What Do You Look For In A Pet Sitter?

If you’re thinking about hiring a pet sitter to care for your pets while you’re on vacation, here are five important points to cover before you make up your mind.

• First and foremost, do your homework. Interview at least three pet sitters before you make your decision. You need a good fit for you and your pets to make it work.
• Make sure the person is bonded and insured and is a member of either PSI (Pet Sitters International) or NAPPS (National Association of Professional Pet Sitters.)
• Observe the way the person interacts with your pets. If they seem nervous or uninterested, you may want to pass and move on.
• Ask for pet sitting references and call them, in most cases they will be happy to talk with you.
• Give the pet sitter detailed instructions about how you typically care for your pet, medical background, feeding and exercise preferences. Type a list if you need to.

If you think of anything else, of course ask! You want to feel at ease when you leave your pets in someone’s care. We hired a great pet sitter when we went on vacation a couple of years ago. It turned out very well and my dogs had a ball too.

Oh, and have a relaxing vacation.