Ways To Help You Choose A Reliable Cat Sitter
There could be multiple reasons why you may need a cat sitter. Pet Sitter International conducted an online survey in 2017 on more than 1,000 pet owners. The result that 98% of the surveyed pet owners will need a pet sitter when they need to go out of town on a personal trip or vacation.
When you need someone to look after your cat, you need to be sure that youre trusting someone who not only would care for your cat well, but also someone who is reliable and trustworthy. This is important because youll be letting this person in your home.
If you dont know where to start when it comes to choosing the right cat sitter, weve got you covered! Here, well share 8 ways to help you choose a reliable cat sitter.
Run A Background Check
This may sound like too much when it comes to finding the perfect cat sitter, but this is something you should do to ensure your cat and your homes safety. It is easier if you engage a professional service since it will most likely provide you the information you need about the cat sitter. But you can also check on the business itself. Reviews on a business can be found on their Website, on their Facebook page and on their Google listing.
Remember that your cat sitter will have access to your home so its better to be safe than sorry.
Make The Owners Happy Too
A pet is not just an animal to its owners. The pet is their baby, and an important part of the family. Not only will you have to offer the pet reassurance, but the owners will most likely need it as well. Expect frequent check-ins. You can be proactive and put the owners at ease by calling and sending texts periodically, letting them know that all is well. Sending pictures of the animal being happy and having fun will ease their fears and allow the owners to have a good time while they are away.
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How To Prepare For Your Cat Sitter
When preparing for your cat sitter, make a list of what youd like for them to look after. Being organized can set your cat sitter up for success while youre away. Writing down any food or medication that your cat needs is important information for your cat sitter to have. This also ensures that your cat will not be overfed or underfed when youre not there.
Putting out your kitten or cats favorite toys will allow them to adjust to the cat sitter more quickly, without feeling anxious about a new persons sudden presence. Treats and catnip go a long way too!
When thinking about your new pet sitter, consider Rovers Recess for your pets needs. We care about your pet as much as our own, and it shows! Your cat will be in great hands while youre away so that you can have peace of mind that your kitten is getting the care that they need.
Getting the best care for your cat is always a priority. Thats why were here to help you meet their needs and yours. Having a cat is joyful and stress-relieving. You shouldnt have to be concerned about their safety when you leave town. Get assistance with caring for your fur family and bask in their love when you return.
How To Find A Cat Sitter
Jackie Brown is a pet expert and award-winning writer with over two decades of veterinary medicine and pet publishing industry experience. She’s overseen many leading pet magazines, including Dog World, Cats Magazine, the award-winning Rescue Proud, and contributed to “National Geographics Complete Guide to Pet Health.”
What do you do when you need to travel and leave your cat behind? Knowing that a trusted caregiver is watching your precious cat gives you peace of mind when you have to be away. But how do you find someone you can trust? Luckily, many options are available to you, from pet boarding facilities to pet sitters, both professional and more causal like friends or family. Depending on your desires and your cats needs, you might be better off boarding your cat outside of your home or hiring someone to look after them in the comfortable surroundings of your house.
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Do You Know Theyd Act In An Emergency
If your cat was in trouble, would your friend hesitate to act? Would your friend know what to do? Of course, were going to assume that youll leave good instructions in case of an emergency, and that all parties would be prepared. But you want to be sure that this person would willing take the extra step if needed. Once I had to run a friends cat to the vet. It turned out to be nothing serious, but my friend was grateful. I know she would do the same for me.
Stick To The Cat Sitting Routines
Many rescue cats are particularly anxious around people and other animals they do not know. Experienced cat-sitters can help to manage the anxiety they experience. One way to do this is to keep everything else as close to the usual routine as possible in the owners absence.
- Keep them at home in their own environment
- Ensure the food and treats stay the same with a regular feeding pattern
- Brush them as often as they are used to
- Change the cat litter exactly as the owner describes.
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Use A Pheromones Plugin
Any cat can be anxious, however if any changes occur in and around the cats environment, this can exacerbate the stress. Pre-loading the environment with pheromones before the event can help the cat through stressful situations, like having new people in the house. Feliway is an analogue of facial pheromones used by cats to tell other cats that this is a nice place, and Im comfortable here, you may have seen your cat rubbing the side of their face against objects or even you if this does happen youre very privileged!
If you would like to join our cat-sitters on HouseSit Match register as House-sitter. Then build a profile for yourself that will be seen by pet owners. Give as much information as you can about your previous experience as a house sitter, cat sitter or pet sitter. Be prepared to share your references and any up to date police check information you have. Then you can search our listings for free to find your ideal cat-sitting assignment.
