In my world, I think everyone should share their world with a cat or a dog and why I think this would take hours to explain. The only advantage that people without pets have is that travelling is much easier. You want to go somewhere? You just pack your bags and you are ready to go. When you have furry children, it takes a lot more planning–well, at least for me it does. Leave Bailey and Safari to stay with just anyone? After my experience this summer with a boarding facility, I was not that happy and I do not think they were either. Any vet will tell you the best thing in the world when you are travelling is to leave your pets at home with a sitter. Easier said than done!

Fortunately, my girlfriend Lulu, was willing and able if I flew her down to Florida and that seemed like a small price to pay to know someone I love would be loving my kids-what is better than that–certainly not a boarding facility! I also thought it would also be good for Lulu who has been unable, like many, to find a real job in this economy and misses having pets in her life since Misha and Zoe, her cats passed away. While she would love to adopt two more cats, she is savvy enough to know that it’s not the right time, fiancially- but she will get there eventually, I am sure. In addition, she needed to get out of cold Chicago for a while and have a change of scenery.

So, with a horrible cold, she left Chicago and made the trip to Florida and did a most excellent job taking care of both Safari and Bailey. As you know, Bailey is a fairly needy dog, who needs a lot of love and attention and knowing that Lulu was there just made leaving so much better. I talked to her about keeping a diary while we were gone for 10 days. She called this the Dog Child Diaries, but perhaps it should be called the Dog & Cat Child Diaries, so Safari does not feel left out. Here is an excerpt of her diary:

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Day 1: Bailey:

My Dogma and da are leaving today on a cruise…..I hear that is a fun thing to do if you are a person or a suitcase.  Suitcases are evil, they get to go with my dogma and da on their adventure but I don’t get to go!  Suitcases suck! 

My dogma is going to miss me so much, she even took one of my poop bags with her to remember me….I bet she’s going to miss watching me poop too!

10:30 – Pill with carrots and crunchies.   11:00 – Pee break.

12:15 – Poop walk, double whammy on the Morman’s lawn…oay!  A double bagger due to the cat food fiasco the day before!

4:40 – Dinner…..finally!   I’m starving…..of course, I am always starving!

5:45: – Pee walk, saw Sharon and 2 dog pals ahead of us…….run to catch up….come on Aunty pick up the pace!!!  I wanna go with them to wherever they are going…..doesn’t matter where! I just wanna go with them…..run side by side….yes, I can keep up…yes I can!

Treats and one more crunchies meal.  Pee every hour until 9:30 pm bedtime.  Think I will keep my eyes on Aunty, I’ll sleep next to her tonight!

Day 1: Safari: There they go again…..at least I’m in my own house this time around!  Let me see how I can train this sitter!   3:00pm Shrimp treat….ok, she’s trainable!  I’m cool now!

Sunday, March 22, 2010

Day 2: Bailey

7:40:  We are going on our first walk……yippee!  Pee, pooped, and we walked down to the school and back.  No friends out today, bummer!  It’s nice and breezy but rather humid. 

8:20:  Breakfast of Champions

9:30: we start our pee walk for the day!  It’s kind of cloudy now but very windy.

10:30: Sweet potatoes, pill, small crunchies and a spoon of Newman’s …yummy!

Day 2: Safari

7:30: That lazy babysitter just won’t wake up….okay, last try….I’ll jump up on mom’s printer and hit the blinds and see what happens!  Success!  I don’t like that chopped grill shit…..I think I’ll just eat crunchies!

I want to go out in the garage……why can’t I go?  Screw what dogma said…..she’s not here!  GET ME OUTTA HERE!  Damn!  Now I’m really boycotting the chopped grill…..don’t even think about getting me to eat that crap!  Oh, now you want to brush me….well, oooohhh, that feels

good but I’m gonna pretend I don’t like it unless I can go out into the garage!  One more try, meow nicely and paw the door……..argh….BITCH!  I’m gonna pout!

2:45 – I hear the freezer door open….okay, time for my shrimp cocktail!  Hurry up!

Day 2: Bailey

12:15 – Pee /treat

1:35- PM Poop Walk & pee marking!  Treat

3:00 – Pee….White Pit bull from across the street wanted to play…..rough!  He didn’t have a collar or leash, came and peed on MY lawn!  I’m not quite sure how to react?  Aunty Lulu wouldn’t let me go….but that was a good thing!  His dad had to carry him home!  BRAT!

3:30 – Early dinner….Rain and more Rain….ugh!

11:00 – Bedtime…..I did my best milking the day for treats!  Yeah….I’m a PRO!  I’ll sleep in Aunty’s room from now on!  I’ll keep an eye on her in case she wakes up and decides she NEEDS to give me a treat!

Monday, March 23, 2010

Day 3:  Safari  7:15am – MEOW, okay lazy aunty, GET UP!  I’ll let you pet me today and ooohhh, PURRRRRR!  I’m still turning my nose up at the canned food until you let me out in the garage!!!!

Aunty Lulu:  Okay, I’ll let you into the garage for a little while and see how you are…..maybe you will be good since you got your way….pleeeeeezzzzzeeeeee?

Day 3: Bailey   

7:30am – OH, do I have to get up now?  It’s raining and dark outside!  Alright, I’ll go…..  Oh, I like the puddles but I can’t smell everybody after the rain!  Extra sniffs!

9:45 – pee break……raining still….ugh! Naptime!

10:30 – carrots, pee pill, crunchies and a bonus teaspoon of Newman’s …..oh yeah, life is good!

12:15 – pee break…..oops…..poop too!  Are we off schedule? Maybe it’s because the sun is coming out….yeah! treat? Pleze?

