{"id":5148,"date":"2024-02-14T10:10:29","date_gmt":"2024-02-14T10:10:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/householdpets.co.uk\/?p=5148"},"modified":"2024-02-21T11:00:19","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T11:00:19","slug":"pet-sitting-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/householdpets.co.uk\/pet-sitting-career\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Pet Sitting the Correct Career for You?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Pet sitting has become a popular choice for those wanting to run their own business, and rightly so. Since the Covid pandemic, there has been an increase in the number of pets that became dependent on their owners’ presence; this was mostly due to the work-from-home guidance. With most people being back at work as normal now, their dogs, cats, and other animals have been left alone. As a result, pet parents have been hiring sitters and walkers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to the rise in demand for pet sitters, more and more people have decided to enter this profession. Not only do people enjoy this job for the chance to work with animals, but it also gives them the opportunity to choose their own hours for a better work-life balance and income; these are a few of the most important factors to employees<\/a> currently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before you decide to go ahead with a pet sitting job, you should understand the role you would be taking on. This article aims to outline the responsibilities and tasks of pet sitters to enable individuals interested in the profession to make an informed decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a Pet Sitter?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pet sitters care for a range of pet animals when their owners cannot; this might be due to a holiday or a work schedule. Dogs, cats<\/a>, rabbits, and other pets can be cared for by pet sitters. A pet sitter will ensure all of the animal’s needs are met while the owner is away, including feeding and watering, exercising, etc. This work can be done by someone working for a professional pet sitting agency or a freelancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simply put, a pet sitter is similar to a babysitter or childminder, but instead of watching human children, the pet sitter looks after furbabies. It can be a flexible role, allowing individuals to select their own hours, so many students or part-time workers who love animals choose to become pet sitters to receive an extra income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Does a Pet Sitter Do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As briefly mentioned, pet sitters carry out various tasks to ensure the animal in their care is happy and healthy while its owner is absent. Pet sitting services often display the jobs they will complete on their websites or advertisements, but this can be difficult to do when you are first starting out, especially if you are freelancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exact tasks you must carry out as a pet sitter will be decided when chatting with the pet owners. Some will want their pets to receive additional care, while others will just want the bare necessities completed. Most often, though, pet owners will ask sitters to carry out the following duties:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ensure the animal has food and water<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the most basic aspects of pet sitting is feeding and watering the animals in your care. This is more common when the owners are on holiday or work shifts, so they aren’t able to feed their pets at the usual time. Pet sitters are hired to ensure dogs, cats, and other pets have the correct amount of food and water, as outlined by the owners. Each pet parent should provide specific guidance on what their pets need, and this should be recorded for future use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you perform home visits in the local area, you will be able to visit multiple animals per day, ensuring each one has its basic needs met and more. This might require a car or public transport, depending on the size of your area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Provide the pet with exercise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Depending on when the owner is away and how long for, some pets will require visits to allow for daily exercise. Pet sitters will allocate a set amount of time, usually in slots of 30 minutes to an hour, with each pet, and some of this time will go towards exercising the animals. For dogs, this could be a short walk, while cats might get the opportunity to play with the sitter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exercise also includes mental stimulation, not just physical. A pet sitter might spend a few minutes training a dog or using puzzle toys to keep their minds active.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"cat<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As pet sitters can also provide the services of dog walkers, it isn’t uncommon for them to combine pet sitting services with a dog walking business. Unsurprisingly, this can be a physically demanding job, so you should be physically fit to be successful in this business. Think of all the dog breeds you might have to look after and ask yourself if you can control all sizes on a leash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Show the pet affection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Spending time with animals has been shown to improve mental health<\/a>, but pets also benefit from the attention and love they receive from pet sitters. A lot of animals form bonds with their humans, and so they crave human contact. When their owners are unable to provide this due to other commitments, a pet sitting business can step in to ensure the animals’ needs are met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although many animals will be cautious of a stranger at first, most will eventually settle down and accept this new presence. They are more likely to be comfortable if kept in their own home, which is often the case for pet sitting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Groom the animal if required<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are some breeds of dogs and cats that require regular grooming; long-coated breeds, like the Bearded Collie dog or Maine Coon cat, need to be brushed often to prevent matting. Not only that but if a dog gets muddy on a walk, then it might be up to the sitter to ensure the dog is clean before its owner returns home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if you cannot carry out this aspect of pet sitting, let your clients know beforehand to avoid disappointment. You could advertise your available services on a website or pet sitting profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Administer medication if necessary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If an animal in your care requires medication, then you might be asked to administer it. This can be a very delicate process, especially when using the correct dosage, so you must not take this task lightly. It can include oral medication and injections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might also be asked to carry out other tasks around the house, such as putting the bins out or watering plants if the owners are away for more than a few days. These additional roles can be agreed upon when speaking with clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With knowledge of what the pet sitting profession includes, you can make an informed decision on whether this is the right job for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Become a Pet Sitter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are a number of ways to become a pet sitter in the UK, but most people will follow the same steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gain experience working with animals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Relevant experience goes a long way in the pet sitting business. Many pet sitters love animals, either growing up with their own or enjoying time spent with their family and friends’s pets, so they have some firsthand experience. This should be expanded upon in a professional setting, though. Some ways people gain extra experience with animals include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n