Our special thanks to Vet Matthew Bayliss BVSc MRCVS
Start your housesitting adventure or to find your house and petsitting solution register with HouseSitMatch:
Why Shouldnt You Pet
For starters, most people tend to have limited time. As a result, even if they are eager to pet-sit instead of having been guilted into doing so, they are going to be able to spare no more than a limited amount of time for them. Unfortunately, this can lead to substandard care. Even worse, it isnt uncommon for pets to get stressed out to some extent when entrusted to someone besides their owner, meaning that a lack of time can exacerbate the issues that can come up because of that.
Following up, there is no guarantee that a random person will have a clear idea of what a particular pet might be. Sure, most people will have a general notion that an animal needs to be fed, watered, exercised, entertained, and expel waste, but chances are good that most of them wont know much about the specifics unless they have personal experience. Due to this, it isnt impossible for someone to miss the signs of a potential problem in the animal that has been entrusted to them even if they have the best of intentions, which can prove rather unfortunate should someones luck sour.
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Here Are Some Important Things To Note When It Comes To Pet Boarding:
Honestly, house boarding is a much better alternative than facility boarding. As mentioned above, the house will provide a more homey feel for the pet- thus making it slightly easier to adjust.
As mentioned, most pet boarding facilities will have health requirements. Most pet boarding facilities will require pets to be healthy, deflead, well kept and vaccinated. You might need to provide some documentation/proof of these vaccinations in order for the pet boarding facility to accept your pet. Most pet boarding facilities will also require you to bring your own food for your pet as they do not want to risk feeding foods that your pet cannot consume.
When it comes to house boarding, there is definitely less risk. However, don’t just simply chuck your poor pet into some random caretaker’s house because it is cheap. Like everything else, research is fundamental when it comes to making your decision. Before boarding your pet into someone’s house, make sure that you get to know the person first. Is he/she the kind of person that will be will be willing to go the distance for the sake of your pet, such as letting your pet sleep on his/her bed when they are scared? Make sure that the person is trustworthy and will give his all to be there for the pets 24/7.
If possible, give a person’s house a visit in order to see the environment for yourself. Will it be suitable for your pet? Is there enough outdoor/indoor space for your pet to roam in?
Cat Sitting Professionals You Can Trust
Our team of 50 professional pet sitters are passionate pet lovers. Most of our Pet Nannies either volunteer with rescue organizations and shelters, foster pets, and have been with us for over a decade. We carefully screen, vet, and train everyone before they become a member of our team.
When you hire Peaks Pet Nanny for your cat sitting needs, you can have peace of mind in knowing you are getting the best of the best. Every member of our team has the best interests of you and your cat in mind. If you are going out of town for business and pleasure, you need someone you can depend on to take care of your feline while you are gone.
Please contact us at 973-601-3035 or for your pet sitting needs. We will take your information over the phone, explain our services and schedule a complimentary consultation with a Peaks Pet Nanny. See what our current clients say about us.
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Cat Sitting Skill #: Organization
Lamia Walker is the Founder of HouseSit Match. Her career spans more than 25 years, with quite a few spent in marketing for some wonderful organizations. In 2012 the idea for HouseSitMatch became a thing, over a good curry shared with an Australian friend. The friend had been house-sitting for a year and had saved a huge sum of money by not paying any rent in Perth, Western Australia. The two friends who had travelled extensively together mulled over the opportunity, then started an online housesitting network.
Hiring A Pet Sitter To Care For Dog Cat Or Goldfish But Not Sure What To Pay Experts And Pet Parents Offer Insight On How To Figure Out Fair Pet Sitting Prices
Whether youre leaving your furry family member for the night or are going on a bonafide vacation without them, having a quality pet sitter is a no-brainer. However, figuring out what to pay for overnight pet sitting is another story.
When youre looking for someone to care for your pets, there are so many things to consider, says Collin Funkhouser, a professional pet sitter and host of the podcast, Pet Sitter Confessional. One caveat, though, is even when you figure out all of the factors involved, youll always be able to find exceptions, which is why its important to talk with, and get to know, your pet sitter before you hire them.
Need care for your favorite furry friend, but arent sure what to pay? Experts and pet parents offer insight on pet sitting prices.
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Asking Friends To Pet Sit
Keep in mind that asking a friend to take care of your pets is a big favor, especially if you have a dog.
