Are you considering hiring a pet sitter to look after your animal companion while you’re away from home? There are many great reasons to hire a sitter—your pet will be able to remain in comfortable, familiar surrounds until you’re back home, and a sitter can even take care of grooming appointments or veterinary visits while you’re away. Since you’re giving a sitter access to not only your pet, but your home as well, it’s important to choose someone you’re comfortable with! Use these tips to do just that:

Referrals

One of the best ways to find a pet sitter that you’re happy with is to ask for referrals. Talk to your family members, friends, neighbors, or coworkers to see if they’ve had good experiences with a particular pet sitter that they would recommend to you. It’s also a great idea to ask your veterinarian—they may know of a great pet-sitting service in your area. Lastly, checking online reviews is a good way of getting a feel for a particular sitter.

Qualifications

It’s important that you meet your potential pet sitter before your travels; get to know them, and allow them to get to know your pet. Ask about the sitter’s qualifications—has he or she cared for your type of pet before? Have they completed training in pet behavior or medical care? You may feel much more comfortable hiring a sitter with special qualifications in pet first-aid or emergency care. Don’t be afraid to ask the sitter for a list of references that you can contact to find out about past sitting experiences.

You can also take this time to explain to the sitter any special needs or preferences your pet may have. You’ll also want to outline how many visits the sitter will be making per day, and what visits will include (walks, grooming, etc.). Finally, a discussion of service fees should be had to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Communication

Don’t forget to determine how and when your pet sitter will communicate with you while you’re away on your travels. Many pet sitters will be happy to call you every day, or send you photos or videos of your pet so that you can make sure they’re doing well. Steps like these go a long way toward putting pet owners’ minds at ease!

For more advice on pet sitters, contact your vet’s office.