Help Your Pet Sitter Out by Behaving Proactively Before Your Vacation
When I was a child of 12, I started a venture that I believed would allow me to make money doing something I loved. I started a pet sitting business.
By many measures, my business was a success. I had fun, and pet owning folks in Boise, Idaho got to go on vacations. I don’t remember perfectly, but I suspect that my rates were very reasonable. I was a kid, after all, and I certainly didn’t get rich.
When I look back on those days now, I am amazed that I got through that time without a major catastrophe befalling one of my charges. Pet sitting is a risky business in the hands of a professional, let alone those of a child.
The overwhelming majority of pet sitters I have met are caring, responsible people and completely solid citizens. Yet a disproportionate number of sick animals are brought to me by pet sitters.
This phenomenon has nothing to do with the quality of care that the sitters offer. In most cases that care is excellent. Rather, it has to do with stress. Pets love their owners. When the owners go out of town, pets’ routines are upset. That is stressful. Stress can unmask pre-existing disease.
Consider a case I saw the other night. A very nice pet sitter was looking after her neighbor’s cat during a vacation. The owner had noticed the cat was excessively thirsty for a few weeks before the trip. She reported this to her neighbor and left town. As soon as she left the cat stopped eating, and the pet sitter wound up in my office at 10:00 pm.
I was very troubled by my exam findings. The cat was emaciated and dehydrated. It had very bad breath. Its coat was rough and unkempt. I suspected kidney failure.
To diagnose the problem definitively I would need to run tests. Depending on the outcome, hospitalization and intensive treatment might be necessary. The cat clearly was suffering intensely. If the test results showed seriously advanced disease, euthanasia might have been the best choice for the poor creature.
The owner was in Cancún. She had left no contact information. This placed the pet sitter in an incredibly awkward position.
The pet sitter would have to pay for the visit and any tests that were run and hope for reimbursement. She would have to make decisions regarding the cat’s care without any guidance from the owner.
The pet sitter agonized over the situation for over an hour. In the end she decided to forego tests. We administered fluids to the cat to treat dehydration, and she took the cat home. Her plan was to send a flurry of e-mails to the owner and hope for a response. I lost sleep that night worrying that the cat was suffering. I did not hear from the pet sitter again.
I can’t imagine that any pet owner wants to place their pet or their pet sitter in this sort of situation. But it happens all the time. Here are some steps you can take to help steer clear of the problems discussed above.
Pet sitting is a labor of love. Take the steps listed above and be kind to your pet sitter.
Photo: FlaviaC.
You have questions. 
Very good Advice. I hadn’t even thought about that!
Great advice, doctor. When I pet-sit, I ask for contact info, vaccine proof and emergency info in advance. If you’re a pet-sitter, you should prepare a list of thing to ask for the client before he/she leaves. This saved me from tough decisions before.
Daniela Caride
TheDailyTail.com
Great advice for pet owners. Recently read another great blog post on the topic: http://thepetsitblog.com/?p=504
Thank you for this article. I am a pet sitter, and like Daniela, I always ask for the pertinent information. It is crucial to have this information in case of emergencies.
I would like to request one thing, however: please don’t call animals “it.”
Many thanks.
When I go out of town for two weeks or a night, I leave my pet sitter with a complete list of all important information about where I’m going, how to reach me, alternative phone numbers if she can’t reach me, authorization to take my pets to their vets (phone and address information) and the emergency vet clinic information. I find it incredibly irresponsible that people would leave their pets in someone else’s care without providing the basics. For my own peace of mind, she needs this information to take care of my critters.
Helpful article, but you are missing some key things like, what and how much does your pet eat, where does it sleep, medications? Tattoos/Microchips in case it gets lost, etc.
I think you can improve upon this article by providing links to Pet sitter forms that people can print out that will help prompt them for all the pertinent information.
As a former dog sitter and current dog owner, I’m very familiar with this process! It’s all about setting them up for success. For Roger’s dog sitter this summer, I provided:
–a blank check and a note authorizing the sitter to OK any medical treatment
–my contact info and multiple local contacts
–detailed schedule of walks, mealtimes, bedtime routine, etc
–I gave the sitter’s name to my vet and doggy daycare, and made sure they would charge my account if the sitter needed to bring Roger in for any reason
–I brought Roger over to the sitter’s house prior to my trip so he would recognize the place, and had the sitter dispense mucho treats so he would remember her as a friend! We also discussed “worst case scenario” possibilities, and what to do.
