About Us

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Carrie Ruddell Maria: As the owner of a multiple award-winning pet sitting service in Center City Philadelphia, The Monster Minders, Carrie has amassed a vast knowledge of everything pet related.  From what chew toys actually stand up to aggressive chewers to pet medical emergency symptoms, she’s here to dish out the information to you.  Carrie has always loved writing and soon found herself updating her pet sitting blog almost daily.  Furmix was the next logical progression.  She is also a rescue advocate and a proud rescue Partner with PAWS – Philadelphia’s largest no-kill rescue organization.  To date, through various fundraisers, Carrie and The Monster Minders have raised thousands of dollars for the rescue group and have fostered countless homeless pets.

Lola, Senior Office Couch Temperature Moderator: Lola started her career as a Couch Temperature Moderator, abandoned at a local shelter.  Lola was tied to a tree outside the shelter because her previous humans did not understand her special qualities.  Furmix.com creators, Lindsay & Carrie instantly saw the goodness in her, and her couch warming tendencies are only the start of it.  Before she came into their lives, the couch was always room temperature upon sitting.  Since Lola’s arrival, they can always bet that the couch is pre-warmed and comfy.  When she’s not “warming up the couch” you can find her playing with her Best Friend (and intern) Ned (see below), trying to wake up Max, & going for jogs.  She also enjoys the occasional stream to prance through, although a puddle will suffice in a pinch.  The only thing Lola likes better than sleeping on the office couch, is, sleeping on the office couch when the sunlight shines on it.  (that and treats.)

Max, Senior Sleeping Analysis Correspondent (And self-proclaimed dream expert): Max is really good at one thing.  Sleeping.  He also enjoys having his ears scratched while he’s sleeping.  Or his chest scratched.  Or even just to know that Carrie, Lola, or Ned is in the room with him.  It’s estimated that he sleeps about 20 hours per day, and when you’re a 10 year old mastiff-mix, it seems fair enough.   Max often dreams of catching rabbits (gently of course), or running away from scary commuter buses (a city dog he is not… living in the middle of a city.)   In his old age, he has a deep appreciation of food, any kind of food.  Well, he’s not a fan of carrots – but other than that, he’s not a picky eater.  Life’s too short.

Ned, Office Intern:  Ned’s a cat so he pretty much does what he wants to do.  At a time when an office intern would have really helped with workload, Carrie and Lindsay soon discovered that even if they give him tasks – (other than tipping over office plants) he’d probably just end up sleeping in the sunshine.  Ned is really good at wrestling with Lola (even though she’s five times his size), trying to eat fish out of the fish bowl, and socializing the seemingly endless stream of foster kittens the Furmix crew rescues from the local shelter, Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society.