Traveling for the holidays? Now is the time to plan for your pet’s care while you’re away. Pet owners who travel have three options: hire a pet sitter, take the pet to a boarding kennel, or bring the pet along for the trip.
In Part I of this series, we will explore hiring a pet sitter and whether that choice is right for you and your pet.
A pet sitter can be a professional or a friend/neighbor/relative. Types of pet-sitters include those who visit your house periodically to care for your pet; those who stay in your house; and those who take care of your pet at the sitter’s own home.
A pet-sitter might be right for you if
1) You feel your pet is not physically or emotionally suited for kenneling:
Some pets may be too susceptible to disease to risk kenneling. Others may become severely withdrawn and refuse food during kenneling. For these reasons, an owner may seek at-home pet care.
Alternatively, your pet may be happy and healthy, but you as the owner prefer to keep him at home – that’s perfectly acceptable!
2) You are comfortable allowing a person unsupervised access to your home:
Plenty of people do this on a regular basis with a maid service, home improvement company, or daily dog walking service and it works out well. Ask prospective pet sitters whether they are licensed, bonded, and insured. Professionals will have the necessary credentials and protection, but most importantly, they will respect your pets, home, and belongings.
How do I hire a professional pet sitter?
Start your search for a pet sitter well in advance of your trip. Gather names and recommendations from your veterinarian, friends, and neighbors. Steve Douglas, owner of Atta-Boy Pet Sitting Service, reports that he is already booked for Thanksgiving this year. Steve recommends booking a professional sitter 1-2 months in advance of holiday travel.
Visit the pet sitter’s website to find out about rates and services. Pet sitters may provide extra services such as collecting mail and newspapers, turning lamps on or off, and watering plants.
Schedule a consultation at your home so the pet sitter can meet you and your pets. Services and rates can be discussed at the consultation.
Ask potential sitters how much time they spend with clients’ pets, on average. Steve from Atta-Boy arranges a minimum of 30 minutes with pets, although some lucky dogs get a longer playtime when scheduling allows.
Find out the types of pets a sitter will care for. Dogs and cats top the list, but what about reptiles, birds, rodents and other exotic pets?
How do I make the pet sitter’s job easier?
Stick to the key transfer arrangements.
Inform the sitter if you change a previously supplied alarm shut-off code.
Leave as many contact numbers as possible and take your sitter’s contact info with you.
Update the sitter if you will be arriving home earlier or later than agreed upon. Failure to inform a sitter of early arrival can result in travel charges as well as an embarrassing encounter at home. Late arrivals – by a day or more – can result in a hungry pet and a mess in the house.
Provide an adequate supply of food and medications to last your absence plus an extra week, in case of unexpected delays. Bonus – if you arrive home on schedule, you won’t need to rush out for supplies.
Also provide a collar or harness, leash, and ID tags for your dogs; leave a cat carrier where it can be accessed in an emergency. Instruct the sitter on the location of pet medicine and vet records.
Don’t forget your snake. Maybe your snake won’t need to be fed again until you return, so you figure “No need to mention it, right?” Wrong. It’s a huge deal if the sitter has a phobia and comes face-to-face with her worst nightmare. Never spring an animal – especially an exotic – on a pet sitter. And don’t forget the silent ones: your fish. They need to be fed, too!
Notify your veterinarian of the duration of your trip along with the pet sitter’s name and contact info. Find out if your vet requires a pre-signed Permission & Request To Treat form in case of medical problems in your absence. Check the sitter’s and vet’s policies on how payment for medical care will be handled; in most cases, you are solely responsible for all costs of care.
What if a close friend or relative offers to do the pet-sitting?
How well does your friend or relative know your pet? Your dog or cat may be more comfortable with someone familiar. An animal which aggressively protects its turf in the owner’s absence may not let an unfamiliar person inside. This revelation can be a serious problem if the owner has left town and there is no one else available to feed the pet.
If you do elect to allow a friend or relative care for your pet, consider the following questions:
*Is the sitter comfortable with your pet?
*If you have a dog, is the sitter able to handle the dog on walks around the neighborhood?
*Can the sitter administer any necessary medications?
*Can the sitter transport your pet to a veterinarian for emergency medical care, if needed?
*Is the sitter known to be a mature, responsible person? Your pet’s welfare and your home’s security are at stake.
(To see more benefits of hiring a professional pet sitter, click here and view the 25 Point Checklist on Atta-Boy’s homepage.)
What if the worst happens?
If your pet runs away, has a serious accident or dies while in the care of your friend or relative (whether due to negligence or unforeseen circumstances), will your relationship survive the incident? If you are quite certain that the relationship would end or become permanently damaged, consider hiring someone else for the job.
In fact, if your pet is aged or sickly and there is a chance it could pass away while you are gone – assuming you have rejected the idea of boarding your pet at a veterinary hospital – it would be best to be frank with any sitter you hire, professional or otherwise. Make sure the sitter understands you will not hold him or her responsible for death due to natural causes – and mean it.
Special thanks to Steve Douglas of Atta-Boy Pet Sitting Service for his insight and advice. Visit http://www.attaboypet.com to learn more.
Next: Holiday Travel Series Part II – Boarding Kennels
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