You, of course, love your fur babies, but you can’t be with them all the time. When you go to work, or out of town on vacation, they need care. Pet daycares and boarding services are an option, but most pets are most comfortable in their own spaces. In-home pet sitting allows your pet to stay in a familiar environment and still receive the care that they need.
What Is In-Home Pet Sitting?
An in-home pet sitter will come to your home at scheduled times when you’re away to care for your pets. They will feed them, walk them, play with them, change litterboxes, and give them medications if necessary. They will follow your pet’s normal routine and provide everything they need. Some pet sitters will stay at your home while you’re away, even overnight, so that your pet always has company. This works well for pets that get separation anxiety or need extra attention.
Benefits of In-Home Pet Sitting
In-home pet sitting offers many benefits that kennels do not. These include:
- Reduced stress in a familiar environment
- No risk of picking up illnesses from other animals
- Personal attention and care
- Peace of mind for you
- Convenience
- Generally comes at a lower cost than boarding
What Your Pet Sitter Should Do
When you hire a pet sitter, you should expect them to do three things in addition to basic care.
Meet Your Pet First
Your pet sitter should come to your home to meet your pet before the pet sitting begins. They should spend a little time with them so that the pet will be familiar with them before they come to your home when you’re gone. This is also an opportunity for you to give the pet sitter detailed instructions on what you expect, and to tell them about your pet’s personality.
Keep You Updated
When you’re away, your pet sitter should send you updates on how your pet is doing, including pictures. They can do this by text or email, or there are pet sitting apps that allow them to send you updates. You should communicate to your pet sitter how often you want to receive updates, and what you want to know.
Have a Safety Protocol
Obviously, the safety of your pet is your top priority, and it should be at the top of your pet sitter’s list. Ask them about what safety measures they will take such as:
- Exiting the home safely so that your pets don’t get out
- Keeping the environment safe in your home
- For a dog, following your instructions about walking the dog, i.e. interacting with other animals, safely leashing them, avoiding anything that might cause them stress
Also, make sure that your pet sitter is trained in first aid and CPR for pets.
Instructions for Your Pet Sitter
The more information your pet sitter has about your pets, the better they will be able to care for them. You should give them a detailed document that includes:
- Your veterinarian’s information
- Information about any medical conditions they have and medications they take
- Microchip information
- Specific feeding, walking, litter box, etc. instructions
- Your pet’s fears, stressors, behavior issues, and personality quirks
- How your pets like to play
- Your contact details and an emergency contact
What to Look for in a Pet Sitter
You don’t want just anyone to take care of your pet. You should look for a pet sitting service where the pet sitters have certain qualifications and have been vetted. Your pet sitter should have:
- Had a background check
- Pet care and safety training, including pet first aid and CPR training
- Experience caring for the kind of pet you have
- References from other pet parents
Cost of In-Home Pet Sitters
It’s important to know how much you should expect to pay your pet sitter. Their rate will depend on your expectations.
If you just want them to do quick drop-ins to give them food and water and take care of their potty needs, it might take 30 minutes, which would likely come with a price of around $15 to $25 per visit. If you want longer visits where they spend an hour playing with the pet and providing companionship, the price would be about $25 to $35 per visit.
For all-day care when you’re at work, the price would jump to $50 to $70 per day, depending on how long you’ll be gone. For all day and night care when you’re out of town, it would run about $80 to $150 per day.
If your pet has any special needs or you have more than one pet, the rates might be slightly higher.
In Closing
In-home pet sitting can be wonderful for both you and your pets, allowing your pets to stay in comfortable surroundings and giving you peace of mind. If you’re looking for a pet sitter, JobSnap can connect you with local pros in just a few clicks. Just post your job and get matched. It’s a snap!
