Get the most out of playtime!

Cat playtime

If you have got a lil’ fluffy kitten jumping around your house, you sure know how difficult it is to contain that much energy.

Cats may seem inactive but they are not, especially when they’re kittens. They require regular play sessions. These work to engage them mentally, as well as provide much-needed exercise to their body. By creating the right outlet for your pet, you will be able to engage with your cat and learn more about them and their fancies. Playing with them will also enable the development of trust and the strengthening of the beautiful bond that you two share. 

Additionally, in the event where you might have to be out of town for a couple of days, keeping your cat-sitter updated on your pet’s favorite games can help them while away the time. That is until you are back to resume the activities of engaging with your pet. 

Why is Play Important 

Research conducted revealed that at least one hour of play on a regular basis can increase the healthy lifespan of a cat by as much as four hours! Spending time stimulating and interacting with your pet can also improve their mental health and lessen anxiety significantly, even in cats with Down Syndrome. 

Cats need to play just as kids do. It allows them to deal considerably with boredom and build trust with any other people in the family, or even with other cats at home. Did you know that a whopping 59% of all adopted cats in the US are placed in the “overweight” category?

Engaging in regular playtime can create a habit of exercise which is crucial to your cat’s livelihood and can help them cut back on the additional fat gains. Another fact that needs to be kept in mind is that play is a part of a kitten’s natural biology. Regular play stimulates the prey-stalking instincts that a cat has, which helps them remain fit as well as stimulated.  

How to Play with Your Cat 

Discovering how your cat prefers spending its playtime can be an exciting experience for you as well! It is often the part that most cat owners enjoy after a long day at work – watching their pet play with their favorite toys or interacting with them for stimulation. 

There is nothing that could be more stress-busting than spending some time with someone who wants nothing more than for you to relax and have fun. Playtime can also be a good time to learn more about your cat, and for them to learn more about you. 

Remember, however, to play in moderation. Excessive activity can cause your pet to get stressed, angry, or agitated. Over-stimulation can cause them to simply walk away. Shorter play sessions, on the other hand, are more suited to them. Consider four sessions of 10-minute duration every day. Keep in mind, however, that every cat is unique and they have their own requirements for stimulation. 

What Can You Play? 

Read on to discover what games you can play with your pet. Try a combination of these different activities, spread out across the day to figure out what suits your feline friend best. 

  1. Hide and Seek 

A classic favorite of all felines! Choose one of your pet’s toys, probably the one that they mostly play with, and hide it under a blanket. Maybe consider attaching a string to it so you can wiggle the toy, causing the kitten to lay a laser-sharp focus on the movement before jumping over it and claiming it. 

  1. Fetch 

A game that has been attributed mostly to a cat’s canine counterpart, not many know that felines actually enjoy playing fetch. Or if not fetch, they definitely do enjoy chasing after and catching a ball that you may have thrown for them. Ball toys are among the most preferred toys for cats because they stimulate the unexpected and quick movements of prey. 

Adding a bell to the toy can work to catch your kitten’s attention, arousing their natural instincts to chase after the object causing the noise. 

  1. Walking 

Another often unrecognized activity is that cats can actually be trained to walk on leashes. Many enjoy the activity of exploring the outdoors and putting it on a leash can help keep it safe from any other animals, cars, or from the potential of getting lost. Walking together can also be a great exercise that you both can engage in together, starting the day the right way or ending it on a good note. 

  1. Scratching 

If there’s one thing your feline loves – it is putting their claws to good use and keeping them in shape! You can help them with this by installing a scratching post in your house (the taller it is, the more your cat will enjoy it). 

  1. Train It! 

Cats are curious creatures, and more than willing to learn but only if they are interested. You can begin the training by having some treats reading and let it sniff it. Issue a command and wait to see if your cat responds. If it does respond, regard it with a treat and repeat the command around 5-10 times. Giving it a treat every time it responds will reinforce the behavior and voila! Your kitten has learned a new trick! 

  1. Sing with your Cat 

Cats are very vocal animals and have no problems engaging in actual conversation with you. So the next time it meows at you responds in the same pitch and tone. We can bet it will give you a retort. As long as you keep echoing its noises, it will keep being vocally engaged with you. 

  1. Laser Pointers 

Use a laser pointer to grab your kitten’s attention and have it running around the room, chasing the target it has fixated upon. This can make for a pretty entertaining activity for you as well. 

