Leaving your fur baby to be taken care of by someone else is often a stressful experience, even if you are going on a great holiday.
The first decision you need to consider is the options for care:
- Boarding kennels
- Pet sitting in your home
- Pet sitting in a carers home
Following these tips and questions for you to ask can help to make choosing a pet sitter a less stressful experience for you and your fur baby.
- What experience with animals do they have or what training have they completed?
Although there are no minimum standards or qualifications for pet sitters, you ideally want someone with animal care experience or recognised qualifications such as a Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing. This is because your pet sitter needs to be able to detect any signs of illness in your pet while you’re away and administer first aid if needed. If you have an experienced animal carer or veterinary nurse caring for your pets, you can feel more comfortable that they will detect any changes and implement appropriate care.
What action have they taken in the past if an animal in their care has become sick? Knowing they have a plan will make you feel more at ease.
- What do they include with their service charges?
Some sitters will include food for your fur babies and some even include litter for your cats.
Be careful to check the brand or type of products they use as they may not be the same as what you fur baby is used to or what you prefer.
Ask about any hidden or extra charges and get it in writing what your final price will be so you do not get any nasty surprises.
- Ask for references and ask if you can follow them up?
Choosing a sitter is just like interviewing a candidate for a job.
Ask for at least three references and get contact details if privacy allows. A sitter can always talk up their experience or skills so getting unbiased honest feedback is essential.
If they have their own website, you may be able to find Google reviews of their service.
When asking for references also consider asking if they have can show you a recent police check.
- Check their social media pages and groups if they have them
Most people these days will use social media to promote their services and grow their following.
It is a good idea to do a search of their personal and business name if applicable.
This will help you to get a feel of the way they present themselves and operate their business.
This is also another good source to check for feedback from their previous and current clients.
Will they be posting pictures of your fur baby and tagging you in them? This is something to check as you may not want images made public.
- Are the insured?
Do they have public liability or professional indemnity insurance to cover property and pets in their care at their home and in transit.
If you hire a pet-sitter through a service, they have a certain amount of insurance coverage already. Independent pet-sitters, on the other hand, need to purchase this coverage on their own
While you always hope nothing ever goes wrong, it is best to make sure that the sitter you choose has adequate coverage.
Having insurance is also a sign that they take their pet sitting business seriously rather than just a side hobby.
- Ask an idea of a daily routine
How are they going to look after your pet and how does it compare to your normal routine?
For example, what’s the feeding schedule, how often will they walk your dog or play with your cat, will they be brushing them at all?
It is important to also check if the sitter has another job they go to and how long they would be leaving your pet alone.
If your fur baby is an inside dog, will the sitter also allow them inside?
Really you want to try and keep things as “normal” for your fur baby to limit the amount of stress they experience in this new environment.
- Will there be other pets at the home or do they have of their own pets?
If your pet is not used to being around other animals, it is important to know what the situation will be like at the sitter’s home.
If they have their own pets, will yours get the right attention and care that it needs?
Also, if they do have their own pets, how will their fur baby interact with yours?
It would be important to know vaccination and health details if there will be any other pets in the home, the last thing you want is your fur baby to get sick because of another animal in their care.
- Make a time to meet with them before confirming your decision.
It is always a good idea to meet with prospective sitters to make sure you feel comfortable with them. Where possible it is also a really good idea to take your fur baby with you, this way you can see how they will relate to each other.
Ask them if you can meet at their house, this will give you a feel for the environment your fur baby will be staying and you can see for yourself that it is safe and hygienic.
- How can we stay in touch while I’m away?
Whether you’re leaving the country or just going on a weekend getaway a few hours away, you’re leaving your beloved pet behind.
Make sure you establish how your pet-sitter can get in touch with you if they need something while you’re away. Can they call you, text, email or get in touch via social media messaging?
It would be a good idea to set up a guideline of what level of communication you are wanting. Do you want daily check ins or just an update if something goes wrong?
You’ll also want to know their preferred method of communicating in case you want to check in on your pet.
- Be prepared
Make sure your fur baby was current details on their microchip or ID tag.
Create a packing list of everything you will need to take to the sitters.
Click here for our suggested packing list
Give the sitter clear and detailed care instructions in case there is an emergency. Include the phone number for your veterinarian, a close friend or family member as well as your travel itinerary with contact numbers where you can be reached.
Help your pet sitter get to know your fur baby. Write down your pet’s likes and dislikes, habits, behaviours, hiding places and any health issues to look out for.
