5 Things Your Pet Sitter Needs to Know
As a professional pet sitter, it is my responsibility to provide quality care for pets while their owners are away. People trust me to provide for their critters and make decisions for them as if they were my own. However, in order to perform the duties of the job there are certain things that I need to know. Pet owners need to ensure that their pet sitter has the most accurate and up to date information about their animals so that they can receive the best care possible. Without this, pets can suffer. Here are 5 things that you need to make sure your pet sitter knows about the next time you leave town.
1.) Medications
This one seems so obvious, but PLEASE tell your pet sitter about any medications your pet is on at the time of your visit. Missing doses, incorrect timing of meds, or overdoses can all be quite serious and should be avoided. Even if your sitter has cared for your brood previously, always write down the list of medications for your sitter. Be sure to include the name of the medicine, the dose, how often and how to administer it.
To be a superstar pet sitting client you can use an “AM and PM” labelled pill box to store daily medications for your pets during your trip. These are really nice because they enable you as the pet owner to prepare the correct meds and separate the doses based on time. This will also prevent any confusion on behalf of the sitter, especially if pets receive many different medications.
2.) Health Issues
This should be common sense too, but your pet sitter needs to know about ANY AND ALL medical issues that your pet has currently so that they can monitor them safely. If one of my client’s dogs has recently undergone surgery to remove an intestinal blockage, I need to know so that I can closely monitor the dog’s excrement and potty habits, water and food intake, and watch for signs of straining or pain that could indicate a potential complication. Not disclosing this information could cause major health effects and potentially be life and death!
Even with routine health issues, disclosure to the pet sitter can help them understand how your pet is feeling and keep them comfortable while you are away. Knowing a pet’s “normal” is extremely important and can prevent unnecessary worry and unwarranted vet visits!
To help your sitter out, I recommend making a list of all known health issues that your pet has or has a tendency to experience. For example, BJ has seasonal allergies and sometimes has a cough. This is pretty normal for her, and we don’t worry about it since we discussed it with our regular veterinarian. However, if we don’t disclose this to our sitter, they may become concerned about her. BJ also has a history of bladder stones and has undergone a cystotomy to remove the stones. She is on prescription food to prevent stone formation, but our sitter needs to know this history so that they can watch for urinary issues to prevent a potential blockage or other emergency situation.
3.) Behavioral Changes or Issues
Again, being able to decipher what is normal and abnormal for your pet is extremely important for your pet sitter. I have a lot of beloved repeat clients that I have cared for for years, but I still don’t know these pets as well as their parents do! Changes in behavior can often be one of the first indications that the pet is experiencing a medical issue or is experiencing major stress. Be sure to tell your pet sitter if your pet has a tendency to have potty training accidents inside, is a picky eater and doesn’t always finish their meals, etc. This way they can observe the pet more accurately and make an informed decision on whether this is a noteworthy occurrence for your little one.
What is normal for one pet is not always normal for another. For example, BJ is a picky eater and is not unusual for her to skip meals completely in the hopes that we will feed her something other than her prescription food. *eyeroll* However, Tule NEVER misses a meal and if she did, I would be super concerned! Make sure your pet sitter has enough knowledge to know when to worry and when your pets are being their true selves.
To make things easy for your sitter, have a discussion before you leave about behaviors that are normal for your dog. Pay special attention to their bathroom, eating and drinking habits. A quick conversation can really make things easier for everyone involved!
4.) Aggression
Has your pet ever shown aggression to a human? Do they squabble with your other pet over toys? Do they have a bite history? It is extremely important that your pet sitter be made aware of any incidents of aggression.
Being made aware prior to your departure means that the pet sitter is able to put specific management practices in place to keep your pets and themselves safe from harm.
Disclosing these issues ahead of time is a safety issue for everyone involved. If an owner doesn’t tell their pet sitter that their dog is fearful of new people and has a bite history, the pet sitter may not realize that they should be more reserved with the dog at first and receive a bite. Depending on severity, this could require medical attention and/or quarantining the dog to comply with local health and safety ordinances. We need to protect the sitter from harm, and we need to protect your pets too!
Awareness and consent on behalf of the person providing care for your animals in your absence is very important. It can effect the quality of the care your pets receive from the caregiver, especially if it is a surprise. If a client forgets to tell me that their dog resource guards specific food items, I could potentially be put in a dangerous and scary situation that could have been prevented. I have some clients who have situational aggression and I know (because I have spoken with the owners at length) what they can and can’t tolerate and work very hard to prevent them from experiencing their triggers so that they can be calm and relaxed and that everyone can have a good experience.
Be sure to have a conversation with your pet sitter about your dog or cat’s aggression prior to your trip. I recommend disclosing this prior to scheduling a meet and greet so that your sitter is able to make an informed decision about whether they feel safe being around your pet and it will help prevent last minute changes on your end. After all, if we wait to inform them about these issues your sitter may not feel equipped to deal with these concerns and may feel the need to cancel. This will cause a lot of stress to you and your pet, and it is much better and easier to be up front and honest from the beginning. Be sure to bring up any past events, bite histories, and what seems to scare or stress your pet so that the sitter can avoid these situations as much as possible.
5.) Visitors to Your Home or Property
This one isn’t quite as intuitive, but it is still SO important! Please let your sitter know ahead of time if you are expecting anyone to be on your property during your absence. This is absolutely critical from a safety standpoint for everyone involved!
When I sit for someone I need to know if someone will be coming into the home or onto the property to protect the animals. If your lawn maintenance person is going to be cutting your grass, please let me know so that I can make sure your dogs are inside during the mowing process and so that I can double check that the fence gate is latched afterwards. Not only will this knowledge allow me to prevent pets from escaping, but it will also enable me to take any precautions needed to protect the visitor and prevent stress in your pet. Unfamiliar people entering and exiting the home or yard can be very stressful for some animals, and if made aware of ahead of time, your pet sitter can take steps to ease your pet’s anxiety by crating your dog with a loaded Kong toy, or closing your cat in the bedroom so they can hide under your bed. Pets sometimes act differently when their owners are not present, and by making preparations ahead of time, we can also prevent any negative interaction or aggression between the visitor and your pet.
To prevent issues, try to avoid having people coming to your home or property when you are away. For situations when this is unavoidable, be sure to leave a written note about any necessary in home or yard work that will be done during your absence. Make sure to include any friends or family members that may need to drop by as well. It is important that we give accurate times or time windows to the sitter so that they are able to do any preparation needed on their end, plus it is just a thoughtful thing to do!
With summer in full swing and travel being safer, many of us will be taking a much needed vacation soon. Traveling and leaving our pets behind can be stressful, but if you take these steps and inform your pet sitter about these 5 things, you can rest easier knowing that your pet is getting care that will keep them healthy and stress free.