Are you getting ready for a forthcoming vacation or business trip? Unfortunately, in many cases, it’s not feasible to take your pets with you. On the bright side, there are several alternatives available to ensure your pets are well taken care of in your absence. Nowadays, enlisting the services of a pet sitter has emerged as a favored option among pet owners. Curious about how to secure a pet sitter? Continue reading to learn more.
Why You Should Hire a Pet Sitter?
You want to enjoy your much-awaited vacation, but at the same time, you don’t want to worry about your beloved pet, which you left at home. Hiring a pet sitter would give you, as pet owners, the peace of mind that your pet will be well taken care of while you’re away.
Pet sitters are preferred over booking a boarding kennel [1] because the latter is more stressful for pets (pets stay in unfamiliar environments) and could expose your pets to unwanted parasites (like fleas and ticks). Moreover, by getting a pet sitter, your pet’s exercise and diet regimen are maintained, and exposure to illness is reduced.
How To Choose The Right Pet Sitter For Your Pet?
Choosing the right pet sitter for your beloved pet could be daunting, especially if it’s your first time availing of the service of a pet care provider. Thus, to keep your due diligence much more straightforward, the following list includes several factors that you can consider.
What Should You Know Before Hiring A Pet Sitter and The Things To Look Out For?
- Find someone who’s flexible. Do you need your pet sitter to come to your house at a designated time or day(s)? Or do you want the pet sitter to stay overnight? It would be best if you had a pet sitter that could accommodate your specific needs.
- Choose a pet sitter that ideally lives close to your home The pay would be cheaper, and more importantly, the pet sitter could come to your house quickly in case of an emergency.
- Scrutinize the referrals, references, and/or reviews of the pet sitter in question. Is he/she reputable enough? Has he/she worked with many clients before you? The pet sitter should be able to provide proof of a (flawless) criminal record to the pet owners.
- The character of the pet sitter – To scrutinize their character, you may ask them to discuss a time when their integrity was challenged and how they handled it to examine their honesty and reliability. While asking them open-ended questions, you will be able to open up the pathway of telling if a person is diligent, likable, and even passionate about pets. And these are the types of characteristics that you want to look for.
- Health condition of your pet – If your pet has special needs or a situation worth taking note of, it will help if your pet sitter has knowledge (with certification) on basic pet first aid and CPR training.
- Someone with pet insurance protection – It is preferred that professional pet sitters have pet sitter insurance and bonding, and a business license to lessen the risk of mitigation. For instance, Pet Sitters International has offered insurance and bonding protection since 1995.
- CPPS-Certified Professional Pet Sitter – For an added layer of security and peace of mind, you can hire a certified professional pet sitter. When a pet sitter is a CPPS-Certified Professional Pet Sitter, you know that he/she has proven skills to provide excellent pet care and passed rigorous testing.
Which Pet Sitter Checklist Should I Choose?
You might encounter a few pet sitter checklists out there, but PetSit.com’s handy Pet Sitter Interview Checklist stands out the most to us. This concise checklist lists seven critical questions you can ask a potential pet sitter – plus, there are over a dozen other essential considerations you can discuss during the interview.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do pet sitters stay overnight?
No, not all pet sitters stay overnight. However, for those who do, you are expected to pay at least between $40 to $80/night. The average pay of a pet sitter who stays overnight is about $60.
Can you trust pet sitters?
Yes, you can trust pet sitters – especially if they are certified, trustworthy, and are willing to take care of your pet as if it were their own. For increased peace of mind, you should only look for pet sitters in reputable pet-sitting websites and check online reviews to see how much of an animal lover they are.
What are the duties of a pet sitter?
The duties of a pet sitter include tasks like:
- Giving pets lots of tender loving care (primary)
- Feeding the pets
- Changing their water bowls
- Playing with the pets
- Dog walking
- Providing exercise
- Cleaning litter boxes
- Cleaning up pet mess
- Giving medications, if necessary
They could also perform other tasks requested by the pet owner, such as household chores, watering the plants, or picking up the mail or newspaper.
How do I hire a dog sitter?
The most convenient way to hire a dog sitter is to find a reputable pet sitter on popular websites like Rover.com, Care.com, the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters, and PSI (Pet Sitters International).
You can find the best pet sitter according to your needs, preference, and budget. They also make sure to do a background check on the sitters who apply which makes it a safer feeling for pet parents that their dog or cat breeds are in good hands.
Conclusion
You don’t have to worry about your pets while you’re away on vacation. By carefully following the tips above, you can give your pets lots of tender loving care – even when you’re not by their side, by hiring the right professional pet sitter to take care of their needs.
