Pet Sitting Tips: How To Find A Pet Sitter

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Pet Sitting Tips

Finding a pet sitter can be a daunting task if you’ve ever had to find a suitable day care or babysitter for your children or even locating a long-term care facility for your senior parents, you’ll understand.  Each person’s and each pet’s needs will vary. Here are a few guidelines to consider when looking for “while you’re away” pet sitting for your fur family:

Pet Sitting Instructions For You

  • How long will you be absent from your pets? How do your pets do when separated for long periods of time? If you have dogs or even cats that require a fair amount of attention, consider finding a pet sitter that stays on the premises overnight. Find a sitter that will help you with the most suitable service that best fits your needs.

Pet Sitting Instructions For THEM

  • Each pet sitter communicates with their clients differently while you are away. Some are tech-savvy and some are not.  Find one that will work out a good communication system with you in case of emergencies or even simple inquiries that may have been missed in the initial introductory meeting.
  • Consider having the pet sitter meet your pets before planning your vacation, to see how well your pets get along with him or her, or even suggest a trial period to see how the pets adjust to a different person in the house.

Pet Sitting Instructions IN GENERAL

  • Some pet sitters carry insurance–not all; however, finding one that is insured and bonded can be a good bonus to consider for peace of mind. Many are pet first aid certified as well.
  • Locate a pet sitter through referrals from your vet clinic, online groups such as Facebook or LinkedIn. Some places such as the Chamber of Commerce may have listings of pet sitters in your town as well. Get advice from your friends, family or even co-workers, as well. Craigslist and Kijiji will mostly have postings from young people looking for extra money or place to stay while attending college/university. Find a sitter that cares more about your pets. Trust your gut instincts to put your trust in a new person in your pet’s lives!

maine coon catMore pet sitting tips:  There are all types of “while you’re away” pet sitting. Some only do dog-walking Mondays through Fridays, some only do cat-sitting and not overnight stays, some only do small animal care, and some consider doing farm jobs as well. Some will stay at your house and some will board your animals in their own homes. There are many options available to you out there!

Pampered Critters Logoby Jen McEachen

Pet Sitter/Owner of Pampered Critters

 

Jen grew up with an assortment of animals including cats, dogs and rabbits. She began “hobby” sitting for a few people in 2004. Having graduated from the College of New Caledonia in 2008 with certification in Applied Business Technology, she was awakened in early June 2010 by a dream – the dream that ultimately set her on the path to establishing Pampered Critters. She’s always had a strong compassion towards animals and clients, and really, pet and house-sitting seemed a far more suitable career path for her than sitting in an office and being an administrative assistant.

Her interests mainly surround animals, disability advocacy, and some recreational activities including bowling and socializing with friends. She volunteers her time as the volunteer resources coordinator at the Canadian Red Cross’ HELP (Health Equipment Loan Program) depot and also volunteers for the Canadian Cancer Society as well. Contact her at:  www.pamperedcritters.ca