Amy P.
Buda, TX
Services
Amy can care for
Availability
This is my primary gig. I will most likely be working part-time in education come fall requiring daytime hours between 9 and 2 Monday through Friday.
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About Amy P.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
Drop-ins are my usual, but house sitting is sometimes a better idea. Especially if there are a variety of pets, if the family is used to being at the house, and if the pets have some anxiety, and if the pets can be unpredictable on their own or with one another. Can they be trusted with matches, for instance? Kidding. But this is the kind of thing I mean; sometimes we don’t know what our pets are capable of when alone for extended periods of time. I once sat for a family who had dogs and cats together and all was good except when they went away on a long trip, one of the cats got stressed and one of the pups got triggered and instantly began to view the cats as a threat to them. Fortunately, I was there to see what happened and separated everyone and a potential calamity was avoided; unfortunately, they had to remain separated even upon the families return. But these are the things that run through my mind: the random unpredictable things that we need to ponder the possible reality of when determining how many drop-ins and whether house sitting is a smarter idea.
Information Amy P. would like to know about your pet
I've cared for blind dogs and cats, sight- and hearing-impaired dogs and cats, dogs/cats with significant mobility issues, diabetic cats/dogs, and cats/dogs with severe anxiety and those who experienced trauma. I’ve assisted stumbling-prone huskies around the yard in a sling, have spent hours in defensive postures to help a formerly-abused dog through his (new) families absence, carried an extreme-senior cat through his backyard to show him see the sights and sounds that bring him joy, put Karo syrup on a cat’s gums when their diabetes had suddenly gone into remission (look it up!; its a thing) and played with a cat who’d had his eyes removed because of calici but played like they were still there. A good quality of life is a choice and relies on an awareness, a commitment and a plan all of which I offer without hesitation.
A typical day
Dogs really need to get their wiggles out and we could try fetch/"throw," hide and seek, tug of war, enrichment games (floating/bobbing for treats in plastic pool, etc) but generally walks around their neighborhood or at a park allows them to be stimulated via sights, sounds and smells that would help them better navigate the experience of being at home alone. Cats: anyone who says cats are aloof or hard to figure out haven’t understood the assignment. Cats are aloof if you believe they’re aloof; cats are a mystery if you don’t realize you’re the problem, it’s you. Cats will wait patiently as they assess if you’re interested in what they have to “say” and, if you miss the cues, they will walk off. I have had great friendships with cats, knowing that even if they are introverts or just temporarily nervous and stress, I’m confident that they will open up over time and, however long that takes, I’ll be there every step of the way. Then, henceforth, we’ll spend our time playing with wand toys under tissue paper or with balls thrown up stairs or watching Paul Dinning videos or gossiping about the birds at their outside feeder, or getting a good brushing, having food delivered to their heated bed, laying in the sun,…. Dogs and cats together: I apologize for this reality but usually in a dog and cat home, dogs get more attention. And that is because they need more attention; dogs have companionship in their DNA, humans bred them to be obedient and dependent on humans, and so be it. I am intent to give the kitties their time in the sun though and will actually keep track of how much time the dogs have gotten and how much the cats have gotten so that the cats also get dedicated quality time. That way they know I’m interested and, over time, we can get a great play or petting or adoration session in the shorter span of time we have.
Location
Buda, TX
Pets
Full-Time Pet Sitter of 10 Years
Pet care experience
I jokingly say that my goal is to help every pet get to “full diva” during sits. If you’ve ever seen a dog refuse a chuck-it ball covered in dirt or seen a cat stonily meet your eyes when you’ve put down the health-food treats then you’ve witnessed the moments which tell us how to pamper and baptize a diva, and for me, those moments are what tells pets that I have the time, the empathy and the motivation to be fully present to hear their story. Beyond just witnessing and observing, full diva goes into the gentle parts of existence, like sitting down on the grass with the expectant dog to clean off the ball with a wet paper towel and making a show of putting a small dot of favorite wet food onto a health food treat. These are the things I can offer to create trust and sensitivity; that rewires neurons. For our pets aren’t “just pets” after all: they are the family that tends our happiness. There is no such thing as “diva” when you consider they are (essentially) medicine snd healing. I’ve been a full-time pet sitter of 10 years for my own Salt Lake City business—been in business 15 years total—and just relocated to TX. I am reliable, conscientious, joyful, observant, and the hardest, most dedicated sitter you will meet and—above all—am attuned to the language of animals. And none of this you’ll have to take on faith because you’ll get (probably too many) videos of our visits to see for yourself. I often feel guilty sending so many videos, knowing that most folks are busy having their vacation or business trip when I’m watching their pets and probably too polite to say it’s too much. I’ve been through every experience with pet sitting you can imagine. I have seen a very old cat who stopped eating rebound; a Christmas Day (2016) where I worked 20 hours during the biggest snowstorm ever; I have found a cat a pet parent lost; I volunteered to pay for a dog to get her nails trimmed when the pet parent couldn’t; raced up hills and rigged shoelaces to catch two headstrong mini-Aussies after a break-in led to their escape; have talked to owners about their pet’s health and when it was “time”, and cried with them when it was. Events like these don’t necessarily make someone a good sitter but how they’re handled does, and I’m proud to be that sitter that everyone can trust to go the extra mile to face situations as if the animals in my care are the most important thing in my life. I’m happy to extend a caring and concern about your pet equal to what you have because that’s the world I’ve lived in for 15 years.
