This Kitten Plays With His Pet Sitter

Has your pet parent ever hired a pet sitter? Was the pet sitter a family member or a professional pet sitter? If they were a family member, then they either love you to pieces or your pet parent exchanges pet sitting duties when your “family” pet sitter needs some time spent with their pets. Sometimes these arrangements work, sometimes they don’t…depends on how even the requests are for time with you or the pets in your family circle.

So Why do Professional Pet Sitters Sit?

Many pet sitters get the bug for sitting by taking care of family and neighborhood pets. They find that they can work their visits with the pets around their current job. My pet parent started as a teenager taking care of the neighborhood cats. This was long before pet sitting became a recognized pet business by Pet Sitters International and the National Association of Pet Sitters back in the 1990′s.

Today, you will find many college students pet sitting to help with expenses. Professionals such as groomers and veterinary technicians add pet sitting services to supplement their income. Pet sitting is one of only a few businesses that allows a person to work on a flexible schedule.

If a pet sitter sticks to their own neighborhood and friends, the cost of doing business can be quite low and they can keep their fees low. They can walk to your assignment and work from home scheduling appointments. Once their territory expands though and they become a professional, the expenses add up and so do their fees to your pet parent. Professional pet sitters have to add in the car expenses, insurance, bonding, supplies, marketing materials, pet sitting association memberships and more.

Pet sitters get paid to exercise! This does not necessarily mean that every pet sitter is lean. Busy pet sitters tend to grab fast food throughout the day to keep them going, especially during the holidays. Dog walkers have a better chance of keeping the pounds off and the muscles strong than the cat sitters do…at least that’s my observation.

Hobby pet sitters earn just enough to support their hobbies…which usually revolve around pets, of course. Pet sitters who are insured and well trained can earn a very lucrative income, mainly in large metropolitan areas. The recent downturn in the economy has slowed down the pet sitting industry in areas where big businesses are tightening their belts and as people travel less due to gas price increases.

The most compelling reason pet sitters sit is simply because they love animals. These people would pet sit for free if they could. Their reward is the unconditional love that they receive from the pets. We pets rarely complain unless we have to take medicine in a form we don’t like or we are expected to pee when it’s pouring down rain outside.

Schatzi Enjoys Taking a Nap

I have always loved my pet sitters. I have had fun playing ball and taking long walks while my pet parents have been out of town. I enjoy staying in my own home where I can nap when I want without having to listen to a dog in the next kennel carry on at a boarding facility because he misses his pet parents.

I am glad that pet sitters sit for the love of us pets!  Does your pet parent hire a pet sitter, call on family or take you to a kennel? Have your pet parent leave a comment…

Living in the moment,

Schatzi

Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia