Handing over your house keys and opening up your entire house to a complete stranger to care for your pets, can be a very daunting experience and requires you and your family to have built up enough trust to do so. Owning pets is a big responsibility and when it comes to going on a holiday, having someone you feel comfortable with looking after your “furry child” is a big decision. It is essential to consider both your feelings but also what is best for your pet. Having a house sitter in your home means that your pets are in familiar surroundings which is one less stress on them (and you).
When you haven’t got any relatives or close friends that can assist you when you are away, it can be scary to think that you may have to outsource the task to someone you have never met before… However, there is actually a large community out there of like-minded people who have a love and passion for animals, ‘like me’, who would be more than happy to take over looking after your pets in your home!
Online, you have access to multiple pet sitting/house minding platforms such as; PetCloud, PawShake or MadPaws and these sites are a great way to find yourself a loving and trustworthy person to take responsibility for you... most of the time. Fees are negotiable between the sitter and the client and the agency involved takes a percentage. I needed to have a police check before I could sign on with my agency which is fairly standard now days.
Personally, for the past 5 months, I have been house sitting for a variety of different clients to look after their pets and homes whilst they are away and have had an amazing time doing so! It has honestly made me so independent so quickly and has really helped me to develop experience for caring for all different animals and gaining knowledge into their routines and how they engage! This experience has also left me with a great deal of responsibility where I have had to take the initiative to take action in a more serious case when the animal's health was at risk.
When you think you’ve found a potential sitter to look after your pet when you go away, there are a series of processes you should go through before confirming the stay! Firstly, the best thing to do is to invite over the pet sitter to your house so that you can meet them and see what they are like and importantly for your dog/cat to give the final tick of approval! It would be pretty obvious to see if your pet had a concern with the sitter! Once you have met the pet sitter and are confident that they have the right intentions and seem reliable, it is recommended you meet up again closer to the time of departure, where you can run through the fine details of the animal’s daily regime and how you normally operate with your pet.
I found when I was meeting with clients to house sit, they were so transfixed on the schedule of the animal that they didn't have any clue of what else to guide me through regarding the running of their house! Not only are you looking after someone's pets, but you also need to know emergency procedures and contacts, trusted neighbours, how to use appliances and electronics in the home, mail and bin collection and any other pertinent house information.
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