Remember that your cat is going to have its own preferences for location, time of the day, movement, noise, scent, and size of the toys you use. Regularly playing with it can allow you to understand what it most prefers, allowing you to make the most of your playtime together! 

What Happens At A Scamps & Champs Meet & Greet

What Happens At A Scamps & Champs Meet & Greet

Free Meet & Greet at Your Home

The first thing that we do after you sign up for our services or enquire about our services, is come out to meet you and your pets at your home at a time that suits you.

You can take us through your pets usual routine and talk us through the information you have provided in your pet’s profile on our pet sitting software.   This way we can always be sure that we are providing pet care to your exact instructions.

You can show us where the pet food is kept, pet bowls, water bottles, leads and harnesses, favourite hiding places and anything else you think we might find useful.

We will be able to answer any questions you may have about our services and show you around the pet sitting software if required.

You can introduce us to your pets and talk through any habits or behaviours that you think we ought to know about and also any medications that need to be given.

We will bring our folder and show you our company insurance, references, dog home boarding arrangers licence and dbs checks.

You can update/add additional information to your pets profile at any time, upload photographs of your pets and also upload vaccination records.

If you are interested in dog walking services, we would then arrange for the dog walker who will be walking your dog to pop round to meet you and collect a key so you can meet the person who will be coming into your home.    We do have a team of dog walkers so we will always provide cover if your regular dog walker is on holiday or off sick.

Contact Us

Interested in finding out more about Scamps & Champs Dog Walking & Pet Care and how we can help?  Call us on 0333 200 5827 or contact us through our online form on our website www.scampsandchamps.co.uk.


How Much Does Pet Sitting Cost?

If you want your beloved pets to experience in-home pet sitting while you’re away, hiring an experienced and professional pet sitter is the way to go.    Our team of professional pet sitters are dedicated animal lovers who will lavish love and attention to your best friends, just like you do.   

Our overnight pet sitting services start from as little as £28.00 for an overnight stay from approximately teatime until around 7.30am the following morning but the rates may go higher depending on the services you want to request for your pet.  Our overnight pet sitting service includes a morning and evening walk for dogs if required, feeding and of course lots of attention and cuddles.

Benefits of pet sitting as opposed to dog home boarding or kennels and catteries

Wondering why at home pet sitting is a better option to consider as opposed to putting your pets in kennels or catteries or dog home boarding? Here are some reasons:

Less stress

Taking your furry friend to somewhere new is likely going to stress your pets since they’re not used to the environment. Pets can get accustomed to being at home and that includes sights, sounds and smells such that leaving an environment they’ve always known can make them anxious.  Choosing at-home pet sitting for your pets makes it easy for them to feel safe and secure even when you’re out of town.

No extra travel for you

If you decide to take your furry friends to a dog home boarder, kennel or cattery, it means you have to drop your pets off and pick them up again when you return. The extra travel can cause a lot of stress and loss of valuable time you could have spent doing other things.  When you choose pet sitting, you don’t have to worry about taking them to the dog home boarder, kennel or cattery or picking them up again when you’re back in town.

No travel trauma for your pets

Some pets dislike travelling regardless of how comfortable you try to make the trip for them.    Hiring a pet sitter to stay with your pets can be less stressful for them than travelling with them.

Pet sitting experience and insurance

Hiring a pet sitter means you’re requesting the services of a professional who has vast  experience with pets and is fully insured. What this means is that you can rest knowing that your pets are in the care of someone who is a huge animal lover and would know what to do in the event of an emergency.

Additional services/Security for your home

Apart from caring for your pets, pet sitters can help keep the house clean, water the plants, bring in the mail and newspapers, and put out recycle bins, all giving your home that lived-in look.

Health concerns

When pets are in a group setting like a cattery or a kennels, your pets are at risk of coming home with an illness they contracted from other pets.  That could result in pains for your furry friend and a visit to the vet which may cost a lot. On the other hand, your pets are less likely to fall ill when being cared for in their own home and even if they do, you can rest assured that they will receive personalised care from the pet sitter.

Personalised care

Pets in a kennel or cattery don’t always receive personalised care and this might negatively affect your pets but a pet sitter who stays with your pets can care for your pet exactly as per your instructions, leaving you with no doubt that your pets are in safe hands.  You will receive daily feedback emails with photographs of how your pets are doing for your peace of mind so you can relax and enjoy your holiday, worry free.

