What Does a Pet Sitting Service Do?
Keeping your pets in the comfort and familiarity of their home while you are away is one of the main advantages to hiring a pet sitter. Pet sitters usually offer a variety of services that keep pets healthy, happy and safe. They may also do chores that will help keep your home secure and clean while you are gone.
An experienced and reliable pet sitter will typically:
- Check on the animal throughout the day. A pet sitter will come to the owner's house and check on the pet, and visits usually last 20 to 45 minutes. The more visits requested per day, the higher the fee. Some pet sitting services offer overnight visits in which the sitter stays through the night in the home with the pet.
- Feed and water the pet. During each visit, the pet sitter will feed your pets their meals or make sure the food dish stays full, depending on how the animal is fed. The pet sitter will refill the water bowls as well.
- Exercise and groom pet. A pet sitter will walk and play with a dog to provide exercise and mental stimulation while the owner is away. Cats also get much-needed attention and play time. Bird sitters will provide some time outside the cage for tame avians who like being handled. Dogs and cats will get brushed, and birds often require a daily light shower in the sink or bathtub.
- Provide medications. Some pets, especially elderly ones, need regular medication. A pet sitter can be relied upon to administer pills, liquid medicine or even injections to dogs, cats and other pets with special needs.
- Clean up after the pet. Pet sitters will take dogs out to use the bathroom and scoop up after them. Homes with litter boxes must have the box cleaned. Birds and pet reptiles will have their cages straightened up regularly as well. If a pet has an accident in the home, a pet sitter will also clean up the mess.
- Provide light housekeeping services around the home. Pet sitters often collect mail, take garbage to the curb, turn lights on for security, and water houseplants while the home owner is gone.