Pet Sitters Allow Furry Friends to Stay Home When Owners Are Away

She also knew the cats would be less stressed and happier if they could stay at home, in familiar surroundings. From there, it wasn't much of a leap to conceive the idea of Pet Sitter Services of Decatur, the business run by Price and her mother, Yyonna Price.

"(Susan) is the one who got my cat hooked on tuna," said longtime customer Sallie Fischer. "When she first started coming, she asked, 'Can I give her some tuna,' and now she expects tuna every day."

The Fischers have two border collies, Sarah and Valentine ("Val" to her friends) and a cat named Cricket, plus a "grand-kitty" who sometimes stays with them, and it gives them peace of mind to know Price is popping in several times a day to check the house as well as take care of their pets. One of the dogs, Fischer said, is older, and she hated to think of her lying on a hard floor in a noisy kennel when she could be at home instead.

According to Pet Sitters International, an information and advocacy organization, the benefits of leaving pets at home are numerous. "Pets are happier and experience less stress at home," spokeswoman Courtney Klein said. "Diet and exercise routines are uninterrupted, and a pet's exposure to illness is minimized."