Posts Tagged ‘pet sitting’

How To Hire the Best Pet Sitter

Whether you travel for business or pleasure, you assign the care of your pets to someone else when you are away. More and more people are turning to a pet sitting business to do the job. Caring pet owners know that most pets settle better to their owner’s absence and experience less angst and stress when they can remain in their home setting.

Pet sitters make this possible with daily visits to your home. In addition to meals, exercise, playtime and cleaning litter trays or bird cages, rabbit hutches, etc, pet sitters may also administer medications, walk dogs and perform other pet care duties.

In-home pet care is a good choice for caring pet owners as it provides peace of mind for everyone involved. Pet sitters also provide vital home care services while you are away that may include:

• Mail/newspaper pick-up
• Plant care and watering
• Rotating lights and opening/closing blinds or curtains to make your home look lived in.
• Placing rubbish out for collection

Many pet sitters also provide transport to and from places like the vet clinic or groomers. This is especially handy for the elderly or infirm who can no longer drive their pets to appointments themselves.

So how do you hire a pet sitter? Your best place to start your search is to use the pet sitting area of a review-based directory like Pet Guide. Sort out the ones you like the look of and organise a meeting with any prospective pet sitter. The initial interview is vital for both you and the pet sitter and be aware that some pet sitting services will charge a one-off fee for this initial meeting.

At the meeting the pet sitter has the chance to meet you and your pets in home environs. They should explain to you their terms of service, the fees they charge — which can vary widely — precise business policies and, most importantly, interact with you and your pets.

Use this time to ask any queries you may have about pet sitting in general or the pet sitter in particular. Do they have references? Have they had a police background check performed? Do they carry public liability insurance? Do they have a back-up in place if they fall ill while you are away?

Be sure you know all the services offered, as well as fees charged as this can vary widely. For instance, don’t expect your pet sitter to water plants if it isn’t part of the contract you have.

Take the time to make the right choice with the help of the National Association of Registered Petsitters and your first pet sitting experience will be a positive one that can become a long-lasting relationship!