Pet owners who want to travel often turn to pet sitters for help. While similar to house sitting, pet sitting involves caring for your pets on a full-time basis during your absence. For homeowners who don’t have loved ones to volunteer for the job, professional pet sitting organizations can fill the gap.
No matter where you’re going or what kind of pets you have, here are some of the important things to know about traveling and pet sitting:
What do pet sitters do?
While every pet has different needs, there are some basic tasks pet sitters perform. They might include:
- Staying in your home to care for your pets and make them feel less anxious.
- Playing, dog walking and encouraging exercise.
- Feeding and providing specialty care for pets like reptiles, birds, fish or rodents.
Typically, the responsibilities of a pet sitter and a house sitter will overlap in some ways. General upkeep of the home, including fetching the mail, light cleaning and gardening, are also things you can ask of a pet sitter.
Finding a good pet sitter
It might not sound ideal to leave your cat, dog or other pet in the care of a stranger. Luckily, there are some trusted ways you can find a good sitter to take care of your animal friends while you’re away. Some excellent ideas for finding a quality sitter are:
- Asking for recommendations from loved ones, neighbors or coworkers.
- Asking for recommendations from your veterinarian.
- Researching and reading reviews for professional organizations in your area.
Safety with sitters & pets
Even with rigorous vetting and glowing recommendations, it can be nerve wracking to leave your pets. For safety, it’s a good idea to clarify communication expectations with your chosen sitter. You’ll also want to make sure everything they need to take care of your pets in an emergency is readily available, including contact information for your vet.
Checklists & checking in
One simple way to take the stress out of hiring pet sitting services is to make a checklist of tasks for them to accomplish. Include plenty of detail, including locations for supplies and information about needed services.
If you’re traveling, house and pet sitters can alleviate some stress of leaving your pets at home. Research your local options and ask around for recommendations, so you’re prepared to leave your pets in the best of care while you’re away.
About the Author
Rudden|Bobruska Team
Gary Rudden, Lisa Rudden, and Nick Bobruska
RUDDEN BOBRUSKA TEAM
What sets your team apart from other real estate teams?
There is no team out in the market that offers what we do. All of us are Realtors, but
we each have specialized roles, which make our team so unique!
After decades of living and selling real estate in the DMV, we have established
ourselves as one of the top real estate teams with our market expertise and
cutting-edge technology. Our savvy high-tech marketing is on every website
and social media source. We have a huge network with other top agents, which
helps to premarket homes and discover homes for buyers before they reach the
open market. Our services include professional in-house staging services, broker
expertise in negotiating and navigating contracts, and buyer representation in all
price ranges. Each client has different needs and we create a marketing plan based
on those needs.
Our most distinct feature is our in-house construction and renovation team. We
are literally a full-service, one-stop shop when selling or buying a home!
How does the in-house construction and renovation team work?
All work is managed and completed through our licensed and bonded construction
crew. No need to call outside contractors. We are like “HGTV,” but we just don’t
have a show! Whether it’s a small makeover or a major renovation, we do it all. Our
sellers love this aspect of our team because we make preparing your home for the
market so seamless. Our buyers love the advice and insight we can give for future
renovations and repairs.
Having a licensed Maryland Home Improvement contractor as part of our team
along with the knowledge, experience, commitment and services that we offer, truly
puts our team as a vanguard in the real estate industry.