Scamps & Champs pet sitters look after your pets as we would our own.

To find out more about our pet sitting service, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Cat Sitting High Maintenance or Low Maintenance?

People often decide to get a cat as they don’t have time for a dog and they are out all day, but is this hypothesis correct? People often think that cats don’t need much attention or care and that they simply need a meal providing twice a day, however this couldn’t be further from the truth. Whilst it’s true that cats don’t need walking daily and they are able to go to the toilet inside using a litter tray, this does not subsequently mean that cats are ‘low maintenance.’

Often cat owners will go away for a night or two, or even on holiday and leave there cats alone with a large bowl of food and water and assume that their feline friend will be alright. Cat sitting in this instance seems pretty straight forward! However, this assumption neglects to identify the sensitive creatures that cats are and how much they crave fuss and attention.

Whilst it is true that cats are extremely territorial and prefer to be at home, it is fair to say the ultimate cat combination, is to be at home with company. If this company can’t be you and you are away then you need a cat sitter. A cat sitter can come into the comfort of your own home and ensure your cat is fed at regular intervals, has fresh water and cat litter, let outside for fresh air if required and best of all have a thorough friendly fussing.

Scamps and Champs cat sitters are all DBS checked providing you with reassurance in allowing them into your home to cat sit for you. They all have experience in animal care and most of them have pets (often multiple) of their own, so they know exactly how you feel going away and leaving your cat at home with a sitter. All of our staff are really friendly and caring and thoroughly enjoy looking after your pets for you.

Hiring one of our cat sitters means you have the peace of mind of having your cat and your home checked on simultaneously and most importantly your loving high-maintenance kitty will have everything they could possibly need, whilst remaining the king of their own castle, whilst their humans are on holiday!

To check availability of our cat sitting services in your local area, to ask us a question or make a booking please complete our online form.

Dog Home Boarding Holidays – The Latest Trend to Rival Traditional Dog Kennels

dog home boarding, pet sitting, dog walking,

As summer approaches it is time to start planning our family holidays and whilst we always endeavour to take our precious pooches with us, this is not always possible. Particularly when we chose to holiday abroad. Until now we have had to either rely on a family member to take care of our furry-friends or place them into the local dog kennels for a week or two.

However, there is a new canine camp in town ready to rival the traditional set up of dog kennels! Dog home boarding holidays’ offer a fresh new perspective on dog care and place your pet best friend at the centre of its notion. It is now not merely suggested that you are taking off on your jolly holidays and having to find a ‘space’ for your dogs to go whilst you are away, completely fitting in around your plans! Now it is suggested that in fact your dog can go on their own holiday break, leaving your plans rendered almost insignificant!

Your dog is likely to be at the centre of your family life, in fact many of us admit to preferring dogs to humans! So it feels only right that your dog gets to go on their very own home boarding holiday and that it’s as big an event as our own planned break! Dog home boarding offers many benefits to that of traditional kennels such as:

  • You select exactly which home boarding family you would like your dog to home board with.
  • You and your dog get to meet your home boarding host family to ensure that everyone gets along and that you are all happy.
  • You dog will be staying in a family home whilst you are away, providing a home-from-home environment.
  • Dog home boarding allows your dog to remain in their usual routine, including walks and meal times.
  • Your dog will always have company with a home boarding family.

Scamps and Champs offer Dog Home Boarding Holiday’s within their services. The best bit is if you send your Dog on Holiday with us you are in complete control of who they stay with and where they stay. It’s just like selecting their very own holiday destination!

For your peace of mind all of our dog home boarding families are DBS checked. In addition, unless your dog is crate trained and you wish them to sleep in a crate, Scamps and Champs will NEVER use crates or cages for our dog home boarding holidays.

So if you love your dog and you would love to book them their very own Dog Home Boarding Holiday get in touch with Scamps and Champs via our online enquiry form.

Cat Sitting in Chichester & Bognor Regis

Let us look after your Feline Friends while you catch some sun!

We all know that our cats love the comforts of their own home.  They are not the happiest of animals when taken out of their territory and much prefer to be looked after in their own home, within their familiar surroundings.

That’s where Scamps and Champs in Chichester can assist you.  We have a team of cat sitters waiting to look after your feline friend.  Our Chichester cat sitters are highly trained in cuddles and will lavish attention on your cat or kitten.

