When to Consider Hiring a Pet Sitter
Bringing a pet into your home means you’re responsible for a furry friend that needs love, attention, exercise, nutrition, and hygienic care. Since you (sadly) can’t bring your beloved pets everywhere you go, it’s important to find a trusted caregiver who can watch your pet when you skip town. Boarding works well for some cats and dogs, but it’s not for everyone. So, when should you consider hiring a pet sitter? Here are three situations where we believe hiring a sitter is well worth the investment.
When to Consider Hiring a Pet Sitter
1. Your Dog or Cat Has Anxiety
If your pet struggles with separation anxiety, the sights, smells, sounds, and overall unfamiliarity of a boarding facility can be a nightmare. Signs of anxiety include:
- Digging
- Howling or barking
- Chewing off-limits items
- Scratching and biting doors or windows
- Defecating or urinating in a no-potty area inside the home
With a pet sitter, your anxious pet can receive love, attention, and care in the comfort of the home you share.
2. Your Pet Has Health Issues
There’s a reason most boarding facilities require proof of vaccination before you can drop your pet off. Like daycare for human children, they can be hotbeds for sickness. Parvovirus, dog flu, feline leukemia virus, and distemper can all thrive in a boarding facility.
Plus, your pets are at a higher risk of contracting parasites, heartworms, and fungal infections when they spend time with a bunch of other dogs or cats. If your dog has health issues or is approaching old age, hiring a pet sitter can be a safer option. We should also note that puppies younger than four months old may not have all their vaccines yet, making it unsafe for them to stay in boarding facilities.
3. You Spend a Large Part of the Day Away from Home
While many pet owners work eight-hour days—giving them plenty of time to interact with their pets before and after a workday—some work longer stretches. If you’re a nurse, for example, you’re probably well acquainted with 10 and 12-hour work shifts. This is too long for a pet to stay home without human interaction. Adult dogs and cats can be left alone for a maximum of eight hours. That’s why we recommend hiring a pet sitter to care for your pet during at least 2-4 hours of a 10 to 12-hour workday.
If you have a puppy or kitten, you’ll need a pet sitter to stay for most of your work day. Young pets can only be left alone for as many months as they are old, plus one hour. For example, four hours for a three-month-old puppy. That said, every pet is different. Some might not be able to cope without you for that long.
The good news is that jobs with longer work shifts tend to come with shorter workweeks, which means you’ll only need a pet sitter for three or four days of the week.
To learn more about finding a trusted pet sitter, give us a call at (248) 646–5655. We can also provide wellness care and immunizations to make sure your pets are healthy before meeting their new sitter.