Big news in the pet care world! President-elect Barack Obama has announced that his family has narrowed down the choices for their new pet. The two options? A labradoodle or a Portuguese water dog.
(more…)

The first week of November is National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week. Since you love caring for animals, why not take a moment to show your local animal shelter how much you appreciate all they do as well.
(more…)

Cute Overload has a a great blog post running right now, featuring the 7 Types of Pet Costumes just in time for Halloween. We’re sure you’re already aware that several animal rights groups warn against dressing up your pet, so proceed with caution if this is something you’re going to do…

7 TYPES OF PET COSTUMES
Pulled directly from Cute Overload

1. The Famous Human Costume

The Good: You always have to explain it. “He has a mini mohawk! He’s Mr. T., SEE!?”
The Bad: Your pet still hates you if you don’t step it up to make it recognizable.

Exhibit A: Mr. T:

And a well-crafted Martha:

2. The Cutesy Hurl-a-Thon

The Good: You’ll get a lot of “Aw, he looks adorable!” from other insane people.
The Bad: Anne Geddes will come after you with enormous hedge clippers.

Behold Bunny in a Lettuce Cup:

3. The Non Sequitur Costume

The Good: Often very well-crafted. Drugs and/or heavy wine use is almost always associated with each costume idea.
The Bad: Lots of WTF?…OK! reactions.

The “BoomBox”:

The “Mix Tape”:

The “Buttered Pupcorn”:

The “Rice Krispy Treat”:

The “Ham”:

The “Metro Line”!?!?!?!

4. The “I Had it Lying Around” Costume

The Good: You finally clean up the house.
The Bad: Your cat continues to hate you.

There’s the Boxed Wine Kitteh Leaf Thing:

And Aluminum Foil/Rubber Band Turtle ‘Jaws’

5. The “My-pet-is-going-to-kill me-but-I’m-doing-it-anyway” Costume

The Good: Target Dog Costume Sales reach all-time high thanks to you.
The Bad: Your pet kills you.

Nah, don’t take the tag off. What’s the point?

5. Build on Your Strengths Costume

The Good: A costume that takes advantage of and accentuates a particular pet attribute.
The Bad: Your pet’s “attribute” is on display (the fact he looks like a pimp cannot be helpful).

Behold the Golden Retriever Lion:

The Built-in Ewok Face:

The Fish in a Bowl that Happens to look like a Jack-o-Lantern:

The Cow-Spotted terrier:

The Suave Hedge:

The Built-in Wetsuit:

And the Dog that Happens to Look like a Pimp:

6. The Epic Transformation Costume

The Good: The pinnacle of a great costume — creative! imaginative! inspiring! Transforming!
The Bad: Everyone else instantly feels like crap when they see your genius.

Behold…Elvis:

The Jumbo Dachshund Dog:

The Wizard of Oz:

The Croc Versus Pup:

The Fast Food Gang [Making gang doughnut symbol with hand]:

The Thanksgiving Turkey Decision: (That thought bubble is actually part of the costume):

And, our current favorite, the Headless Horseman:

7. The Just Plain Wrong Costume

Don’t worry if costume types 1 through 6 don’t encourage you. There is always type 7; just plain wrong. When in doubt, you can always create fake cleavage for your Boxer.

Have you seen this YouTube video yet? It is the cutest thing EVER. A soldier returned from Iraq, walked into his home and was greeted by two very, very excited pups. Words can’t describe — just watch.
(more…)

The UK section of SkyNews has an interesting feature on the top 10 most destructive dog breeds, according to a survey they ran among 3,000 dog owners. Large or small, there’s quite a variety of cute and clumsy culprits on the list. Take a look and let us know what you think.
(more…)

One of our staffers has a Vizsla who is absolutely terrified of storms. She can sense it before the sky changes and she trembles until she can get to her “safe place” in a corner behind the couch. We know that plenty of other dogs share this terror, and we’ve just heard about a simple solution to alleviate some of that anxiety.
(more…)

When you’ve been in petsitting for a while, it’s almost a little too easy to fall into a routine with your clients. Stability is GREAT, but it’s also smart to do things to energize your clients and remind them of your services. That’s why it’s important to take full advantage of your “petsitting anniversary.”
(more…)

“Oh, he never comes when I call him. He’s just stupid.” “Why does he insist on chasing his tail? What a dumb dog.” Have you ever thought those things about a pooch before? Many people have, but one pet behavior specialist tells us that there’s no such thing as a truly stupid dog.
(more…)

Have you ever seen a bad dog walker before? Some dog walkers walk dogs in groups rather than individually, which can be tough to stay on top of if you’ve got several dogs pulling you in several directions. But what’s worse is when the dog walker doesn’t even care to stay on top of all those pups, as one blogger recently witnessed.
(more…)

We can honestly say that we’d never heard or even thought of this before! We all know about Feng Shui for humans, but “Fur Shui” for pets? Is their Chi really that out of wack? Yes, says one animal communicator who has written a book to help pet owners find balance through this nontraditional practice.
(more…)

