In this industry, we all have them. This hysterical, how the heck did this happen to me, funny pet stories. But these stories can be used for much more than a funny, casual conversation. You can be leveraging these funny pet stories.
Yes. Leverage these stories for your social media posts and content.
Take those funny pet stories and show your clients and potential clients your hustle. These stories can show your audience that you can handle the tough things, guarantee your business, and follow their exact direction. Even if it’s the funniest thing you have ever done. It is a fun way to show your audience the times you had in your business that made an impact on your or your business.
This week I am bringing you 3 of my own funny pet stories and how they can be used to leverage social media content. So, get ready to laugh a little and learn how to batch a whole lot.
Biggest Takeaways:
- 3:50 Attack Kitty
- 9:45 Dog that was pushed in the stroller and fed McDonalds
- 14:15 Pet Sitter locked out
Recommendations:
Do you know how you can leverage your funny pet stories for your social media content? Well, in Better Marketing With Bella, we teach you how to be a marketer and ask you to meet us halfway. Of course, the custom content in those 6 months is created for you. However, we teach you how to bring the personality of your everyday social media. Doors are opening for 2023, if you are ready to take your content to the next level as well as learn all the marketing skills you need to excel in your business.
Links:
Better Marketing With Bella
Bella Vasta Instagram
Mastermind Group
Transcript
This is episode 310 of Bella in Your Business.
Hi there, I’m Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. You might know me from CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, or maybe you’ve seen me speak on stage or read my book The Four Dogs That Every Business Owner Needs. In any case, get ready because you’re about to get your hashtag Bella Butt Kickin’ in this next episode of Bella in Your Business.
So what do you say? Let’s get ready and jump.
Welcome to another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta. Today, we’re going to have a little bit of fun. That’s definitely off topic of the normal business building, but just to kind of make sure you guys understand, I totally understand what happens during the normal business day and all the funny things that come up.
Today, I’m going to actually share with you my funniest pet sitting stories and how to make them into a social media post. Because any time that we have anything going on in our company, it’s always kind of newsworthy. It’s kind of like putting on that journalistic hat. And it’s not just reporting on the news, but it’s understanding how to leverage it and make the storyline about something that our ideal client would want to know.
Something about trust, peace of mind, security, how we handle situations and backing up. There are all types of things that happen. And I want to encourage you, as you listen to my three stories today, to be thinking about your own stories and how you could leverage your own stories for your social media good.
Now, we’re going to be opening the doors for Better Marketing with Bella soon. And a big part of that program is teaching you guys how to think like a marketer. We, of course, provide all the graphics, but we always say that the program works the best when you meet us halfway.
What do I mean by that? It means that we provide the awesome custom graphics, the ones that have your color, your font, your logo on it, that are doing National Daughter Day or National Hug Your Dog Day or whatever it might be. But then you bring the personality of the actual up-to-date, day-by-day kind of stories and operations that happen because obviously we can’t do that for you.
That’s what it means by meeting us halfway. So these stories and these things that might happen—stories that I’m not actually mentioning today—things like when I’ve pulled into a garage and there’s a puddle of water in the garage, and we’re in Arizona—it doesn’t rain. Where’s that water coming from? It’s the upstairs bathroom, toilet that overflowed and the water is gushing and there are lights hanging off the ceiling—that kind of thing.
And it’s like, my God, what do you do in that situation? Here I go again, going off script. I mean, in that situation, that is the most perfect social media story ever to tell people, to show them how you manage it and what you do and how you get the client on board—and not just about how you do it, but also how you are actually providing peace of mind for your client, how you’re communicating with them and assuring them that you are taking on the situation and figuring it out.
Now in my company, we had a one-price, full-service guarantee. So when that kind of stuff happened and I had to keep going back and forth to meet with contractors or insurance adjusters or whatever it might be, I never charged for that time because we charged such a premium price for premium service. And I didn’t care if things like that happened, or the sprinklers were springing a leak in the front lawn and going up like a geyser, or the dog got sick and needed to go to the vet. We never charged extra for that because that was part of how I ran my company.
It was the guarantee that I had, and it was a way that I backed up charging so much. Okay, I already just gave you a bonus at the beginning. No big surprise there. This is the Bella In Your Business podcast, and you guys are always getting extra stuff.
So I’m going to first start off with this first one—an attack kitty. That’s what I’m calling it.
Have you guys ever experienced a cat that growls and springs on you and it’s like this little eight-pound cat, but it feels like a 200-pound tiger? My God. This experience gave me nightmares, and I’m not kidding.
