Preparing for Your Petsitter
The trip is booked, your bags are packed and you've practically got one foot out the door. But hold on a minute, Mr. Ready-For-Fun-In-The-Sun. You can't take off without providing your petsitter with certain instructions, tools and guidelines to make for a smooth sitting experience that will make your sitter want to come back after the first day.
PET PREPARATIONS
Meet the family.
While this should go without saying, just humor us. You sitter must meet the pet before she begins the petsitting job. Make sure that everyone is comfortable with each other so your pet won't be stressed, insecure or territorial when a total stranger waltzes into your home.
Prevent feeding frenzies.
To make sure your sitter doesn't accidentally overfeed your pet (was that one cup each day or one cup each feeding?), pre-prepare your pet's meals. Section out the food in baggies for large animals or in pill trackers for small ones such as fish. Make sure there is extra food in case you find yourself gone longer than expected.
Write it out.
Even though you went over everything verbally with your sitter, let's be safe and assume that she's not an endless human sponge. Write out the directions you discussed, and be sure to include medication instructions, special dietary needs, your pet's daily routine, approved treats/snacks - anything the sitter will need to know to get her through the day.
Location, location, location.
While it totally makes sense to you to put the pet food in the laundry room, your sitter might not follow your exact line of thinking. Don't make her guess where everything is. Write it down. Here's a brief list of things she might need to know:
- Your pet's common hiding places
- Where you keep the (extra) food
- Where the leash is kept, if you have a dog
- Where cleaning supplies are, in case your animal makes a mess
- Locations of fire extinguishers
Point out quirky behavior.
Each pet has its own personality, and while your sitter doesn't need your pet's comprehensive online-dating-site-worthy profile, she should have a brief list of common quirks. Will your cat bite if picked up? Does your bird like to play on his back on the bottom of the cage? Anything that could harm the sitter, including giving her a heart attack like that last one, should be included here.
Prepare for an emergency.
Better safe than sorry, as the cliche goes. Fill out a worksheet with the following emergency numbers: veterinarian, closest family member, neighbor, your cell and the name of the place you'll be. It's also a good idea to create an emergency kit if your pet is a master escape artist. Include a picture of the pet, an accurate description, the pet's age and any identifying characteristics/behaviors that may help locate him in case of his next breakout.
Deliver the contact info yourself.
HOME PREPARATIONS
Keep it comfortable.
Set the thermostat to a comfortable temperature for your animals. It may seem
cute to coordinate the temp with the weather at your tropical vacation destination, trust us, that's fun for no one.
Prep for plants.
If your sitter will be watering your plants while you're gone, do her a favor and set out a watering can, spray bottle or that beat-up plastic cup you still have from your college bar - whatever you want her to use to water your plants, so she doesn't have to search for something and wonder if she's using the "wrong" thing.
Pet-proof.
Pet-proof your home by closing the doors to any rooms you don't want your pet to wander into. Don't forget to move harmful or delicate objects to safer places, and, if you want to really be sweet, leave out an article of clothing for your pet to cuddle with in your absence. All together now: awww. Click here for even more essential pet-proofing safety tips.
Leave alarm instructions.
You may plan on setting an alarm while you're gone, in which case you need to remind your sitter of the codes and instructions for both arming and
disarming the alarm. The last thing you'll want is a freaked out sitter, panicked pets and a phone call from the cops while you're trying to enjoy some peace and quiet in a beachfront hammock.
