A guide to choosing a sitter for your pet
Of course, the more you are willing to spend, the more comfort and attention your pet will receive. Home services usually also offer services such as watering plants and general home care in your absence. Don’t confuse a pet sitter with a housekeeper, though – or you may soon need to get a new one!
People can become pet sitters without any qualifications, and it can be difficult to gauge the experience each applicant can bring to the job. That is why it is sometimes very difficult to choose a sitter from classified ads. Sometimes your individual impression of someone and watching how they interact with your pet can be a good way to choose. However, also look for accreditation from the National Association of Professional Pet Groomers, whose members follow a code of ethics and have completed training courses and conferences.
Before choosing a person or company to care for your pets, interview the candidates over the phone or at home. Find out if they will work in your home or bring your pet to their home. You’ll also want to know if potential applicants will be caring for other pets at the same time as yours, and if so how many pets, and whether your pet will get as much attention as it needs. You should ask what other services your sitter can offer, such as walking your dog or watering your plants.
If you are happy with the conditions in which your pet will be cared for, you need to find out what training and qualifications the applicant has and what the arrangements are if the applicant cannot make it to work for a day (emergency, car travel, etc. .. .) – eg can their agency provide a backup? From a legal perspective, you need to find out if the applicant has commercial liability insurance (to cover accident and negligence) and whether they are bonded (to protect against theft). Finally, you should ask applicants to provide a service contract to ensure that she is legally obligated to provide the care you are paying for.
Find out from the names of the candidates and the numbers of previous satisfied customers who can give a recommendation. Also judge your candidates by their interaction with your pet and their interest in their well-being. For example, does he/she seem interested when you tell them about your pet? Do they keep notes on feeding and treatment?
Once you’ve chosen a pet sitter, it’s important to do everything you can to make things as easy as possible for your pet and their new sitter. Whenever you want to make a booking with your carer, you should do so well in advance of your requirements. You should provide your pet sitter with clear instructions outlining specific pet care responsibilities and contact information for you and your veterinarian. Most pet sitters will require that your pet’s vaccinations are up to date, especially if your pet is not the only animal they care for on the premises, and you should ensure that you have up-to-date identification tags attached to your pet’s collar favorite. Finally, a good tip is to leave a key with a trusted neighbor as a backup in case of loss and make sure your pet sitter knows how to contact it.
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