The Pet Sitter is Coming!

As the Holidays approach, you might be thinking about your travel plans. Airline reservations, places to stay, points of interest all take up your extra time. Suddenly it occurs to you: What will we do about the pets? You may have had bad experiences in the past with asking neighbors, friends, and relatives to "stop by" when they weren't doing something more important. Now you're ready to hire a professional who can be relied upon to care for your pets. There are a lot of options out there that can fit your needs and those of your animal companions. Let's take a look at a few.

Drop In Pet Sitting

With this option, a person you hire comes to your home at an agreed-to time once or twice a day to care for the basic needs of your pets. They can also be asked to do other tasks, such as mail and newspaper pickup, watering plants, and rotating lights in your home to fool potential burglars. Dogs are typically taken out for a neighborhood walk and kitty litter boxes are cleaned. All this is covered in the initial visit, typically a free "setup" visit to get the pet sitter up to speed on the location of your pets' food, the alarm code, house key pickup, special instructions and any health problems.

Things to remember before the sitter gets there:

• Vet Information - Your vet's name, phone number and office location. You should also know the closest emergency vet clinic, as many emergencies happen outside regular office hours.
• If you have dogs, don't try to "step in" too much when the sitter gets there. This relationship starts now, and you won't be there next time they see him/her.
  
• Ask the potential sitter a lot of questions about their experience with your type of pet. Any classes in pet first aid? Behavior? How long has the sitter been in business? Make sure the sitter has a business license and carries current liability insurance. That protects the both of you in case of mishap.
• Trust your instinct. If the potential sitter leaves you feeling less than confident, let them know you'll be in touch and leave it at that. There are a lot of people out there vying for your business and you need to feel safe with your choice.
• If the first visit is going to be in the evening, leave the porch light on! Sure, the prepared pet sitter will have a flashlight, but what if a neighbor looks out the window to see a strange person fiddling with your door by flashlight? That's what I'm talking about.
• If you have cats and you need your pet sitter to clean the litter box, be sure to leave waste bags and extra litter. It's also nice to have hand washing supplies available so the sitter can clean up and not spread disease to other cats.
  

House Sitters

These folks come to your home and live at your house while you're away. You may have an invalid pet or you just feel more secure knowing that somebody is there most of the time to watch over things. The vetting process is the same for these types of sitters as well.

Boarding Kennels/Homes

There are many fine establishments in the Bay Area that will take in your pets and give them lots of care while you travel. A kennel will typically take in many animals and your pet will spend some time in a crate, run, or cage. Exercise will be taken care of at certain times of the day. If you are considering this option, visit the facility with your pet and again, ask a lot of questions. How much time will the pet be confined? What is the ratio of caregivers to pets? Are the pets monitored 24 hours a day? You deserve to know these things!

Some vet offices and hospitals provide boarding facilities, but the drawback is that the pet may spend more time confined than you are comfortable with. That should be your first concern.

There are private homes that take in a limited quantity of pets for boarding as well. This is an attractive option because most of these facilities allow the pets to run free much of the time and there is usually much more supervision of their interactions. Be sure to check the bona fides of these places and get references! That will tell you if time spent at this home will be quality time.

No matter which option you choose, the real proof will be your pet's behavior afterward. Is he fearful and nervous? Happy and tail-waggin'? Is his appetite normal? You'll know how well your contracted pet sitter did in short order and you can stick with the good ones for the life of your pet. Let the law of the "survival of the fittest" rule your choice when it comes to the care of your beloved animal companions. Here's a helpful link to get you started:

Pet Sitters International

Click on the "Locate a Pet Sitter" link, choose your service and enter your zip code. It's as easy as that!