Steps to Choosing a Dependable Pet Sitter

By Denise Doll
Choosing the right pet sitter to care for your animals while you're away can be a very difficult decision. Reining Cats and Dogs, a Raleigh pet sitter is pleased to provide pet owners with a series of topics to research potential pet sitters to help in the pet sitter interview process. We encourage you to take some time early in the selection process to determine the pet sitter best suited for your situation.

I recommend, whether you choose Reining Cats and Dogs Pet Sitting or not, that you choose a professional pet sitting company that is licensed, bonded, insured, and pet first aid certified so that you and your pets do not have to worry during the time you are away from each other.

· A dependable pet sitter will have set office hours for you to contact them.

· If you leave a message for a pet sitter, all calls should be returned within 24 hrs.

· A good pet sitter will have established fees for their services. Beware of pet sitters who do not publish their fees.

· Make sure your potential new pet sitter is bonded and insured.

· Because emergencies do happen, make sure your potential new pet sitter is certified in pet first aid.

· Quality pet sitters require to meet with you and your pets in advance to get to know one another and go over the service you require.

· Look for a pet sitter that has experience caring for animals. There are a lot of people out there who absolutely love animals. This does not mean they make a great pet sitter.

· Professional pet sitters use service contracts that spell out the services to be performed and the fees for doing so.

· Look for a pet sitter that has a policy in place for emergency medical care.

When you engage the services of a professional Raleigh pet sitter, use this list of topics to help evaluate the pet sitter. This ensures that you can leave your beloved pets with the peace of mind knowing that they will be well cared for.

By Elyse Grau
Going on vacation without the dog? Need to leave your cat for the weekend? You might want to hire a pet sitter. If you have never done that before, this article can help you avoid mistakes. Knowing you have a competent, reliable person taking care of your pets will make your trip less stressful.

The best way to find a pet sitter is to ask your veterinarian or friends who have pets for recommendations. There may be people who do it occasionally, like I do, just not as a business. Some pet sitters will advertise in the yellow pages or newspapers. Most will leave flyers or business cards with veterinarians.

Many pet sitters belong to professional organizations, and some of these have websites you can visit. Some of them offer a search feature, but remember that only their members will be listed. Some smaller towns may not have local professional pet sitters.

Keep your expectations realistic. Normally, a pet sitter will feed the animals, let them out or walk them, change litter boxes and do whatever else is needed to care for the animal. They will spend an average of thirty minutes for each visit. They might even pick up your mail and water your plants.

There is usually an extra charge for additional visits during the day. Some sitters may be willing to spend the night - something you may desire if you have older or sick animals.

Make sure the pet sitter will come and meet the animals before you hire her. It is important that both the animal and the sitter be comfortable with each other.

Be sure to plan well in advance, as pet sitters are usually in heavy demand. You should ask for the pet sitter's fees and policies in writing, so you know exactly what to expect. I would suggest getting references; a trustworthy businessperson will have these readily available.

Ask what other kinds of animal experience the person has. Someone with veterinary experience, such as a technician, is a good choice for special needs pets. A dog trainer, or someone who has trained a few animals will know how to handle dogs with behavioral issues. A pet groomer will have experience handling both dogs and cats in stressful situations.

Pet sitters are not required to have any special licensing, but those who have gone to the trouble of acquiring accreditation from one of the pet sitter organizations show a high degree of professionalism in my opinion. They will have been required to take a course that usually includes business management, animal care and animal health instruction. Accredited pet sitters will therefore likely have more diverse knowledge and experience than someone who has not been through the course. Once you have found the right sitter for you, be sure to give and get all the information you both will need.

You will want to leave phone numbers for where you can be reached, as well as a friend or neighbor who might be able to answer questions or help out in emergencies. Provide the sitter with the name, address and phone number of your veterinarian, and leave a signed letter giving permission for necessary medical procedures to be preformed. Additionally, make sure you have a way to reach the sitter at all times, in case something comes up.

Be sure to tell the pet sitter of any special behavioral problems or quirks. If your dog is afraid of people in hats, say, the sitter will not make the mistake of wearing her rain hat indoors! Point out where all the supplies are; food, dishes, toys, beds, etc. Tell the pet sitter your rules on treats, how much you feed, how often and when. If you can put everything the pet sitter may need in one central location, so much the better.

If your animals are on strict schedules for feeding or medication, ask if these can be accommodated, and work out an acceptable compromise if need be.

Be sure your pet sitter is bonded and insured. Don't forget, she will have the keys to your home. Also, make arrangements for payment and the return of your keys.

It is a good idea to have a contingency plan in place in the event that your return is delayed. Plan to call the sitter on your return or ask her to call you at a specified time.

The pet sitter should also have a backup plan in case he or she is unable to attend to your pets for some reason. If not, you had better make a backup plan of your own.

Leaving the pets behind can add unnecessary stress to your trip. Knowing that you have hired an experienced pet sitter, and that you have provided her with everything she needs to do the job right can help ease that stress.

By Aazdak Alisimo
Are you considering hiring a pet sitter? If so, you may be wondering about what it is going to cost you. The specific figures tend to change from one facility to the next, but most services tend to offer the same basic rates.

Before you can decide whether or not a pet service is reasonable, you must consider the type of animal that you have. Dogs and cats are usually less expensive than horses are, and some exotic pets may be far more expensive that any sort of common pet. Also, think about the type of service that you want a sitter to provide. Do you want your pets to have fresh food and water, or are you looking for something a bit more elaborate? The charges can really fluctuate according to your demands, though these prices shouldn't get too out of hand.

Generally, most pet providers charge anywhere from $15 - $20 per day for a domestic pet, and the prices tend to climb from there. If you want a caretaker to empty a litter box or bathe a dog, the cost will be much higher. Along with providing basic necessities for your pet, most care givers will also collect any mail for you while you are away (included in price). However, if you require a provider to spend the night with your pet, you could be looking at a whole new price range.

For the most part, caretakers will not want to stay with your pet overnight. Still, if you feel that your precious animal family member will require around the clock service, you could be looking at fees of $70 - $100 per day. Of course, the amount of money that you are willing to spend on is entirely up to you, but consider whether or not it really needs an overnight sitter.

Is a personal provider really worth the daily cost? Usually, pets will greatly benefit from seeing a person every day that you are away. Also, it is important that your pet receive fresh food and water while you are gone. Therefore, pet home services are very useful if you cannot find anyone else to take care of your pet. Then again, asking a friend or neighbor may be the most cost effective way of ensuring that your pet is safe.

As you can see, caretaker charges can really change according to the type of care that your pet requires. Remember that you will pay more for larger animals and extra services, though your animal friend may greatly benefit from a professional's daily care.