MONROE - For 12 years, Monroe native Mary Jo Hendrickson has been overseeing strangers' furry companions, from cats to dogs to birds, and has enjoyed each second of it.
Hendrickson began the job as a way to join her love of pets with an everyday paycheck.
"I just love animals so much," Hendrickson said. "I've grown up with animals. I've had them pretty much all of my life. They're just a part of me, and I wanted to do that for a job."
Part-time, full-time or not at all, Hendrickson sets her own hours. Scrapbooks in her home display photos of pets throughout her time as a pet sitter. She even spends time making magnets for her clients with pictures of their pets to hang on the refrigerator.
Hendrickson has collected a number of stories over more than a decade of serving as temporary guardian of others' animals. From chickens to snakes to cats, she has made memories along the way.
A client with dementia is one of her fondest memories. When a family contacted Hendrickson to watch over a cat the patient could no longer take care of herself, Hendrickson hesitated before accepting the task of caring for a pet while the owner was present.
"The family decided they needed to move her to a memory care facility," Hendrickson said. "They had told me they didn't accept cats at this new place, and I said, 'What's going to happen to the kitty?'"
After a while of searching, Hendrickson found a former client who had lost a pet cat the year before. The client met the cat and they got along fine, but she was unsure because she planned to travel in the future.
"I said to her, 'Well, I know a great pet sitter,'" Hendrickson laughed. "She decided to take the cat and that cat has just been the joy of both of their lives ever since."
Hendrickson and her husband, Greg, have two cats of their own. Her male cat Romeo is a Siamese, much like her favorite pet named Coco or her beloved childhood cat named Ginger. Hendrickson's female cat, a Bengal named Roxie, has a shy personality in direct opposition to Romeo's personable demeanor. Hendrickson spends time with a number of other cats as she pet sits for people who go on vacation.
Usually her clients are people who go on long get-aways out of town or out of the country. Sometimes scheduling mix-ups can lead to comedic moments on the job.
One in particular stands out.
"Somehow, we had a little miscommunication because the first day I walked in, there were two cats," Hendrickson said. "I started calling around, looking in all the different rooms to spot this shy kitty. So I walked in the bedroom and flipped the light on, and here was the owner, in bed. We were both very embarrassed."
Jobs can range from none to eight or 10 on any given day, and she has enjoyed each moment from the good to the bad. Hendrickson plans to continue pet sitting for years to come.
"In the last two days, I had two different people tell me they lost their animals," Hendrickson said. "And, you know, I cry right along with them. I've gotten to know these animals, and I've fallen in love with them, too."
Hendrickson began the job as a way to join her love of pets with an everyday paycheck.
"I just love animals so much," Hendrickson said. "I've grown up with animals. I've had them pretty much all of my life. They're just a part of me, and I wanted to do that for a job."
Part-time, full-time or not at all, Hendrickson sets her own hours. Scrapbooks in her home display photos of pets throughout her time as a pet sitter. She even spends time making magnets for her clients with pictures of their pets to hang on the refrigerator.
Hendrickson has collected a number of stories over more than a decade of serving as temporary guardian of others' animals. From chickens to snakes to cats, she has made memories along the way.
A client with dementia is one of her fondest memories. When a family contacted Hendrickson to watch over a cat the patient could no longer take care of herself, Hendrickson hesitated before accepting the task of caring for a pet while the owner was present.
"The family decided they needed to move her to a memory care facility," Hendrickson said. "They had told me they didn't accept cats at this new place, and I said, 'What's going to happen to the kitty?'"
After a while of searching, Hendrickson found a former client who had lost a pet cat the year before. The client met the cat and they got along fine, but she was unsure because she planned to travel in the future.
"I said to her, 'Well, I know a great pet sitter,'" Hendrickson laughed. "She decided to take the cat and that cat has just been the joy of both of their lives ever since."
Hendrickson and her husband, Greg, have two cats of their own. Her male cat Romeo is a Siamese, much like her favorite pet named Coco or her beloved childhood cat named Ginger. Hendrickson's female cat, a Bengal named Roxie, has a shy personality in direct opposition to Romeo's personable demeanor. Hendrickson spends time with a number of other cats as she pet sits for people who go on vacation.
Usually her clients are people who go on long get-aways out of town or out of the country. Sometimes scheduling mix-ups can lead to comedic moments on the job.
One in particular stands out.
"Somehow, we had a little miscommunication because the first day I walked in, there were two cats," Hendrickson said. "I started calling around, looking in all the different rooms to spot this shy kitty. So I walked in the bedroom and flipped the light on, and here was the owner, in bed. We were both very embarrassed."
Jobs can range from none to eight or 10 on any given day, and she has enjoyed each moment from the good to the bad. Hendrickson plans to continue pet sitting for years to come.
"In the last two days, I had two different people tell me they lost their animals," Hendrickson said. "And, you know, I cry right along with them. I've gotten to know these animals, and I've fallen in love with them, too."