Cat care experience
Amy also cares for cats. Learn about their cat-specific care experience.
Reviews
Amazing care and attention to detail. Almost felt like I never left home with all the pictures and videos and attentive care. Definitely recommended for anyone that needs their fur babies taken care of.
Amy is Such a Great Petsitter I cant say enough about her! She took great notes and asked a lot of questions. She sent cute videos & even played with the cats. (Which is unusual unfortunately!) My house was clean & vacuumed upon my return! I felt a little bad when I got back, all 5 acted like they didn’t really miss me… which is what you want when choosing pet care! She also has a sense of humor. One of the first things I said to her was “oh, you’re a grown-up.” She responded “Why yes, thank you for noticing” 😂 if you don’t want to worry, and you’re looking for a grown-up, I highly recommend Amy!
Amy was wonderful! She took great care of my kitties and sent us lots of photos and videos, which we loved. She was very thorough with Tofu’s medication, friendly, polite, and great at communicating. We felt very comfortable knowing our kitties were in good hands. We’d definitely book Amy again!
We absolutely love Amy and the care she gave our 4 kitties—we loved her so much we utilized her pet sitting services for 6+ years! She is responsible and timely and sends the most adorable videos of the fur babies. I never worried when our kitties were in her care! The only reason we can’t continue to use her pet sitting is because she moved to a different state! The pets she watches in her new state are in for a treat! I can’t say enough good things about Amy, 10/10, would definitely recommend her services!
About Amy P.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
Drop-ins are my usual, but house sitting is sometimes a better idea. Especially if there are a variety of pets, if the family is used to being at the house, and if the pets have some anxiety, and if the pets can be unpredictable on their own or with one another. Can they be trusted with matches, for instance? Kidding. But this is the kind of thing I mean; sometimes we don’t know what our pets are capable of when alone for extended periods of time. I once sat for a family who had dogs and cats together and all was good except when they went away on a long trip, one of the cats got stressed and one of the pups got triggered and instantly began to view the cats as a threat to them. Fortunately, I was there to see what happened and separated everyone and a potential calamity was avoided; unfortunately, they had to remain separated even upon the families return. But these are the things that run through my mind: the random unpredictable things that we need to ponder the possible reality of when determining how many drop-ins and whether house sitting is a smarter idea.
Information Amy P. would like to know about your pet
I've cared for blind dogs and cats, sight- and hearing-impaired dogs and cats, dogs/cats with significant mobility issues, diabetic cats/dogs, and cats/dogs with severe anxiety and those who experienced trauma. I’ve assisted stumbling-prone huskies around the yard in a sling, have spent hours in defensive postures to help a formerly-abused dog through his (new) families absence, carried an extreme-senior cat through his backyard to show him see the sights and sounds that bring him joy, put Karo syrup on a cat’s gums when their diabetes had suddenly gone into remission (look it up!; its a thing) and played with a cat who’d had his eyes removed because of calici but played like they were still there. A good quality of life is a choice and relies on an awareness, a commitment and a plan all of which I offer without hesitation.
A typical day
Dogs really need to get their wiggles out and we could try fetch/"throw," hide and seek, tug of war, enrichment games (floating/bobbing for treats in plastic pool, etc) but generally walks around their neighborhood or at a park allows them to be stimulated via sights, sounds and smells that would help them better navigate the experience of being at home alone. Cats: anyone who says cats are aloof or hard to figure out haven’t understood the assignment. Cats are aloof if you believe they’re aloof; cats are a mystery if you don’t realize you’re the problem, it’s you. Cats will wait patiently as they assess if you’re interested in what they have to “say” and, if you miss the cues, they will walk off. I have had great friendships with cats, knowing that even if they are introverts or just temporarily nervous and stress, I’m confident that they will open up over time and, however long that takes, I’ll be there every step of the way. Then, henceforth, we’ll spend our time playing with wand toys under tissue paper or with balls thrown up stairs or watching Paul Dinning videos or gossiping about the birds at their outside feeder, or getting a good brushing, having food delivered to their heated bed, laying in the sun,…. Dogs and cats together: I apologize for this reality but usually in a dog and cat home, dogs get more attention. And that is because they need more attention; dogs have companionship in their DNA, humans bred them to be obedient and dependent on humans, and so be it. I am intent to give the kitties their time in the sun though and will actually keep track of how much time the dogs have gotten and how much the cats have gotten so that the cats also get dedicated quality time. That way they know I’m interested and, over time, we can get a great play or petting or adoration session in the shorter span of time we have.
Amy P.
Buda, TX