Owning a pet is most certainly an enriching experience filled with unconditional love. Whether you’re a proud pet owner of birds, dogs, cats, rabbits, or even fish, they all need some form of regular care on a daily basis.
We all know that living in a fast-paced world, there’s always something competing with our pet for our attention. Let it be an errand that needs to be taken care of, or long pending travel plans, these situations cannot be ignored either.
So, what happens when your schedule gets the best of you and you can’t physically be there with your beloved pet?
It is for this exact modern-day dilemma that licensed pet sitting services are on the rise now more than ever. All pet sitting companies have a curated pool of pet sitters that are both trustable and reliable. But, with so many options available, how do you go about choosing the best pet sitter for your pet? This is definitely not a small task.
It’s obvious that as a pet parent you’ll have many concerns when leaving your pet with someone else. To put you at ease, we’ve put together what you have to consider when choosing a pet sitter.
First, here’s a brief outlook on what pet sitters will take care of when you’re away.
Why Pet Sitters?
Pet sitters from licensed pet sitting companies are specialised petcare professionals who will take care of the essentials & beyond for your pet. Their services ensure that your pets won’t miss out on their regular requirements while you’re not able to be there. They’ll also keep your pets engaged.
The following are some of the main responsibilities of pet sitters:
- Feeding pets on time
- Playing with pets and providing the right amount of exercise to keep them active
- Taking dogs on walks
- Exercising them when required
- Cleaning cat litter boxes
- Providing the right amount of care, attention, and love
- Performing basic grooming procedures
- Providing specialised care for pets that have special needs
- Cleaning cages, depending on the pet type
- Administering medications on time
- Taking pets to the vet, if necessary
- Monitoring health and demeanour
- Communicating clearly with pet owners
- Sending regular photo/video updates
It’s clear from this list that a pet sitter’s responsibilities are many. As a pet owner, you’ll want to make sure that your pet sitter is trained in handling the type of pet you’re leaving with them. What more could you ask for than leaving your pet in the hands of a trustable, professional, knowledgeable, and trained pet care professional. We all want nothing but the best for our pets. This is why it is advised to go through trusted pet sitting companies than opt for freelance pet sitting services.
Understand Your Requirements
First and foremost, as a pet owner, you have to be clear about what you want out of the pet sitting service and pet sitter. To determine this, you need to consider the following:
- Type of pet
- Health of pet
- Size of pet
- Activity level of pet
- Services offered by pet sitters
- Duration of pet sitting services required
- Ability to handle emergency situations
You can use these points to filter out certain pet sitting companies that have multiple pet sitters associated with them on your search.
With this in mind, let’s go over the important things you need to factor in on your journey of choosing the best pet sitter for your pet.
For more on this, check out our blog post on the Things to Consider Before Choosing a Pet Sitter.
Word-of-Mouth Recommendations
What better way to find the best pet sitter than getting first-hand recommendations from your friends or neighbours who have had experience with certain pet sitting companies in the past.
As these individuals are likely to provide insight based on experience, it should give you a sense of reassurance about the pet sitter’s offerings.
In addition to this, you can also consult with your known veterinarian to get suggestions on trained pet sitters from licensed pet sitting companies they may know of.
After all, who knows your pet better than the person who takes care of them?
Thorough Online Search
By searching for pet sitting services online, you may stumble upon first-hand suggestions and listings of reliable pet sitting companies in and around your area.
Experience Level
There’s no doubt that the experience level of pet sitters matters because pet sitting is no child’s play.
When choosing a pet sitter, pet owners must be careful to find one from an established pet sitting company because they do the hard work of conducting background checks and verifications to ensure their pet sitters are fit for the job.
If you’ve found a pet sitting service through recommendations, you can be confident in the level of expertise the pet sitters come with. However, if you are selecting a completely new pet sitter, it is important to gauge their experience level through research and discussion.
On a general note, you can verify a pet sitter or pet sitting company’s expertise by checking out reviews, testimonials, and references they may have received from past clients. This can demonstrate how credible and reliable they are as a pet sitter.
It’s important to keep in mind that it’s always safe for pet sitters to have experience handling all sorts of situations. This shows that they are equipped with the right skills to handle any emergencies that may come up as well.
To add on to this, having practical experience with basic first-aid responses and medication administrations is an added bonus.
Availability
When hiring a pet sitter, you need them to be available and present with your pet at the times you’ve booked them for. Considering this, it is essential that you check their availability upfront, as well as any other commitments they may have such as part-time or full-time jobs.
While having other commitments is alright, you just have to ensure that it will not compromise the kind of care your pet receives.
Generally, pet sitters employed with a pet sitting service are the way to go as they are fully dedicated to ensuring thorough care for your pet.
Another important factor to check for is that they can accommodate any unexpected situations, like extended stays. Checking on the pet sitter’s availability beforehand ensures you can get your pet only the best uninterrupted care.
Booking with a reputable pet sitting company ensures that they’ll be on the job if you need another pet sitter on queue in the case of extended time away.
Pricing
While pet sitting is an essential service, it does often come bearing a hefty price tag for many. This is definitely important to factor in as each pet sitting service has its own rates.
Prices may also vary depending on the type of services offered such as pet sitting, in-home pet boarding, or drop-in visit services. The service you go for may vary depending on the type of pet you have.
For instance, cats prefer having their space to themselves, so they may like more private pet sitting options. To understand more on this, read our blog on the 6 Reasons to Choose Cat Sitting Over Cat Boarding Facilities.
