I had to let you all know that I can’t quite believe it, but Portsmouth Cat Sitting has been in business for 20 years! I was thinking the other day, how things have changed in those years and thought it would make a fun blog to write. So here goes……..
- When I first set up the business mobile phones were very rare and I didn’t have one for quite a while and all my calls were done via my land line, it’s so much nicer and quicker using a mobile for texting and calls, clients can also get a quick response..
- The internet has changed so much and I used to have to use dial-up to go on my website!! Imagine trying to sort out your website while a client is trying to call you on the landline but it’s engaged……
- Before meeting a new client, I remember having to look up addresses with my faithful paper street map! Remember those wonderful A-Z maps from Smith’s? Now I just use Google Maps or Sat Nav.
- Social Media! Well Facebook didn’t exist and my mobile definitely didn’t take photos for many years and my texting was very iffy…..
- If people wanted to get hold of me they had to call me on my landline or write me a letter (remember those?) and email was just becoming popular…..
- Apart from a few months I have always had a Smart Car for work, the perfect car for nipping around Portsmouth and parking in very tight places. I have had as far as I can remember 7 Smart cars, I love them. Working as a cat sitter I’m often up early in the summer months and Christmas to feed cats and parking can be a nightmare, so a small car is a must……love my Smartie
- Talking of Smart Cars, my first one was a left hand drive, it was all you could get. I remember having my Mum’s dog to stay and the dog would sit in the car with me and of course she looked like she was driving to people. People used to stare at me in the tiny car anyway as Smart cars were rare then and seeing a dog driving one was even odder, especially with cat sitting signage written on the car!
- There’s lots of cat sitters in Portsmouth now, when I set up there was just me and another person who did dogs as well..
- People can sit on a plane and pay me now! No waiting days for a cheque to clear…
- Some people are slowly coming around to learning more about cat welfare and understanding that cats are not an easy option, I believe social media is helping with this but it’s a slow process, I hope to do more blogs and social media posts when I finally finish my Feline Behaviour studies.
- I wonder how many cats I have fed and litter trays I have cleaned over 20 years?
- In the 20 years in business 4 cats have shared our home,Tam, (RIP) Gizmo (RIP), Mr Ringo (RIP) and now Lola, it’s always tempting to have more but cats can become very stressed in multi cat households and Lola is so settled.
- Have a giggle at a very young Rachel, with dark hair! See photo below as featured in the Portsmouth News in 2002! With the very special Gizzy who lived with us until she was 23!
