Should You Hire a Professional Pet Sitter
Hiring a professional pet sitter is a common practice these days which helps owners when they need to leave their pet alone at home. Owners can hire someone to take care of their pets when they are not around to see their needs. Pet sitters are professionals who care for your four-legged friends when you are away for work or business or a family trip where pets are not allowed. Some people also do pet sitting for their friends or family when they are away. However, not every time you can have your friends and family available for help. Therefore, hiring professional services can be extremely valuable.
Should You Hire a Professional Pet Sitter
One of the biggest problems pet owners have is being able to leave their pets behind when they have to leave home. Many pets simply can not
adjust to the conditions at a kennel, and they put stress on both the family and the pet. There are many kennels across the country that do not provide the appropriate care for animals, and as a result, they sit lonely and unattended for days until you return. The experience can be both traumatic for all involved, and that is why more people are turning to a pet sitter to care for their pets. The pet sitters are both reliable and professional, providing a valuable service that will benefit everyone involved.
The first reason why your pet will adjust nicely is because the pet sitting takes place in a very familiar surrounding. The pets are cared for in the home they are used to spending all their time in and receive personal one on one attention when the pet sitter shows up each day. The pets are fed, walked, and also receive so special play time too. Rather than sitting alone in a cage all day at the kennel, your pet is getting personalized attention every day according to your directions. Your pet will be fed and walked exactly as you request. This is the least stressful type of attention your pet will endure while you are away.
Some pets simply can not stand being away from their owners. When they are left at a kennel they turn into a different animal. Once they are taken from the comforts of home, they simply have trouble adjusting to the surroundings, especially all the additional pets surrounding them. The stress of being placed in a situation with so many other pets can cause your pet to go into a deep state of depression and lash out. They usually are on edge the entire time you are gone, making this an extremely stressful situation for the pet.
When you have a professional pet sitter come to your home to care for your pet, you eliminate the majority of the problems. First of all, you can relax more knowing your pet is home where they belong. You realize they are getting that one on one attention that they need, and you know they are adjusting with the sitter because they are both reliable and compassionate. The pet sitter will take the time to calm down your pet and give them extra attention each day while you are gone. Your pet will be more accustomed to the sitter, and over time will come to recognize them as just another member of the family.
When you need to hire a professional pet sitter
When your pet is ill
You may need pet sitting in Novato when your furry friend is ill or recovering from a serious injury. In this case, they need to be watched constantly to monitor their progress and to ensure that everything is good. Hiring someone good at taking care of ill pets can give you peace of mind and freedom to do your daily deeds with effectiveness. Also, the canine will get better care during this period with a professional around.
On a family trip
Taking the canine along with you is a nice experience, but not always. There are some facilities which do not allow pets along with their clients. A quite family dinner would also require the canine to be left alone at home. Dogs who suffer from separation anxiety need someone to take care of them when you are busy with your family. In this case too, hiring a profession pet sitter would soothe the canine and also ensure your peace of mind so that you can have some quality time with your family.Some of the benefits of utilizing this kind of service for your dog are:
Benefits
Provide safety and love to your Dog and cats
When you hire a pet sitter for your pet then it the responsibility of the sitter to take proper care of your pet because it is its occupation, not just a favor. It has been noticed that most of the sitters choose this profession because of their affection towards animals and therefore they treat all the pets as their own. Moreover, a professional dog boarding service has a binding contract to save your valuable friends.
Keep your pet healthy
Another reason for hiring professional services is that they keep your pet on the same exercise, bathroom and feeding schedule. This keeps your dog at ease. Since these services keep your dog out of a kennel, therefore, they keep them healthy as well as disease free. In addition, these services have professionals trained in pet first-aid to take care in the case of an emergency.
Extra care of cats suffering from illness
Most of the pet sitting services offer care for special needs of pets. For example, post-surgical care, aged dogs with illness or arthritis and dressing changes are some of the areas that cats sitters can handle while you are away. They have the skilled professional who knows well how to provide oral and injectable medicines to the pet and how to apply skin, eye and ear drops and ointments.
Take care of your pets the way it should
When you are hiring a trustworthy cat sitter, they make sure that your cats are entertained and stress-free. They feed them with food and water, clean the bowl and even scoop out the trash outside. Moreover, reliable pet sitters are a team of well-trained individuals who are passionate and full of experience in taking care of your small pets. Each person has the particular expertise to handle injured pets or rehabilitating a sick cat. This is an endeavor that you can’t probably get from an ordinary person.