Along with caring for your pets, your friend will most likely have to juggle a full time job, family requirements, and all the other stresses of life. Stopping by your place one or two times per day can turn into a big hassle for your friends.
Your friends might get tired of stopping over if you go out of town often. If this is the case, you might want to consider hiring a professional pet sitting service.
What Makes A Cat Sitter Professional
Before we delve into what exactly professional cat sitters do, let me first tell you a little bit more about who they are in terms of qualifications and credentials. Professional cat sitters are passionate about cats and have extensive experience and knowledge of caring for a wide range of cat breeds and temperaments. They know feline behavior and health very well and are used to proactively monitoring the health of a clients cat closely each visit, looking for signs of illness and prepared to take the cat to the nearest emergency veterinary clinic when absolutely necessary.
But what truly sets a professional cat sitter apart from, say, your family member, friend, or neighbor, is the legitimate and tangible accountability that they possess. Professional cat sitters typically purchase and are covered under a commercial liability insurance policy and bonding policy, are thoroughly background checked , have a service agreement contract, a website that gives more information about their company , and numerous reviews and testimonials written by real clients publicly . Professional cat sitters are also typically members of a nationally recognized professional pet sitting organization they may have a valid and current business license , possess current certification in pet CPR, and use professional pet sitting software for scheduling sittings and maintaining client records.
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How To Become A Cat Sitter
To become a cat sitter with Cat in a Flat, simply register and submit your profile. We will take you through a step by step process and let you know if you have been approved.
The amount you can earn as a cat carer depends on the level of service you provide. Most cat sitters charge 8 – 15 £/ for a once-daily home visit or 12 – 25 £/ to drop in twice a day. Cat sitters usually charge 15 – 50 £/ for overnight cat sitting stays. You can look after more than one household of cats at a time if they only need daily home visits. Many cat sitters also charge a little extra for additional services such as watering the plants. More expensive cat sitters tend to be the ones with more experience and who can administer medication.
For more advice and tips on how to become a cat sitter, read here.
Manage A Pet Meet And Greet
Some cats are always shy around new cat-sitters, strangers and newcomers to their home environment. If you are organising a cat-sitter or house-sitters to care for them it is best to have time before you leave, for either a meet and greet or a day or so when you are altogether before you leave on your trip.
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Be Wary Of Pet Sitting Apps
Pet sitting apps and directories are another option for the traveling cat owner. However, how do these tech companies screen or train their providers? In most cases, the dont. When you use a pet-sitting app or a directory, you will handle screening and vetting the pet sitter, which is something most pet owners dont feel comfortable with and dont have time for the uncertainty. When you hire a professional service such as Peaks Pet Nanny, we have taken out the guess-work with our devoted team of mature, dependable animal lovers.
This Is How Much To Pay A Cat Sitter Explained
January 13, 2020 by Emily
If youre a cat owner, you will likely find yourself in need of hiring a cat sitter from time to time. Last summer before a vacation, I realized that my neighbors, parents, and my go-to cat sitting friend, were ALL going to be gone during the exact same week. For the first time I had to find someone I didnt know to watch my babies while I was away. I was nervous and realized that I didnt even know how much to pay a cat sitter. Where to start?
Luckily, a friend of mine with three cats has a professional cat sitter that she loves. I was able to glean a lot of helpful information from her experience.
On average, a cat sitter should be paid $20 $30 a day for drop in visits, and $70 $80 for overnight stays. The amount to pay a cat sitter will depend on a few factors:
- The length of the visit
- The number of visits per day
- Whether or not you want them to spend the night
- Your geographic location
- The number of cats you have
- Any additional, non pet-related duties you may want the sitter to perform
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Cat Quotes That Prove How Awesome They Really Are
21. Thats the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you. Ray Bradbury
22. Cats have it all: admiration, an endless sleep, and company only when they want it. Rod McKuen
23. Dogs look at us as their gods, horses as their peers, but the cats look to us as their subjects. Winston Churchill
24. Cats are inquisitive, but hate to admit it. Mason Cooley
25. I believe cats to be spirits come to earth. A cat, I am sure, could walk on a cloud without coming through.
26. A kitten is the delight of a household. All day long a comedy is played out by an incomparable actor. Champfleury
27. The cat is the only animal that has managed to tame man.
28. How we behave toward cats here below determines our status in heaven. Robert A. Heinlein
29. Kittens are angels with whiskers. Alexis Flora Hope
30. There are few things in life more heartwarming than to be welcomed by a cat. Tay Hohoff
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