I was pet sitting for this one gal, Nicole, and her whole family was away. And they were a cat family. They had two or three cats. And I think they had a dog—I don’t remember because this cat was really what just clawed my brain, no pun intended.
So I remember one day, I’m coming down the foyer and there’s a hallway that leads to the kitchen, and this cat basically trapped me in this hallway. The front of her was crouched down, her butt was in the air, her tail was up in a big bush, like poofed out, and her teeth were showing, and she’s growling at me. And I’m like, “What in the world is going on?”
I’m like, “Here kitty, kitty, kitty.” I had no idea. I had no idea that cats could be like this. It was because I walked in the house and the cat was not familiar with me—she went nuts. Every time I tried to take a step forward, she was like, “Back off, Bella, or I’m going to hurt you.” And she would swat at me and hiss.
It was terrifying. I was afraid of this eight-pound cat because I was like, “My God, what is she going to do to me?”
I had this whole superwoman complex when I first started. This was in the beginning stages of my business. I’m sure you’ve never experienced this superwoman complex where you think you can just overcome everything—“It’s all right, the dog’s not going to bite me,” or “the cat’s not going to scratch me.”
So I slowly backed out and I called Nicole. Nicole was horrified. She said, “That damn cat.” She was annoyed with the cat. She said, “Do you have an umbrella? Go back with an umbrella.” She was helping me problem-solve it because I really was a rookie at the time.
I also had a mentor and I called her and said, “What in the world is going on?” And she said, “That’s an attack kitty.” I said, “An attack what?” I had no idea that cats could actually do this.
So I came back and I did that—I opened up a can of tuna. Long story short, after doing many things, I put on yoga pants, jeans over it, came in with an umbrella, also had a broom with me. It was just nuts. My main goal was to get this cat corralled into their bedroom.
Before I did that, I got a litter pan and water in there and put it right next to the door. I did eventually get the cat in there, but it was terrifying. I’m so glad I went through it because then I actually knew that that could happen. I knew that if my staff was ever in a situation like that, I had the knowledge to get through it.
It’s funny now, but I actually had to sleep in that house. I was doing overnights and day visits. When I was doing overnights, I woke up in the middle of the night feeling like the cat was on the top of my bed frame, hunched over me, ready to claw my face out.
Fun little side fact: I always sleep with the door open—unless I’m in a hotel. I always leave my door open. So their bedroom door was closed, my bedroom door was closed, and I did not sleep well.
You guys—tell me, have you ever had a situation with a cat like that before? They ended up making other accommodations for this cat in the future. Luckily, I was still able to take care of the rest of their fur kids.
If that ever happened today, I’d take a picture of that cat in full puffy tail, hunched over, ready to kill me—for a couple of reasons. One, everyone would stop scrolling on social media like, “What in the world is that?” Two, it’s a great teaching moment—because everyone thinks our job is all cute puppies and kittens, and it’s not. And three, you can explain the communication and problem-solving of what happened.
There are so many ways to do this—you could do an Instagram story, an Instagram live, or a reel showing how you slipped food under the door with the cat swatting. It’s unique, interesting content that shows you handle tough situations—and you can position it however you want.
All right, moving on. The next story I have for you is the dog that was always pushed in a stroller and got McDonald’s every morning.
We don’t just walk dogs and scoop litter boxes—there was also this little Yorkie who every morning at 10:30 (that’s when McDonald’s switches over to lunch menu) would go to McDonald’s with her owners. They’d get her a plain hamburger.
She’d eat parts of it—she was a Yorkie!—and then they’d come home. We’d come over at 11:30, five days a week, put her in a stroller (the mom had hip surgery) and walk her around the neighborhood in a big circle.
It was a very nice neighborhood—people out, landscapers, other dog walkers. The lady gave me a list of names of all the people I’d see. Everyone knew this dog because she was part of the daily socializing circuit.
I didn’t realize this happens all the time—but we got paid to walk this dog in a stroller, five days a week!
And you know what? That kind of content is gold for social media. Your average person doesn’t walk their dog in a stroller. So take pictures, make videos, show that you follow instructions, maintain routines, and build trust. It’s not your average “Here’s Fido, my midday walk.”
Tell the story. Show the personality. Make it fun.
All right, moving on to the next story—this is one that I used to tell all the time when I would speak on stages because it just absolutely cracked me up. And this one, I like to call it “Aunt Flo came to town.”
Now, you guys, I want you to imagine that this was way before cell phones and text messaging and all of that. I literally was carrying around a clipboard with my paper schedule on it and maps of where I was going. There were no smartphones or GPS systems. It was the old-school way.
