How to Prepare a Pet Sitter to Care for Your Pet
Whether you’re heading out of town for a weekend away or traveling for work, you’ll need someone reliable to care for your pet. Before leaving your four-legged friend in the hands of a pet sitter, follow these tips to ensure your pet sitter provides the care your pet needs.
#1: Schedule an initial meet-and-greet
A great way to prepare your pet sitter and your pet for a good relationship is to schedule a meet-and-greet while you’re still there. Give your pet sitter time to play and bond with your pet to help them become familiar with one another. If you have a particularly aloof pet, you may need to schedule multiple introductions to ensure they accept your pet sitter.
#2: Inform your pet sitter about your pet’s quirks
Can your dog not go to sleep without a nighttime belly rub? Does your cat insist on the curtains being opened each morning to watch the birds? If your pet has any peculiar habits or specific likes or dislikes, tell your pet sitter how to best cater to their needs.
#3: Show your pet sitter where your pet’s supplies are kept
Forgetting to put out your pet’s medication or their special diet before your pet sitter comes can cause serious problems, especially if you didn’t realize you were running low on important supplies. Set your pet’s food, medication, treats, and other essentials out, so they’re visible for your pet sitter.
#4: Clearly define your expectations
Whether your pet sitter is staying in your home or just dropping by to care for your pet, let them know what you expect. If you have other people dropping by to collect the mail or perform other household tasks, let your pet sitter know that as well, so there is no confusion.
#5: Instruct your pet sitter who to call in case of an emergency
If your pet becomes injured or falls ill, ensure your pet sitter knows whom to call and where to go. In addition, leave a phone number where you can always be reached if there’s an emergency.
Are you traveling soon? Contact our team to ensure your pet’s care is up to date to reduce the chances of an emergency while your pet sitter is on duty.