Get the alerts
Using a professional cat sitter you don’t have to worry about your cat’s daily needs while you are away even for days. Generally, a reliable house sitter can give you daily reports and send photos of your home condition and your cute kittens via email or text message so you can get any update on your lovely pet.
More ‘Happy’, less ‘Trauma’
Pet owners rely on professionals to take care of their pets because these pets can experience less trauma or stress at home when the owners aren’t around. Moreover, if your cats have certain diets or exercise that they need to do, it won’t get interrupted because of your absence. It eliminates the ‘shock’ and trauma while you are away. And there is no need to feel uneasy because professional pet sitter will minimize the illness exposure on your pets. Plus, you don’t need to call your untrained neighbor to take care of your cats.
The Daily Routine of Your Pet Is Not Interrupted
Pet sitters know how important it is to have the routine of your pet to be uninterrupted. There are many pets who are used to a set routine and for them, it is good to let them be. The more you change the routine the more stressed out your pet is going to become. So make sure that you make the right decision for your pets.
Stress during Travel for Your Pet
Not all pets can take to traveling easily; usually, pets are going to be traumatized during the trip. Even if you are flying in a comfortable environment, it is still going to be very painful and tiring for them. So the next time, before taking your pet with you when you travel, thinks about how your pet feels. This is why a pet sitter is the best option.
A Pet Sitter Provides You Peace of Mind
While you are gone, only a pet sitter can give you the guarantee that your pet is in the right hands. There are chances that a pet sitter is a right person who will help you to make the right decisions regarding your pet. With the help of a good pet sitter, you know your pet is in the hands of a professional.
Your Pet is in the comfort of his own home
His places to sleep, eat, potty and neighborhood walk keep his routine constant without a hiccup. He remains stress-free while a certified pet sitter follows his specific daily routine providing individualized care. However, a common practice at kennels is to leave your pet locked in a cage in between their potty break times. Your pet is in a tight, dark space on a cold, hard surface approximately 23 hours a day.
Your Pet is not exposed to other dogs’ diseases and germs!
The practice of boarding is so risky to your pet’s health that there is even a disease caused by and named after boarding in kennels. A kennel cough is a term that is commonly used to describe a highly contagious respiratory disease complex in dogs and cats caused primarily by the bacterium Bordetella Bronchiseptica. It generally results in a mild, self-limiting illness characterized by coughing and sneezing in animals recently housed in a communal setting. Your pet stays healthy in your home with no exposure to illness.
Your pet gets concentrated love and attention!
With boarding, your animal is in a cage most of the day and only gets attention when let out to relieve himself. With pet sitting, an experienced, animal-loving pet sitter comes to your home to devote all of their attention to your loved one. Pet sitters work with your dog’s schedule and ensure his specific routine is followed. They take walks, play games, get treats and of course lots of love and belly scratches!
Pet sitters won’t cost you any guilt
You never have to impose on friends, family or neighbors again. They may do a good job of taking care of your pet but are they trained to respond to an emergency with your pet or your home? Are they insured and bonded in case something goes wrong? Personable Pet Care, a professional pet sitting company, has been trained on how to respond to any type of emergency situation and holds insurance and bonding so you are always protected.
No more unnecessary vaccinations!
Many kennels require a laundry list of vaccinations for your pet, regardless of what your personal vet recommends for your individual animal. Unnecessary vaccinations can actually increase your pet’s risk of developing allergies and pose dangerous health risks. Many vaccinations for your pet stay with them for their lifetime.
Price! Price! Price!
Kennels charge by the size and number of the pets and can become very costly. Pet sitters charge a modest per visit fee based on the number of pets in your home and with multiple pets, you likely will pay less than what a kennel will charge.
Visits tailored to your pets needs!
Because your pet will be getting one-on-one attention, you can be assured that your specific requests will be met when your pet sitter comes over. Your pet sitter can tailor visits from 1 to 4 visits per day depending on your pet’s unique needs. In a kennel environment, your pet is usually taken outside with other pets increasing their risk of dog fights, exposure to illness, and stress, as this is not the environment they are used to.
No travel required.
Some animals love to get in the car and go for a ride. Unfortunately, there are many that don’t and it can be a huge hassle and struggle to get your animal to a kennel, not to mention, sometimes traumatizing for the animal themselves. Using a professional pet sitter, you never have to induce travel trauma on your pet. They stay in the comfort of their own home.
Your Pet is waiting at home for you!
No need to worry about when the kennel opens or closes and if your plane will land in time to get to the kennel before they close to avoid paying for an extra night. With pet sitting, your pet is happily awaiting you when you walk in your door.
Home Security!