The Chichester cat sitting service will include all of things you might expect, with the extra special touches that only comes from our Scamps and Champs premium cat sitting service.

All our cat sitting services take place in your own home. 

  • We will visit once or twice a day, whichever you prefer,
  • feed your cat,
  • give fresh water,
  • clean/scoop litter trays if required,
  • give lots of cuddles and attention,
  • and maybe some treats if you would like us too.

Our unique cat sitting service in Chichester will take into consideration your cats personality, needs and routine and integrate this into your professional tailored cat sitting package. Where possible we will endeavour to feed your cat at their usual times, ensuring they only eat the food and quantities they are used to. We will make sure their bowls are clean and fresh every single time. If they like to be let outside we are happy to let them out, if you like your cats to be in at night time we will ensure that they are bought back inside ready for the evening. If any of your fur babies are on medication we can ensure that these are given at meal times for you, we recognise each cat is individual and therefore we tailor your cats care to suit their unique needs.

Chichester Scamps and Champs will always go that extra mile to ensure your cat is happy, content and looked after.

As our Chichester cat sitters are in the house anyway taking care of your fluffy friend, if you need us to take care of anything else for you we are happy to accommodate your requests. These can include things like;

  • shutting your curtains for you,
  • watering your thirsty plants,
  • turning lights off and generally keeping your house safe for you whilst you are away.

If you have other pets at home in addition to cat sitting, we can offer our services to look after them too all at the same time.

You want your cat to be cared for, relaxed and comfortable within your own home or with one of our selected Chichester cat sitters; We do to!

Whilst you are away we will send you photographs of your cats so that you can see how they are getting on at home and keep up to date with what they are up to, so you can enjoy your trip away knowing your kitties are happy and safe. They will probably feel like they are having their own fabulous mini break, filled with attention, cuddles and care!

Our personal approach and real love of animals will make your cat  feel safe and secure in our care.  We are fully insured, DBS checked and completely committed to your animals’ welfare.

Please do give me or one of our enthusiastic team a call or drop us an email.  Our number is a national number and there is always someone ready to answer your call.

All messages are passed onto me personally and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

We hope that you enjoy the walk and the views across the West Sussex countryside.  Please share your photo’s here and if you think that Chichester Scamps and Champs could offer their many dog-walking and pet-sitting service please do get in touch.

NEW Dog Walking and Pet Care Services Available in Chichester

We have some really exciting news here at Scamps and Champs! Not only have we recently opened a new branch in Halifax but now we have a brand new Scamps and Champs branch opening in Chichester! That’s two new pet care service locations in one month!

Pet care services in Chichester will include; dog sitting, dog walking, cat sitting, dog home boarding and a wedding pet chaperone service.

Scamps and Champs Chichester will be managed by Sarah, who is extremely passionate about animals and keen to work hard to provide you with an excellent service. She owns two gorgeous pets of her own and therefore completely understands how important it is, to have pet care services that you can rely on and trust.

My name is Sarah and I am passionate about bringing you and your pet a personal high-quality pet service.

I have owned and rescued dogs, cats and small animals all my adult life and right now have a German Shepherd called Shaka and British Shorthair cat called Hero.


You want your pet to be cared for, relaxed and comfortable within your own home or with one of our selected pet carers and we do to!


Our personal approach and real love of animals will make your Scamp or Champs feel safe and secure in our care.  Whether that’s in your own home, with one of our home boarders, going for daily walks, being visited for a cuddle or one of our many other services.

We are fully insured, DBS checked and completely committed to your animals’ welfare. We will come and introduce ourselves to you and most importantly your pets.  We know that every pet is an individual and we can tailor our service to meet your needs.

Please do give me or one of our enthusiastic team a call or drop us an email.  Our number is a national number and there is always someone ready to answer your call. All messages are passed onto me personally and I will get back to you as soon as possible.


Best of luck Sarah! – Welcome to the Scamps and Champs family!

It’s not too early to enquire and book pet care services in Chichester. For details of how to book; dog sitting, dog walking, cat sitting, dog home boarding and a wedding pet chaperone service, see below.

To ask Scamps and Champs Chichester a question, check pet care service availability or to get in touch, simply complete our online form.

To enquire about joining the Chichester team as a dog walker, pet sitter or dog home boarder simply complete our online application.

Check Out Scamps and Champs Chichester Webpage for More Information on Pet Care Services