What Pet Care Services
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Most pet sitters offer care for dogs and cats, but other animals also benefit from in home pet sitting.
Pet care services are often available for your:
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Most sitters offer a variety of pet care services. Below are some of the most common pet sitting services:
Initial Consultation
An initial consultation is usually required before any pet care services can be scheduled. This “meet and greet” is normally free (although some sitters may charge a small fee to cover fuel costs) and it's a great way for you and your pets to get acquainted with the sitter.
The pet sitter will discuss your pet’s care, favorite things to do, and any quirks that your pet may have (such as those secret hiding places your cat knows so well). It also gives you a chance to ask questions and see how well the sitter interacts with your pets.
Full Pet Care Services
If you're going on vacation or planning on being away from home overnight, you'll need full care visits. Full pet care services are scheduled on a daily basis depending on your pets needs. Cats and small animals often do well with one visit per day, but dogs normally require at least two visits per day. Depending on your pets needs, you can arrange to have your pet sitter schedule more visits if necessary.
Full Pet Care Services Usually Include:
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Other Services That May be Available (often at no extra charge):
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Dog Walking Services
Many pet sitters offer dog walking services, either in addition to their full care visits or as a stand alone service. Dog walks can usually be scheduled on a regular basis or as needed. This is great if you work long hours or just don't always have time to exercise your dog.
Puppy/Senior Dog Services
This is another great service if you have to work long hours. Your pet sitter may be able to schedule mid-day potty breaks for puppies and older dogs who have trouble "holding it" all day.
Pet Taxi & Errands
Do you need to schedule a veterinary appointment or grooming session, but you don’t want to take time off of work? Or maybe you just forgot to stock up on cat food or kitty litter before your trip?
Many pet sitters offer taxi services for your pets and will even run pet errands so that you don't have to stress over it.
Home Security (No Pets)
Some pet sitters offer home security services even if you don’t have pets. Home security visits can eliminate the need for you to stop your mail and newspaper delivery and it keeps your home from looking empty and vacant.
Home Security Services May Include:
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Poop Scooping Services
Most pet sitters will pick up after your dogs while they're watching them, but they may also offer the service of scooping your yard. Rates will vary according to how often you want it done and how big your yard is.
Emergency Lock-Out Service
Many pet sitters offer lock-out service for clients. For a small fee (or even free) your sitter will come to your rescue if you ever lock yourself out of the house. Of course, lock-out service is only available for clients who have chosen to have the sitter hold their keys.
Pet sitting fees vary greatly, but typically you can expect to pay somewhere between $12 and $25 per full care visit.
It's important to know that a higher fee doesn't necessarily mean more qualified and a lower fee doesn't necessarily mean you're getting a great bargain. Experience, education, business insurance and multiple pet discounts, among other factors should all play a part in choosing the best sitter for your pets.
Additional Fees
Besides the basic pet sitting fee, there are other charges to be aware of:
Key Pick-Up or Drop-Off Fee
If a pet sitter has to pick-up and drop off your key every time you schedule service, they may charge a small fee. This is to cover the time and the fuel costs. Most pet sitters will offer to hold your keys, which eliminates this charge and makes it easier for you to schedule last minute visits.
Before/After Hours
A pet sitter may charge an additional fee if you need to schedule services outside their normal pet sitting hours.
Holidays
Many pet sitters charge an additional fee per day or per visit on major holidays which may include:
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