Meet Monty a cat-sitter’s dream pet

WHILE cat­sitting recently for one of our regular clients I met Montgomery, Monty to his friends. To say Monty has a character you have to meet to believe is understating his charisma. On this occasion I was the lucky cat­sitter. One of the reasons I love house­sitting is that I can meet such adorable pets, and their owners of course. Perhaps I the founder of Housesitmatch might turn up one day as your personal pet­sitter.

Feeding our beloved pets has become a struggle for many.

The lethal dose (LD50) for dogs is 300mg / kg and for cats 200mg / kg. Cats are more sensitive but have little desire to eat chocolate. A dose of 80mg / kg is enough to cause severe poisoning. Even with an ingestion of 20mg / kg, slight signs such as polydipsia / polyuria (drinking and urinating a lot) and diarrhoea may appear.

Chocolate is not healthy.

The amount of theobromine depends on the type of chocolate. Only 24 grams of pure chocolate coverage would cause the poisoning of a 20kg dog and it would be necessary four times more if it was treats of milk chocolate.

The clinical signs are vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle tremors, rapid breathing, cyanosis, hyperthermia, hypertension, restlessness and if the poisoning is significant, seizures, coma and death. Symptoms appear after four to 12 hours.

If you think that your pet has been able to eat a significant amount of chocolate, you should go to the vet immediately.

Our house­sitting and pet­sitting network can help pet owners meet great checked pet­sitters, and secure care for their pets, for free, no matter where they are!

If you are planning a trip later this year, register now to find pet­sitters in time. Even if it’s just a short trip, you’ll know that sometimes you just have to leave pets at home. Young and senior pets in particular benefit from staying in their own home, so they can follow their routines undisturbed. Let us help.

Choose Housesitmatch.com for affordable travel, home and pet care. These are the steps to take:

1. Register as a home owner on HouseSit Match.com

2. Choose a Premium account (£89 per year) to ensure you can help online when needed

3. Create a profile with photos of your pet and the house

4. Post an advert for the dates when you want to go away. Sitters apply and you choose.

How does it work?

HouseSitMatch can help you find suitable sitters. Join our network for a small annual fee. You get ID checked for safety and then build your advert saying when you are going on holiday. Housesitters see your advert, they respond and you choose the sitter who’ll care for your pets.

Trustpilot Testimonials ­ 4.9 / 5 Excellent 10 out of 10 for housesitmatch.com

I have had nothing but good and helpful service from the people who run this site, and my experience has been excellent. Tristram Cosgrave ­ Dog and cat owner, Malaga

How do you join?

Please register online via our website www.Housesitmatch.com.

Do you need a house-sitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either house-sitter or home owner with a 50% discount using coupon code 20EWN – an exclusive offer for readers. To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.Housesitmatch.com.