Whether you’re going on a work trip or a holiday, you want to ensure that you find the best pet sitter for your furry friend. Choosing a pet sitter can be a daunting process. After all, you want to know that your furry friend is in the best hands while you’re away. At BorisDoes, we understand that this can be a difficult process. 

To help make things easier, we’ve put together this blog to help you choose the perfect pet sitter for your needs. Our platform gathers the best pet sitters from around Australia. Whether you’re looking for a pet sitter in Sydney, Melbourne or elsewhere in Australia, BorisDoes has the solution. Keep reading to help you decide on the best dog sitter for your needs.

Why should you hire a pet sitter?

A pet sitter can provide high quality care for your pet while you’re away. It’s a great alternative for pet owners that don’t want to leave their pet in a boarding kennel.

Experienced pet sitters know how to handle different kinds of pets and know ways of keeping them calm during your absence. When you hire a pet sitter, your pet can stay in the environment they’re used to, which will help keep them comfortable even when you’re not around. 

They also get one-on-one attention which is not always possible with a boarding kennel. Along with the multitude of benefits for your pet, you also get plenty of benefits. After all, you can’t put a price on the peace of mind you get from knowing your pet is in the safe hands of a professional.

A pet sitter may also provide extra pet care services such as pet grooming.  You also get the benefit of knowing that someone is there to watch your house while you’re away, and they may even be able to bring in the mail or water your indoor plants for you.

Traits a good pet sitter should have

Positive attitude

A positive attitude should never be underestimated. No one wants a grumpy pet sitter, after all. You can get a sense of your pet sitter’s attitude even before you meet them. Here on BorisDoes, we allow you to discuss all task details through our messenger feature.

Flexible

Flexibility is one of the most important traits of a good pet sitter. After all, your work schedule may be subject to change and you may find yourself looking for a pet sitter last-minute.

Calm

When it comes to pets, things don’t always go to plan. Because of this, it’s important to choose a pet sitter that is calm and patient even when your pet doesn’t behave as expected.

Trustworthy

Trust is one of the most important aspects of the relationship between a pet sitter and their client. After all, you’ll be giving them a key to your house and trusting them to look after your pet. If something doesn’t feel right, trust your gut.

Experienced

As with all things, the more experience you have, the better you get at it. The same is true for pet sitting. If your pet is high maintenance or particularly challenging, you’ll want to find a pet sitter with plenty of experience. Even small jobs such as caring for a friend’s pet can add up to valuable experience. 

Additionally, if your pet has a medical condition or special needs, you should look for a pet sitter with a similar experience. You want the person who watches your pet to have experience with the care your pet needs, such as giving pills or administering injections.

Great communication skills

You want to find a pet sitter who’ll be able to let you know how your pet is doing while you’re away. A good pet sitter will be happy to send you regular photos so you can see what your pet is up to or even video call you so your pet can see you.

The pet sitter’s location

​​A common question to consider is whether you want your pet sitter to come to your home or if you’re willing to take your pet to theirs. If you have multiple pets that need care, it’s often easiest for a pet sitter to stay in your house. Usually, your pets will be more comfortable staying in their home environment, so it’s a good choice for a pet sitter to come to your home if possible.

Reliable

Reliability is key in a good pet sitter. If you ask them to come at 8 am and they don’t show up until 10, that becomes a bit of a problem. You also don’t want a pet sitter who’s going to flake on you at the last minute and leave you scrambling to find another sitter.

Genuine love for animals

One of the most important aspects of being a pet sitter is a genuine love for animals. After all, you want the best care for your pet and that comes from someone who genuinely enjoys what they do. A pet sitting job is a good way to earn some extra money, but you want to ensure that your pet sitter genuinely cares about the wellbeing of your pet.

Questions to ask your pet sitter

To ensure that your pet sitter is the perfect fit for your needs, there are a number of questions you can ask to get to know them and the services they provide better. The questions you ask will be specific to your individual needs, but below we’ve gathered some useful questions to ask a potential pet sitter. 

1.  How do you manage behavioural problems? What would you do if my pet behaves aggressively or snaps at you?
2. Do you have insurance for pet sitting?
3. Do you know about pet health and behaviour? Do you know the signs of an emergency?
4.  Can I see a list of references from past pet sitting jobs?
5. What types of animals have you worked with before? Do you run your own pet sitting business?
6.  What will you do in the event of an emergency?
7. What if I am out of town and you run out of supplies for my pet?
8.  Do you have a working relationship with any other animal professionals, such as dog trainers or veterinarians?
9.  Do you have any formal or informal training in animal care or behaviour?
10.  Can you meet with my pets and me in advance?

