Golden Tips For People Who Want To Be Pet Sitters And Caregivers

To become a pet sitter, you need to love animals. Period!

It is not just the task of looking after the pets and earning the desired income. There is a lot involved in this profession.

Pet sitting can be a profitable profession but you need to understand the pet very well. Until and unless you do some homework, you will fail to understand the pets and the ways of pet sitting.

If you love animals (like me!) and want to extend your hands to help the pets then congrats! You are definitely on the right track.

Before you start the job as a pet sitter, it is important to go through certain points in order to warm you up!

This post is for all the pet sitters and other caregivers who love pets and want to work with them.

Are you ready to ace in this field? Let’s get started.

The art of being a good pet sitter

• Pet on the way? – The pet owner who is about to bring his/her pet should call you beforehand – a courtesy call. This is important as it is your duty to understand what the pet is (cat or a dog or a hamster…) and how will you tackle them. If you are alerted in advance, it will be easier for you to research about them and get details about their behavior and other habits.
• Know the pet – Simply research about the pet you are going to sit with. If you have an internet, this should be easy (O: Know which breed it is…how to take care of them..and so on and so forth. Now what is important is that you should particularly research about the breed you are going to handle. Different breeds have different behavioral pattern and you should exactly know what the pet demands.
• A round of questions – The pet owner would know his/her pet more than anyone else. They know what their pet likes and dislikes, what food the pet prefers, which exercises the pet likes, pet’s sleeping schedule, and so on. Make sure that you note down everything that can help the pet to be healthy and happy. To get you started, here the the questions you can ask;

– What ingredients you should include in its meal?

– What is its favorite toy?

– When does it prefer having his meal?

– Is it okay to offer treats?

• It is my darling. As I said before, you need to be an animal lover before you think of this business. You really do need to bond with the pet as if it is your own! This is one of the essentials to be a good pet sitter. Ignoring the pet or not treating it well just because it is not your own is unethical and also can bring friction. You can always help train it in the right way and make it disciplined. A pet in a submissive state is considered to be the best pet. Try and train the pet in that way and surprise the owner! (It is always best to get the owner’s permission before you start training the pet as pet owners may not like others training their pet)
• A good treat makes their day! Pets love treats. Whether you are training it or playing with it, use treats. Treats are especially important to reinforce the good behavior the pet shows. Treats will not only motivate the pet, but also helps create a lovely bond with you. This can lead to the pet being excited whenever it sees you – like wagging its tail, getting closer to you, rub on you etc.
• Are you afraid of certain breeds? Even an animal lover can be afraid of certain breeds, which is perfectly normal. For instance, if you are afraid to handle a Pit Bull, simply say NO. Personally I think Pits are awesome – very smart dogs and are easy to handle as long as they are raised right. The point is don’t force yourself because of the money. Apart from this, it is unjust for the pet, the owner and yourself. If you don’t like the pet or are scared of it, then neither the pet will be in a happy state nor you. This can lead to unwanted tragic accidents so do be careful about this point.

• Call the owner for any emergency. If the pet is not well or is showing some unusual behavior, call the owner then and there. Majority of people love their pets like a family member (sometime even more than an immediate family member). If you can’t get a hold of them and the situation is getting worst, you have to take the pet to the vet by yourself. You need to assess the situation and take the right initiative. A good pet sitter really knows how to access the situation and understands what needs to be done. Before you do anything however, always do what is right for the pet while protecting yourself at the same time.

Are you a pet sitter? How did you manage to become a good pet sitter?

Tell us how this profession helped you. Share your story and views.

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