If you are a petowner you will know that caring for the pets is the most important job of the petsitter. Essentially, that’s what you ask them to do. However, depending on how long you need the petsitters, and where you are asking them to stay when they are petsitting there may be a number of other responsibilities you need to ask them to take on. Here is a summary to help us understand the pet sitter role a little better.
Petsitters care for animals — but that’s not all
Petcare
Pet routines tend to be very important. Domesticated animals like to eat at regular times, and to exercise regularly. Of course care for the different animals will vary, that’s why a pet owner needs to prepare a careful brief fo the pet sitter.
Pet exercise
Pet sitters also make great dog walkers. Dog walking is a really important part of the petsitter role. Make sure when you are choosing an assignment as a sitter that you feel capable of looking after the number of pets in your charge. Walking four dogs can be a challenge as a single dog walker, however, if you know the animals and they know the routine it can be perfectly manageable. Make sure you understand how the reins work and which dog must stay on the lead and which ones will come back when you call. A preparatory dog walk with the pet owner is always a good idea before you take charge for the duration of the petsit.
Cleaning up after the pets
If you have pets to care for who will use the garden or back yard on the property you may need to clean up and do a poop collection once a day. Be ready for this and make sure you manage poop collection regularly to keep the space as clean as possible. The same goes for when you are walking dogs, take a doggy bag with you. It is rare to find publicly offered poop bags, however, you may be lucky…
Home care
Another responsibility often included in the petsitter’s repertoire is homecare. When you are staying in the pet owner’s home to care for their beloved pet you will need to look keep your living area clean and tidy.
Garden maintenance
If the pet owners have a garden and you are caring for the pets for a long period of time they may well ask you to cut the grass or trim the hedges. It is not uncommon for these homeowners to ask you to keep an eye on the fruit and vegetable garden and to use whatever produce is ready to be harvested. So there is always a silver lining.
Travelling with pets
As a pet sitter I was once asked to bring the dog to meet it’s owner at a second property and then return to the first as a housesitter without the pet! It is unusual but not uncommon to have to travel with a pet. In this case I needed to make sure the dog safety belt I had was suitable for the dog. And that I brought all the dog’s favourite equipment with me- including the dog bed, blanket, lead and dog bowls.
As a pet sitter you will experience a number of different requests, some more unusual than others. Make sure you are happy and confident with these responsibilities before taking on the assignment.
