What Your Pet Sitter Wants You to Know

Your furbabies are the most important part of any pet sitting relationship. Both for you and for your sitter. We want you to be happy with our services so you can relax and enjoy your trips knowing your kitties are enjoying their time at home with their sitter. Like any industry, professional pet sitters have things they wish their clients knew that would make it easier for their sitter to provide the best service.  Here are ten things your pet sitter wants you to know.

Pet Sitting is defined as “the act of caring for a pet in its own home while the owner is away.”

Pet Sitters International

We are Professionals:

I am a professional. My pet sitting business is my job. It’s not a hobby or a side gig to make a few extra bucks. I treat your pets like I would my own and give 100%. 

Like professionals in other fields, I work to improve my skills and knowledge of cats and cat behavior. I am always learning to stay current on the latest information in the world of cats. I have first aid certification, cat care certifications, and ability to design enrichment plans for your cats. I tailor my visits to your cats preferences.

We Know Cats and Cat Behavior:

We are knowledgeable in what we do: we know cats and cat behavior. While we aren’t vets we might notice a health or behavior concern. We aren’t judging you if we make a suggestion. Your pet sitter wants you to know that we can be a valuable resource for you if you have questions about your kitties.

Related Post: Should I Hire a Pet Sitter

Communication is important. 

We know cats. But until we work with them we don’t know YOUR cats or your home. The more information you share with us the better service we can provide. A professional cat sitter will have had you fill out a service agreement that includes all the details on your cats. Review it each time you travel to make sure the info is current and correct. 

House Rules

Think of the unusual parts of your home and your pets and assume your sitter will run into the same problems.

If there are any favorite hiding spots for your cat, toilets or sinks that leak or doors that stick, let your sitter know!  Where are the electric and plumbing shut offs, where do you keep your vacuum and mop? Where do you want us to throw out the trash and litter waste?

Close off any rooms you do not want your pets to have access to while you are gone.  

Consistency is Important:

Even if you have a regular sitter, confirm Kitty’s routines, feeding amounts and times. The more information you provide us the better. Do you feed them separately so one doesn’t steal the other’s food? Do you need to sit with them while they eat? I once had a foster cat that I had to hand feed.

What are Kitty’s favorite toys and games? Do you have a regular playtime schedule? Are there things he hates or is scared by? My kitten is afraid of the fuzzy worm toys his siblings love. One of my clients is scared of interactive toys that make noise.

Do you allow your cat to have catnip? Or perhaps your kitty is one that doesn’t react to catnip and would prefer silvervine or valerian. 

Does your cat have any special grooming needs? Would you like their nails trimmed?  Are there any special quirks we should know about?

Tell Us the Truth About Behavior or Concerns. 

Cats can be sensitive creatures. It is still going to be stressful staying home with a sitter, even if they love us. Let your sitter know if your cat is prone to peeing outside the box for example. We can look for it and clean it up. If Kitty has problems using the litter box and has a history of blockages, it’s important we know that.

If your cat has bitten or scratched, share that information with your sitter. Don’t be embarrassed. Cats respond to stress in different ways. We know that and will work with Kitty in a way that keeps everyone safe.

How Things Work

Be sure to tell your sitter if you have mechanical cat care equipment. Your pet sitter needs to know how your automatic feeder or mechanical litter box works.- More importantly, what happens if the power goes out or the unit breaks down. Is there a fail safe? Do you have a non-mechanical backup? 

Your pet sitter wants you to know that mechanical devices are not a substitute for daily care by a professional. I’ve had a client’s feeder fail. Because I was visiting daily Kitty only missed a couple meals. If she’d been left alone with the mechanical devices she’d have been very hungry and possibly ill by the time her people came home.

Contact information 

• Make sure your sitter knows where you will be. If you will not be reachable via your regular phone leave the information for your travel plans, hotel numbers, travel agent, flight information etc.
• Local contact people are very helpful, especially someone who has a spare key. 
• Your vet’s contact information and any ongoing health concerns.
• What kind of contact would you like while you are away? Pictures, videos, text reports? How often do you want to hear from your cat sitter while you travel? I have clients all over the spectrum that want to know about every visit and others that are fine without a lot of check-ins. They know the cats are fine with me, know I will contact them if anything is wrong, and prefer to just enjoy their vacations. I can accommodate both and everything in between.

Have Adequate Supplies on Hand

Think of everything your cats and their sitter will need while you are gone. Be sure you have enough on hand that your sitter won’t run out:

• Food
• Litter
• Any medications your cat needs
• Treats
• Cleaning supplies
• Paper towels
• Trash bags or other used litter receptacles
• Do you have an emergency kit or go bag? We aren’t prone to evacuation-type emergencies in my service area. But do you and your sitter have a plan if there are tornadoes, floods, or fires in your area?

Relax And Enjoy Your Trip!  

Nothing makes your pet sitter happier than to know you are having a great time away while they have fun spending time spoiling with your fur babies.

Your Pet Sitter Wants You to Know That We Care About Our Clients.

You and your feline friends. If you move out of our area, we wonder about you and your pets. We miss spending time with your cats. We grieve with you when your cat is ill or passes away. We think about you and your cats often and enjoy looking at pictures we’ve taken for you during our visits. You are important to us.