This spring, we highlighted the inevitable controversy that was swirling around the rent-a-pet business, with FlexPetz at the center of the storm. It appears that bloggers aren’t the only folks appalled by the idea of doggy timesharing — lawmakers and activists have taken action against pet rental companies as well.
(more…)

We’ve written about some, uh, interesting grief management tactic from pet owners who have just lost a pet. First there was the couple who turned their dog into a sweater, then there was the cat owner who turned her black cat into a black ring. And now? Rather than go with inanimate memorabilia, one woman is opting for a very LIVE alternative: cloning.
(more…)

Many of the petsitters here on Sittercity are individuals who don’t necessarily have a petsitting “business,” in the traditional sense of the word. Yes, they are skilled sitters and professional care providers, but they don’t have a business name. Do you? If you’re thinking about turning your passion into a full-fledged petsitting business/company, here’s a reminder of why it’s important to choose your name carefully.
(more…)

We almost wrote “pet napping” up there, but who would really be worried about their furry friends catching a few Zzzz’s? No, this issue goes far beyond “napping” in the traditional sense. We mean pet stealing. Pet theft is on the rise right now, as slimy individuals try to cope with the economy by making a quick buck stealing and then selling those stolen pets.
(more…)

John McCain has two dogs, two turtles, a cat, a ferret, three parakeets and a tank full of fish. Barack Obama has no pets. According to a AP-Yahoo News poll, 42% of people who own pets think McCain is their man, compared to 37% who favor Obama. Among the petless, Obama is favored by a solid margin of 48 to 34%. Does pet ownership really influence voting?
(more…)

Who knew that pets had a preferred, uh, paw just as we have a dominant hand? It certainly never crossed OUR minds. But according to tests at the Institute for the Study of Animal Problems in Washington, DC, dogs and cats were actually shown to favor one paw over the other.

(more…)

Yep, you read that right. According to a recent study from the Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society at the University of Pennsylvania, the Dachshund is the breed MOST prone to aggression, closely followed by Chihuahuas.
(more…)

This insane cat project has been going on for quite a few years now, and the concept isn’t anything too crazy (though the results are!): Go to www.infinitecat.com and take a picture of your cat looking at the screen. Sure, seems simple enough. But the trick is that you have to take a picture of your cat looking at screen containing the picture of the last cat. Did we lose you? Maybe a few pictures will help.
(more…)

There was an article in the American Chronicle recently about a former kennel owner and her experience caring for two dogs while the owners were away — it was NOT a pleasant one. When pet owners forget to tell pet care providers about certain details, it can be trouble. Here’s one cautionary tale.
(more…)

You’ve probably heard that when dogs pant, it means they’re thirsty and you should shove the nearest bowl of water under their heads to quench that thirst. We’ve for sure done that, but what you may not know is that this isn’t always the real reason dogs pant.
(more…)

The weather is HOT, so this is an especially appropriate video of how one pup handles the heat. Apparently, the Chocolate Lab thought his family was gone for the day so he decided to have a little fun with the waterslide — and it was captured on tape. Check it out.
(more…)

With the Fourth of July just around the corner, it’s even more important to keep cats inside for the day. Not only can fireworks be terrifying, but, as much as we HATE to even type this, sadistic individuals have been known to use cats as a part of the light show. (Shudder.)
(more…)

According to an article in the Ft. Worth’s Start-Telegram, the petsitting industry has been relatively unaffected by the economical slump and rising gas prices we’re all battling. Interesting that most businesses are feeling the effect, but petsitting continues to grow…
(more…)

We always have our little pups in the office, Milo and Bruiser, but since last Friday was Take Your Dog to Work Day, we had our dog walkers take the day off so a few more of our furry friends could make an appearance! All in all, there were six dogs roaming around our loft — including three Puggles. Here are some of the photos from the big day.
(more…)

At Sittercity, every day is Take Your Dog to Work Day, but we’re happy to say that this Friday, June 20, is the day for all other companies to participate and bring their pooches to the office! We commend Pet Sitters International for leading this effort and sincerely appreciate all of the companies that will be opening their doors to dogs to celebrate what great companions they are.
(more…)

Hot weather = hot pets, but petsitters and pet owners still need to make sure pets get enough exercise in these warm months. Since it’s so important to keep Fido cool, here are a few cooling pet products we found.
(more…)

We often use the term “pet parents” around here, so this really shouldn’t come as a huge surprise… “Pupnups” are like prenups, as in prenuptial agreements, that focus on the custody of the pet in case of a divorce or break-up. Apparently, it’s becoming quite the trend.
(more…)

Does your pet have a long-lost sibling out there somewhere? Maybe you never thought about it, but one man certainly did. Keishin Tanaka created a social networking site for pets that goes beyond the basics of blogging, photo sharing and pet profiles.
(more…)

YES. Pets can absolutely get sunburned. Whether you and your pet are going on a walk through the neighborhood, hiking in the mountains, playing frisbee on the beach or just “sunbathing” in the windowsill, you need to be very careful to protect your pet from the sun.
(more…)

Were you born after 1979? Then Bella, a Labrador cross, is probably older than you. Bella was adopted in 1982 when she was about 3 years old, which makes her the world’s oldest living dog — and possibly the oldest dog EVER.
(more…)