6 Unusual & Important Questions To Ask A Potential Pet Sitter

July 21, 2016

Hiring a pet sitter is a highly personal experience and when you add your beloved four-legged friend into the picture, things get a little more complicated. Now you’re not only opening your home to a relative stranger, you’re entrusting them with an important member of your family.

While you could ask some obvious questions, like how much experience they have, offer a list of reference, see if they’re licensed, bonded and insured, there’s also some other more personal queries you may have.

Take a look at these six important and a little unusual questions you should ask a qualified pet sitter before considering hiring them

written by Amber Kingsley

1. Do you have any medical training?

When you leave an animal with someone who is new to them, they may behave differently and even have some strange behaviors during your absence. Maybe they’ll eat less or not drink enough water. Would your pet sitter be able to detect signs of dehydration or take note of them not eating enough?

Sometimes when we’re separated from our animals, there is an adjustment period when they need extra attention and care.

2. Why do you like animals?

While this may seem like an obvious inquiry, you might be surprised to learn the answer to this important question. Maybe they feel like they have a special connection with other living things or perhaps they’ve had a lifelong love of animals.

Dependent upon their response, what they share with you will likely make you feel more comfortable leaving your animal in their care.

3. What would happen if they couldn’t make a scheduled appointment?

Let’s face it, things happen, accidents occur, unexpected events transpire and a qualified professional should be able to address this unlikely situation.

They should have some kind of a back-up plan in place in case of an emergency.

4. What other services do they provide?

There’s more to pet sitting than feeding a cat or taking a dog for a walk, there are many other care requirements that may need to be addressed. Will they change the cat litter and play fetch with your dog?

Are they willing to groom them, brush their coat, provide extra care and administer medications or take care of a special diet? These should all be a part of basic services the offer.

5. Will they be interacting with other animals?

Perhaps your pet sitter has more than one client and will be walking your dog with other canines. Maybe they plan on taking your animal to the dog park to play with other pets.

Whether you’re comfortable with this concept or not, it is still something that should be addressed and discussed.

6. What about discipline?

Just like our human children, our four-legged kids are likely to misbehave, especially in our absence. How does this potential pet sitter plan on treating disobedience or misbehaving? For any of these questions, if they pause or seem uncertain, this could be a sign they’re not qualified.

Conversely, your potential pet sitter should have questions for you as well as outlined below.

Take a look at this infographic for more information on finding the right pet sitter for your pet

Everything you need to know about Pet Sitters Infographic

infographic courtesy of Amber Kingsley

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About the Author Amber Kingsley is a journalist as well as a lifetime pet lover. When she’s not traveling the world, she’s usually spending time at home with her pets, and wants to help others make sure that their pets are as happy as they can be.