Your guide to hiring a pet sitter

Do you worry that your fur-babies won’t get any love while you’re on holiday? 

In this video, I talk about how to hire an awesome pet sitter so you can relax and enjoy your vacation.

I’ve received numerous last minute calls from panicked people whose friend or family member pulled out of petsitting at the last minute!

Avoid that fate by hiring a professional who will take excellent care of your pets and keep you up to date with regular communication.

In-home Pet Sitting is such a fantastic service because it means that you can go away for the weekend or on a holiday and someone will come to your home to take care of your pets. 

Your Pet Sitter may offer sessions of varying lengths, from drop in sessions (popular with antisocial cats) through to overnight pet sitting sessions (popular with dogs and affectionate cats).

The overnight pet-sitting service is very popular with my clients because my team of pet sitters just switch in for the owner and maintain their pet’s routine. 

It’s way less stressful than taking pets to kennels or catteries and it also means there’s added home security because the house isn’t empty. 

This is especially important at Christmas time when burglars love to target houses that are clearly empty. 

Having a pet sitter feed and cuddle your pets, walk your dogs, water your garden & turn lights on and off, gives the impression that you are still home (which is a huge deterrent to burglars).

How do you find a good pet sitter?

However hiring a fantastic and reliable pet sitter can be a challenge, so I’ve created a list of 13 questions for you to ask pet sitters before hiring them. You can download it by clicking on the button below.

Start by asking friends and family for recommendations, and then start interviewing them over the phone. 

You want to make sure you can trust your pet sitter and you also want to ensure you’re on the same page when it comes to caring for your pets and home.

In this article I’m referring to caring for any common household pets.  If you have a dog, please read this article too to make sure your dog will receive the excellent care they deserve

Always arrange a meeting with your pet sitter beforehand

Once you’ve chosen your perfect pet sitter, arrange a meeting at your home so they can meet you and your pets before you leave on vacation.

They need to test that your house key actually works (this is important if you’ve just had the key cut) and see where all the food, litter, leads, medication, and cleaning products are kept. 

If you have cats (like mine) who hide when guests arrive, show your petsitter the common hiding areas so they don’t panic when they can’t find your cat while you’re gone!

If you’re anything like me, and worry about your fur babies no matter how much you trust your pet sitter, ask them to send you regular updates to put your mind at ease.

Ask these questions to ensure you and your petsitter are on the same page when it comes to caring for your pets and home.

1. What time of day will you be visiting my pets?

2. How long will the pet sitting sessions be?

3. Can you show me proof of your clean criminal record?

4. Do you have insurance?

5. Do you have any client referees I can call who can vouch for your pet sitting service?

6. Will you clean my pet if they have a toileting accident (quite common with longhaired cats & dogs), rolls in something gross or gets muddy?

7. If you’re staying overnight with my pets for a few days or more, will you clean the areas of my house you used (such as the kitchen, bathroom, bed linen, floors, etc)?

8. If you’re staying overnight, do you plan to be at my house, hanging out with my pets most of the day and evening as well?

9. Can you administer medication to my pets? (If your pet needs medication, be sure to show your pet sitter how to administer it so there’s no confusion)

10. Can you walk my dog at their regular times for the same length of time that I do?

11. I would like my dog to get some off-leash time. How will you make sure my dog returns to you? 12. What’s your plan if my dog goes missing when out on a walk with you?

13. Will you be updating me after each pet sitting session?

Do you find that puppy parenting is proving to be more challenging than you anticipated?

Is your adorable bundle of fluff acting like a bit of a maniac at times?

Are they:

·         Refusing to sleep in?

·         Jumping up on you?

·         Destroying all your favourite things?

·         Chewing your hands, feet, and clothes?

·         Peeing and pooping all over your house?

Then check out "The Calm Puppy," a 5-part program designed to transform your energetic puppy into a well-behaved and delightful companion