Who better to ask what to look for when hiring a professional pet sitter than a pet sitter with over 10 years of experience. Check out my list of what I think are the 15 most important questions to ask when hiring a pet sitter. You may say ’15 questions…wow that sounds like a lot’ but these are your fur-babies we are talking about. You want to be 100% sure you are leaving them in the hands of a pet sitter you can trust.
Top 15 Questions to ask when hiring a pet sitter
- How long have you been working as a pet sitter?
- Are you insured and bonded? Feel free to ask for a copy of their insurance.
- Do you have references I can call?
- What kinds of pets do you care for regularly?
- What kind of services do you offer?
- What do you charge?
- Do you have a backup plan if you get sick or injured and can’t make it to care for my pet(s)?
- Will I get to meet my sitter for a complimentary consultation before the visits start?
- Do you bring your own pet, other people’s pets, or anyone else with you when you care for client’s pets?
- If you have a dog ask when on walks if they are going to introduce your dog to other dogs. (Even the friendliest of dogs are not always friendly.)
- If you have a cat who is shy and hides, ask if they will stay the full length of the visit booked even if your cat is going to hide or doesn’t want attention.
- Can you give medication to my pet(s) if needed and is there an additional charge?
- How will I know if you came for the visits?
- What is the cancellation policy?
- When is payment due?
Did you find these questions useful? Do you have other questions you think should be added to this list?
You may also like our articles on How Do I Find A Pet Sitter and Top 5 Benefits Of Using A Professional Pet Sitter.
These are great – I printed them out and put in my kitty’s file.
I also ask if the sitter minds texting me with a photo of my cats while she is here. I love to get messages while I am away and see their little furry faces!
We are so happy you printed the list of our top 15 questions to ask when hiring a pet sitter to hold in your kitty’s file. We know how great it is to get email updates when away. We send them to our clients when requested and we can also include pictures. We know what a difference it makes to get them when missing our furry little ones. 🙂
Hi – stopping by from the Facebook Blogger’s Corner! This is a great list and I love that you called them fur babies, since that’s what hubby and I call our pup and 6 cats! We haven’t needed pet sitting services very often, but on the few occasions we have, family and friends have been kind enough to help out.
Thank you for stopping by. Our dogs and cats are our fur babies. I love that you call your pup and 6 cats the same. 🙂
This is such a good list!
-Thanks!
Thanks Sophie! We are so glad you like the list.