Red flags to look out for

There are several red flags to watch out for when hiring a pet sitter. For example, a pet sitter who always shows up late or doesn’t notify you when their plans change is unlikely to be a reliable pet sitter.

Your pet is uncomfortable around the sitter

Sometimes, pets can sense things that we can’t. Because of this, if your pet seems frightened or uncomfortable around your sitter, you should take this seriously. After all, your pet is the one who is going to be spending the most time with the sitter and it’s important that they’re happy and comfortable.

Maybe your pet just doesn’t seem to ‘click’ with the sitter. Don’t worry! There are plenty of great pet sitters out there who might be a better match for your pet.

Your pet sitter doesn’t communicate well

Communication is key when it comes to pet sitting. After all, you’re trusting them with your fur baby and you want to ensure that you’re both on the same page. If your pet sitter is always flakey or unresponsive to texts or calls, this is a red flag.

Your pet sitter lacks credibility

Doing some research about your pet sitter and can’t seem to find any great reviews? This may be a sign that your pet sitter lacks the credibility and experience that you’re looking for in your sitter. A good pet sitter should always be able to prove their experience and professionalism. If you can’t find any evidence that your sitter provides great services, it might be time to move on.

Your pet has a lot of energy when you come home

One of the main responsibilities of a pet sitter is to give your pet exercise and provide them with stimulation while you’re away. If the pet sitter doesn’t provide your pet with adequate stimulation, you may come home to find your pet bouncing off the walls with too much energy.  This may be a sign that your sitter is not able to keep up with your pet.

Your pet eats very fast

If you notice that your pet is finishing their bowl of food in record time, this might be a sign that your pet sitter is underfeeding them or spacing out their meals too much. Sometimes this may be because of a simple miscommunication between yourself and the pet sitter, but it becomes a problem if it is a regular occurrence.

Have a backup plan

Life is unpredictable, and it’s important to always have a backup plan in case your pet sitter plans fall through. It’s a good idea to have a backup sitter in case your plans change. You might even want to ask a friend or family member to step in as an emergency backup.

Helping the process run smoothly

To help make the process easier, there are many things you can do. First of all, you should make sure that your pet is well socialised and handles strangers well.

Make sure to leave clear instructions detailing the specific care your pet needs. In these instructions, make sure to include emergency contact information, including your contact details and your vet’s. 

To help make your pet sitter’s job easier, make sure all food and pet care supplies are in one place. It’s also a good idea to leave extra food in case you’re away longer than planned – after all, life can be unpredictable. 

In these instructions, you should also include any other specifics for your pet’s care. For example, if your pet has any particular routines in terms of walking, playing, or feeding.

Providing background information about your pet

Since the pet sitter will be spending a considerable amount of time with your pet, they should get to know them as well as possible. You should provide the sitter with background information about your pet, including their medical and behavioural history. This will help your pet sitter to ensure they are meeting your pet’s needs as best as possible.

Ensure your pet is comfortable with the sitter

In order for your pet to be comfortable while you’re away, they should have a chance to get used to the pet sitter. A great way to do this is to set up a play date with your pet and the sitter, this way you can see how they behave around each other. A good way to get an idea of how the sitter interacts with your pet is by going on a short walk.

This is a particularly useful strategy if you have a big, strong dog who requires experienced handling. While on the walk, you can also point out routes your pet sitter might like to take while you’re away. Once both you and your pet are happy, you can go ahead and hire the sitter!

Look at reviews

Here on BorisDoes, we allow taskers to display their great customer reviews on their profile. When you’re looking for a pet sitter, you should take advantage of this feature. Once you’ve found a tasker you’re interested in, check out their profile and pay attention to their customer reviews. You want to ensure that the tasker you choose has plenty of positive reviews and has a proven track record of professionalism.

Conclusion

If you follow the advice above, you’ll be well on your way to choosing the best pet sitting services! Remember to trust your gut, if something doesn’t feel right, there’s nothing wrong with continuing your search for a pet sitter who is the perfect match for your needs. With the help of BorisDoes, we’re sure that you’ll quickly find a pet sitter who you can trust to take the best care of your pet.