Dog and Cat Sitting Questions
Before you begin your house sitting assignment, take the time to ensure you’re prepared and informed enough about the needs and welfare of any pets in your charge.
There are some health related questions that need to be asked before you accept a pet sit, and the pet owners should be transparent about a pets medical requirements. For example, I did a sit for a dog with diabetes which meant that I have to give injections, and they gave me the heads up about this before I accepted the sit to make sure I was ok with this process.
Take a look at the list and see which ones are important for you to get answered during preliminary calls, and which ones can wait until you do the handover upon arrival.
Health and Medical
- Does your pet have any history of heath conditions or ailments?
- Does your pet take any medications or supplements?
- What’s the Vets phone number and address?
- Do the pets travel ok in the car?
- What are the pets bathroom habits? (e.g. are they regular, where do they go)
- Does your pet have separation anxiety?
- When was the last time they were treated for fleas?
Personality and Obedience
- Does you pet have any specific behavioural traits?
- Are there any training or obedience requirements?
Mealtimes and Snacks
- How often is your pet fed?
- Does your pet have fixed meal times?
- Does your pet get rewards or snacks between meals?
- Does your pet have any special dietary needs?
Exercise and Playing
- How often is your dog walked?
- Should the dog be walked on or off the lead?
- How is your pet with other animals (e.g. is the dog social around other dogs?)
- Do you have a list of local walks?
- Where do you keep your supply of poo bags?
- Does you pet have any favourite toys?
Grooming
- Where are the grooming tools and supplies kept?
- Any special grooming requirements?
- Are there any specific bathing instructions?
Sleeping
- Where do your pets sleep?
- Are your pets allowed on the furniture?
Other
- Would you like status updates (or photos) about your pet during my assignment?
Help me grow this list. Are there any special questions that need to be asked?
Here's a list of essential pet sitting questions to ask owners when you're looking after their cats and dogs. #petsitting #housesitting Share on XDon’t forget to visit our House sitting reference page to read about our pet sitting experience and adventures.
Most of the time amateur pet sitters overlook the importance of these things you mentioned in a post. These points surely help to deal better with the pets. As for last point I would say “Are your pets friendly with kids.”
That’s a great point Aledander .. thanks for that! Jay
Roving Jay recently posted..20 Questions to ask before you being your Pet Sitting Assignment
Great information! There are 2 or 3 bullet points I would have never thought of! Thanks!
Thanks Mike … it’s always good to have a reminder list. And when you show up with a list it not only helps you to remember what to ask, but it’s reassurance to pet owners that you have their pet’s well-being at stake.
Roving Jay recently posted..The colours of Autumn in Montclair
Question # 20 (should be #1): Does your dog have separation anxiety?
I left a dog that I was pet sitting for 1.5 hours (according to the owner – yes, I asked – the dog was fine for up to two hours in the house). I came home to $1,000 worth of damage to my door and window blinds as the dog had a major anxiety attack while I was gone. Very sad when you think about it – and very expensive.
L.
That’s really good input Lori .. I’m going to add it to the list. I wasn’t a question I would have thought to ask. It seems like the kind of thing an owner should disclose.
Roving Jay recently posted..Weekend House Sitting with a Velcro Dog
Great list … it’s a good to have a check list for pet sitting, there’s usually so many different things to remember, and a list makes sure you don’t forget any of the important things. The last thing you want to be doing is constantly calling the pet owners when they’re away.
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Yes, you don’t want to stress them out with too many calls, it won’t instill them with a lot of confidence about your pet sitting skills.
I’m about to go pet setting for the first time – I’m going to use this list to make sure the pet owners can see that I’m organized and efficient!! 😉 thanks…. 🙂
Good luck with your first pet sitting assignment. Hope it goes well, and the list ends up being a useful tool for you.
This is so useful for me now! I’m about to leave my cat at home for a few months with pet sitters… you nailed down all the essential information I need to share with them
Pets can be such a tie when you travel a lot, so getting the right pet sitter in place can give you a lot of confidence and reduce your worries.
Roving Jay recently posted..How Travel Bloggers can Leverage their Expertise
Awesome! There is so much great, useful information here. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
You’re welcome .. glad you found it useful.
Super comprehensive list! Definitely some great questions here when looking after someone’s pet.
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It’s handy to have a list, that way you won’t forget a key questions, and I think it makes you look organized and efficient – which is what pet owners are looking for.
Thanks for sharing this informative article. These questions very helpful and will be really helpful for our next pet sit. There’s items on here I hadn’t thought of before, and will be useful to get nailed down before the owners head off for their trip.
Thanks Mary, a checklist can add peace of mind to sitters and owners alike.
Very apt and pertinent questions pet owners must answer before entrusting their pets to the pet sitter to ensure better care and clarity between pet owner and the sitter.
Aca Baranton recently posted..Managing your Pet’s Thunderstorm and Noise Phobias
Clarity is good!
Hi Jay,
We’re still new in pet sitting other peoples’ pets that there are some in your list that we have overlooked to ask our clients like those related to health and medical; exercise and playing. However, one thing that we won’t forget to ask the pet owner is if their pet has anxiety issues. When we first got our own dog, he had anxiety issues which as he got older he’d kind of overcome as he has not manifested that nowadays. We’d experienced a lot of damages big and small in our house. And because we’ve experienced this, this is one of the top questions we always ask.
I am so glad I came across your blog specially that your information was written in numbered lists that it’s easier to read and follow. Thanks a lot.
On a California house sit we looked after two dogs, one of the dogs had anxiety and needed medicating because it was over the 4th of July weekend. Poor little thing shook like a leaf, and I spent the evening cuddling her on the couch to try and soothe her.
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Great read. I wish the pet sitters I worked with knew about these. Had to go through some off experiences for my cat and her kittens when I got a new job and had to go on several business trips. Leaving your pets behind can itself be sad that you wouldn’t want anything else to worry about. barkindustries.com have been my go-to cat sitters for the last couple of months and so far so good. I’d highly suggest everyone to be extra careful when trusting new pet sitters and do some background check beforehand.
Hello
Thanks for sharing the great information. I read this blog and must say the information that you shared in this blog is really very useful. Please post more blog related to ”Top Pet Questions App”
Thank You.
Very pertinent questions and could go a long way in helping a house sitter to ace at its job.
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