2021 Pet Products and Services Awards

Page 14 www.lux-review.com LUX 2021 Pet Products and Services Awards Owning four cats and fostering 60 with his wife over a period of two years, John is highly experienced with felines and is qualified in many areas of cat welfare, including first aid, stress management, herbalism, nutrition and more. The cat is always at the heart of his work and his focus is on each individual cat’s requirements. He aims to make them feel as comfortable as possible by maintaining their normal routines where possible and taking the time to get to know each cat by playing with, brushing and chatting to them. As a feline behaviourist, John specialises in reading cats and spotting any changes that occur in their behaviour, some of which may show illness. Not only this, but he offers grooming, nail clipping and vet visit services, and can administer medication such as injections. He will also provide a daily diary for clients which report on things such as whether the cat eats all of its food, how much water its drunk, and if they have a litter tray, he will make note of any changes which may suggest a health problem. John is totally committed to providing exceptional year-round service, he is highly flexible and can react to short notice bookings, giving clients immense confidence and peace of mind when it comes to the care of their furry friends. On several occasions, an unwell client has contacted John from an ambulance to request urgent care of their cat, to which he always responds immediately. In addition to this, a few times last year, clients were late returning home due to delayed flights and John has been flexible enough to continue caring for their cat until they have managed to return. John aims to add a personal touch to the way he engages with clients, taking the time to get to know not only the cat, but also the human. Communication is key and he will Chepstow Cat Sitting was born out of cat lover and qualified feline behaviourist, John Sterry’s friends asking him and his wife, Lesley to look after their cats while they went on holiday. What started off as a favour to friends grew into a successful business. Apr21134 Chepstow Cat Sitting Best Holistic Cat Sitting Care Services – UK always try to speak to a client on the phone, rather than contact them by email or text. He makes it clear that it will be him visiting their cat and home, sometimes joined by his wife, and not just any old body, which gives them assurance so they can relax and know who will be visiting. When dealing with new clients, John’s first visit to their home will be free, during which he will take the opportunity to introduce himself and make sure that he has all the cat’s requirements mapped out. John may have found great success in Chepstow Cat Sitting, but like many other companies, it has experienced a dramatic blow due to COVID; with not being able to go into peoples’ homes and no-one travelling, business has been non-existent. John, however, saw this obstacle as an opportunity to explore other areas, including introducing the vet visit service, which is especially aimed at elderly cat owners who are unable to take their cat to the vets. He collects the pet from the client’s doorstep, transports them to the vets, waits and then returns them to the client. This then developed into offering a prescription collection service and in some cases a medication service where he would administer medication for owners who were not able or confident enough to. The dark clouds are starting to clear, bringing higher hopes for the remaining months of 2021. Businesses are reopening and Chepstow Cat Sitting is hoping for a busy rest of the year. With this, John is aiming to continue growing his client base and is confident that once he has worked for a client that they will request his services again and again. From the behaviour consultant side of the business, John is hoping to work with more local vets with behaviour referrals in the future. Company: Chepstow Cat Sitting Contact: John Sterry Website: www.chepstow-cat-sitting.co.uk

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