- Does the pet sitter have commercial liability insurance?
- What training does the pet sitter have?
- Does the pet sitter ask questions such, what does the pet like, dislike, what medication does each animal have, routines, allegories, etc?
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Do they do a home visit before beginning work, so they can get know your animals?(this one I find important, because you want to know if you pet will like them, if not then you need to find someone else. For example, I don’t want my dog with a male sitter, since he is afraid of males and will attack, so make sure that you know that you dogs will have a comfortable relationship with them. )
- Does the pet sitter have a contract that spells out what they will and will not do?
- Will they spend time with your animal or just come and feed and water then leave?
- Does the pet sitter make sure that you are home at the end of the trip? ( this is important because if something happens you want someone to still come and feed your animals)
- Do they provide any references, that you can either call or email?
Questions you should ask your Pet Sitter
- What services are included in the fee?
- (some pet sitters will include an extra fee to give med's, come out more then once or twice a day, multiple pets, etc)
- What type of pets do they take care?
- Some pet sitters only take care of dogs and cats, but others will feed fish, reptiles, birds, etc. You want to make sure that your pet sitter will take care of all your animals
- How much time will the pet sitter spend with your animals?
- Some pet sitters will spend a certain amount of time, exercising your dog, cat, etc while others will just come to make sure that they are ok and feed and water them only.
- How do they handle emergency situations?
- Will they take your animal to the vet, will they deal with police or fire department if necessary. You need to find all that out.
What you should do for your Pet Sitter before you leave
- Assemble everything the sitter will need to care for your pet, including house keys, food and water dishes, any medications your pet may need, and enough food and treats to last for the duration of your trip.
- Describe your pet’s personality to the sitter, and spend some time introducing the sitter to your pet. You should also acquaint the sitter with your pet’s health issues, habits, hiding places and favorite toys.
- Leave your sitter with written, detailed pet care instructions, including phone number for your veterinarian and your travel itinerary with contact numbers where you can be reached in an emergency.