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
Kyung Kim
Hi, I'm Kyung Kim. I immigrated from South Korea to the United States in 1968 when I was 7 years old. I have seen my mom struggle with the English language and work hard to raise her four kids by herself. Still to this day, I don't know how she pulled it off, but she bought her first home in 1979 for $70,000 and because of that decision, she was able to live without worrying about her financial future. I want that for everyone, to feel the pride of home ownership and to build their financial wealth using real estate as part of their financial portfolio. I feel so blessed to play a small role in helping others reach this goal.
I live in Beaverton with my husband, Richard. My mom, who lived with us for several years, passed away in our home in February 2022. Her first home purchase in 1979 made it possible for her to live to the very end, without worrying about her finances. As of August 2022 with a little downpayment assistance, our four children own their own homes. Being in real estate, I quickly realized that if they didn't buy now, they may be priced out of the market in the future. Whether that would have been the case, we will never know, but what we do know is that they are all realizing some good, healthy appreciation in their home values.
As passionate as I am about people owning their homes, I'm also passionate about giving back to our community. I support Compassion First, a non-profit organization that provides aftercare for sex trafficked girls in Indonesia. My husband and I also feel called to financially support social injustice organizations.
I'd love to assist you. Whether you're in the research phase at the beginning of your real estate search or you know exactly what you're looking for, you'll benefit from having a real estate professional by your side. I'd be honored to put my real estate experience to work for you.
