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My Pet Lover to Pet Professional Journey

Writer's picture: Petsitter JenPetsitter Jen

Updated: Jan 28


Reliable Pet Care with Furryornot Petcare, created by Fuzzy Face Media

Life is full of unexpected turns, cherished memories, and loss. My life has been shaped by my love for animals, starting as a young child in Manitoba to the owner of Furryornot Petcare in Abbotsford many decades later.


I have always been an animal person. I remember being obsessed with Koalas and doing a Science Fair display on them. I loved all kinds of different animals from turtles to elephants, watched nature programs, and cried about sad pet stories. I love bird watching too.


In this article, I will share my experiences with my own pets and why I launched Furryornot Petcare in 2011.


My First Cat


At just three years old, I was determined to have a cat. I fell in love with the adorable kittens at my Aunt’s place. After much pleading, my Dad finally gave in and we brought Sissy home.


Sissy was a wonderful cat. She tolerated me carrying her and trying to name her Fluffy for a brief period. She loved to eat peas from the garden and upset my mom when she dug in the plant pots in the living room. She liked to sit on my back when I watched TV. As a senior her health started to decline and she had terrible arthritis which caused her a lot of pain and affected her mobility. She was 17 years old then and I eventually decided it was time to let her go and took her to the Vet to be euthanized. It was a difficult decision but I knew it was necessary.


This is an old photo of me and Sissy. I have short hair and freckles. Sissy is a grey and white cat with green eyes. I am holding her and smiling.
Sissy and me way back when

Life without her was strange and lonely and I did not last long without a pet.


My First Dog


Within a few months, I decided to get a puppy. I was obsessed with black dogs due to my neighbour's dog Princess and some other dogs I had met so that was what I wanted. Not a great reason but I did not know any better. I saw an ad for some Shepherd cross puppies and I drove out to see them. There was one black puppy and the other two were brindles. Part of me wanted to get all 3 but since I was still living at home I did not think that would go over well. My mother wondered how big he would get and I did not explain. I figured it would be best as a surprise. I knew very little about puppies but I had lots of love to give. He enjoyed chewing on my best work shoes, a favourite shirt, the walls and the floor. A favourite hobby was digging up flowers and running through the freshly seeded garden (my parents were horrified). When he got bigger he enjoyed knocking people over when he greeted them. I loved him with all my heart and his nuttiness made me laugh.


When we moved out to Abbotsford he enjoyed walking the local trails, especially Fish Trap, McKay Creek, and Cascade Falls.


Clyde is a senior black dog with a red bandana. His mouth is open a bit. He has his harness on in the backseat of the car.
Clyde going for a car ride

Adding Hal to the Family


As Clyde got older I was wondering if I should get another pet. I was not sure if he would like that but I was also worried that he was lonely. I was undecided. But then I met a fluffy cat named Hal. His family had to move and rehome him, but it was not working out. My friend took him out of that situation but could not keep him long term so he needed a new home. So basically I went to lunch with a friend and returned with a cat.


It took some time but eventually Clyde accepted this cat was living with us and just did his best to move on with his usual routine. Hal wanted to be a dog when he grew up and would follow him around. The three of us had a nice life together, though it was not long enough.

Hal is a very fluffy grey cat and is laying down his green cat bed with his tummy fur sticking straight up and one foot is sticking out of the bed.
Hal enjoyed his naps.

Clyde passed away at age 14, which was a very difficult time for me. I was not sure how to live without a dog. Luckily Hal was there to help me and provided the companionship I needed to make it through. I could not have done it without him.


Finding Purpose in Petcare


Several aspects of my life gradually evolved into the foundation of my petcare business.


I volunteered for many years at the local zoo in Africa in 2011 and got a chance to work with different animals including monkeys, different species of birds, snakes, lizards, bunnies, and a few fun moments with the hippos, bears, big cats, and rhinos. And, my appreciation for many different animals grew and I learned a lot about animal care there.


With Clyde and Hal, we had relied on friends and coworkers for pet-sitting while I travelled. This arrangement worked well for a while. However, as life became busier and people moved away, it became harder to find someone to care for them. There were a couple of times when it was clear that they did not get proper care. It was very upsetting and I had to modify my travel plans and visits with family. That is when I learned about Professional Pet Sitters.


Then, I got a chance to work at a dog kennel on a casual basis. My co-worker and her husband owned a dog kennel in the area and knew how much I loved dogs. I was able to help out when they were away on vacation or at an event, and for the first time in my life, I enjoyed going to work.


The experience with unreliable pet care, volunteering, and working at the dog kennel inspired me to launch Furryornot Petcare in December 2011. My goal was to create a service that would help others avoid the uncertainty I faced while caring for my pets. This would also fill my personal need for dog friends and learning about animals.