Not only is your pet still at home to fulfill his duty as a watchdog, but with someone coming and going every day for pet visits, your home doesn’t have the look of a home with a family on vacation. A pet sitter gives your home a lived-in look by following your specific requests. They turn on and off indoor and outdoor lights, adjust blinds and curtains, and bring in the mail and newspaper daily. Giving your home a lived in look is an added bonus when choosing professionals, certified pet sitters for your pet sitting needs.
What to consider when hiring professional pet sitters
– First of all, I recommend, that you choose a professional pet sitting company that is bonded, insured so that you and your pets do not have to worry during the time you are away from each other. Here are some of the benefits that you will get with a true professional.
– A dependable pet sitter will have set office hours for you to contact them. If you leave a message for a pet sitter, all calls should be returned within 24 hrs. Being able to get in touch with the pet sitter is key for success.
– A good pet sitter will have established fees for their services. Beware of pet sitters who do not publish their fees. You need to know up front what you are paying for, and you should be able to get an estimate for work to be done. Professional pet sitters use service contracts that spell out the services to be performed and the fees for doing so.
– Make sure your potential new pet sitter is bonded and insured. Liability is a big concern these days, so make sure your sitter is covered for any possible issues.
– Quality pet sitters require a meeting with you and your pets in advance to get to know one another and go over the service you require. Look for a pet sitter that has experience caring for animals. There are a lot of people out there who absolutely love animals. This does not mean they make a great pet sitter.
– Create a little checklist for yourself. Contact many sitters in the area and meet with them. Ask for references, and if you can, actually see some of the pets they are taking care of to see how happy the pets are.
Google their business name and check their references.
Checklist
When you’re planning to go on holiday, most often you’ll also need to make arrangements for your pet. Most pets will be very happy to stay at home, in a familiar environment, and be cared for by a pet sitter. The pet sitter can be a neighbor, family member or friend, or a professional.
Should you choose to use a professional pet sitter, there are a few things you’ll need to do in advance:
Collate all possibly necessary information regarding your pet into a folder to be left on your kitchen bench or dining table – including the following:
The pet’s vaccination history
Microchip details
Tattoo details
Local council registration number
Vet contact details
Clear and recent photograph of the pet
Emergency after-hours vet or animal hospital contact details
Advise the sitter of the following:
What are the pet’s daily routines?
Does the pet have any existing medical issues? For example, skin allergies, diabetes, digestive issues?
What is the pet’s diet? Are there any special instructions or special dietary requirements?
What are your pet’s favorite treats or toys? Where are they kept?
Does your pet have any phobias, sensitivities, or anxieties?
Does your pet have any quirks?
Where are the pet’s favorite hiding places?
Are there any rooms or areas that are out of bounds to your pet?
Stock up on food and other supplies and leave these in an easy to view place for the sitter to locate:
Food, including treats
Bowls for both food and fresh water
Toys
Walking leads and harnesses
Ensure ID tags are up to date
Medications, if required, as well as dosing and delivery tools
Grooming tools
Bedding – make sure it is clean
Toilet requirements – including scoops, litter, etc
Cleaning equipment, “just in case”
Pet carrier or seat belt “just in case”
Take the following precautionary safety measures to ensure your pet’s well-being before you leave on your vacation:
Pick up, block access to, or dispose of anything that may be hazardous to your pet in your absence, for example, plastic bags; sharps; poisons (weed killer, rodent baits; snail baits; paints or thinners; fertilizers, cleaning products; medicines of any kind).
Repair holes in fences or unsecured gates
Block any escape routes from your yard
Ensure doors to rooms or sheds that could be dangerous to your pet in any way are closed
Finally, prepare your pet for you to be going away:
Take an up to date picture of your pet
Ensure collars and tags are in good condition and in place
Make introductions yourself between the sitter and the pet
Give your pet lots of love and reassurance before you leave
Leave an item of your (unwashed) clothing for them to snuggle or sleep on – the smell will be reassuring to the pet.
Pet Sitter Or Pet Kennel – Which One is Better For Your Pet?
If you’re a pet owner who travels, arranging someone for the care of your pet while you’re away can feel like a prodigious decision. More than nine in ten pet owners consider their pet as a family member. So it becomes quite obvious that they look for caregivers who not only provide their pet with basic needs like food and water but also stay along with them giving them a feeling of companionship and playtime while you’re away. Now in the list of caregivers, you might think to consider your family who know your pet so well or the neighbor who is more than happy to help out when you go away. But besides having a family or neighbor to keep a check on your pet usually, doesn’t cost you anything except a return favor.
