Pet Sitting! Seriously, How hard can it be?

Pet sitting is one of those jobs where people say “Pet Sitting! How hard can it be? It’s pet sitting! By golly, I can start a pet sitting business and make a fortune. I love animals and I can pick my own hours. It’s absolutely perfect”.  

After 10 years of professional pet sitting, I want to do a big eye roll at the enthusiastic budding entrepreneur person who just said that. (Because I may have thought that myself at one point and because my mother did raise me with some manners, I forego the eye roll).  As I gaze into the smiling naïve face, I do a mental quick run-down of all the intricacies that come to play in pet sitting for profit. I offer a few pearls of wisdom for you to consider before jumping in.

 Most serious pet sitters rarely go on vacations or take time off. Pet sitting is a 365 day career. If you are a pet sitter working alone without back-up, your chance at having time off will be rare. You will need to be available for phone calls to and from clients and prospective clients, you will need to set schedules, go on meet and greets, ferret through all the paperwork, complete contracts, advertise, network, keep your car maintained and of course pet sit. Pet sitting can be rewarding and exhausting. Pet sitting is not the right job for someone who does not absolutely love all creatures and have empathy for them.  Many are geriatric or need special care. It involves not only cats and dogs but birds of all types, fish, reptiles, guinea pigs, rabbits, chinchillas, horses, pot-bellied pigs and on and on. These creatures are depending on you entirely when their family is away. The pet sitter will become the pet’s best friend and caregiver.  You absolutely cannot, I repeat cannot, miss a scheduled pet visit! Records of the pets and their care must be well organized along with your other records. If you think you can do this job without Bonding and Insurance, you may want to rethink that. You will be liable for damages to homes or any harm that might come to the pet in your care. A toilet overflowing upstairs could cause thousands of dollars in damages. A dog could swallow something on a walk and need surgery. I read the insurance claims that are printed in a pet sitting trade magazine each month and am continually astonished by the negligence and accidents that are listed along with the claim amount$$. Caring for people’s furry and feathered family and minding their homes really must be considered a serious venture with total commitment on your part.

Bottom line: Pet sitting for profit can be rewarding financially and emotionally.  Run it as a respectable business and not a hobby and you will have many successful years and happy clients. People and their pets will be depending on you. Don’t let your clients down and always strive for excellence in Pet Sitting.

Compliments of West Valley Pet Sitting, Inc
Surprise Arizona
Serving Surprise, Sun City, Sun City West, Peoria, Arizona
Daily Visits, Dog Walking, Vacation Care 
www.westvalleypetsitting.com