairballs! We understand from Karen that a dip in the pool sometimes refreshes her (Karen - not Callie)when the day ends. Callie won't even go near the pool when someone is swimming, ever since Paul splashed her with a noodle.
When we travel, it's reassuring to know our house is well cared for. It's also a real comfort to know our precious calico is, too. Thanks, Karen!
©2013 Laura Allen Nonemaker All Rights Reserved