What do you think of Pet sitters

I have pet-sitted for many years and I have experience with ALL kinds of pets. I think the key to finding a reliable sitter is to find someone you trust. There are inevitably people out there who shouldn't pet-sit, and I must admit that accidents do happen sometimes regardless of how careful you are. When I pet sit, I make sure to be ultra flexible- some people like me to stay right at their house with their pets and some people like me to just come in and check their pets 3 or 4 times a day. Regardless, I think it's also very VERY important to communicate with any prospective pet sitter. What are your expectations? i.e., Do you want your sitter to clean the litter box or backyard? Should the dog get 1 hour of playtime outside every morning and evening, or do you feel better letting him sleep on the couch all day? What are the rules of the house? A good pet-sitter should ask these questions if you don't tell him or her the answers already. Leave written directions in case the sitter happens to forget, and even better if you can, have the sitter come over to meet your pets and follow you through part of your daily routine with your pets (feeding, outside time, cleaning, etc.)- as a sitter myself, it's helpful to see those kinds of things and have the opportunity to ask questions before the owner goes out of town. Always leave emergency contact numbers for you, a neighbor, and your local vet (just in case).

As for payment- a lot of sitters I know will do the service for cheap, or if you're like me, free (payment of hanging out with the pets is payment enough for me!).

Hope this info is helpful, and good luck with finding a pet sitter!

I do animal control and we get the calls for the lost dogs and cats all summer long. I would say about a third of the time it ends up being the pet sitter. They let the dog out in the fenced in yard and didnt check the gate and the dog ran off. Or they let the cat out and it hasnt returned. Be careful who you hire and ask for some customers names so you can call them and ask how good they are.

I have had nothing but positive experiences with my pet sitter. I leave my dogs with her for usually 7 to 10 days when I am away on vacation; I usually do 1 vacation without them per year and 1 with them. They are always well cared for when I do leave them with the petsitter and she has plenty of room for them in her home and also outside for exercise.

A former shelter employee who is now a police officer cares for my cats when I'm vacationing. The longest I've left my cats with a petsitter was 21 days but usually it's one or two weeks.

pointless. lol i mean if you are going to be gone for awhile sure but a day to day sitter is slightly pointless. it is a waste of money that you could be using to satay out of serious financial problems associated with the downfall of our pathetic economy. but hey if you can afford it go for it.

I'm a pet sitter and I do the basic food, water, litter, walks, etc. I also spend a LOT of time with the animals if I have a large time slot before my next visit.

Pet sitters are great for your animals because they don't have to deal with the stress of going to a boarding facility. I used to house sit for different friends and co-workers and it's a relief for them to have someone they know and trust at their home taking care of their animals. I'd only hire someone that I know is reliable and will take time to care (not just take care) of your pets. When my husband and I leave for extended periods of time, we have a nice family stop in and check on our cats, and the cats love them. It's a great way to go!

I have a good friend that pets sits for my cats which is a great relief. Probably the longest we have left ours has been 7 days.

The worst experience was when we were gone for 5 days (we used a petsitter that worked for our local vet also). I asked her to call us daily which she did the first couple of days but then the calls stopped. I finally got in touch with her and she said she had been too busy to call. When we got home the litter boxes were overflowing, the water bowls were dry and one cat had been locked in a closet. He was extremely thirsty when we found him and had also pooped and peed in the closet. That's why I know he was locked in there for some time. I still get a sick feeling in my stomach when I think of that.

I am very lucky and have the best pet sitters ever! My Daughter and a friend and her family take care of my critter family. I have left my pets in their care for as long as 2 weeks without a worry. I am very pleased with my sitters:)

A friend and I exchange pet sitting favors. It is hard to trust your fur babies to a stranger, and it is very expensive to hire a sitter in some cases. Plus, our dogs get along fabulously so it is like a little play vacation for them.