With the winter holidays coming up, like Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Years, many pet parents that are looking to travel may have to leave their pets with a pet sitter at home. If this applies to you, you might be feeling a bit stressed or overwhelmed. You want to make sure you hire the right pet sitter for your fur-kid. Maybe you have an interview with a potential pet sitter and you’re not sure what questions to ask them. To help alleviate any uneasiness, we’ve put together a list of a couple questions to ask a potential pet sitter prior to hiring them. These will be sure to give you a lot of the information you may need to make the right choice about who will look after your pet.
You first want to know about their experience levels and background. Ask about the kind of experience they have working with your pet’s breed, age, or energy level. All of these factors can help determine if the pet sitter is the right fit for your pet. You can also ask about any informal or formal animal training they may have. If you like to hear other people’s reviews and opinions on something prior to committing, ask if they’re able to provide you with any prior client testimonials or references.
Now we’ll be getting into safety precautions and policies. A lot of pet sitters use contracts or service agreements, so be sure to ask if they have one. In case of any emergencies, you may want to ask about their cancellation or rescheduling policy. For safety reasons, it’s important you ask if they’ve ever been accused of animal cruelty or mishandling a pet.
It’s important to know about the daily routine and care your pet sitter plans to have for your pet. Ask them about how much time they will actually spend at your house. It’s also crucial to be aware of the other pets on their schedule, and how they plan to divide their time. Ask if they will be watching any other pets at the same time. If your pet has any medication they take, ask about their experience or plans for administering that.
While you’re on vacation, it’s important to stay in contact with your pet sitter and have steady communication. Ask the pet sitter about how often they will be sending updates or photos/videos of your pet. In the case of a medical emergency or your pet running away, it’s crucial your pet sitter be prepared. Ask about their plan in the event of either emergency.
Last but not least, it’s always nice to know your pet sitter as a person as well. This person after all might spend time away from their family or friends to watch your fur baby, so get to know them! Ask fun questions, like their funniest pet sitting story, any pets they may have, hobbies, etc.
We hope this list of questions helps you in your process of finding a pet sitter! It doesn’t always have to be hard. Remember to be kind to your pet sitter and explain any rules or important circumstances about your pet. Comment below any questions you think are important to ask!