House-Sitting/Other People's Animals

[Taco]

It's that time of the month again! ...wait, that doesn't sound right... anyhoo. It's time for me to make one of my patented GC threads that everybody loves! Right?! ...maybe. This post is long, so I've highlighted some of the ...highlights, for those with ADD.

Anyhoo, this weekend, I was in Beaverton, housesitting for my brother and his wife. They have three animals; a chihuahua named Zoee, a miniature greyhound named Izzabella, and a cat named Todd. So yes; two metrosexual dogs (as termed by my brother and his friend. Because those are the kinds of dogs metrosexuals would own, or something. La la la...) They live in a town house, with a garage, a living room/kitchen area above that, and a hall way with bedrooms and such above that. It was kinda cool, because they get a lot more channels than we do, and I got to eat whatever I wanted. However, I was kinda stranded there, with no car, and a vague understanding of where things were around me.

I had some access to the internet for a little while, via their laptop, but in the first night, the cat knocked it off the counter it was on, and the thing that plugged the power adapter in the computer broke, and its battery shortly died thereafter. That cat is a little bastard; one minute, he's growling at me for being relatively near him, and the next minute, he's meowing and wanting me to pet him. Of the dogs, Zoee is like The Brain, and Izzabella is like Pinky. Kind of. (Zoee isn't really that smart. Although as a puppy, she would know when my brother was going to leave, and she'd sit on his suit case, and when he'd hold her, she'd look the other way.)

In any case, one of the two pooped on carpet twice while I was there. Once at the door of the garage (I guess Zoee will do that, if she scratches at that door and you don't hear her.) The second time, I had been sleeping on the couch, and the dogs started to mildly bark for some reason. I walked into the bathroom to spit or something, when my toes squished some poop. Yay. Some was on the pee pad in there, and some was on the carpet thingy next to it (the latter being what I stepped in.) The cat also used the pee pads, for some reason.

That's one housesitting story. Earlier this year, I also house sat for a friend of my brother's, here in town. Once again, it was primarily to watch an animal. This one was a black dog of an unkown variety to me, named Bridgette. She is freaking hyperactive. I love her; she's really cute. I'd go there for about an hour a day, get the mail, take her for a walk, feed her, then sit around for a little while and watch TV (he doesn't have cable, though.)

He also said I could do whatever I wanted with the house, but I didn't really take advantage of that; me and my friends had accountability group there one day, though. My friends commented on the stacks of Play Boys in his house. One my friends even went so far as to take the stack of play boys out of the bathroom while he went. I just thought to myself, "okay...? That's kind of an unnecessary gesture. It's not like the guy's here to be ashamed of himself, and just because they're in there, doesn't mean you're automatically going to look at them." Anyhoo, the dog had this ball she always wanted people to throw for her. My friend pretended to throw it, then hid it behind his back. She looked everywhere for it; behind things, on the table, in the kitchen, in all the bedrooms, etc. My friend commented that she was really smart, yet really stupid at the same time. Heh.

Anyhoo, there was yet another time I house sat, but I think it just involved watering some plants and getting the paper. Also, I had to share my pay with my sister, because she got me the job. Although she never actually went with me... My mom did, though. That's kind of a "WTF, Mate?" thing, eh?

Anyhoo, anybody have any housesitting stories? Or, maybe. stories of taking care of other people's animals? If so, feel free to post.

Wuv, Yer Mom

[Crazy Chocobo]

We have had to housesit a dog that my Dad's friend decided to leave here while he travelled Australia. Her name was Cherry and she was a.. I'm not sure what type of dog she was but she was rather small lol. She was annoying at times because she would bark randomly, and at night when I was trying to sleep. Me yelling at her through the window wouldn't help so I turned my television on to try and cover up the noise.

She was very playful for a fifteen year old dog. Yes, she was very old. She would run around and yap like a puppy. It was pretty cute to see actually. She got on well with our other dogs which was rather surprising. Some of them got jealous but ah well, they got over it. I think she became a part of their gang after a while lol. She had stayed with us for a few times. She passed away a couple of years ago, she was sixteen years of age. Well, in dog years that would have been.. *gets out her calculator* 112? That's old! She had a long, happy life and so that's all that counts.

She originally came from cruel owners, they treated her horribly so Graham (my Dad's friend) got her and treated her the way she should have been treated from the beginning.