You can discuss the pricing with the pet sitting company to understand how much you’ll have to set aside beforehand.
Meet & Greet Session
Leaving your pet with someone you barely know can be tough. You may have a lot of questions lingering in your mind.
Before the start of the service, you can request for a Meet & Greet session to interact with your pet sitter face to face.
This meeting will give you the opportunity to know your pet sitter better and gain the reassurance that your beloved pet is in safe hands. You can also get a better understanding of their experience level, what they are trained to handle, and any specific requests they may have from their end.
During this session, you can also assess how the pet sitter interacts with your pet. This will show you how they will handle the pet when you are not there.
Here are a few questions that you can ask your pet sitter to get to know them better during the Meet and Greet session.
- Have you worked with animals similar to mine?
- What is your typical routine when caring for pets?
- How often will you provide updates on my pets?
- How do you handle behavioural issues that my pet may have?
- Do you have experience handling pets?
- How much do you charge per visit or per sitting?
Although the factors to consider are many, it all boils down to this at the end of the day: Trust your gut instincts and choose the pet sitter you feel most comfortable with.
Consider how they address your concerns, their level of professionalism, and their way of genuinely caring for animals. A good pet sitter will prioritise your pet’s well-being and safety above all else, and you should feel confident entrusting them with your furry friend.
If you’re in the UAE and need pet sitting services, you can reach out to us because all our pet sitters are highly trained professionals who are eager to look after your pet.
We have services for all types of pets! Whether it be pet sitting/boarding for birds, rabbits, hamsters, ferrets, sugar gliders, chinchillas, tortoises, fish, or others, we’ve got your back!
Still, have questions on pet sitting services? Check out the FAQ section below.
You can also read more on the art of Choosing a Sitter for your Pet:
Frequently Asked Questions
You may have noticed that throughout this blog post we stressed the importance of going for pet sitters associated with a trusted pet sitting company, instead of freelance pet sitters.
As you know, pet sitting is not something that can be done by just anyone. Professional and trained pet sitters know all about providing quality care to pets. They are also backed by the company and have insurance to cover themselves during the service.
Otherwise, you may be left spending a lump on this if things go wrong.
Also, pet sitters from pet sitting companies will have their schedules blocked for the duration you’ve requested their service. This means they’ll be fully dedicated to caring for your pets during this time. You won’t have to worry about your pet receiving partial attention/care.
In case your time away gets extended, pet sitting companies can smoothly ensure the availability of your pet sitter or another pet sitter. Your pet will never have to miss out on care.
On top of this, pet sitting companies perform background checks and verifications to ensure all on-boarded pet sitters meet trust & safety standards.
Pet sitters from reliable pet sitting services also take ownership for their work, and can be held accountable. From a customer standpoint, pet sitting companies offer a seamless process for booking services, and also provide support throughout.
In your absence, pet sitters provide specialised care, companionship, and attention for your pet. For the most part, pet sitters are trained to take care of your pet's basic needs like feeding, water/food bowl changes, and ensuring all their nutrition goals are met. If you have a dog, pet sitters will take your dog out for walks, and they also change the litter of your pet.
In general, pet sitters will ensure your pets receive the right amount of play and exercise. As a clean environment is also important, pet sitters will regularly clean your pet’s surroundings. They also provide basic grooming services such as bathing your pet and brushing their teeth.
Most, if not all, pet sitters are well-trained to handle different types of pets and their temperaments. If you think your pet has behavioural issues, it's ideal to inform the pet sitter about the behavioural issues or special handling requirements in advance. Even though pet sitters are experienced, it is important to establish a clear path of communication to ensure a safe and stress-free pet sitting experience for both parties.
Usually pet sitting companies have liability insurance coverage to cover any damages or accidents that may occur during your pet sitting service. This can be applicable for the pet sitter, the pet owner, and the pet.
Although pet sitters ensure maximum safety for pets at all times, there is always the chance that things will go wrong. All pet sitters generally undergo extensive training to handle a large range of different situations.
They are capable of providing emergency care, and taking them to the vet if things get out of hand. But it would be ideal if you can discuss the emergency procedures beforehand and also provide relevant contact information in your absence to have the authorization for medical care if needed upfront.
The cost for an individual pet sitting arrangement may vary depending on the duration of visits, location of service, and also additional services that you may opt for during the booking. It is essential you convey your requirements completely and be comfortable with the quote provided before opting in for the service.
The cost for an individual pet sitting arrangement may vary depending on the duration of visits, location of service, and also additional services that you may opt for during the booking. It is essential you convey your requirements completely and be comfortable with the quote provided before opting in for the service.
While it is safe for the most part, it is always important to perform a background check beforehand on the pet sitter. This will ensure that you are comfortable leaving your pet with the sitter.
To prepare for a pet sitting service, pet owners can relay their expectations, instructions, and guidelines clearly to the pet sitter. They can also elaborate on the type of food they provide their pet, as well as any additional information that is essential.
On top of this, pet owners need to tell pet sitters where things such as food, pet-friendly cleaning supplies, and more can be found in their house.
For more on this, check out our blog on the Things to Consider Before Choosing a Pet Sitter.
Yes, pet sitters can in most cases! As long as the pets are mentioned to be safe for mingling together, pet sitters can take care of multiple pets under the same roof. Importantly, it should be from the same household. Else, it is normally not entertained.
