Top 10 Best Pet Sitting Tips

By Craig Wallin

Starting your own pet sitting business isn't too difficult. You love pets, so this is already a natural fit for you. So what are the tips that could get you ahead and make you the pet sitter everyone calls on?

1. Do your research

Before you get started, do your research. Learn about your town and the demand for pet sitters. If possible, consult other pet sitters, veterinarians, groomers, and pet shop owners to see if they have any tips or advice that could help you become an all-star pet sitter.

2. Emergency kits

It's a good idea to have a couple different emergency kits. First of all, have one in your car in case if you have to transport a pet for any reason. If the pet makes a mess, you don't want to have major cleanup to do. Also, it's a good idea to carry a kit with when you're with a pet in their home or on a walk. This kit could include a spare collar, leash, and can opener for pet food, as well as a change of clothing, flashlight, and a spray bottle filled with half water and half vinegar to handle any aggressive dogs you might encounter on a walk.

3. Come up with a catchy name

When thinking of a name, make sure to find out if the name is already in use, especially if it's been trademarked. Have a fun name that could be memorable to your customers? Also, consider putting an "A," or "AA" before your name as this will put you towards the top of alphabetical listings in the Yellow Pages or other list.

4. First visit

This is your chance to get to know the pet owner and their pet and to see if this is a job you want to take. You can learn the layout of the home and what services the pet owner wants you to provide.

5. Having a signed agreement

Having a contract between you and the pet owner will help avoid trouble if the pet gets sick or injured while you're caring for them or any other problem that may arise.

6. Daily visits

Make sure to knock before entering a pet owner's house, even if you've been told they won't be home. It's also a good idea to find out ahead of time if any other people could possibly be in the house. Also, be sure to scout the entire house for any messes the pet might've made and clean up the mess in the way the pet owner wishes.

7. Be safe

Don't let anyone, except for a fireman or policeman, into the pet owner's house unless given permission by the pet owner. For example, don't assume someone wearing a polo shirt stating they work for a carpet cleaning company to be telling the truth. Just be safe. Also, be sure to take a safe route if you'll be walking a dog. And most importantly, keep all doors locked. Don't give burglars any way to get inside.

8. Key organization

Keep your customer's key(s) on you at all times you are on a job for them. If you have multiple customers, develop a system to keep track of the keys. It's also not a bad idea to have a backup key for each customer just in case. And don't forget to test the keys during your first visit.

9. Free advertising

Take advantage of free advertising, such as blogs and Craigslist and Backpage.com. Many take just minutes to post an ad and could help you gain new customers at no expense to you.

10. Advertise to planned (over 55) communities

This can be a great way to get customers. Many have newsletters that offer very cheap advertising and you open yourself up to a wealth of customers. Many of these communities have residents with high incomes that travel a lot. That means a lot of work for you!

Taking advantage of these tips will make you an all-star pet sitter. You'll see more calls coming in and those profits piling up. Pretty soon your pet sitting business will be the talk (woof! meow!) of the town!

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The Best Way to Take Care of Your Pets

By Doug P White

There are a large number of families that keep pets. Pets often enjoy the status of a family member and they are not treated just like animals. They get good care to prevent illness. In some cases kids love pets which is why parents who may not otherwise like the pets may keep them at home. Here are some tips and info to help you take good care of your pets so that your pets remain in good health. After all, pets are like babies even when they get quite old in age.


It is imperative that your pet be loved while making you feel loved at the same time. When the pet comes for the first time it is important to let it roam around the house and get a feeling of absolute freedom. This helps the pet get familiar with the surroundings. You should know the fact that pets feel quite nervous when they come to your place for the very first time.

Your pet should get proper comfort. Good and high quality food and a proper sleeping area should be provided to pets. You need to train pets to prevent them from dirtying it thoroughly. You can add some pillows, blankets, toys and the like in the sleeping area to pamper your pet and make it comfortable. Your pert should also be able to know where to get food and pee for which training is required.

The health of your pet has to be ensured. Furry ones will have to be shampooed and vacuumed in terms of hair cleaning. This helps them to be free from insects and having white shiny hair would help them look beautiful.