So, there was this family. I will never forget it. It was the perfect pet-sitting family: the husband and wife were super sweet, and their kids were polite. They had a beautiful house, two cats, and one dog—a golden retriever. And they had a big kitchen island where they would always leave me food when I came over. They’d leave me muffins, Gatorades, or coffee—they were just that family.
So, they went on vacation, and I was doing an overnight stay at their house. They told me the dog had an upset stomach the week before, but that everything was fine now. Okay, cool.
I go over there, settle in for the night, do my normal routine, feed everyone, play with them, take the dog outside, go to bed. Everything’s great. I wake up the next morning, come out of the bedroom, and…
Oh. My. God.
It looked like a murder scene.
The entire kitchen tile floor was covered in blood. It was smeared everywhere. It was up the walls. It was splattered on the cabinets. I froze. I thought, “Oh my God, what happened?!”
I look around and I’m like, “Is everyone alive?” I don’t see the dog at first, so I’m panicking. Then I see her—she’s wagging her tail, happy as can be, standing in the middle of this horrific scene.
It turns out—it wasn’t a murder scene. Aunt Flo came to town.
This poor golden retriever had gone into heat overnight. It looked like a crime scene because she was wagging her tail and walking through it, smearing it everywhere.
You guys, I about died. I just stood there, dumbfounded, like, “What do I even do right now?”
I called the owners—they were out of town—and left a voicemail on their hotel phone (again, pre-cell phone era). Then I called my mom, because of course, what else do you do in a situation like this?
She was like, “Well, Bella, you’re going to have to clean it up.”
So I started cleaning. I was there for hours. And every time I’d clean a section, the dog would walk through it again. It was like a sitcom. Eventually, I got it all cleaned up, put towels down, and made her a comfy area to stay in.
Later, the owners called me back, apologizing profusely. They said they had no idea she was going into heat—that it had never happened before. We laughed about it for years.
Now, again, how can this become a social media post?
You might not post a literal photo of it (please don’t), but you can tell the story. You can share the humor and the chaos of what pet sitters really deal with behind the scenes. You can talk about how you stayed calm, how you problem-solved, how you handled it with professionalism—and maybe make a funny Reel reenacting it.
You could make it educational too—like a PSA for pet parents about spaying, or about checking for signs of heat before boarding or travel.
This kind of story is what makes you relatable, trustworthy, and memorable.
We’re not just walking dogs or scooping litter boxes. We’re stepping into people’s homes and managing real-life situations—sometimes gross, sometimes scary, sometimes hilarious.
Your followers need to see that. It builds a connection. It shows that you handle chaos with grace and a sense of humor.
Now, if you think about all three of the stories I’ve told you—the attack kitty, the stroller McDonald’s dog, and Aunt Flo—you can start to see a pattern. Each of these stories highlights:
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A real-life situation.
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A human, emotional reaction.
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A way to position yourself as competent, caring, and calm under pressure.
That’s what makes powerful marketing.
And that’s why in Better Marketing with Bella, we teach you not just what to post, but how to think about your posts—how to tell stories that connect with people and show your brand personality.
Because anyone can post a cute dog photo. But not everyone can tell a story that sticks with you, that makes you remember their name, that makes you say, “I want that person caring for my pets.”
So, here’s your takeaway today: I want you to think about your own funniest, craziest, or most memorable pet-sitting stories.
Go back through your mental archives, or talk to your staff, and ask them, “What’s the wildest thing that’s ever happened on a visit?”
Write those stories down. They’re gold.
You can turn them into:
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Funny Reels.
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Engaging stories.
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“Behind-the-scenes” educational posts.
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Or even training moments for your team.
The key is: don’t waste your stories. They’re what make your business human, real, and magnetic.
All right, my friends, I hope this gave you a little laughter and a lot of inspiration. And don’t forget—our doors for Better Marketing with Bella are opening soon.
This program is for you if you want your social media to finally look professional, feel strategic, and actually work for your business.
We’ve been doing this for years, and our clients are crushing it. They’re building brand trust, getting new clients, and even attracting new employees—because their social media makes them look like the kind of company everyone wants to work for.
So, if you want to learn more, go to jumpconsulting.net/marketing or send me an email at [email protected].
And, as always, when life gets you down, remember to keep jumping. Bye now.
So, what did you think? Did you love this episode? I sure hope you did, because I put a lot of love into this for you.
The best way you can show me that is by going to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or wherever you listen to your podcast and leaving a review.
I just might read it on the next episode. I also want to remind you that when life gets you down, remember to always keep jumping. Thanks for listening.