Help Your Pet Sitter Help You

  Posted on March 6, 2017  by Joy of Living  No comments

Do you plan to hire a pet sitter to care for your pets when you go on vacation?  If this will be the first time hiring a pet sitter, keep the following tips in mind to ensure they can provide optimal care for your pet.

Tips To Help Your Pet Sitter Provide Best Care Possible For Your Pet

Provide Complete Contact Info

• Leave your contact information and your pet’s vet info as well as an emergency contact.
• Some vet offices require a release form if someone other than the pet owner brings pets in for treatment. Check with your vet’s office to see if they require a release. If they do, provide it to your vet’s office before leaving town.
• If you’re going to a location where you won’t have cell service, or it’s sporadic, advise your pet sitter in the event they need to reach you.
• Let the sitter know where your pet’s food, leash, treats, litter and other essentials are located
• Leave a flashlight for after-dark walks
• Provide your sitter with any special instructions regarding feeding your pet.  Examples: pet won’t eat if sitter stands in feeding area; pet will not go out for potty breaks in rain.
• Advise your neighbors that a sitter will be caring for your pets
• Notify your alarm company that a sitter will be in your home in the event the alarm is accidentally set off.  Yes, it does happen, it’s happened to me!
• Secure any food, cleaning products, or other items you want out of your pet’s reach so your pet cannot access them.
• Let your sitter know of any behaviors that may be important such as hiding places or tendency to run out of door if opened.
• If your pet takes medication, provide the sitter with the correct dosage amount. Show them how/when/where you normally administer it to your pet.
• Clearly state your expectations regarding your pet’s care. Examples include scooping litter box daily, providing fresh food/water each day/visit.  Ask the sitter if they have questions.
• Provide your sitter with a key. Although they may be entering your home via garage door, the garage door may not work, leaving them unable to care for your pet. This has happened to me when visiting pet clients.  Thankfully, I had a key to get in the house to care for the pets.

Conclusion

Enjoy your vacation!  If you worry when away from your pet, ask the sitter to notify you to let you know how it’s going.  Let them know your preferred method of communication (phone call, text or email). The sitter should be happy to satisfy that request!

To learn more about the pet care services we provide, go to our Services page.