How to Provide Your Pet Sitter with the Best Information to Care for Your Pets

You wouldn't leave your kids with a babysitter without providing a list of instructions and important phone numbers. If you're leaving your pet and home in the care of a pet sitter for several days or more, why wouldn't you leave a list of similar instructions?

Here are some things to consider before leaving your pet -- and your home -- in the care of a pet sitter.

Choose Someone Responsible

Your pet sitter will have nearly unlimited access to your house, so choose wisely. This is not a job for someone you've just met, a new neighbor or an unproven teenager. This is an ideal job for a niece or nephew or college-age family friend, provided you trust that they're responsible. It could also be a job for an older relative, like an aunt or uncle.

If you don't know of anyone, or you're leaving town at a peak time like a holiday when everyone else is also out of town, try a pet-sitting agency, like Always There Pet Care. Not only will they take care of your pet with the same extra special attention you give, they also take care of your home, including bringing in the mail/newspapers, conducting regular walk-throughs of your home to ensure that it is locked and safe, and watering plants.

Prepare a List of Instructions and Important Numbers

As a pet sitter, I always appreciated when the owner left me a list of instructions with important phone numbers. Prepare a document on your computer that can be saved and easily updated later on.

Items to include on your document include:
- Address and telephone number of your home in case of emergency
- Address and telephone number at which to reach you in case of emergency
- Name, address and telephone number of a reliable neighbor or nearby family member
- Name, address and phone number of your local veterinarian
- Any security codes, like for a garage door or alarm system

Instruct your pet sitter as to where to find food, treats and toys; how often to feed and water your pet; how often your pet gets to go outside, both for walks and the call of nature; how often to empty a litter box (for cats); where your pet likes to sleep, etc.

You should also leave instructions about leaving lights on in your home, what temperature at which to set your A/C or heater, and the location of a spare key in case your pet sitter gets locked out of the house. If discussed beforehand, your pet sitter can also do little things like bring in the mail or newspapers and water plants.

Before Your Pet Sitter Arrives

It's important to meet or talk beforehand with your pet sitter to discuss what you both expect and payment. Do you want your pet sitter to stay at your house 24 hours a day? What is your pet sitter's work schedule? Should they do anything special, like throw bed clothing in the wash or run the dishwasher, before they leave for the last time? It is a good idea to discuss all of these things beforehand, and possibly even give them a tour of your home, if they haven't been there much before.

You should also determine payment in advance. Keep in mind that to board your pet, you could pay as little as $10-12 a day to as much as $35-40 a day. Pet sitters are usually paid on a daily rate, and it's common to leave payment in the home when you leave to be picked up by your pet sitter on his or her arrival. Keep in mind, also, that the more you ask your pet sitter to take care of during your vacation, the more you should expect to pay.

It's always a good idea to let a reliable neighbor or nearby relative know that you'll be gone and someone will be watching your home and pet while you're away. That way, they won't be suspicious of someone new coming in and out of your house.

The Day You Leave

Typically, when you leave, you should leave both a copy of your instructions and the pet sitter's payment in a pre-arranged location in your home. Ideally, you'll have given your pet sitter a key so that he or she can come over after the time you've said you'll be leaving. (Again, this is why it is important to know and trust your pet sitter, as they will have access to your home and know for how long you'll be away.)

Many times, if you find a good pet sitter, you can request their services over and over again. Your pet will know and trust him/her, and you'll have someone you can trust to look after your most prized possessions while you're out of town.