I just got back from a memorable trip — one I never expected to share with Callie, my 14-year-old calico cat. I was invited by the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (www.petsitters.org) to be a featured speaker for their national conference held aboard the historic Queen Mary docked in Long Beach. Since the name of my talk was “It’s Cool to Be Catty,” it was only natural that Callie got to accompany me on this ship and serve as my “furry Vanna White” during my presentation.

Two months ago, Callie started to suddenly lose weight and her appetite. A batch of diagnostic tests, including an ultrasound, revealed that she had acute pancreatitis. The meds started working and her appetite came back. She is now healthy and happy and answering to her new nickname: Rally Callie.

We had a lot of fun with the pet sitters and wanted to share a couple photos from the NAPPS conference. Please consider hiring a professional pet sitter when you need to travel or if you work l-o-n-g hours and are away from home. They really know their stuff and can be great allies for your dogs and cats.