Pet SittersWhen you are going out of town and cannot bring your pets, you need to make arrangements for their care. One option is to bring the dogs or cats to a kennel, but some pet owners understand that their four-legged family members are much more comfortable in a home environment. With this in mind, consider another option: the services of a pet sitter.What They Do Sitters care for your pet at your home or at their home. The exact services offered by a sitter will vary, and some of them are listed below. Stop-Ins Stop-in sitting care means that the sitter will come by your house a set number of times per day to feed, exercise and play with your pets. For this type of service, you will typically be charged per visit. This is a wonderful option for cats and most dogs because they remain in familiar surroundings for the duration of your trip. If your dog is to be crated when the sitter is not there, then this is definitely not the right option as it would require that the dog spend the majority of each day in his crate. A typical arrangement would include the sitter stopping by two or three times per day. Each visit typically lasts between 30 minutes and one hour. Of course, you can often customize the arrangement to include more or less frequent visits and longer durations each visit. Dogs and cats aren't the only pets that sitters take care of. They will also feed your small pets like hamsters and rabbits and feed your pet fish. Full-Time Care Pet Sitting A full-time care sitter means that the sitter will bring the pet into their home. If you find the right sitter, this is an ideal arrangement for most dogs. The dog will be able to be around someone much of the time and will not be confined and alone for extended periods. For cats, this arrangement will work best if the sitter stays at your home. Dogs adjust much more easily to new and different surroundings than do cats. Other Services In addition to providing care for your pets, many sitters offer other services as well such as bringing in the mail and watering plants.
There are many situations in which it can be a good idea to choose the services of a sitter. If your dog is nervous by nature, he may not do well in a kennel environment. Also, if you have a breed that tends to be a bit too rough with other animals, a kennel may not be a good idea. The services of a sitter are wonderful when you will be going out of town, but you may also consider a pet sitter if you work long hours. The pet sitter could stop by your home in the middle of the day to let your dog stretch his legs and take a potty break. How to Choose a Sitter Because the sitter may be entering your home unsupervised, it is very important to choose one carefully. • Experience: You want to choose someone with experience because it is important that they understand animal care. The best pet sitters have pets of their own, simply because they love pets. They also are very comfortable around animals. • Cost: For many, cost is going to be one of the important factors, but it should not be the only factor. Some pet sitters will charge by the visit, others by the hour and yet others will charge by the day or week. Be sure that you fully understand all charges. Some pet sitters charge a lower per visit or per day fee, but then they add extra fees such as for giving medication or walking the dog. • Bonded and Insured: If the pet sitter will be coming into your home, they should be bonded and insured. • References: Whether they will be pet sitting in their home or yours, you should check a few references. This will give you the peace of mind of hearing the good reports of past customers. • Number of Pets: If the pet sitting will take place at the sitter’s home, be sure to ask how many other pets will be in her care while your pets are there. Some pet sitters provide a home environment with just a few other pets. Others seem to run full-on kennels – but in their home – with up to a dozen other dogs. If there is going to be several other dogs present, it might not be the type of environment that you want. • First Aid: Your pet sitter should know the basics of pet first aid so they will be able to care for your pet should an emergency arise. Other Pet Sitting Tips • It is a good idea to allow the dog or cat to spend some time with the pet sitter in the days leading up to you being away. This is especially important if the sitter will be caring for dogs in your home. That is because if the dog is not familiar with the sitter, they may feel the need to defend their home against someone they could view as an intruder. • Be very clear with instructions for feeding and providing medications. It’s a good idea to write all of your special instructions down so there will be no confusion. • Provide your sitter with all of your pet’s vaccination records and the name of your vet. Inform your vet that your pets are in the care of a sitter and that they have permission to obtain medical care if necessary. • Don’t forget to provide your sitter with all alarm codes and passwords. It may also be a good idea to change these codes and passwords upon your return. • Provide a quality harness or leader for your pet so that there will be very little chance of issues during the times that the sitter takes your dog for a walk. Choosing the services of a sitter can make your time away from pets less stressful for them and for you. Just take the time to choose the pet sitter carefully, and make sure that you both fully understand what is expected. If the sitter will come to your home, your pets will be more comfortable and you will have the added benefit of not leaving your house empty while you are away. Consider a sitter the next time that you travel or if you just need someone to look in on your pets during the work day. New! CommentsHave your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below. |