Interview Questions

Is the petsitter willing to pamper your pet? Learn her limits with these interview questions.

So, you've narrowed down your petsitting options to a select few who are worthy of being in the presence of your precious pet. Since you'll be letting this person into your home and life, you'll definitely want to conduct an in-person interview to get a feel for each sitter's experience.

Whether you put your potential sitter through the ringer with every single question on here or whether you use these questions as a loose guideline, Sittercity is here to help you get one step closer to picking the perfect match.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

• What is it that you like about petsitting?
• What do you look for in an employer/family?
• Tell me about your own pets.
• What is your rate?
• Have you ever been arrested or convicted of a felony?
• How soon will you let us know if you can't do a job?
• Do you require payment upfront?

BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE

• How did you get started in this business?
• What do you feel qualifies you to take care of a pet?
• How many years have you been working with animals or petsitting?
• Do you specialize in any particular kind of animal?
• How many pets have you cared for at one time?
• Do you have any professional petsitting memberships?
• Are you licensed, bonded or insured?
• Are there any types of pets you refuse to sit for?

SITTER'S CIRCUMSTANCES

• How would you get to our house each day? Drive?
• What is your course of study in school or what is your full time job?
• Do you have any pet allergies?
• Are you uncomfortable around or scared of any particular pets?
• Do you plan on taking any time off in the next six months?

TRAINING AND SAFETY

• Have you ever used a fire extinguisher before?
• Are you familiar with emergency numbers?
• Can you drive in an emergency?

BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS

• Tell me about a time where you faced a crisis on the job. How did you handle it?
• Have you ever had to deal with a particularly difficult pet?
• What is your proudest moment in petsitting and why?
• What was your worst experience in petsitting, and how did you resolve it?
• What would you do if you found that you couldn't make it to my house one day (perhaps due to illness)? Do you have a back-up plan?

RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS

• Are you OK bringing in my mail and newspaper, and watering my plants?
• Can you remember to switch lights on and off so it looks like someone is home?
• Are you willing to help with overnight care if needed?
• Are you comfortable administering medicine if needed?
• Will you be able to fill out a daily Pet Progress Report while I'm gone?
• Are you able to bring the pet to the vet in case of an emergency?

IF VERY YOUNG PETS ARE INVOLVED

• Are you comfortable sitting for young pets that need extra attention?
• Have you ever housetrained a young pet before?

IF THE SITTER WILL BE DRIVING

• Are you comfortable driving with an animal in the car?
• May I see your driver's license?
• How many years have you been driving?
• Do you have any marks against your driving record (speeding or accidents)?