Paws-itive Pet Sitting Service

By Sheila Ford

Owner, Paws-itive Pet Sitting Service

It’s almost time to leave on your highly-anticipated vacation.  Suitcase?  Check.  New clothes?  Check.  Suntan lotion?  Check.  Plane ticket?  Check.  Arrangements for Fluffy and Spot?  Uh oh!!

As a pet sitter, the obvious answer to the question of pet sitter versus boarding kennel, which is the right choice for you, is an obvious one: pet sitter!  I’m biased!  The proof, however, is in the pudding.  Deciding which option is right for you should be based on cost, services provided, and convenience.  If these are important considerations, read on.

In today’s economy, the cost of anything, goods or services, weighs heavily in our decision-making processes.  We seek out the most bangs for the buck, without forfeiting quality.  Paws-itive Pet Sitting Service charges $15 per visit for up to five pets.  Boarding kennels, servicing the same area, charge anywhere between $16 a day for one animal to $50 per day for three animals.  If you have one pet, a kennel just might be the right option for you, but, are you getting all the services you would receive if you hired a pet sitter?

A pet sitter does more than just pet sit.  A pet sitter brings in your mail and newspaper; waters your plants; ensures the security of your home by completing security checks at the end of each visit.  These additional services take very little time away from your pet so he or she receives plenty of quality time and tender loving care with the sitter.  A boarding kennel, on the other hand, simply provides the services of housing your pet while you are away.  To be fair, kennels provide good, loving care for your pet.  Want medication administered?  There’s an extra fee.  Desire extra play time for Spot?  Add another additional fee.  Your inexpensive kennel stay can quickly add up to more than you anticipated!  With Paws-itive Pet Sitting Service, there are no hidden extra charges for administering medication, brushing or toenail clipping, or going for a walk.  Providing quality, professional, and affordable service is the goal of Paws-itive Pet Sitting…achieved to the clients’ highest satisfaction!

Just as important as economy and service, is convenience.  When you choose to board your pets, you must adhere to the posted check-in and check-out times.  If you check-in or check-out before or after those times, you could be charged for up to an extra day of service; service you never actually received!  With a pet sitter, there is no check-in or check-out time.  You simply decide how many visits you want each day and at what time.  The time you leave or arrive home is at your convenience.  And forget about having to start and stop your mail service; your mail is waiting for you when you arrive home.  Worried about the plants?  They’ll still be alive when you step in the door.  The less you have to worry about before your vacation certainly is a convenience anyone would relish!

Hiring a pet sitter over taking Spot or Fluffy to a kennel is a clear choice.  The services provided and conveniences these services afford certainly lend to the argument a pet sitter is more economical than taking your four-legged loved ones to the kennel.  But, hey, I’m a pet sitter and owner of Paws-itive Pet Sitting Service; I’m biased!  Then again, the proof is in the pudding, isn’t it?  Pudding is served!

Note:  Prices for boarding kennels were obtained by visiting Belleville Area kennel websites.  Specific kennels are not named as permission, for the purpose of this article, has not been obtained.