I went away knowing Roger was in good, well-prepared hands! This is an important article, thanks for posting!
I’ve been a pet sitter for 20 years off and on, having worked on my own and for two companies. I cannot tell you how glad I am that you wrote this article. You wouldn’t believe how many situations I’ve been in and I plan on making this story available to my clients.
We always provide multiple contact points for our wonderful dog sitter. After all, she’s watching our special “babies.”
One thing that has given me great comfort is that I arranged with our vet to make sure that, should our dog sitter bring one of our boys in, the vet would make the decisions and would charge our account.
It’s also been really nice that our dog sitter has been available for a couple of trips. Our boys see her in-between our trips, and they have a lovely relationship with her. They are always excited and happy to see her – evidence of many hours of cuddling.
I have a funny story, I told my pet sitter to take my dogs to the vet if there was any question concerning health. I told her I would immediately reimburse her for anything and not to worry about cost because their health was the most important thing. She made it through the week ok UNTIL the morning of the day I would return my chi was limping after being outside. She checked her paw and couldn’t find anything so she went to the vet who checked it and also could not see anything and suggested an x-ray which my sitter declined since I would be arriving soon to make the decision (she couldn’t call me since I was on the plane). When I arrived I saw the thorn at the first glance at my dog’s paw but of course I reimbursed my friend the $200 vet bill. I was just happy she cared so much to go out of her way and I was elated to find them all healthy and happy.
I forgot to mention my poor chi threw up and acted lethargic for the rest of that day due to the pain meds and antibiotics they put her on for a splinter! Regardless, I still think it’s better to be safe and go to the vet than sorry.
Great article Doc… It helps a lot of list of things that must be done for the needs of my dog. Thanks
I am an in-your-home groomer (27 years) and offer pet sitting to clients. After a few disasters early in my career (failed contact numbers; no authorization for vet services), I developed a checklist that (I hope) covers all bases. I’ve had everything from exploding water heaters to a/c units that quit in summer, to a cat going into diabetic shock.
One correction: If the dog stays in the ’sitter’s’ home, it’s called boarding. A pet sitter usually stays in the client’s home with the pet.
I always see my pooch as a permanent 2-4 year old child, (with far less tantrums). They are as cute and innocent, playful and totally dependent as one. If you were a good parent you would never go away and leave your child without contact information, emergency care contact info, notes about bedtime, dietary info and favorite toys and snacks. The same applies to your pet.
Oh and Ruth’s comment is great advice – to forewarn your vet to make tough decisions in your absence rather than a kind, desperate guess from your sitter, with plenty of other secondary local contacts.
And Lou who took his dog to the sitters place a number of times before he left to acclimatize the dog.
Tara is right with additional stuff like pet chips, food amounts and medical info.
Maybe one should also make sure that vets info is up to date on collars should your pet get lost as your own number will obviously go unanswered and someone might think your pet is abandoned.
Also for a dog maybe request that it is kept on the lead for all walks as in your absence it may try to find you or go home (as mine did!).
So nice to see folks who adore their animals as much as I do my own and take full responsibility for them.- yay!
I would love to see an acutal check list. Is there one?
PS. Instead of “simply seething about syntax ” (Tina Clark- don’t call cats “it”)
Until the “rules” change I think you need to respect the “rules” of grammar- which allows (requires?) for an animal to be called “it”. It was certainly correct within the context of a follow up sentence which began “The cat” (correct). Relax Tina Clark– the bigger problem was the dillema about the cat’s health, and the owner’s wishes .
For an interesting read about the topic of grammar and animals see
http://www.examiner.com/x-1962-Santa-Barbara-Pet-Examiner~y2009m1d9-Grrrrrammar-101-Grammar-tips-to-help-animals
I never thought of leaving a credit card info to cover any vet bills!! What a great idea!!
I’ll be leaving for vacation at the end of the month, this article could not have come at a better time!!
Hi,
All great advice. I had my German Shep Harley kept in a kennel for 1 week while on Holidays. I filled out my own papers with my vets address and phone number. People to contact in case of emergencies and Harley’s medical history.Also his time feedings and the amount of food he ate. His own blanket ,pillow ,bowl chew toys and toys. All went great .Harley was a happy camper.
