Dasha's Pet-Sitting Service

07/19/2025

Meet Lark! She is my new kitty. I went without a cat for two nights before I said this isn’t going to work! Lark came in as a stray cat to DuPage County Animal Services, where she was there for over a month before I spotted her on their website. She is everything they said about her, with an extra dollop of sweetness. And she is happy to snuggle up with me at night.

07/14/2025

And I just learned last week that Peter is very ill. He had pleural effusion which is fluid around his lungs. The vet saw a mass on x-ray. Peter had the fluid removed but without addressing the cause it will return. So his inappetence was due to him feeling awful physically. I will say that cats are truely remarkable at hiding illness. This was all a total surprise to me.

07/08/2025

Meet Bamboo (calling him Bam-Bam)! He is my new foster kitty from NAWS Mokena. Bam-Bam is about 4 years old. He starts out shy but comes out of his shell when other cats are around. He regularly croons to my cat, Peter. He does need an adopter. Adult only home and no dogs. He is pretty sensitive to loud sounds.

I got him because Peter was very sad after losing his two kitty companions. He stopped eating on me. Since Bam-Bam joined the household, Peter has been happily eating his meals.

07/03/2025

A lot of the pet support groups are now online. There are even help lines that you can call. It can be helpful to listen to other grieving pet parents too.

https://www.chicagovma.org/pet-loss-support/

https://www.lapoflove.com/our-services/pet-loss-support

Pet losss is an important topic and grieving needs to happen so that you can heal and go on with your life in a healthy manner. If it’s not addressed, it can lead to a lot of issues including closing your heart to love in the future. We all deserve to experience the unconditional love of a pet.

The Chicago Veterinary Medical Association provides a Pet Loss Support Group called Wings.

06/27/2025

And then there was only one. It’s been a rough month. Bella was euthanized on 6/10 due to age related issues. And Jingles was euthanized 6/26 due to an infection that was not responding to treatment and was seriously effecting his quality of life. Both were difficult in their own way. So there is just Peter and we are both trying to navigate through all the recent changes.

I’ve always had at least two cats so to only have one is a big change. I think it will be good once enough time has passed.

06/11/2025

I am a huge fan of microchips for pets. You never know when a pet might accidentally go missing. Also make sure to register the microchip in your name!

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1149038327270471&id=100064929422305

06/06/2025

Turn up the volume. Chloe was extra happy! I am always thrilled when I capture moments like this one.

06/05/2025

My elderly cat Bella was off her food for the past three weeks along with lots of vomiting when she did try to eat. I had to have all the tough conversations. I spoke with her vet and I made after care arrangements for private cremation. As a last chance, I decided to try wet food from Fussie Cat. They have really increased their product offerings. I warmed up a bit in the microwave and offered it to her. Well she ate it and kept it down. This repeated a couple of times yesterday. This morning she was up and crying for her breakfast. Guess she gets a bit more time! I know I can’t fix her issues but I will happily give her more time with me.

05/23/2025

Feathers out of sight are always more enticing!

05/23/2025

New kitty client. So fluffy. She is also rather petite too. ❤️ 😊

05/22/2025

My cat Jingles was diagnosed with mycoplasma. We did a URI PCR and bloodwork. Thankfully his bloodwork was good. He is down 2 lbs. Jingles is now on doxycycline and should be all good after a month on antibiotics.

Non-Hemotropic Mycoplasma:
Sneezing, coughing, and nasal discharge
Conjunctivitis (red, swollen, or irritated eyes)
Lethargy and fever

I am thankful for the excellent vet care Jingles is getting at Abbeywood Cat Hospital in Westmont. This has been stressful and expensive. It’s also my PSA for you to consider pet insurance! I have Pets Best for Jingles and my other cat, Peter. It comes in real handy when the vet bill goes past $1,000 in a month.

05/09/2025

As a certified pet sitter, I take continuing education courses to keep my certification current. It can be a large investment of time and money. I am happy to have completed my certification through the National Association of Profession Pet Sitters for 2025!

I first completed my certification as a professional pet sitter in 2016.

NAPPS is the ONLY national professional pet sitting association. Pet parents know the NAPPS logo stands for the best quality pet care services and safety for their homes. Becoming a NAPPS member is the most valuable investment you can make for your pet sitting business.