The traditional idea of a petsitter may just be a dog walker, but in fact they offer so much more! Hiring a petsitter could not only make your life easier, but help improve the quality of life of your pet, improve your home security and take the stress out of being a pet owner. We understand it’s a huge commitment to leave your precious pet in the care of another person, so we’ve compiled a detailed and informative guide with all the information you need to know about hiring a petsitter.
Our information covers all areas of pet sitting from the extensive duties of a petsitter, to how to find the perfect petsitter, our guide has you covered!
Contents:
- What does a petsitter do?
- Why should I hire a petsitter?
- Common types of petsitter
- Cost of a petsitter
- How do I hire a petsitter?
What does a Petsitter do?
The daily life of a petsitter is varied and often changeable and of course depends on the type and number of pets they have in their care. A petsitter can carry out their duties from their own home, your home or another location depending on your preferred situation and circumstances. Whilst this is by no means an exhaustive list, here are some typical duties you could ask your pet sitter to perform with your animal:
- Dog walking
- Exercising the pet
- Stimulating the pet by playing with them or spending time with them
- Feeding or providing water for the pet
- Cleaning the pet or their cage, kennel, bed etc.
- Looking after the pet overnight in their house or your house
- Taking the pet for medical appointments or to grooming appointments
- Socialising the pet with other animals.
Whilst some of these duties can be performed outside the home, others may require the petsitter to spend time in your house. If this is the case the petsitter can also perform other duties to increase the safety and maintenance of your home whilst you are away. If you are away for an extended period of time and are having a petsitter come to check on any pets left behind, they could also perform tasks such as:
- Checking for parcels or post
- Adjusting the appearance of the house to make it seem lived in e.g. opening and closing curtains
- Changing light settings on timer lighting
- Watering plants
Therefore a petsitter can not only provide routine and security to your pet but could also offer help when you are spending extended periods of time away from home, or to help break up a regular routine where your house is left empty for particular times each day.
Why should I hire a petsitter?
It is no secret that having a pet can be hard work, and often it is just not possible to give a pet all the attention and management they need whilst living your busy life at the same time. A petsitter can simply act as an extra pair of hands to ensure the well being and happiness of your pet, meaning that when you don’t get a chance to spend quality time you can be reassured that they are being well looked after.
There are often unforeseen responsibilities that come with owning a pet, for example if they become ill they may require medicine at regular intervals, certain pets need more exercise than other animals of their breed and much more. A petsitter can help provide the complete care you pet needs even when you are unable to to take the stress out of pet ownership and give you the peace of mind that your pet is well looked after and cared for at all times.
Common types of petsitter
The most popular types of petsitter include:
Dog walkers: Any dog owner can hire a dog walker, you don’t have to be away or out of the house all day to have a dog walker! Perhaps you are less mobile or able to get out for a walk, perhaps your busy schedule means you cannot guarantee that you are able to give your dog sufficient exercise everyday, it doesn’t matter, you can hire a dog walker whatever your situation. It is proven to be very important for dogs to have a routine, so even if you are home most of the time, a regular dog walker could help provide structure to your dogs life and improve mood, wellbeing and behaviour.
Holiday petsitters: If you’re going away on holiday or perhaps on a work trip, it can be really expensive to put your dog in a kennel or can get awkward asking friends to look after your pet over and over again. By having a petsitter either take your pet to their house for the duration of your absence, or dropping into your house on a regular basis to feed and care for your pet you can avoid this difficult situation. Furthermore petsitters will often check your home for you whilst they are carrying out their duties and can give you the peace of mind that your home is secure and safe whilst you are away.
Young or old pet checks: If you’ve recently taken on a new pet, or perhaps the beloved family pet is getting on in their years, it is likely that they will not cope well with being left for prolonged periods of time. Whilst once they may have managed an entire working day, an older animal may need to be let out or reassured of company at more frequent intervals and puppies should never be left unsupervised for longer than a few hours at a time. A petsitter could call into your house to check on your pet, perhaps feed them, fill up their water, let them out to relieve themselves or just simply provide some human interaction.
Cost of a petsitter
The average price of a petsitter varies depending on the duties they are required to perform, what type of animal they are caring for, how many animals you need looking after and so on. In the UK the average price of pet sitters ranges from £6-£20 per hour, with lower salaries offered for roles such as feeding fish, cats or hamsters whilst the owner is away, as the task does not take too long, and higher prices for more strenuous tasks such as dog walking or puppy sitting.
If you are going away for an extended period of time, it may be cheaper to agree a fixed rate with a petsitter to look after your animal in their home rather than pay for the animal to go to a professional kennel or cattery for instance. Most petsitters are self employed and may be open to negotiation for longer stays. We’ve got all the details about the average cost of petsitting so that you can make sure you’re paying the right amount for your petsitting services.
How do I hire a petsitter?
It can be difficult to know where to start, as entrusting another person with the responsibility of looking after your pet can be a daunting and difficult move for some people, but fear not, by using an online care platform such as Yoopies, you can be sure to hire a legitimate and trustworthy candidate.
The great advantage of making a profile online is that firstly you can gain access to thousands of available applicants instantly and spend as much or as little time as you need researching their profiles and credentials to decide if their pet sitting services could be right for you. Simply sign up to Yoopies and create an advert stating your pet sitting requirements and you will be able to message applicants who you deem suitable asking if they are available to talk more about the role. What’s more is that registered users signed up as pet sitters will be able to find your advert and apply for the pet sitting job you have posted, meaning the ideal candidate could even come to you with no searching on your behalf required!
To find out everything you need to know about how to find a great petsitter check out our detailed guide.