Common stresses of finding a pet sitter are ~ What to tell your pet sitter before you leave, who’s going to watch my pets while I’m out of town or working long hours? Can I trust the neighbor to care for my pets? If you’ve never hired a pet sitter or pet sitting service before, it can be stressful to trusting someone new with your fur baby.
At Pawfect Pet & House Sitter, we want to make sure that you understand the pros and cons of using a pet sitting service and how to identify a reliable pet sitter. There are many pet sitting options these days, making it hard to know what service to trust and who will genuinely be reliable. Even if you don’t live in the Cave Creek, AZ area, this article will help you feel comfortable and confident in choosing a trustworthy pet sitter.
Types of Pet Sitters
The good news is that there are a variety of options when it comes to choosing a reliable pet sitter. The bad news is that not all of them are necessarily the best or even the safest option for your pet. The four most common pet sitting services are explained below.
1) Friends or Family
Having a friend, neighbor, or family member watch your pet is often the most affordable option when looking for a pet sitter. Depending on the person, this can be a great option, but if they do not have pets of their own and don’t know how to care for animals, this can prove to be a dangerous situation. There have been times when even the most trustworthy friend or family member can lose a dog because they forget little things like putting up a barrier when opening and closing the door or leaving a back gate open. When they are not used to caring for pets, these small mistakes can lead to big disasters.
2) Independent Contractor
The internet and our cell phones have made it even easier to find a pet sitter in your immediate area. Applications like Rover and Wag allow individuals to sign up and become pet sitters and dog walkers. While they require some vetting for the people who sign up on their platform, be aware that not all pet sitters are experienced or have pet CPR certifications. Essentially anyone can sign up to be a pet sitter on these platforms. You may have luck finding a regular sitter, but it may take some trial and error to find the right fit. 
3) Professional Pet Sitting Service
Similar to services like Rover, professional pet sitting services provide dog walking and pet sitting in your area. Pawfect House and Pet Sitter is an example of a professional pet sitting service. What sets Pawfect Pet & House Sitter, and other professional pet sitting services apart from contracting applications like Rover or Wag is that our pet professionals are trained and employed by the company We are a family owned business, and personally vet and background check all of our pet sitters, providing them with training and Pet CPR certification to ensure they have all the necessary safety precautions and animal knowledge in place when caring for any pet. With a team of professional pet sitters, using a professional service ensures that no matter the time or frequency of pet sitting needed, there will always be someone that can take care of your pet. Professional pet sitting services also often provide sitting services for many species and breeds, whereas most pet sitting situations only know how to care for pets like cats and dogs. At Pawfect, we can reliably care for birds, reptiles, horses, and more.
4) Boarding or Kenneling
Another common option is to board or kennel your pet while you are away. Boarding your dog or cat is often a reliable and safe option, but it can be stressful for your pet to experience. By using a professional pet sitter that goes to your home, although you may not be home, your pet can be in an environment that they’re used to, and they can stick to their regular routine. Some professional pet sitting services also provide kennel-free boarding services that tend to allow for more socialization with other dogs and more exercise because they’re outside of a kennel the entire time. 
What To Look For When Choosing a Pet Sitter
No matter the route you take when choosing a pet sitter, there are a few questions to ask and some general qualifications to look for before trusting them with your pet. Questions to ask a potential pet sitter or pet sitting service:
- What training does the pet sitter have? (i.e., pet first aid, CPR, etc.)
- How will the pet sitter record and confirm that they cared for your pet?
- Do they have insurance of any kind (liability insurance) to ensure that you are protected if something happens to your pet or property?
- Does your pet sitter have a backup sitter if something happens, like illness, and they cannot fulfill pet sitting duties?
- Does the pet sitter or pet sitting service have reliable references and testimonials?
- Has the pet sitter had a background check?
- Does the pet sitter set up a time to meet with you before the scheduled pet sitting appointment?
Although the list of questions above is not exhaustive, they are the main things you should be considering when choosing a pet sitter. Once you choose and book a pet sitter, be sure that you are prepared to provide them with the necessary information to care for your pet properly.
If you live in the Cave Creek, AZ, or the surrounding areas, book a trusted and professional pet sitter with Pawfect. Our pet sitters are trained and always on call, even for last-minute bookings.
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