Thank you for this article! It was great timing as we’re going on vacation next week. I used to be a professional pet sitter. I loved that you mentioned the monetary factor involved in the pet sitter taking a dog/cat to the vet. Unless the owner makes prior arrangements, it would be the pet sitter who is stuck with the bill. I would suggest to all pet owners that you call your vet’s office before you leave town and see if they’ll take your credit card info and keep it on “reserve” for emergencies. That way your pet sitter will not hesitate to provide the best care possible.
Excellent tips. When I leave my fur kids,the petsitter has all my contact info,plus local emergancy phone numbers,including the vet.
She also has a letter authorizing her to make all necessary medical decissions,in the letter I state I am responsible for all expenses.
I also leave recent photos along with local shelter info,and community TV stations and newspapers phone numbers, in the event one of them gets lost.
I give the same advice to all new pet owners who take classes at our dog club.
I baby sit my boss’ king charles spaniels and they do every thing that is on the list.
We have left our fur babies with their granny and of course something always happens but she has authorization to do what ever is necessary. 1st major trip the oldest dogs tail was broken and the next trip she couldn’t figure out why she was limping. But she knew what to do and took great care of my oldest fur baby.
I contacted my Vet directly to make sure he would BILL me for any emergency medical care if my pet sitter needed to bring either of my furbabies in for care. If you’re a regular customer, call your Vet. I phoned the local Emergency Vet Hospital too and found that they would take my credit information over the phone in the advant of any emergency medical care.
I leave a similar llist for my pet sitter. Since I have “children” from young to ancient, I also left instructions as to what to do if one of them dies while I am gone. (I want them cremated and ashes returned). I also agree that you need a good relationship with your vet on what “heroics” you are prepared to pay for if you pet gets sick or injured while you are gone.
I have been a petsitter for four years and one thing I always ask my clients is if it is okay if I may listen to their home voicemail or answering machine if the pup and I get seperated for some reason. ( I ask for the code to their voicemail if there is one.) If the dog gets seperated and their contact information is on their collar, this would help to eliminate alot of undo stress by simply listening to the messages.
From: durf2_1@msn.com Ron and Debbie Durfey
I have some really bad news to share with you. Toby was Murdered. We just returned home yesterday (August 30) from a 10 day vacation to Washington State. Our pet sitter called us 10 minutes before we got home to tell us he couldn’t find Toby. We frantically searched everywhere. I finally went in our Motor Home (which we had left unlocked while we were gone) and Sunny took me right to him. He was dead and lying under the couch. The pet sitter told us that he hadn’t been in our motor home. I told him that Toby couldn’t just open the door and walk in. We called the Sheriff’s office and filed a report. He admitted to the police that he had went in our motor home on Saturday looking for chlorine tablets for the pool. He must have shut Toby in. The sitter was suppose to stay here at night but he claimed that he went to his parents house and fell asleep and didn’t come back to our house until 3:00 Sunday. We came home at 4:00. The police are calling this an accident and won’t do anything. I want this person punished for what he did to our dog. I’m waiting for an officer from the humane society to call us now.
Ron is devestated. I asked him if he wanted to get another dog just like Toby and he said no more dogs. Toby is the only dog that Ron has ever truely loved. What can I do to comfort him? We know Toby suffered and can stop thinking about what he must have went through. I haven’t been able to stop crying since 4:00 yesterday. I can’t sleep because every time I close my eyes I see him in the motor home. Even KC and Sunny seemed to have changed. Sunny has pulled away from us even more. KC who always sat on my lap and loved to be cuddled now jumps down when I pick him up. I will never leave my dogs again. We love our dogs as if they were our kids. I was sad when I had to put my Yorkie to sleep but he was really sick and I knew I did the right thing. Toby is worse. I know he suffered. Our neighbors down the street who are police officers said they heard Toby barking at about 8:30 Saturday night. They are really upset. Said that if they knew that something was wrong they would have jumped our fence and broke out a window in the motor home to get him out. They have given statements to the sheriff’s but nothing is going to happen. I hope the humane society officer can do something. We paid for this guy to stay at our house all the time except when he was working. By looking through the house I would say he just stopped by after work and used our pool, played our video games and watched tv before going back to his mother’s house. How do you get over something like this? We loved our motor home but now Ron wants to sell it and never use it again.
Our Vet requires a letter from the Pet owner stating that it is okay for (name of sitter) to bring pet in and give the vet the authority to treat the animal. So you may want to check with your vet to see if that is a requirement.
