Picking a Pet Sitter

How do you find a pet sitter?

I thought I had the perfect (well, near-perfect) pet-sitter but I just discovered you can never rest on your laurels and assume things won’t change.

Returning from a recent trip, my husband and I walked into our home and were first hit with the smell. We’d taken our three dogs with us but left Ann (not her real name) in charge of our nine rescued cats. What had been a minor – and controlled – problem with inappropriate urinating by Cappy, who suffers with recurring urinary problems, had seemingly escalated into a full-scale pee-fest amongst several of our males.

In the kitchen the water bowl was bone dry, my plants were equally devoid of moisture, dirty underwear was on the bathroom floor, the door to a room that was to be kept closed was wide open and there were several spots of urine on the carpet. It didn’t look as if any of the cats had been brushed (we brush almost daily) and, most disturbing, we had a sick cat.

Within a short time of our return, Ditto threw up a small amount of foamy mucous. I was a little concerned at the appearance but not alarmed. We are, after all, now into hairball season so I assumed that was the most likely cause. When he continued to throw up and also refuse any food I did become alarmed, and he was obviously lethargic and unhappy so I whisked him off to the doctor to discover he has pancreatitis. Ditto had also lost 1 1/2 pounds, so this wasn’t a problem that manifested itself just as we arrived home. He’d been suffering for several days.

Thing is, I don’t expect my pet-sitter to know my “kids” as I do. However, when pet-sitting is your profession I do expect you to be able to notice when one of my cats is apparently suffering or behaving strangely, especially when you have cared for my pets on many previous occasions. Surely you have an inkling of their personalities and behavioral habits by now? And if in doubt, I’m always just a phone call away!

As for the mess in the house, I don’t expect my pet-sitter to be a cleaner but I do think it’s reasonable that she keep my home tidy. And about the marking all around the house, if instructions had been followed regarding Cappy’s faux-pas, the situation would have been contained. As it was, no apparent attempt had been made to deal with the urine, not even the Anti-Icky-Poo that was readily available had been used, let alone any of the many packages of cleaning wipes that were prominent everywhere.

Maybe you think I’m expecting too much (though there were a number of other issues of concern) but I’m not asking for more than the service that is offered. And, in fact, I always pay more than asked. I even make a point of getting my pet-sitter gourmet coffee and teas, Belgian chocolates and wine (hmmm, maybe that’s the problem!).

Anyway, to help you find a pet-sitter you can be sure of, here are a few hints to keep in mind:

1. In spite of my recent experience, it’s generally better to hire a professional. Your friends and neighbors may be willing but someone who does this for their living is likely to be more committed and more experienced. And if problems do arise, you won’t be risking a friendship.

2. Interview at least three potential sitters and insist they come to your home. You need to see how they behave with your pets and how your pets react to them.

3. A good resource for sitters is your vet, or ask people you trust for recommendations. There are lots of online services such as the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters, Pet Sitters International or  sittercity, where you’ll find listings of sitters in your area. I’ve had no personal experience with any of these sites but I would caution you to read all the details before committing to anyone. Some sites have a screening process that is a plus though is not foolproof.

4. Have a list of questions ready and pay attention to the sitter’s openness to answer as well as the actual responses.

5. A good sitter will come armed with references and you should certainly check them. However, don’t rely too much on references; it’s easy for someone to get a pal or two to fake a reference.

6. To protect your home and contents as well as your pets, a sitter should be bonded and have liability insurance to cover accidents, theft and negligence. And I strongly recommend that you draw up a contract, if the sitter does not have one, to provide a written agreement of services and fees.

7. An often forgotten, though very important point, is to ensure that your sitter has a back-up in the event that something happens to them and they are unable to continue caring for Rover or Kitty. Several years ago my husband and I were out of the country. My mother-in-law was caring for our little mutt (pictured in the header) when she fell and dislocated her hip. An ambulance was called and so was our back-up sitter, who came and took Muttley and cared for him in her home ’til our return. Happily, mom-in-law was also fine.

7. Lastly, it’s a huge plus to hire someone with professional experience in pet health care (like a vet tech) and animal training.

“Animals can communicate quite well.  And they do.  And generally speaking, they are ignored.”  ~Alice Walker