How to Decide Whether You Should Use a Professional Pet Sitter

One option for caring for your pet while you're away is the use of a professional home pet sitter service. A professional pet sitter will come to your home and care for your pets in a loving and caring way while you're away. You can generally choose the number of visits that a home pet sitter makes each day in your absence.

What advantages does the use of a pet sitter service offer over a kennel?

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Your pet can maintain the same diet and feeding habits he's accustomed to.
   
   Kennels generally have their own feeding schedule which may be quite different from how your pet is normally fed. They also may have a standard food they feed to their pet guests. A sudden change in diet and feeding schedule can cause your pet to experience intestinal problems such as diarrhea. You pet may also be more reluctant to eat in a new environment and could become malnourished if your trip is

2. Your pets will feel more comfortable being in a familiar environment.
   
   By using the services of a professional pet sitter, your pets can remain in a setting that's familiar to them. An animal can become agitated, disoriented, and even depressed when they're placed into an unfamiliar environment such as a kennel. Home pet sitter services are designed to avoid this unnecessary trauma.

3. It's more convenient for the pet owner.
   
   Taking a dog to a kennel usually means a visit to your vet to get updated medical records and proof of vaccinations. The paperwork then has to be transported along with all his necessary supplies to the kennel. This can be very time consuming, particularly for a short trip. With a professional pet sitter, you just leave the supplies out along with instructions.

4. You don't have to worry about kennel pick up hours.
   
   Kennels have set hours of operation and may not even be open to the public on certain days such as Sunday. If you return from your trip on a weekend, you may have to wait an extra day to pick up your pet.

5. A pet sitter can do the necessary tasks to make your house look occupied.
   
   Most home pet sitters offer special services such as watering plants and picking up your mail and newspaper. This makes your house appear occupied which may reduce the risk of a burglary.

6. Your pet isn't exposed to communicable disease from other animals.
   
   At a kennel, animals are kept in close quarters. If an animal should become ill, your pet could also be infected. Using the services of a professional pet sitter can help to keep your pet healthier while you're gone.