forget the pettsitters! yikes!

[funnyfelines]

well so much for the "professional" petsitters...I have found a neighbor or 2 that I can have check on the cats, and I will not be gone 4 days...2, 3 at the most. I have decided to come home earlier. I can't stand the thought of 4 days away from them and them all alone.

I had called 6 pettsitting companies. 2 were out of business. one never returned the 2 calls I made to them. I might have mentioned some of this in my first pettsitting thread, but anyway..
the 4th thought too much of herself, she said that she requires a 50% deposit when she comes out to meet with the client. I said, well I have not decided, this is just an interview. she said well didnt you call my references? I said no, not til after I meet you(why should I bother with that til I know if I even like her?) so she called back a week or two later and asked how it was going, I told her I am still deciding, and then I told her if I can't interview her and a possible replacement sitter(in case shes sick) then I will have to find another company.she agreed to my terms and said she would call that night to make the appt. she never did, so she's out as far as I'm concerned. sheesh, her ego! can you imagine her at a job interview?..."so when do I start? (whos says you do?)" well I gave refs!"

I guess I was just suposed to hire her no questions asked?
then, the 4th sitter, shows up one week early, July 7th instead of the 14th. but I met her and today was suposed to meet her "backup sitter" she just called and asked if she could reschedule til tomoorw morning. fine no big deal. but I asked to make sure, will she be bringing the backup sitter, and she says, well she is actually going to be out of town that weekend. I said well then it won't do me much good to meet her, who would be the replacement sitter? oh she has a lady that will cover things in case shes sick. ok she will bring her along. ( and what do you want to bet that lady would not be able to show up for some reason?

and just now when I called to tell her I had decided to cancel the whole thing, she said ok and hung up. boy I am soooo glad I did not trust her with my cats! no courtesy or common sense and no professionalism at all then there was the one that I didn't feel right about at all when I met her. am I asking too much? I just want someone that will be professional and reliable, and I did not get that feeling from them.
actually there was one company, and I think they are ok, but the actual sitter is just 19, did not show alot of enthusiam toward my cats, and I just don't have the right feeling about it. but I do feel right about the neighbor. I trust her, mostly, I think. she is gone for 2 weeks but will meet my cats when she comes back, and by that time it will be just 2 weeks til I leave so time is running out. I just worry that, oh what if one days she is not feeling well and does not come by?(shes older and gets tired) I really don't think she would do that, though. she is very fond of animals. and she walks her dog every day, I just worry that she would bring her dog into my home...and she smokes,

here is the real problem, any advice on how I could ask her to not smoke in my house? one, I don't like the idea of the smoke but I really worry about , if she should not put the cigarette out completley and ther is a fire,a nd before you call me paranoid, this has happend to me before..

and none of them had the refs ready with them. I feel that if you are professional and going to talk to a possible client, you should have your refs on paper and bring it to the interview. is that wrong? I don't like them calling me later and giving me names and numnbers willy nilly, and sayingoh no, nevermind that one(??) heres one. don't you think they should have 4 or 5 and have them printed up?

this is so hard to leave my kitties, am I over reacting?

[Mona]

No not at all. I went through the same thing, and gave up, but a friend offered to do it for me!! She has a cat too!

SHe came in twice a day and I called her for updates!! I felt relieved to have her there, she really cared.

Mona, HOneybun and Little Chloe

[funnyfelines]

yeah, you know, that's how I feel, I was so relieved when I just decided to not use them! but, I am still a little nervous about some things.
at least I do feel I can trust this person. I don't know why, I really just met her, but I just have a better feeling.

[Tina B and crew]

It is a difficult situation isn't it. If I lived close I'd petsit for you I have one person I petsit for and couldn't imagine acting the way you said these so called professionals do!! I visit my clients home twice a day to feed, clean litterboxes and the dogs paper, give meds if needed and play with the animals. I call my client at each visit so she knows I am there and knows if anything goes wrong with the animals. I couldn't imagine handling it any other way! I too am leary of trusting anyone with my pets...I hope it all works out for you.