Picking the Right Pet Sitter for Your Household

The rainy days of spring are giving into the long hot days of summer and soon with the kids will be out of school. We all start planning a summer vacation, and rather it is two weeks or just a few weekend trips, we have to decide where we are going to keep the pets. Some of us are lucky and will have friends or neighbors who will rise to the occasion. The problem is when your neighbor is running late for work will they really stop in to walk your dog or make sure your cat has water? You can board your pet, but it is usually stressful enough on pets just to have you be gone for a few days. The answer is hiring a pet sitter.

There are a number of different kinds of pet sitters available, from the neighbor hood kid who wants to make a few extra bucks to highly trained professional. You will have more than enough choices of professional pet sitters if you live in an urban area, you will have less choices if you live in the country.

The teenager next door may be a perfect choice especially if your pet already knows them. Talk with the child's parent's to find out if they are responsible with their own family pets. If they have pet sat for other people contact them and find out what kind of job they did. If they have never watched pets before consider a dry run. On a day that you will be gone for several hours pay for the teen to watch your pets.

If everyone is happy when you return and the teen has bonded with your pet then you may have found your perfect pet sitter. Make clear to any teen you hire to watch your pets that they are not allowed to have friends over; or in anyway entertain in your house while they are watching your pets. It may seem obvious, but you need to set the ground rules for the teen being in your house unsupervised. Type up the rules and give a copy to your teen pet sitter and their parents. Have the teen give you their cell phone number and call frequently when you are traveling to make sure things are going smoothly. Leave all your emergency contact information and veterinary information with your pet sitter just like you would do for a sitter watching your child.

I f your pet is elderly or has lots of health concerns you may want to consider a professional. When hiring a professional you need to ask the pet sitter for personal references and clients. They should be willing to give you this information. If they hesitate at all; find another pet sitter. If you are using a pet sitting agency ask about the type of liability insurance they carry to protect the employee, you're pet, and any damage that may occur while the pet sitter is in your home.

Double check your home owner insurance to make sure that your interests are covered while the pet sitter is in your home. I would suggest if you use a pet setting agency in addition to checking references you make sure the agency does a background check on its employees. If your pet takes medicine is sure that the agency sends you an experienced pet sitter that has given pet medication in the past. Using a pet sitting agency with high standards will cost you extra, but you an entrusting them with your pet and your home, so it is worth the money.

Pet sitters generally visit homes with dogs three times a day to walk them and a cat one time a day. Make sure you set the routine your pet sitter is to follow and leave them clear written instructions.

Find out how long each visit lasts. To save money if the professional pet sitter charges by the visit have a friend or neighbor walk your dog two times a day and have the pet sitter administer your dogs medication and walk the dog once a day. If the agency charges by the hour make it clear that you want the full hour of service and not just a 15 minute dog walk. The pet sitter should play with your pet and clean up after them.

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f you use a pet sitter for other pets like birds, make sure you specify how you want cages cleaned and if you want to birds let out or not. Pets like birds can be fragile so if you have hired the kid next door to feed and water them; you may want to make it clear they are not to let the birds loose.

Feel free to interview as many agencies and individuals as you want. Having them into your home and interacting with your pet is still the best overall gage of how happy you will be with a specific pet sitter.