Pets are great to have. Aside from providing companionship, they also offer unconditional love. However, with a pet comes many responsibilities. As a pet-owner, you have to do everything it takes to safeguard the well-being of your animal friend. Do you have an upcoming trip, and you, unfortunately, cannot bring your pet along? Well, not to worry. Nowadays, there are many pet sitting services. In this case, instead of leaving your pet all alone or having them watched by your relatives or neighbors, you can consider soliciting for a pet sitter’s assistance. You cannot just hire any pet sitter that you come across. What you should do is to conduct thorough interviews. This way, you can tell which pet sitter is suitable for the job. Explained below are examples of the questions to ask during the interviews.
Do You Have a Clean Criminal Record?
Aside from taking care of your pet, the pet sitter you choose will also have access to your home when nobody is around. For this reason, you cannot hire any sitter without, first, finding out about their criminal history. A good pet sitter is one that has a clean record. Nobody can admit to having a tainted criminal history. So, don’t believe what you are told. Ask for your prospective sitter’s criminal certificate. Ideally, a sitter who has nothing to hide will not think twice about handing over their certificates.
How Do You Respond to Unforeseen Emergencies?
Your pet might fall ill or run away. A good pet sitter ought to have exceptional skills in handling these types of emergencies. Besides, they also ought to have a clear and well-laid out plan of the steps that they’d take, in case an emergency was to occur. For instance, a professional sitter should, at least, have a vet’s number on their phone. Also, they should have mastered skills such as CPR. A sitter that doesn’t seem to have a plan of how to handle an emergency is not right for the job.
How Will You Stay in Touch?
You’ll want to know how your four-legged friend is faring when you are gone. The only one to do this is by staying in touch with your pet sitter. A phone call every once in a while is a good thing. Nevertheless, it is not the best mode of communication. Why? Because you won’t get a chance to see things for yourself. To this end, consider using communication platforms such as Skype. This way, you’ll get to see your pet and know how they are doing. An animal’s demeanor can tell volumes about their current state. Therefore, if your pet’s demeanor has changed for the worst, you should take it as a warning sign. It could be that they aren’t receiving optimal treatment.
Why Should I leave My Pet Under Your Care?
A reputable pet sitter will take advantage of this opportunity to share a little about their skills and experiences, and to prove to you why they are suitable for the job. Be wary of pet sitters who resort to using unethical means such as shaming their competition. Any pet sitter that takes this route has nothing to offer.