Thus comes the idea of hiring a pet sitter who is professionally trained and take care of your pet as you do or even better than you. There is an alternative to home pet sitter services which is sending your pet to Pet Kennel where it stays with all other pets for the time you are away from it. Both the services are there for you to feel relaxed while you are away from your pets, The Pet Sitter Services and Pet Kennel services are different, though.
From a professional service to a good friend, pet sitting is both the way suitable. Having your pet stay in your home makes him easy with the environment as he remains familiar with the surroundings while you’re away. Professional pet sitters take your pet on long walks, feed him and even play with your pet. They take proper care of your pet and they keep you updated with the pictures and the health of your pets. They may make you homesick for that fuzzy face, but at least you’ll know he’s just fine while you’re away.
Pet kennel services for your pet are another way you can keep your pet under care while you are not there to care for him. In many of today’s kennels, your pet can have her own room, group play, daily hikes, a training refresher, massage, and swimming. Many of these new-style boarding facilities also offer day care, which means your pet could be boarded at a place it already knows. Therefore this provides your pet a home away from another home but he is still subject to illness at any kennel.
If you love your pet and care for its well being while you’re away, what you need to do is to hire a professional pet sitter or send your pet to pet kennel that he is used to and that you truly trust, depending upon your choice. Hiring a professional will prove to be one of you and your pets best decisions once you find one you trust and can depend on. If you are in the Charlotte NC area, Love and Kisses Pet Sitting is who we are and we would love to help you with your pet sitting, cat sitting and dog walking needs. We provide you with the most reliable and professional pet sitters who will care for your dog when you are away for work or a vacation.
Conclusion
It is the obligation of pets owners to make sure that their pet is being cared for well, even if they are away from their home. Your job responsibilities or individual situations could require you to be away from residence for a couple of weeks or more. The pet sitters are better caretakers than your untrained friends, family members, and next-door neighbors so that there is no reason for you to think twice before employing their services.
The pets generally choose the regular life as they are creatures of practice. Most of them would encounter adjustment problems if are they are taken to kennels or additional dog care centers. For individuals, by hiring the experts of pet sitting services, you can easily guarantee that your furry pal can stay in its house with the familiar sights, sounds, and odor. This would additionally lessen the chances of the psychological stress that the animal would certainly deal with the immediate modification of the environment. The absence of the conditions that would certainly trigger the diseases and emotional stress is always appreciable. Even if you have the choice of taking your dog along with you while you are on the move, this is not advisable as most of the canines get too stressed due to this. Their diet and exercise programs are sure to be hampered and they could refuse to consume throughout the quest. By employing the canine pet sitters, you can be sure that your furry friend obtains the necessary feeding, nurturing, treatments, exercise and more in a timely fashion.
The pet sitting professionals have this job due to their excellent love and admiration for animals. They would certainly like to play with them to help them burn some energy, help them unwind, clean the pet dog materials, etc. The services are offered to various creatures including dogs, cats, fishes, birds and even distinct animals. The dog walking services would ensure that there is no disruption triggered to your dog’s routine even when you are away from your residence. The customized attention that they obtain is of utmost value as this would give them some psychological stimulation to remain healthy. They would be pleased to be under the care of an expert rather than being with your untrained buddies or next-door neighbors.
It is typically seen that the dog managers are under the misinterpretation that the pet sitting services are highly expensive. These are budget friendly and worth investing due to the number of benefits that it would deliver you along with your pet dog. You can easily relieve your family member from the burden of caring for your pet, especially if they have an aversion to pets. You can easily be free from the job of the transporting your pet dog to and from the location getaway spot or kennels. The matter of utmost value is the comfort that you would delight in with the understanding that your furry buddies are in the very best hands.
When you are away
When you have to work all day long or need to leave your home for the entire day with your family, then hiring these services during this period is also very helpful. A pet sitter who has owned pets or has worked with puppies understands how important it is to be with a pet during the training period or in general. They can’t live alone and need someone to take care of them or to feed them on time. Hiring someone for 8 to 10 long hours can be expensive, but brings peace of mind when no one is there to help you in taking care of the pet.
I like how you talked about preparing your animal for pet sitting before you leave. We’re going to be gone for about 10 days, and I think that being able to make our dog comfortable at a pet sitting service would be helpful to him and to us with leaving him. I’m going to have to find us a good pet sitting service and try to follow your steps to make it as easy as possible! Thanks for the help!
I can see why hiring a professional pet sitter is great. I love the fact that they provide this service as an occupation, not a favor, like you said. Because of that, I’m sure they’ll take care of our dog when we go to Hawaii as well as they can.