What Pet Indies Stress-Dream About — Part 1

We asked the PETS+ Brain Squad: “What is your go-to stress dream about work? What happens in it?” You’ll find the results relatable, terrifying, hilarious or a combination of a few of these options. Also, we’re a bit worried about your store cats, to be honest.

Someone famous loves one of my custom products. They advertise it, I can’t keep it in stock but I make a lot of money. Diane Mullen, Winni Paw Station, Wolfeboro, NH

That I’ve forgotten to feed the shop cats and they are emaciated and meowing plaintively at the glass door waiting for food. Molly Lewis, Dog River Pet Supplies, Hood River, OR

Finances are always stressful! Loree & Danielle Shirazi, The Original Paw Pleasers, San Diego, CA

So in my dreams, I ride my bike down 99W to the shop. When I finally get there, the parking lot is packed with food trucks and block party activities. None of the lights inside work, so I just use my flashlight. The store is much bigger and basically empty. The shop cats are often involved, as well; getting out through bay doors and such. Jennifer Flanagan, Pacific NW Pets, Sherwood, OR

Staff quitting. Susan Roraff, Susie’s Petpourri, Reedsburg, WI

Luckily I have more dreams that give me ideas, so much so that I regularly wake up and need to write them down! I get event ideas, product ideas and service ideas! McKenna Burzimati, Roxie’s Barkery, North Adams, MA

Freezers left open and the food melts! Beth Staley, Happy Dog Barkery, Downers Grove, IL

You don’t really want to know. Our store rescue bird (who actually hates me in real life by clacking hard enough to make me go deaf) attacks and eats me alive. The crickets and worms that we sell crawl up my arms and bite me … but this is because my arms fall asleep in the messed positions I sleep in (tingling from falling asleep). Amber Hudson, The Aquarium Pet Store, Weatherford, OK

Staying asleep. Bob Sanders, Dude Ranch Pet Resort, Glen Allen, VA

My stress dream is “Did I completely mess up by spending thousands on this new product line?” I don’t know what happens because I try to calm myself down to sleep instead of having a panic attack over what might happen. Theresa Moreno, For Healthy Pets, Montgomery, AL

Delivery truck with no brakes. Robert L. Critselous, Drooly’s Dog Bakery, Bentonville, AR

I have repeatedly dreamt that someone screwed up the schedule and we have to squeeze in two more matted Bernedoodles into our day. When we first opened we had a couple people who constantly screwed up the schedule and we would find this scenario as reality. Shell Tomjack, The sPaw, Rapid City, SD

Being late for everything. Heather Miller, Just For Pets, York, PA

I sell the business and retire. Paul Lewis, The Green K9, Mount Dora, FL

Only happy dreams. My favorite is the thought of when I cross the Human Rainbow Bridge, all the pups and kitties who loved me will greet me there. I’m expecting a stampede! Rebeca Santos, Pets Love and Happiness, Huntsville, AL

Forgetting about a scheduled nail trim. Kirsten Puhr, The NW Dog, Poulsbo, WA

There are more than one: The freezers going down or the internet crashing are big real-life scary ones for many including me. Being buried in an insurmountable pile of cardboard would be a hypothetical only-me scenario nightmare. Everyone who knows me knows how much I hate cardboard and feel compelled to destroy it at all costs. Our reps know to not even suggest cardboard shippers when selling stuff to us. Jodi Etienne, Razzle Dazzle Doggie Bow-tique, Bradley, IL

My store burns down. Brett Foreman, EuPAWria Holistic Pet Center, Owego, NY

Tripping over a customer’s dog! I race around the corner of the counter and go flying over a Doodle, LOL! Diana Farrar, Fifi & Fido’s Pet Boutique, San Antonio, TX

I have had multiple dreams about work! A recent one was that our POS only allowed you to ring one unit of one item per transaction, so we were completely dysfunctional. Want a case of cat food? That will be 24 transactions, sir. Want a bag of litter, one of kibble and two toys? That will be an additional four transactions, please. Shane Somerville, Paddywack, Mill Creek, WA

I’m grooming! And I don’t groom. The end. I wake up panicking. Aimee Ranard, Good Karma Dog Spa, Duvall, WA

I’m behind and can’t catch up and then realize I’ve missed an important deadline. Joanna Shaw, All Pet & Equine Supply, Mountain Home, AR

I am too tired to dream. (I tell people every day: Own a business, it’s the American Dream — but you have no time to sleep.) Megan Kurzweil, Forepaws, Minooka, IL

That the customers stop coming. Lacey Welcher, Firehouse Pet Shop, Puyallup, WA

My real life issue of companies attacking our trademarks and having to legally defend them. In my dream, I am the lawyer and pull a full Matlock on them! Gary Hughes, Gangsta Dog, Norfolk, VA

Dreaming means sleeping, which happens only from exhaustion. Turning brain off is work in progress. 🥱 Staci Alonso, Bone-ito, Reno, NV

Our pet supply store used to sell tropical fish. I frequently have a dream that I go into the back room and fish are still there, and I have to take care of them. Chip Bridges, Blue Ridge Pet Supplies, Black Mountain, NC

Win a crazy Powerball and never have to pay bills again and to never say no to reps again! Ha! Lori Colburn, Nature’s Pet Market Orenco, Hillsboro, OR

Distributors having out of stocks of our best-selling raw food. All the orders are on back order and customers are getting madder by the day. Ruth Sturgis, Dog Daze, North Syracuse, NY

Money!! We fail because we don’t help customers with improving their pets’ health. Katie Titterington, Arnie’s Pet Foods, Lincoln, NE

We’ll be back soon with part two!