Pet sitters are like baby sitters who are employed to take care of a pet within the home. Usually, pet owners hire them on a contract basis when they go on holiday or away on business. They can also be employed for a short duration such as an evening. The most significant advantage of hiring a pet sitter is that the pet is taken care of within its environment.
The problem faced by pet owners is that taking the pet out of its' natural environment sometimes causes stress. In case of travelling before reaching their new ‘temporary’ destination they can also experience travel trauma. So arranging to have your pet, or pets, looked after by someone else in your absence is a far kinder arrangement.
It is always a good plan to conduct a pet sitter interview before hiring them for the job. The interview can be arranged on phone or in person although it is generally better if the interview takes place at home as the ability of the pet sitter can be tested with the pet. The pet sitter should be qualified and should have completed appropriate educational coursework. The coursework should include pet care, nutrition and health along with business and office procedures. It is a bonus if they have taken care of animals similar to the pet you have because not all pet sitters can take care of all types of pets. Every pet sitter is generally specialised in looking after a certain type of pet and it is very rare to find a pet sitter that has knowledge about all kinds of pets.
The pet sitter should also have an insurance policy in case of accidents and this policy should be checked prior to engaging them to ensure that it is current and valid. They should also be asked for to provide references from previous employers to ensure that their previous work experience is up to your required standards.
The pet sitter looks after the food and water needs of the animal. They maintain the normal routine of the animal. This can also include giving medication to the pet if required. Some even provide special services such as injecting insulin; administering subcutaneous fluids, and checking blood pressure and glucose levels. In such cases, the knowledge of the pet sitter should be assessed with the vet of the pet.
Some pet sitters also provide additional services like pet walking. This service is used by people who are old or have some kind of disability and are not able to provide the adequate exercise that their pet needs. They may also be able to drive the pet to the vet, groomer or trainer. Pet sitters also pick up pet supplies such as food and medicines. All the additional services are optional and not provided by all pet sitters. They also play with the pet and maintain the litter box.
Pets such as dogs, cats, snakes, rabbits, ferrets, lizards, guinea pig, fish, and hamsters can utilise the services of a pet sitter. But some of the exotic animals are very fussy and shy; they accept pet sitters whom they are familiar with. If this is the case, then pet owners should try to develop a bond between the pet and the pet sitter beforehand, in their presence. The most common method of bonding with the animal is by feeding them. After the initial bond is formed, the pet can then be left alone with the pet sitter.
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