Route +65: From Serving Customers To Cats – How This Former Retail Manager Became A Full-Time Pet Sitter
Route +65 is a series on people who have stepped off the conventional career path and are pursuing unique life journeys – showing that even in tiny Singapore, there’s room to do things differently.
If you’ve always found interacting with people the most challenging part of work, then Belinda Chan has your dream job. The 38-year-old is a full-time pet sitter and spends her days hanging out with cats, dogs and even the occasional chicken.
Formerly a retail manager, Belinda quit her job at a lifestyle store three years ago following a shift in the retail landscape. “It was after Covid and many people had turned to online shopping,” she explains. “Working in a small company, I needed to get hands-on with packing online orders and replying to online customer queries – on top of managing the store, cashiering, replenishing goods and handling the display.
“I’m not a very tech-savvy person; I don’t even have Instagram or Facebook. So, I started having restless nights, sometimes waking up in the middle of my sleep thinking about what else I hadn’t completed.”
When a part-timer where she worked told her about pet-sitting, Belinda – a cat lover with three cats of her own – decided to give it a try… and hasn’t looked back. Now she’s been a pet sitter for three years, and still looks forward to every day on the job.
IMAGE: BELINDA CHAN
What exactly do you do as a pet sitter, and did you need special training to become one?
I look after mostly cats and dogs, helping to feed them, brush them and accompany them. But there’s this couple who lives in a landed property – they have chickens which I help to look after, too. There isn’t any special training required, but having my own cats definitely helps. I’m listed on the Pawshake app and when owners view my profile, they can see that I have pets, too.
Was your family supportive when you decided to quit retail and take on this unconventional job?
My husband’s been really supportive actually – he’s always offering to drive me around if I have multiple jobs a day if he’s not too busy with work.
IMAGES: BELINDA CHAN
What’s the best part of pet sitting?
Because many of my clients are regulars whom I’ve worked with from the start, I get to bond with the pets I take care of. I enjoy brushing them, feeding them, and getting to know each one’s needs and temperament. Watching them nap also makes me feel happy. It shows that they are comfortable enough with me to doze off – or maybe they’re just tired, haha!
Meeting new pets is always exciting too. At the end of each pet sit, I’m always a little sad to part with the pets, but I know they’ll be happy to have their slave – sorry, owner – come home.
What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced?
I would say it’s time management. Because I need to factor in travelling time from one place to another, I can’t take on too many jobs in a day if I want to make sure I’m spending enough quality time with the pets. Some clients also need me to be at their place at a specific time because their pet has a routine, so, occasionally, I need to wake up as early at 5am to arrive punctually.
There are also these two cats which I’ve looked after for a few years already, but they’re always hissy and don’t let me touch them. I’ve never heard them meow before. They always watch me like I’m a big bad person no matter how much I try to bribe them with treats or play with them – for me it’s a personal challenge to get them to like me!
IMAGE: BELINDA CHAN
Any tips for people who are thinking of pursuing a similar career?
Definitely have enough money set aside for rainy days. Also discuss your career switch with your family first, because having a support network definitely helps.
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