I have been a professional pet sitter in my home city for more than ten years. One thing I have found is that not all sitters provide the best care for pets. This article will explain what every pet owner should look for in their sitter so that they can choose the absolute best one.
First and foremost your sitter must LOVE animals and be able to bond with them quickly. You might think this is a given. However there are a lot of sitters in this business for the wrong reasons. Make sure you meet your sitter at your home. This is important whether you have dogs or cats or any other type of pet. Animals know when people love them AND when they do not! Your pets' reactions to your possible sitter can tell you everything you need to know. Is the prospective sitter comfortable with your pets? Is he or she fearful of them? Does he or she appear to view your pets as a pain-in-the-butt as opposed to truly enjoying the interaction with them? All of these are things that only an in-person meeting will reveal.
Is this the only job of your sitter? This is not meant to imply that those with other occupations cannot be good pet sitters. This only matters as to how much time your sitter can devote to your pets while being in charge of their care. A really terrific pet sitter will have all of the time in the world to devote to your pets. Then the pet and the sitter can play together and cuddle and snuggle and they will give them just the best care they possibly can. Is your pet sitter only going by the clock when completing an assignment? OR, do they really put the needs of your fur-babies first?
Does your prospective sitter get along well with people? Some folks may wonder why this makes a difference. After all, they are sitting for animals. Ask yourself these questions. Who are the animal' parents? YOU, right? And of course - you are PEOPLE! Not only that but you may have a family or roommates or quite likely neighbors. Or what about your veterinarian or your pet groomer? Do you actually want to hire a pet sitter whom you or they cannot get along with because they are not people-oriented? If he or she is totally unfriendly or uncooperative, how are you going to communicate with them? Do you want someone with an unpleasant personality dealing with the people in your life? So you see, that is an important requirement after all.
Lastly, does your prospective pet sitter follow instructions well? This is necessary too. Give them a few simple tests before you hire them to see how they perform. If they cannot adhere to your instructions, how can you count on them to properly care for your fur-babies? This is not to say they must never make a mistake, everyone does. However if they willfully and consistently neglect your instructions, perhaps it is time to look at other sitters. After all, only the best will do for your pets, right? Right!
