Written by: VNS Angela
I was spoilt to a 3-week house sit in the beautiful Dandong Ranges with 3 gorgeous pets and a stunning home. Leo, a 6-month-old Whippet puppy exploring the world through his new found adult teeth and his older sister Alice, who is just 2 years young and moves with such grace and poise. These two delightful creatures also have a feline friend named Sam. Sam has learnt that he needs to move around the house in stealth mode to avoid enticing Alice & Leo to a game of chase.
Leo was feeling a little unsettled in the first few days of his family going to Europe so I purchased an Adaptil Collar for Leo to wear.
are infused with a synthetic version of the same pheromeones a mother dog releases to communicate with her puppies. They are commonly referred to as Dog Appeasing Pheromones. As you most likely know, pheromones play a key role in activating or deactivating certain chemical responses or signals in the brain. This particular pheromone gives dogs a sense of calm and reassures them they are safe, allowing them to settle much easier without changing their beautiful personality. The Adaptil Collar has helped a few of our SitStay fur babies, ranging from new puppies coming home and getting used to spending time alone, through to adult dogs needing cage rest after a major operation.
Once settled, Leo was easily entertained by the variety of KONG toys I was able to share with him. He would bask in his glorious backyard, rolling around in the grass and making a fun game out of it. Alice on the other hand would look at the toy, look at me and scoff in a similar fashion to a horse before neatly folding herself up on a chair or bed. Alice wasn't into food games but loved playing fetch and chasey with Leo and boy were they fun to watch!!
Sam, the red cat, has the charm of a kitten especially as he lures you towards his food bowl as a gentle reminder to feed him 12 times a day and purrs loud enough for the neighbours to hear. I think I spoilt him a bit too much by lifting him up onto the laundry bench so he could eat a few times. That quickly set the expectation and Sam would patiently wait to be lifted up each time.
These guys are a family of snuggle bugs. Within moments of siting down Alice has lathered herself across you like a sloth or dives under the doona to keep warm. As you can imagine with their slender little bodies whippets sometimes need a hand keeping warm especially in the colder months. Leo, exploring his independence, will curl up on his bean bag but always comes onto the bed for a snuggle in the morning, politely resting his head on the edge of the bed asking for permission before he jumps up. Most of us enjoy sharing our beds with our fur families however none of us enjoy the essence that wafts from within them if they are on a poor-quality diet or something just isn't agreeing with them. Alice & Leo were champions at the waft game which motivated me to explore better options for their diet. Transitioning them from a supermarket grain free adult diet to Hill's Science Diet Puppy to assist with Leo's development through his puppy phase and provide young Alice with all the vital nutrients to maintain a healthy body condition whilst keeping up with her active lifestyle. We also spoilt Sam to a new senior geared dental diet to ensure we are protecting his vital organs, keeping him well nourished and brushing his teeth with every meal.
When transitioning your pets onto new foods it is important to phase in the new food whilst phasing out the old across 1 - 4 weeks dependant on the diet change & your pets sensitivity. If you are wondering if your diet choice is the right one for your pet you can schedule an in-home nutrition consult with one of our nutritionally savvy nurses or speak to your vet.
Leo, Alice and I played on the trampoline, went on many hiking adventures and even made new friends. Trying to walk down the main street with these two proved a challenge because everyone wanted to say hello to these adorable rugged up pups and of course, they didn’t mind. We made new friends everywhere we went and some SitStay Sitters even dropped in with their pooches for a play date in the adventurous Dandenong Ranges. We of course seek permission from Pet Parents prior to arranging play dates and only do so with like minded fluffies.
If you love the Dandenong Ranges as much as I do, Leo & Alice’s family run a classy Bed and Breakfast in the heart of Sassafras called GiGi’s B’n’B that you should check out! Who knows, you may even get to meet Alice, Leo & Sam.
to have a sticky beak and don’t forget to book a VNS for your pets if you do go!