Would you take your pet no matter where you go? Your answer is probably positive. However, we are all aware of the fact that sometimes that is not feasible. If you have to travel, business or pleasure, you have to choose between two options: to hire a pet sitter or to take your pet to a boarding facility. If you think that it will be too stressful for your lovely animal to change its surroundings, you should probably look for a pet sitter. It is not so easy to find the right person to do this job responsibly. And, let’s face it, it can also be quite costly, the best dog walkers or pet-sitting experts usually are a bit pricey.
First of all, you can ask your veterinarian to suggest someone who would do pet-sitting job properly. Or, ask your neighbors, friends, co-workers. Many people have these problems and therefore they could give you some useful tips. If you do not have anyone that close who owns a pet, check out some of the pet-sitting associations.
After you find several pet-sitters who are available and ready to take care of your animal, phone and interview them. What should you ask? It is obvious that this job is usually done by people who really adore animals, but it is not unimportant whether they have more experience in pet-sitting dogs, cats or birds. So, ask them what type of pets did they sit for. You should know what training they have completed and what services they offer. List of references is recommended, so ask if they can provide it. Finally, compare their prices. Yes, even though money should not be the only thing to take into account, prices for these services are determined by pet-sitters and therefore they can vary a lot.