Home, Not-So Alone
An increasing number of pet owners are opting for in-house caregivers to tend to their pets while away for the holidays
Going home for the holidays?
If your four-legged, feathered or scaled companions won’t be making the journey, you’ll have to make temporary-care arrangements. Kenneling is one option; having the kid next door or a friend tend to your beloved babies while you are away is another.
An increasingly popular option is hiring a pet-sitter to provide in-home care.
Millions of pet-owners hire sitters every year, and thousands of such providers exist, listing their services online, in newspaper ads, at vet clinics and the like. In fact, two organizations – Pet Sitters International (PSI), King, N.C., and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS), Mt. Laurel, N.J. – have formed to provide instruction and guidance to pet-tenders.
Still, finding someone you’re sure will be reliable and focused enough to give you peace of mind while you’re away can be daunting.
“We find ourselves in an educating position,” Darlene Ehlers, Pampered Pets Home Care, Cleves, Ohio, says. “There are still lots of people who don’t know pet-sitters exist or what they do.”
Here’s some guidance for choosing the person who will be your stand-in:
• Establish exactly what the pet-sitter will do. Every detail should be discussed, and some sitters outline their offerings in a service contract. “The first thing we do is arrange a visit to meet the pet so that we can see how we interact,” Ehlers, PSI’s 2006 Pet Sitter of the Year, says. This gives the animal a chance to check out the sitter with its owner present, and the sitter can learn where supplies and toys are kept, and where the animal’s favorite hiding places are.
• How many times a day will the sitter visit? For dogs, you should expect two or three visits daily. For other pets, once a day may be sufficient, but that’s your call, but the number of visits will impact your fees. When it comes to cats, some owners think their felines are fine with one visit every other day or so, but many sitters insist upon daily visits, since cats can become sick and die in 12 hours. Thirty-minute visits are standard, Ehlers says.
• Feel confident the sitter will be conscientious about monitoring your pet’s mood, health and behavior. Some pet-sitters are also qualified as vet techs and have been trained to give shots and administer medications. Others have years of experience with animals and are competent in those skills. In either case, the pet-sitter should be regularly checking your pet’s eyes, nose, teeth, body and behavior.
Lumps, ear mites, abnormal behavioral changes or medical concerns are reported to the owner as well as to the animal’s veterinarian when necessary. A veterinary notification form allows the pet-sitter to obtain emergency medical care for your pet in your absence.
• Feel confident that any special needs – even beyond medicines – will be tended to. One client had a 6-foot lizard that had to be rocked to sleep. Another client had an especially shy cat that would not come out for the pet-sitter, so treats and toys were placed in specific spots. When those were gone or scattered on the next visit, the sitter knew the cat had been out and about and was behaving normally.
Whatever your particular pet’s needs, a thorough checklist should be covered.
A word of caution for exotic pet owners: Not all sitters will handle all animals. Ehlers is fearless with dogs, cats, horses, small animals and, even once, a 40-pound African serval (a leopard-like African wildcat), but “I do not take care of lizards,” she says. If you have an exotic pet, it may take extra time and energy to find a sitter who’s willing to deal with it.
• Discuss additional house services you expect. Most pet-sitters will bring in mail and newspapers and take the trash to the curb and bring it back in. Switching lights on and off, adjusting window coverings and radios are standard for many. But you can’t assume such services are part of the deal, so ask.
– Ask questions about how cognizant of security matters your potential sitter is. Many don’t display their company logo on their vehicles or clothing while they are pet sitting so observers will not connect the dots between their visits and absent homeowners. Also, as part of their intake information, some sitters will ask for a list of people who are allowed access to your home. If, for instance, your cousin decides to take unauthorized advantage of your absence and host a wild party, the pet sitter will notify police.
• Many pet-sitters are bonded and insured. If there’s damage to your home due to the negligence of the pet-sitter, their insurance will cover it. Also, some pet-sitters carry riders covering the death of, or injury to, your animal.
What will it cost? Experts say the national norm is $15-20 per visit per pet. Each additional pet generally involves an added fee.
If you’re thinking of hiring a sitter for the holidays, don’t delay. “Pet-sitting around the holidays gets crazy,” Ehlers says. “I tell my clients that they can’t book me too early, but they might be too late.”
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