Caring for Your Companion Animals

 

A black bunny being feed fresh lettuce at Texas Ruff House.

Why Reptiles, Fish, Birds, and Other Animals Need Pet Sitters Too

 

Welcome back to our blog sharing pet advice from our team of animal care professionals. We often give tips about caring for dogs and cats, but we’ve also seen our fair share of pigs, lizards, hedgehogs, chickens, and a variety of other companion animals. At Texas Ruff House, our talented and caring team has over 100 years of combined animal care experience in Pflugerville, TX and the surrounding areas of Round Rock, Georgetown, Hutto, and North Austin, so we’ve seen it all!

 

Your feathered, scaly, and finned friends need just as much care and attention as your furry ones, if not more in some cases. If you have guinea pigs, bearded dragons, lovebirds, puffer fish, or any other pet besides a dog or cat, read on!

 

Why Pet Care is Important

 

Two lovebirds inside a cage looking at the camera at Texas Ruff House.
Our animal companions are our best friends, and we owe it to them to make sure that their lives are as happy and comfortable as they can possibly be. You already know that caring for your pet isn’t as simple as just filling their food and water bowls and taking them to the veterinarian when they’re sick. Bringing an animal companion into your life is a big responsibility and a long-term commitment to provide them with exercise, training, grooming, food, health checkups, and, of course, plenty of love and attention.

 

It can be fun and exciting keeping special pets like these. However, each type of pet has its own needs, whether it’s giving them a proper environment and/or enclosure, nutrition, activity, and veterinary care. These aspects will look somewhat different from the care you give to your dog or cat.

 

How We Care for Your Pets

 

A grey and black haired pig eating a snack at Texas Ruff House.
Our team of devoted pet sitters are experienced in providing love, attention, and personalized care. Whether you have a dog, cat, bird, fish, ferret, or reptile, we have cared for them all! Individually, each member of the Texas Ruff House family brings a wealth of personal and professional knowledge in pet care. The variety of personalities and energies among our sitters allows us to match pets accordingly, whether one responds better to soft or high energy. Many of our team members have medical backgrounds and are highly skilled in delivering medical care to special needs animals. This powerful combination of expertise and experience enables us to customize all care according to your pet's needs and routines.

 

Two guinea pigs eating at Texas Ruff House.
When we get a client request to care for an animal we don’t often get, we do our due diligence to inform and prepare ourselves. We confirm dietary and enclosure requirements with clients and ask about their pet’s characteristics and preferences. These animals typically have special diets, which in some cases may be difficult to get proper food; for example, live crickets when there’s a shortage (it’s happened before!). Other animals need fresh food like veggies versus live food that helps them put their foraging skills to use for enrichment. It’s important for clients to communicate these needs with their pet sitter.

 
Pets with enclosures and/or special housing also need extra attention, as they may be talented escape artists. Owners and pet sitters must be diligent about checking cages, aquariums, and other habitats for security, cleanliness, and comfort. Speaking of comfort, it can be difficult for pet owners to find pet sitters comfortable with caring for unique pets in the first place, but at Texas Ruff House, we welcome clients with any type of pet… except for maybe crocodiles and tigers! 


A hedgehog being fed at Texas Ruff House.
We also like to do research and learn about your pet’s behavior. For example, if an animal is territorial, it requires a different approach from us to maintain our safety while creating a sense of trust with your pet. Or, if an animal doesn’t like to be handled, it can bite. In many cases, we become your pet’s best friend because we give them special treats! It’s a joy to observe animals’ different personalities, like when a pig bulldozes through doors looking for pets or fresh melon, or when guinea pigs chitter chatter because they’re getting their favorite hay.

 

We weren’t joking when we said we’ve seen it all and welcome you to consider in-your-homepet care with Texas Ruff House the next time you go out of town or need someone to look after your special pet!

Location: Pflugerville, TX, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Be on Alert for your dogs! Toxic-Algae has returned

Image
  Be on Alert: Dog-Killing Toxic Algae has Returned to Austin Lakes  If you have a dog who loves water, then visiting a local lake or pond will be high on your list of summer things to do with your pupper. But beware of dangerous algae, parasites and other toxins that lurk in our Austin watering holes . They can not only make your dog sick, but also kill them. Read on to learn about Toxic Alga e , the symptoms if your dog comes into contact with it, what to do if s/he does, and how to avoid it.  What is Toxic Algae and its Symptoms?  Toxic algae can pose a serious threat to dogs and humans (especially children) that come into contact with contaminated water. Toxic Algae is caused by rapid growth fueled by excess nutrients in the water such as phosphorus and nitrogen. The toxins produced by these algae can be harmful or even fatal to dogs if ingested or if they come into contact with their skin. Water with Toxic Algae usually is present in stagnant water or bodies of water where you se
Read more

How do I stop my dog from pulling on the leash?

Image
  How do I stop my dog from pulling? Love taking your fur baby on a walk? We do, too, but not so much when they pull. Pulling can harm your dog’s neck, gait, and not to mention it can hurt you as well. Poor leash handling can result in back pain, arm injuries, or aching knees. The worst part is, it may even reduce the amount of walks your dog receives. That's why leash training is so important, especially if your dog pulls or reacts while on the leash during your walks. Want to learn what we teach our Texas Ruff House pet sitters and dog walkers? Here are some of our pro tips to help you teach your dog to walk on a leash without pulling! Start with the right equipment A sturdy, non-retractable leash and a properly fittied collar or harness are essential for effective leash training.  Obedience basics Your dog should know basic commands like "sit" before you start leash training. We also may work with a cue signal that directs the dog to check in with you throughout the
Read more

How to Choose the Right Pet Sitter

Image
  Our 5 Tips for Choosing the Best Pet Sitter Whether you’ve worked with a pet sitter before and are looking for a new one, or are hiring one for the very first time, finding the perfect sitter to care for your four-legged family members can be daunting! There’s a number of options on the market to sort through, and it might not be straightforward to tell which ones are trustworthy, professional, and reliable, let alone which one your dog or cat will like. We want to help you take the guesswork out of it, because we want your pet to get the best care possible! Here are our 5 tips for choosing the best pet sitter. 1. Do your research and look for sitters that are insured (to cover accidents and negligence) and bonded (to protect against theft) and are certified in pet first aid. Not only does this mean that they are business professionals and not just side gig workers, but are also fully prepared in the unfortunate and hopefully unlikely event of an emergency or accident. In addition, y
Read more