My Name Is Eleanor And I Am A Pet Sitter
History of Sitter4Pets
I have been pet sitting since 2007. I haven’t always been involved in this type of work though, I come from a corporate background.
I used to work in The Law Courts followed by an Insolvency Practitioner’s firm in Barnsley. That was until I suffered from a road traffic accident that completely changed my life. I was off on long term sick for 7 years due to back and hip issues and during my recuperation of my last operation, my cousin asked me to look after her home and pets. That was the beginning of pet sitting for me.
After spending the first 5 years building a strong foundation in my business, I decided to resign from my corporate career and house sit on a full time basis.
I soaked up as much knowledge as I could on topics such as Pet First Aid, Dog Behaviour, Dog Psychology, Dog Grooming, Cat Behaviour, Senior Pet Care and Pet Nutrition. I attended many courses in person and online and still love learning as much as I can in this pet related industry.
Since 2012 I have been pet and house sitting full time, all year round, moving from one house to the next and 2022 represented the 10th year anniversary of my business.
I recruited David and Sue in 2009 due to having more bookings than I could handle personally. My sitters have thoroughly enjoyed looking after my client’s homes and pets and it’s been an absolute pleasure having them as part of my team.
Future of Sitter4Pets
David and Sue retired in 2022. I now have a new sitter who has successfully completed my in depth onboarding process. Jackie is ready to accept bookings.
I will be 49 years old in January 2024 and although I still suffer from back pain I like to keep as active and healthy as I can.
I am still getting booked up a year or so in advance, I am always covered in pet hair and slobber and I still love what I do !
I also love that reward feeling I get when helping other sitters.
With this in mind, and following the completion of a business mentor course, I now offer help and support to set the standards in the industry.
My Personality Traits
You may have already guessed that I am passionate about my business. I am also driven (aka stubborn), strong minded, and my current addictions are:
- Nutella
- Skips
- Yorkshire Tea
- Fry’s Turkish Delight
- Haribo
- Dark Chocolate Bounty
When I’m not busy dealing with the daily routines of your pets I will use this time to fit in my own hobbies.
I read a lot. To be honest, I spend just as much time on smelling the pages than I do with reading them. I work on my cross stitch. The last one is called Mother of Innocence and took me 3 years to complete. There is an image of it in the collage of photos. I enjoy watching Sci Fi and Horror movies. My favourite film is Alien 2. I like to exercise. This is mainly walking, dancing and the odd handstand when I feel like it.
When I do have some time off, I visit my family and friends and I like to travel the world and see new places. I’ll often book out a guest house for a few nights to unwind. My recent holidays have been to The Maldives and Swimming With Humpback Whales in The Silverbanks.
I like to try new things so in the last couple of years I have taken up archery, rifle shooting, canoeing and climbing. I have hiked up mountains and started cycling again (30 years after owning my previous bike).
My Quirks
I am useless at driving backwards! I often ask my clients to reverse my car out of their driveway for me.
I hate putting my head underwater. I tend to hold my nose and then end up swimming in circles.
I have to take my own pillow with me on every single sit otherwise I won’t sleep well.
I have just mastered the Rubik’s cube!!
Last one…. you are likely to find your Netflix/Amazon/Disney watchlists full of Horror and Sci-Fi when you return home 😉.
