Let’s be honest, cats and dogs have been the mainstay of the pet population for decades and their reign isn’t going to stop any time soon. That being said, many of today’s pet-loving people want a pet that’s a little different than a feline or canine, and they’re purchasing more exotic animals to fill that need. Pets like snakes and lizards, for example, are more popular than ever, as well as other animals like potbellied pigs. ferrets and more.

All of these exotic pets need to be cared for, obviously, with special habitats, food, and conditions so that they survive and thrive. To that end, when one of these animals is left home for the day, or for several days, the question arises; do you need a pet sitter for your exotic pet?

In this article, we’ll answer that question one exotic pet at a time and give you information and advice about many of them. When you’re done, you’ll know more about these amazing animals and whether or not hiring a pet sitter to care for them is needed or not. Enjoy!

Potbellied Pigs

Some folks who own a potbellied pig will tell you that they’re just as smart, clean and loving as any dog or cat, and even more adorable.

Like both cats and dogs, potbellied pigs will also need attention, love, and training in order to be a great pet. Feeding a potbellied pig is as easy as purchasing pig pellets at your local pet store (or online) and supplementing their diet with the occasional fresh produce.

Do Potbellied Pigs Need a Pet Sitter?

Yes, if you’re going away for more than a day or if you are gone from your home for long hours every day. Potbellied pigs are social animals that need and crave attention from their owners or another, trusted human. Like cats a potbellied pig can be trained to use a cat litter box but, if you will be gone for a few days, that should be cleaned for them and a pet sitter can do that for you.

Lastly, potbellied pigs need to get exercise and activity every day. If they aren’t getting that exercise they could become overweight, listless and unhappy, so hiring an exotic pet sitter to take care of them is an excellent and worthwhile solution.

Ferrets

Very popular because they are small-ish, adorable and act very much like kittens, ferrets are very active, intelligent and fun to have as pets. By the way, contrary to popular belief, ferrets are not rodents but instead mammals similar to a skunk, mink or weasel. Ferrets love playing with toys and each other, they are usually quiet and inquisitive and do bond with their human owners like cats and dogs.

Their inquisitiveness, however, can be a handful and lead to trouble. For this reason, ferrets need a lot of attention and love from their owners or, if not, from an exotic pet sitter.

Do Ferrets Need a Pet Sitter?

Yes. Like a kitten, a ferret loves to play, run and frolic and needs attention to stay calm, centered and out of trouble. If you’re not home for long stretches of time every day, or if you’re going out of town on vacation or for work, an exotic pet sitter would be the best person to call for help. Ferrets need human interaction and, of course, need to be cleaned up after, which makes hiring an exotic pet sitter important if you’re not there for them for long periods of time.

Hedgehogs

Hedgehogs look like the cutest little animals, it’s true, but that doesn’t mean they are always cute. For example, they don’t get along very well with other animals and so aren’t really a great choice for a person or family that already has a dog, cat or any other pet for that matter. While they are inquisitive and very active during the day, hedgehogs don’t need and don’t really want humans touching them, and prefer to be left alone in their pens for the most part.

Do Hedgehogs Need a Pet Sitter?

Yes and no. If you are away during the day but their pen and food are set up correctly they should be just fine, On the other hand, if you’re going out of town for any length of time they will need to be fed and cared for. In this case, calling an exotic pet sitter to take care of your hedgehog is a good idea. They will know how to treat a hedgehog and make sure all is well when you’re not there.

Snakes

Fascinating animals that can be very tame in the right environment, a snake is not everyone’s cup of tea when it comes to a pet. That being said, knowing how to handle a snake is very important to make sure they stay happy and healthy, and of course, what type of food to feed them and how and when to do it.

Do Snakes Need a Pet Sitter?

Yes and no. If you don’t leave home for days on end a snake can be just fine by itself for the entire day. If however, you will be leaving for a day or more, calling an exotic pet sitter to take care of your snake is an excellent idea as they will know how to handle it, feed it and make sure it is ok until you return.

What Other Animals Should be Cared For by an Exotic Pet Sitter?

Here’s a fact; if you are leaving home for a day, a week or longer, any pet that you have should be taken care of by a pet sitter who knows how to handle, feed and make sure they are doing well. That includes ferrets, hedgehogs, chinchillas, snakes, lizards, turtles, tortoises, sugar gliders, potbellied pigs and several others.

An exotic pet sitter will know how to care for each of these animals the best, including what they need to be fed, what type of exercise they need and a lot more. In short, every exotic pet should be cared for by an exotic pet sitter when you’re away from home and not able to take care of them yourself. They will be happier and healthier for it and love you more for making sure they were well taken care of when you were away.

If you are in South Charlotte call Love and Kisses Pet Sitting for all your exotic pet sitting needs.

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