I have been around cats and dogs for as long as I can remember. Our pets have always been members of the family and have all been spoiled rotten. Personally, I have personally had a dog and a cat (Sparky and Chestnut), who I loved very much. They have both passed away, unfortunately, but I have wonderful memories of them. I am not ready or willing to own another cat or dog currently, because none can replace my previous ones in my heart. That being said, I love taking care of other people's pets and spending time with them! I am happy to take care of whatever duties each pet needs, and I spend several hours per day hanging out with them. I want their vacation/home-away-from-home to be as wonderful of an experience as they are accustomed to having with their own family. I have experience with taking medical care of a dog post-surgery, as well. Our family's senior German Shepherd had emergency surgery on his stomach, and I was the only family member who could stay at home to take care of him 24/7 for 3 weeks. I am comfortable giving medication (tablet or liquid) orally, applying creme/spray on hot spots, cleaning up the occasional accidents. I stayed with him all day and slept by him at night, and I consider myself experienced with understanding and responding to their emotional and physical actions.