Using a Professional Pet Sitter
Pet Sitting Services Offer an Affordable Way to Keep your Pet Safe
Feb 11, 2008
It isn't always possible to take your pet along with you on trips, but this doesn't mean you have to consign him to a cage in the vet's office, or place him in a kennel. The proliferation of pet sitting services has made it possible and affordable for you to have your pet cared for in your home when you're away.
The Disadvantages of Placing Your Pet in a Kennel
Using a pet sitter cuts down on the disruption and anxiety your leaving home causes your pet. Some pets can become disoriented, agitated, and depressed when placed in unfamiliar surroundings or when being returned to a location that they remember as being unpleasant. Pet sitting services eliminate the need for removing your pet to an unknown or unwelcome environment, and allow your pet to maintain his current diet and often his feeding schedule too.
Sudden changes in diet that result from kennels insisting on providing guests with their standard food can result in diarrhea, listlessness, and moodiness when you get your pet back home. The more prolonged your trip, the more likely it is that your pet will be malnourished as a result of refusing to eat unfamiliar fare.
Kennels are largely clean and safe, but in even good kennels, pets run the risk of being exposed to fleas or kennel cough, or being frightened by other animals, loud noises, and threatening smells.
Kennel stays often require a visit to your vet to obtain vaccination records, calls to the kennel to get hours of operation and a refresher course in their policies and procedures, as well as the inevitable unpleasant scene when the pet carrier comes out of the closet.
There is also the anxiety you suffer when you are on holiday and you realize that while you're having a good time, your pet is miserable, or the frustration of coming home but having to wait overnight for the kennel to open to see your pet.
Things to Consider When Selecting a Pet Sitter
Professional pet sitting is a business, and you should expect the same level of competence, security, and stability as you would in any other business. Quality standards like being bonded, having insurance, and providing references are common and expected ways to insure that you are dealing with a reliable company. When interviewing possible pet sitters, insist that these things are in place.
Question potential pet sitters about how often they would visit, how long a visit would last, the ways in which they would interact with your pet, how they would handle emergencies, whether the same person would be performing all of the visits, whether or not they call to confirm that a pet owner has returned to the residence, and if they are affiliated with a particular vet or emergency service.
Have the pet sitter make an initial visit to see how your pet interacts with the person who will be caring for him. Discuss any special needs that your pet may have relative to medications, exercise, or areas in your home that are off limits to your pet or the sitter.
If you are interested in using pet sitting services, your local yellow pages will give you listings for pet sitters in your area, and there are national Internet directories for pet sitters as well.
When you are out of town, one of the best ways to insure your peace of mind is to know your animals are safe and protected. Where better to keep them safe and happy than in your own home?
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