Leaving Your Pets in the Care of a Sitter

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

29 Jul 2006 08:09 AM

Chances are, you've planned your family vacation or business trip in advance. If you will be trusting a pet sitter to care for your pet in your home, here are some things you can do to make things easy for your sitter and your furry friends.

1. Make reservations with your pet sitter as far in advance as possible. Sometimes this isn't possible; try to be flexible in case of emergencies.
2. Make sure that your pet is well socialized. Ask friends and family members to help you by visiting (at prearranged times) when you will not be around. If your pet will not allow strangers in the house, your pet may not be a good candidate for pet sitting.
3. Make sure your pet is current on all vaccinations: rabies, distemper, and parvo virus. Ask your veterinarian about other vaccinations your pet may need if a pet sitter will be visiting your home.
4. Make sure your pet has a collar with current ID tags.
5. Make sure your pet walks well on a leash. If your pet sitter has to wrestle with your dog every time they go for a walk, your sitter may not want to sit for you again!
6. Leave plenty of pet food and treats in a convenient place: the kitchen counter, on a table, or in a clearly marked cabinet. It should be easy for your sitter to access yet tough for your pets to get into.
7. Leave detailed feeding instructions with the food: feeding times, quantities, and anything special they may get like vitamins, supplements, or medications.
8. Leave medications in a convenient place with dosage instructions clearly written.
9. Leave your veterinarian's contact information, your phone number, and the number of a friend or family member who will act as a local contact for the sitter while you are away.
10. Leave a spare key with a trusted friend or family member in case the sitter has an emergency and cannot visit.
11. Talk to your pet sitter in advance about other services, like bringing in the mail and newspaper, or turning lights on and off.
12. Show your pet sitter important home features that they may need in case of an emergency, like circuit breaker locations and how to operate the security system.

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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