Below are some tips of things you can do to help make things easier on you, your pet, and your pet sitter while you are away.
- Plan ahead
- Make reservation with pet sitter as early as possible
- Have extra key for sitter, and test it!
- Buy extra food, litter, medications, and other supplies
- Inform sitter of location of cleaning supplies and tools
- Show sitter where water shut off and circuit breaker are located
- Have an emergency plan, be prepared for hurricanes, fires, floods, and blizzards with supplies and an action plan http://www.petsitters.org/docs/DPPetOwner.pdf
- Provide pet sitter with background on your pet’s history and habits
- Schedule and routine of pets
- Pet’s health problems
- Medications for pet (location and schedule)
- What to do in an emergency
- Location of food, food and water bowls, leashes, carriers, treats, toys
- Pet’s hiding places
- Biting or aggression history for pet
- Unusual habits of pet (fears, separation anxiety, eating habits)
- Written verification of up to date vaccinations
- Pet should have identification tag with name and phone number on them and double check the fit of their collar
- Notes about the pet and what you would like the sitter to do are much appreciated
- Importance of communication
- Be open and honest with sitter
- Let sitter know about off limits areas (to pet sitter and pet) in your home
- Provide contact info for veterinarian and emergency contact
- Leave your contact info with sitter and be sure you take sitters info with you
- If another person will be checking up on your pet or home along with pet sitter, be sure to exchange contact info of each of them with each other and clarify responsibilities
- Let pet sitter know if your plans change while you are away
- If you are leaving anything special for sitter, leave a note so sitter knows item(s) are for them, or most likely they will leave item where it is as not to be presumptuous
- Prepare your home
- Make sure your house is pet-proofed
- Adjust your thermostat (~68-72 F in winter, ~74-78 in summer)
- Check fence around yard for holes, loose boards, or weak spots
- Let your sitter know if your pet likes to escape
- Make sure doors and windows are locked when you leave
- Do not leave a key for sitter under a mat or anywhere else outside home
- Leave a piece of clothing that you wore recently near where pet sleeps to comfort them
- Leave all necessary items to care for your pets in one central location, and out of pet’s reach if possible, and inform sitter of this location
- If sitter’s first visit will be in the dark, leave a few lights on for them
- Leaving a TV or radio on for the pet can help them feel more comfortable if they are accustomed to noise
- Let a neighbor know that you will be gone and a pet sitter will be coming by, also give this neighbor an extra key and provide sitter with their contact info just in case
- Clean out the refrigerator, empty the trash, and clean the dishes to avoid any bad smells
- Safety: unplug appliances that will not be used, clean up anything that can be swallowed by pet accidentally, never leave pet in garage
Adapted from National Association of Professional Pet Sitters and Pet Sitters International