We have to housesit my brother and sister in law's dog in a couple of weeks. Her name is Chilli and she is a Chihuahua. She's insane lol. She comes over to our house randomly to see if she can have any food. My brother and sister in law live next door to us so it's easy for her to get here. She sits at the gate and waits for someone to give her some food. We have to keep her here for... up to two weeks I think, while my brother, sister in law and two nephews go on vacation. She won't ever want to leave LOL. She's a cool dog so it should be awesome. Hopefully she won't turn into a blimp!

[elly_girl]

once i had to sit for this scottish wildcat.it was crazy,i mean i was bullied by it. it even had a lair,its so crazy i got a scar on my face from it.

[Chez Daja]

I've never had to do this.

Why? I have no friends in my area with pets. Also, there is the fact I do not like any domestic animals apart from cats. Dogs all hate me, the feeling is kinda mutual, especially when you hate one biting the crpa out of your ankle and your trying to kick it the hell off.

I know somebody who house-sat an animal once. He said it was a nasty experience and also advised me never to try it.

I suppose this post does not have much relevence. I just thought I'd say I have a friend who...eh... ._.

[Tiffany]

I've watched my friends Chihuahua on occasion.

Problem being is that her Chi does NOT like other animals. At the time, I had 2 cats and my dog. All she did was curl up at the very back corner of the couch and literally snarl and and bark at anything that went near her... including me.

lol! So I basically left her on her own and that was that. My dog was going crazy though, wanted to play with his new friend!

[Shadow Of Darkness]

I've got a turtle(im from Croatia so i don't know english very well)

[KuroTenshi]

A couple of weekends ago I had to look after 4 puppies and the mother for the weekend. They wernt potty trained. I DONT KNOW HOW ANYONE COULD DO IT FOR OVER A WEEK! Seriously.
Every hour going out wasnt enough for the things to pee on the floor and to poop on the floor too. By the end of the horrible two days the kitchen smelt really gross and the floor and nearly everything else had to be sanitized.
NEVER AGAIN.

I have never house sat or anything, but I had watched my friends dog. well actually she was supposed to be watching the dog, but when the owner went off to where ever she went off to, she would bring the dog to me.

Now I had a German Sherpherd Named Kyla. she was half Husky too, but you would never know that if you saw her. She was a very very well trained animal. How do I know? Because I am the one that trained her. She never got into trouble after she went through her puppy years. So she was pretty well behaved.

Well the dog I had to petsit (lets call it MUTT)was a small dog that looked like a Jack Russel Terrier. An it acted like it too. the parents of the dog didn't ever feel like training it I guess. So the dog descides it can "GO" anywhere in my apartment. an keep in mind that it is an apartment an any damages that happen are my responsibility. Well not only that, the dumb animal chewed thew a library book.

Now call this mean if you will, but I also had a cat. He was an orange tabby named Joker, and he was the smartest little Asshole in the book. he would literally take my stuff if he was pissed off an hide it under anything he could. We are talking lip-stick, folders, nail polish, and a many other assortment of things that you would think a cat would not purposly knock off the counter to steal an hide. An if he was really pissed he would taunt My dog to follow him an than kock something off a counter for my dog to chew on.

So this little unwanted dog was pissing me off. His punishment was he was going to meet my little kitty. So I locked him in the room with my cat for awhile. Came out an that mutt never ****ing shit in that room again. He didn't get hurt, but Joker(my cat) scared the hell out of him. Funny cat that one.

On the day of our move my landlord had the nerve to come up to me an tell me my darling Kyla (GS) had torn up my apt an I owed her money. Well I pointed my finger at that mutt, and told my landlord to **** off. Good choice I think.

Now to keep that little mutts good behaior going I had to trained Kyla to watch over the mutt. So anytime she tried to chew anything, eat anything bad, or piss on my carpet my dog was there nipping at her ass. They had good fun together though. Only one time was it a bad idea. The mutt descided to pick up a BBQ screen. I told Kyla to get it. She did, and the mutt made the mistake of trying to bite her. So Kyla bit the hell out of her nose, and she quickly learned her lesson. The mutt had a slight cut, but being that my dog was a GS that was the least that she could of done to that mutt. she learned though. an became a tolerably trained dog. No thanks to her parents, but I will think twice before I pet sit again. An not without my dog.