2:30 – we went for a major walk all the way down to Bonita Fairways and made our way back through the park…..peed at least 10x along the way, marked all my spots! 

3:00 – treat and water….hey is it dinner time yet?

3:30 – It’s gotta be close to dinner time, I’m starving!  Oh good, she’s making the chow now!

5:30 – pee break in the backyard….quickie!

6:30 – begged and waited patiently to go outside…..leashed up, walked outside, sniffed the air, turned around and dragged Aunty Lulu back inside!  Weird! 

7:40 – backyard pee quickie!

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Day 1: Bailey:

My Dogma and da are leaving today on a cruise…..I hear that is a fun thing to do if you are a person or a suitcase.  Suitcases are evil, they get to go with my dogma and da on their adventure but I don’t get to go!  Suitcases suck!  My dogma is going to miss me so much, she even took one of my poop bags with her to remember me….I bet she’s going to miss watching me poop too!

10:30 – Pill with carrots and crunchies.   11:00 – Pee break.

12:15 – Poop walk, double whammy on the Morman’s lawn…oay!  A double bagger due to the cat food fiasco the day before!

4:40 – Dinner…..finally!   I’m starving…..of course, I am always starving!

5:45: – Pee walk, saw Penny and 2 dog pals ahead of us…….run to catch up….come on Aunty pick up the pace!!!  I wanna go with them to wherever they are going…..doesn’t matter where! I just wanna go with them…..run side by side….yes, I can keep up…yes I can!

Treats and one more crunchies meal.  Pee every hour until 9:30 pm bedtime.  Think I will keep my eyes on Aunty, I’ll sleep next to her tonight!

 Day 1: Safari: There they go again…..at least I’m in my own house this time around!  Let me see how I can train this sitter!   3:00pm Shrimp treat….ok, she’s trainable!  I’m cool now!

Sunday, March 22, 2010

Day 2: Bailey

7:40:  We are going on our first walk……yippee!  Pee, pooped, and we walked down to the school and back.  No friends out today, bummer!  It’s nice and breezy but rather humid. 

8:20:  Breakfast of Champions

9:30: we start our pee walk for the day!  It’s kind of cloudy now but very windy.

10:30: Sweet potatoes, pill, small crunchies and a spoon of Newman’s …yummy!

Day 2: Safari

7:30: That lazy babysitter just won’t wake up….okay, last try….I’ll jump up on mom’s printer and hit the blinds and see what happens!  Success!  I don’t like that chopped grill shit…..I think I’ll just eat crunchies!

I want to go out in the garage……why can’t I go?  Screw what dogma said…..she’s not here!  GET ME OUTTA HERE!  Damn!  Now I’m really boycotting the chopped grill…..don’t even think about getting me to eat that crap!  Oh, now you want to brush me….well, oooohhh, that feels good!

good but I’m gonna pretend I don’t like it unless I can go out into the garage!  One more try, meow nicely and paw the door……..argh….BITCH!  I’m gonna pout!

2:45 – I hear the freezer door open….okay, time for my shrimp cocktail!  Hurry up!

Day 2: Bailey

12:15 – Pee /treat

1:35- PM Poop Walk & pee marking!  Treat

3:00 – Pee….White Pit bull from across the street wanted to play…..rough!  He didn’t have a collar or leash, came and peed on MY lawn!  I’m not quite sure how to react?  Aunty Lulu wouldn’t let me go….but that was a good thing!  His dad had to carry him home!  BRAT!

3:30 – Early dinner….Rain and more Rain….ugh!

11:00 – Bedtime…..I did my best milking the day for treats!  Yeah….I’m a PRO!  I’ll sleep in Aunty’s room from now on!  I’ll keep an eye on her in case she wakes up and decides she NEEDS to give me a treat!

Monday, March 23, 2010

Day 3:  Safari  7:15am – MEOW, okay lazy aunty, GET UP!  I’ll let you pet me today and ooohhh, PURRRRRR!  I’m still turning my nose up at the canned food until you let me out in the garage!!!!

Aunty Lulu:  Okay, I’ll let you into the garage for a little while and see how you are…..maybe you will be good since you got your way….pleeeeeezzzzzeeeeee?

Day 3: Bailey   

7:30am – OH, do I have to get up now?  It’s raining and dark outside!  Alright, I’ll go…..  Oh, I like the puddles but I can’t smell everybody after the rain!  Extra sniffs!

9:45 – pee break……raining still….ugh! Naptime!

10:30 – carrots, pee pill, crunchies and a bonus teaspoon of Newman’s …..oh yeah, life is good!

12:15 – pee break…..oops…..poop too!  Are we off schedule? Maybe it’s because the sun is coming out….yeah! treat? Pleze?

2:30 – we went for a major walk all the way down to Bonita Fairways and made our way back through the park…..peed at least 10x along the way, marked all my spots! 

3:00 – treat and water….hey is it dinner time yet?

3:30 – It’s gotta be close to dinner time, I’m starving!  Oh good, she’s making the chow now!

5:30 – pee break in the backyard….quickie!

6:30 – begged and waited patiently to go outside…..leashed up, walked outside, sniffed the air, turned around and dragged Aunty Lulu back inside!  Weird! 

7:40 – backyard pee quickie!

And so it goes on and on. Who would do this for you? What a wonderful thing to come home to! I think she should start a luxurt oet sitting business. The Flying Dog Sitter! You pay and she will play! Diaries will only cost you an extra $20 – a great souvenir upon your return. I think this is a highly viable business and Lulu LOVES to travel! What more could you ask…If anyone is interested, just let me know!