I wanted to leverage my volunteer experience and make sure to include ALL animals in my business. Many pet sitters will specialize or are only comfortable with cats and dogs but I really enjoy meeting and learning about different animals so that was important for me to build into the business. In the last 13 years, as well as many cats and dogs, I have taken care of bunnies, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, mice, ferrets, lizards, frogs, turtles and tortoises, parrots, budgies, cockatiels, chickens, lovebirds, a finch, a pet pig, and goats. The ultimate dream is a llama, and a close second is a hedgehog. So give us a call asap if you need a llama or hedgehog sitter and live in Abbotsford or Mission!


It didn't stop there


Once I launched Furryornot Petcare the pet experiences just continued and I brought more pets home.


Ziggy was Next

Back in 2016, a client had rescued a stray cat and named him Ziggy (officially Ziggy Stardust) and I first met him when they went away. Unfortunately, they were not able to integrate him with the rest of the pets and were looking for a forever home for him. I decided to help and took him home. It took a while for Ziggy and Hal to integrate fully but once they did they got on pretty well. Mainly because Hal would let Ziggy steal his spot.


And, now Ziggy is our official Spokescat. He takes his role as representative seriously but is even more serious about peanut butter.


A cut out of Ziggy, a cream-coloured cat, with a speech bubble that says "Hello! I'm Ziggy, our Spokescat."
Ziggy is our Spokescat!

That same year a client was moving away and looking to rehome their hermit crabs and fish as it was too difficult to travel with the tanks. So, I took in Mr. Crab, Little Crab, and Mr Fish (a Beta). Providing for Hermit Crabs was a big learning curve for me. I did a lot of research to figure out what their optimal setup was and what they needed, I even made special food for them. It was fun becoming a Hermit Crab Mom.

Little Crab is her spotted shell on top of another empty cream-coloured shell.
Little Crab walking around her enclosure.

Then Bean

Bean joined us the following year. She was abandoned and left to fend for herself and a friend had been feeding her. However, my friend was moving away and was not able to take the cat with her so she asked me for help. I picked her up a few days before the move and she joined my growing family. My initial thought was to try to find her a home but that home turned out to be my own. She is very cute and irresistible.


Bean is a small tabby with a pink nose and is next to the plants by the window.
Bean, aka Bean Bean, is in the jungle.
Then Moxie and Ramses

I had been caring for Moxie and Ramses for many years, they were one of my very first cat sitting clients in 2012. In 2019, their Dad Jim was on holiday and had a heart attack on his trip so was in the hospital there for many weeks. I continued to care for them, happy to help as long as needed. Eventually, Jim was scheduled for surgery so we spoke on the phone and he was very worried about his cats. I promised him they would be taken care of and not to worry. But, sadly he did not recover from his surgery and passed away. His family wanted to take the cats to the SPCA. They were a bonded pair, biological brothers, and seniors so the chance of them finding a home to live out the final years together seemed slim. I could not let them end up separated and alone since that was Jim's biggest worry so I arranged to take them instead.

Moxie and Ramses laying side by side and Ramses has his paw on Moxie. Both are looking at the camera. They are both dark-coloured tabbies but Ramses has a white face and paws.
Moxie and Ramses McQueen

Since then Hal, Mr. Crab, Mr. Fish, and Ramses have passed away. I think the pet loss I experienced is partly why I have such empathy and compassion for senior and palliative pets. Each pet is unique and their end of life and the grief that follows is equally unique. As a Professional Pet Sitter I can offer that extra support and care for my client's pets when they get to that stage. And, pet loss is just a part of being a pet lover and a Professional Pet Sitter and even though it hurts it is important to be there for the pets and their families.


Being a Pet Pro


An important part of being a pet professional, other than getting hands-on experience, is specialized training and continuing education. So, I try my best to keep up with tips and tricks from experts, best practices, and the latest pet news. I am a member of Pet Sitters International which is a big source of important pet care standards and best practices. I joined way back in 2011 and that was a great decision. Through that membership, I have learned from many pet experts that I now follow and that has led to other pet care webinars, courses, summits, and events. I then have to take what I learn and apply to my business, and my own pets. My biggest interests include enrichment activities, catifying the home, working with reactive dogs, improving cat care, cat welfare, lost pets, reading body language, senior pets, and safety tips. If I had more time and energy I suspect that list may be longer, but those are the subjects I tend to focus on and that have been most helpful for the job.


I have a business license, and through Pet Sitters International I also get access to special insurance and bonding to give pet parents and myself extra peace of mind. This is very important for being a professional, running the business, and providing the best care possible.


The training, education, licensing, and insurance ensure professionalism, but it’s our unique experiences and abilities that truly benefit our clients. For me, the pets in my life—their personalities, behaviours, health challenges, and the grief of their loss—are the heart of my business and what drives me forward.


Want to learn more about me? Visit our About page. And, you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with what we do, the Furryornot Gang members, Ziggy and the rest of the Home Office Gang.


If you are interested in becoming a Pet Professional I recommend checking out Pet Sitters International.



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