my family rescued our first (adult) cat off the streets when i was in 5th grade, and i’ve been dedicated to helping cats (and other animals) as much as possible since then. two of our cats were brothers (one of them passed away at age 12 in 2022 + the other we had to put down at age 15 in july 2025) — we rescued them right before they were about to put them to sleep because no one was taking them when they were less than a year old — i was in 7th/8th grade. the other two were a mother and kitten daughter, i was a sophomore in high school. my current + only cat is 4 years old, my manager’s cousin was looking to give her kitten away because she didn’t have time to take care of her, and at the time i still had one of the brothers who was very lonely, so i took her in at the end of 2022. because i have experienced having 3 females and 2 males in the same household for 4-5 years, i understand the importance of measures needed to be taken to introduce new pets, keeping peace, and how to break up fights before they start or as they start. i’ve had cats who have dealt with/have helped them out with the following: having cancer, giving birth, stage four kidney disease, feline aids, ear infections/ear mites, saddle thrombus, open wounds, eye colds, some sicknesses, soothing distressed animals, giving baths, brushing teeth, cleaning litter boxes, playtime, distracting cats, feeding them, cuddling, minimal/medium level grooming, cats going through heat (the mother & daughter both weren’t neutered for a bit - some of my old stuffed animals will never be the same) and many more things. my sister has a cattle herding dog that i’ve babysat whenever she comes into town - many times when he was a puppy — so in terms of dogs, my experience is: dealing with teething, playtime, going on walks/picking up any poop, taking him out for bathroom breaks, feeding, training (with instructions given by owner), soothing anxious dogs, dogs that jump, anxious barking/anxious energy, puppies with separation anxiety, distracting dogs, cuddling, and minimal grooming. i am happy to bring your pet to and from vet appointments, as long as the location is within a 10-15 mile radius and they are relatively easy to get into their carrier. i can take care of dogs/puppies, cats/kittens, reptiles, hamsters, chinchillas — basically any animal aside from snakes and spiders, i’m happy to take care of! i have an enormous amount of love for animals and although they are very smart + capable, i feel a personal responsibility to help them and care for them, especially when they can’t do it themselves. listening to animals and their verbal/physical cues, along with noticing and respecting the boundaries they have, is so important. i’ve also: helped friends walk their dogs, feed them, soothe them, distract them, and bathe them. i also have experience with taking injured birds into wildlife conservatories. i do not have experience with taking care of senior dogs, but i do have experience with taking care of senior cats. as of 2025, i have experienced dealing with the death of four of our cats (we had to give the fourth one away after a few years - we couldn't afford to have her neutered, and we decided it would be better for her well being if she was able to have owners who could do that for her), so it's given me an immense understanding of how important it is to give pets all the love, affection, care, keeping them safe, keeping them healthy, etc needed. Although, I am sad that we're down to just one cat now, who I love very much, being able to take care of other cats helps keep life from feeling too empty, and gives me a chance to continue giving my love to animals.