Pet-Sitter Education Month
/Pet Sitters International (PSI) is the world’s largest and leading educational association for professional pet-sitters. PSI has declared September as Pet-Sitter Education Month highlighting the various educational offerings readily available to today’s professional pet-sitters.
Pet-Sitters are no longer the kid down the street or the pet lover looking for extra cash. These types of pet-sitters still exist, but you now have an option to hire PSI’s pet-sitting members. These members are full time pet-sitting professionals in dog walking and animal care and 90% have completed at least some college. As members of PSI they can take advantage of industry-specific training such as PSI’s Certification in Professional Pet Sitting. One local PSI member that I can recommend is Dayna’s Pet Sitting Service.
There are certain attributes every pet-sitter should possess such as a calm demeanour, experience, consistency, reliability, sensitivity and trustworthiness.
Why hire a Pet-Sitter? Many pet owners prefer hiring pet-sitters rather than using kennels. Some reasons given for using a pet-sitter are to prevent stress to the animal caused by a changing environment, travel trauma, contracting illness or parasites from exposure to other animals or not meeting vaccination requirements necessary for kennelling. It is also a solution for pets with health problems or mobility issues.
Vacation care or Work time care - is the most typical type of pet-sitting service. Services include feeding, exercising, grooming, providing company, monitoring health and administering medications.
Finding a Pet-Sitter - Referrals and Reviews are the best way to find a pet-sitter. An interview with the prospective sitter will provide insights into their training, experience, services and fees. They should also provide a criminal background check and references. Most importantly, ensure your pet is present during the interview so you can assess the connection between pet and sitter.
Routines - Once you have chosen the perfect pet-sitter, don’t forget to provide a list of your pet’s daily routine for mealtime, walks, potty habits, nap and play time.
Prepare for the Unexpected - you should also know what will happen if your pet-sitter has car trouble or becomes ill. Do they have a backup plan? How does your sitter confirm that you have returned home? These are all scenarios that should be discussed in advance.
Vet Information - Ensure the contact information for your Vet and Emergency Vet is readily available to the sitter. Emergencies can happen at any time.
Written Service Contract - this Contract should be provided by the Pet-Sitter outlining the services and fees to be provided with the actual start date and end date.
It is a good idea to try the sitter out while you are away for just a short time, before leaving on a longer trip.
