Hiring a pet sitter when planning to be away from home is a sensible solution. It can put your mind at ease knowing your pet will be well taken care of in the comfort of its own home. It is often less stressful for a pt to remain at home in a familiar environment rather than staying at a pet boarding facility. However, as a responsible pet owner, there are a few important measures to take when using a pet sitting service.
Common sense will tell you to provide emergency contact numbers for your pet sitter and provide the proper food and medications for your pet, but there are other details that may be overlooked if you aren't diligent. Here are 3 important details to include on your checklist:
1. Ask the Sitter to Stick to Your Pet's Established Routine
Many pets do not like having their normal routine altered. Change in a daily routine may cause stress for some animals. Keeping this in mind, it's best for your pet to keep that everyday routine going while you are away.
Explain the routine in detail to your sitter before you leave. For instance, does your pet have a favorite "security blanket" or toy he or she sleeps with? Does the dog enjoy a walk soon after eating? If you have multiple pets in your household, do they play and interact with each other daily? All of these details should be discussed with the sitter, so the routine will not be broken.
2. Discuss Your Pet's Peculiarities
Just as their human counterparts have, many pets possess some idiosyncrasies that set them apart. It may help if your share these personality quirks with your pet sitter. For instance, does your dog whine or howl at the sound of a motorcycle engine revving? Does the cat hiss at the sight of a particular object? Maybe your dog won't go for a walk without holding a stuffed toy in its mouth, or perhaps the puppy always rubs its face on the floor after eating.
These habits may seem odd or even worrisome to a sitter who is unfamiliar with them firsthand, so give your pet's care taker the heads up beforehand.
3. Tell Your Sitter if There Are Areas That Are Off-Limits to Your Pet
If hour cat or puppy is not permitted on the couch, master bedroom or den, remember to tell the sitter. If you don't want the kitty to roam freely in your fenced in yard, tell the care taker. By the same token, show the pet sitter where to walk the dog if you live in a rental community. Don't assume the pet sitter instinctively knows where a pet is allowed to go.
If you follow the above mentioned advice, you can help make it a more pleasant and comfortable experience for both your pet and the sitter. Contact services like Katie's Kitty to learn more about pet sitting services.
