Hiring Professional Pet Sitters

When you go away on vacation you often face that pet owning delemma:  take your pet to a kennel, have someone come over for a brief time to check on your pets, or hire a pet sitter.  Hiring a professional pet sitter is often the best option, as your pet is allowed to stay in their own environment while you're gone. 

What Services do Professional Pet Sitters Provide?

The pet sitter looks after the food and water needs of the animal and maintain your pet's normal routine. Other services can include:

• Give medicine to your pet
• Walk your pet
• Pick up pet supplies and medicines
• Play with your cat or dog
• Maintain the cat's litter box

Things to Consider When Hiring a Pet Sitter

1.  It is a very good idea to conduct a pet sitter interview before hiring them for the job. The interview can be arranged on the phone or in person. It is better if the interview is taken at home so that you can gauge how well the pet sitter and your pet will get along. 

2.  The pet sitters should be qualified and have some experience with pet care. It is a bonus if they have taken care of animals similar to your pet, as not all pet sitters can take care of all types of pets. Some pet sitters are more experienced with dogs, and some more experienced with cats. If you have other types of pets, such as birds, snakes, rabbits, etc., you will want the pet sitter to know about your kind of pet. 

3.  The pet sitter should also be insured or bonded in case of accidents. The insurance card and coverage should be checked out for this purpose.

4.  Ask for references. The pet owners whom they have worked with earlier can provide a clearer picture of the type of service you can expect.

5.  Discuss the payment terms ahead of time so there are no surprises or disagreements. 

Synonyms:  petsitter, catsitter, petsitting, and catsitting are used synonymously with cat sitter.