A Literary Life

By Kate Jonuska

Whether it’s mowing lawns, babysitting or selling lemonade, summer break has always offered school-free children the exciting opportunity to have their first small jobs, making a little money and getting their first taste of responsibility. And for many animal-loving kids, summer vacation is the perfect time to spark up a career in pet sitting, specializing in taking care of friend’s or neighbor’s animals and homes while they’re out of town.

“I love animals, and since I love them so much, I don’t mind taking care of them, feeding them, taking them for walks,” says 12-year-old Zoe Schaefer, an incoming eighth grader who a has pet sit — mostly for dogs — for the past two years. “Even with the extra money, I don’t really go for the money. I just want to spend more time with animals.”

Leta McWilliams, an 11-year-old going into sixth grade who regularly cat sits, agrees that the appeal is mostly in the pets themselves. “I thought it would be kind of fun because I like cats and Itchy is really sweet,” she says, stroking her neighbor’s cat, Itchy’s, head. “Sometimes I have to come over once a day or twice a day, and it wasn’t that hard because I got to play with him, too.”

“For Itchy, it’s a treat for him to have Leta over here because Leta babies him,” explains cat owner Gerry Weiss. “It’s a big peace of mind knowing that someone is there because he gets lonesome.”

“It’s a lot like earning money mowing lawns or other small businesses kids manage,” says Ann Davenport, director of community relations for the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region. “Certainly when you’re looking for a pet sitter, someone you know and can be confident with when you’re not around is a good option for you. But very importantly, you want to find someone who can come over first and spend time getting to know your animal while you are there.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the July 2009 Pikes Peak Parent magazine.