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I Can’t Have a Cat… So I Found Another Way.
Oh, how I wish I had a cat. And a dog. And… basically every animal you can think of. But I can’t. My sister is allergic to them.
At least I already have four backyard chickens and a hamster, which I adore.
Fun fact: chickens are the friendliest creatures ever.
Still… even with all of that, I kept wishing for a cat. Or a dog.
That’s when the idea hit me.
What if I started a pet-sitting business? I could take care of other people’s pets while they were away. It felt like the perfect solution, and I didn’t even hesitate. I opened Canva and made a flyer right away.
I went to our local printer, and even though I knew there would be a cost, paying for the print with my own money suddenly made me hesitate. What if nobody reached out? I would lose money. But my mom said it was a small investment, something I could afford to lose, and that every little business starts with a first step.
So I printed them, walked around my neighborhood, and put them on all the boards and shop windows I could find (after asking permission, of course). A couple of weeks later… I got my first call!
Before visiting the pet owners, I made a list of questions so I wouldn’t forget anything important. Things like:
What dates? Can the cat go outside? What exactly do I need to do? Is there anything special I should know? Did they agree with my price?
If you’re starting a pet business too, here’s my document. You can download it and edit it however you want!
The day they gave me the key to their house, something hit me. Pet sitting wasn’t just feeding a cat and playing with it. These people trusted me. They were giving me their house key and expecting me to take care of their cat. And I had no reviews, nothing to prove I was reliable yet. I’m only 12.
It made me think. If I were the pet owner, what would I want from the person taking care of my animal?
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A person who truly loves animals, and is calm, patient, and gentle with them.
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Someone reliable and trustworthy — feeding the pet every day, cleaning up, not losing the key.
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Someone who communicates clearly — quick to reply, easy to reach, and able to explain their service well.
Pet sitting comes with real responsibilities, and I want to do my best to meet them.
Then came the big moment. I was about to pet sit for the very first time… and it went even better than I hoped. The cat wasn’t shy at all and loved rolling on his back for pats. I did everything that was expected, and on my last day I left a thank-you letter (of course… I have hundreds of thank-you cards at home).
And now… I get to go back to the same cat in December! Plus, I have two more cats to take care of during the holidays, and I can’t wait to meet them. I’ve only just started, but doing this has already added new excitement to my days. Maybe there’s something new you’d like to try too. Email me and tell me — I’d love to know.
🎁 One special thing I’m planning to offer is a portrait of every pet as a thank-you gift. My sister Zélia will be the one creating them — she’s been painting pet portraits on cardboard lately, and here are her first ones.
✈️ We’ll bring the painted versions with us to Switzerland as Christmas gifts… and we’re getting pretty excited about the holiday trip.
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P.S. 🩰 An Exciting Nutcracker Update: For those of you who followed my older sister’s Nutcracker story, I’m so glad to say the performance will finally happen on Saturday the 21st! If you’d like to see it, you can grab your tickets here.