I whole heartedly agree with the doctors comments. One thing
that people should also know is that a professional pet sitter
will be insured and bonded and produce a contract that
includes language giving the pet sitter authority to seek
veterinary care in the event the owner and their emergency
contact cannot be reached and an immediate decision is
necessary. This contract would be signed by the owner
prior to performing any pet sitting service.
Having been in business 7 years I have been fortunate
enough not to have to enforce such a contract. During
our initial interview we make sure all bases are covered
for the pet sitter. I also tell them to notify their vet of their
wishes and ask them to put a note in their file as a back up.
We offer Veterinary Release Forms that are specifically for this reason. The site is primarily geared towards pet sitters (or soon to be pet sitters starting a business); however, pet parents could purchase the form to use whenever they are going out of town to make their wishes known.
When I was in high school pet sitting was my only source of income. I loved it and made quite a bit of money doing it. I did have 2 incedences however that made me think twice on taking this up as a permenate job.
1) I could not do a job one weekend and so let one of my friends take it. All went well untill the owners arrived home very disapointed that some how the firdge was left opened and all the food spoiled that is a tone of money. Thankfully they did not ask me or my friend to reimburs them the cost however my friend was never allowed back to thier home, nor did I ever ask her to replace me again.
2) I was taking care of one of my really close friends home (dogs, cats, lizards, mudskippers) They had gone camping for a week. Thier cat tigger started to act funny, bringing me pieces of food, not wanting me to leave, being overly affectionate (he hated affection from every one but his boy), During that week the Muddskipper died (he had just be transfered to thier aquarium and the stress was possible too much for him) and Tigger got very sick. After talking with my mother about Tigger she suggested that I waited untill the family got home in 2 days , keep an eye on how much he was drinking, and check his hydration, she was thinking liver or kidney failure. Sure enough when the family go home the rush tigger to the vets and he had liver failure – aparently so far along that even if I brought him in earlier there was not much the could do for him. The family tried regardless but in the end poor tigger had to be put down.
As a youth this experiance affected me greatly and I decided that I did not want that responsibility. At 16 I got the largest lesson live has to offer being responsible for an other live is HUGE.
Now when I leave my cats with a friend I make sure it is only a weekend and that I am close by so I can comeback quickly if need be. They have all my contact info and they know to bring them to the vet if something serious arrises. I learn from my experiance as a youth not to take it for granted that everything will allways be ok. And that precautions MUST be taken
The information given by everyone is very helpful. To Debbie, my heart goes out to you. I’ve never lost a “baby” that way, but other things have happened causing me to loose one of my “babies”. It’s never easy.
One thing I might suggest to all, is to make sure the sitter is someone you know & can be trusted. Have a neighbor “notice” if the sitter has been around to take care of your “kids”. Also give that neighbor your contact info so if the sitter isn’t doing the job,you can find out right away and do something about it. And payment for watching, bring the neighbor home a nice gift.
I petsit for friends and freinds of friends on the side. I have had some horror stories, like the lady who told me its fine to bring my own dog along, only to find out that one of her dogs thought he would make a tasty snack. But I have one client/friend, who trusts me and only me with her pets, and she is the most ideal client ever. She has a list of instructions saved on her computer. So, every time I am going to sit for her, she simply updates it with any new info and prints it out. Its about 5 pages (with large font and graphics) and has her dog’s feeding, medicine, walking and potty schedule; a list of favorite commands and tricks, her personality quirks, and a list of rules like where she is allowed and not allowed. She also leaves me her contact info, her neighbors names and phone numbers, and a description of who I can expect to come over and is allowed in (gardener and housekeeper). On a separate page, she leaves a medical authorization form, instructions to NOT refuse any care that is needed, and the phone number and address to her vet. What I really like, is that she does NOT give me her credit card, she has it on file at the vet’s office, and instead leaves an authorization for me to use it AT THE VETS. I think this is a great idea, as its safer for the client AND the pet-sitter. With credit card theft on the rise, I wouldn’t want the responsibility of someone else’s card. Just a thought for those who might be paranoid like me!
Thank you for such a great article–very informative. I am a pet sitter in Westchester County NY and wish more of my clients had such information.
Well, I guess sitters are alright. I am not sure I could use one. I was in the guard when I got Gunner and when I went away, my wife had to get mild tranqs for him due to seperation aniexity. Since then we plan all of our trips with our dogs we dont go on any long trips, but we get to spend our vacations camping and exploring with our dogs. Just like having kids, but they love beeing with us!!!