For cat owners: how active is your cat, what is your definition of abnormal behavior to watch out for, do they enjoy catnip, do they drink out of the toilet bowl, do they like greeting new guests or will they stay hidden from me for the duration of my visit? For dog owners: how leash trained is the dog, do they need to be re-directed if another dog approaches, how many times do they go potty on a walk, is there any furniture they're not allowed on, what is their level of obedience training/how well do they listen to commands such as "down" "off" or "leave it"?

For cat drop-ins: I begin the stay by talking to myself/the cats as soon as I enter the house so no cats are startled by my sudden presence. I’ll play music and sing as I go around scooping litter, changing water bowls, sprinkling catnip around until feeding time. I try to play with the cats ahead of lunch/dinner to work up an appetite but if they’re shy and won’t come out I’ll just fill their bowls and give them their space. I also coat their favorite toys in catnip and then scatter them around the house for them to hunt, if that's something they enjoy. I also toss treats from room to room so they can hunt those too. I really enjoy brushing cats and getting their coats all silky smooth if your cat tolerates being groomed. For dog drop-ins: More or less the same as it is for cat sitting, I talk to myself and play music so we're not just sitting around an empty house all lonely. I like to stick to the dogs routine as much as possible so if you have a favorite dog park you like to visit I'll take them there otherwise I let your dog lead the way around the neighborhood until we loop back around. I'm not much of a rough-houser so my play is very tame, some tug of war or throwing a ball, maybe chasing them around the backyard if it's fenced in but I don't do wrestling. If your dog is a big bedtime snuggler that's great, I love to cuddle!