You can also get quite a few animal products to use in the bath. Pets love to play with you even as they enjoy and love bathing sessions.

Positive reinforcements ate great for pets when they behave badly or perhaps poop at the wrong place. Instead of going on punishing them for the bad, you can choose to treat them well for the good and the right things they do. This is an encouraging and proper way to help pets do well and learn quickly.

Never wait for a long time when you notice that your pet is looking sluggish and may be coming down with some disease. Do consult your Vet as soon as possible so that the pet gets back to health soon. Pets should be loved and made to feel important. If they are able to become a part of your family, you will not be able to live without them.

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Flea Prevention to Save Your Building

By Scott Wessell

It is always enjoyable to have pets. They help in maintaining a good social and interactive health. Pets are also very helpful in rearing your children to become responsible individuals. However, as much as pets are nice to have, it also posts the risk of having fleas. Fleas are very hard to eliminate once they have infiltrated your home. The best way to not be bothered by these pests is through prevention.

There are many stages that fleas undergo before becoming very destructive pests. It is best that you are able to eliminate them during these stages before they become annoying. Likewise, it is best to not allow them to multiply or even settle at all. When thinking about flea prevention, one must understand the insect's lifestyle.

One must know what they eat, how they reproduce and even how it starts to enter your premises. It is also wise to consider of you have the perfect breeding ground for them so you may attract them. Flea prevention would call for clean premises and good sanitation. Oftentimes, bad lawn maintenance will attract these pests to breed on your ground. It doesn't end there, however, even with proper sanitation; fleas can still be transported to your home through stray dogs or cats. These fleas sometimes fall to the ground, and then start their life from there. It would be wise to ward off stray pets from your house by installing a fence around your premises. Your neighbor's pets may also have fleas, so you better be careful of them too. There are chemicals and sound devices available on the market that can eliminate these pests from your home but as opposed to prevention, it is almost a waste of money.

When cleaning your house to rid of fleas, vacuuming your furniture would be a wise move. However. Simply vacuuming once in a while will not help on entirely eliminating them. Fleas leave droppings of dried blood, which, in time turns into larvae. This would mean that another generation of fleas will start to breed. It would be better to take on a regular cleaning routine. This way, the fleas' early life is eliminated early on. Your sanitation activities should include the areas surrounding your house. Aside from installing fences, make sure that there are no tall weeds or grass in your lawn.

Should you decide to tend to bushes here and there, just make sure that this is also kept clean at all times. On the other hand, if you think that fleas are only carried by hairy, arm blooded animals, be made aware that humans can also be carriers of these, so disinfecting your house will be very helpful. Your pets should also be kept as clean as your house is. It would be no use having a clean home if your pet is the main breeding ground for fleas. There are available chemicals or drops in the market that can help eliminate these pests from your pet's skin in a matter of minutes.

Next time you decide to keep pets, or if you want to have a flea-free house, follow these safety, preventive and elimination procedures.

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How Pet Health Care Teaches Responsibility

By Jessica L Moss

"For the last time, no you can't have a dog!" Ten words which will be familiar to parents all over the country, whose children have begged, pleaded, kicked and screamed. They're often very reluctant to allow their children to get a pet since it will be mum or dad organising the pet health care when the novelty has worn off and the puppy has become a dog.

It's certainly true that children rarely consider the implications of taking on such a big commitment as an animal which has a good chance of still being alive when they leave for university in ten years' time. They don't necessarily understand the pet health care requirements of a dog or the financial commitment that feeding one for fifteen or more years can entail.

For some children, though, perhaps this commitment could be a fantastic learning process. Taking on pet health care, feeding and walking a dog is a fantastic way to learn about responsibility and many children will thrive when required to take charge. Having a living, breathing being rely entirely upon them for everything is a guaranteed way for a child to learn maturity, responsibility and commitment.

It is vital that those parents who do agree to allow their child to get a pet set boundaries and rules before bringing home the pet. The child must be made fully aware that they animal will be relying on them for everything, what the pet will need to be properly looked after and the consequences if the pet isn't cared for. These should not be underemphasised; on the contrary, the child is likely to be more responsible for their pet if they are aware that health problems may result from lack of care. Parents should also underline that the pet is the child's responsibility and that they won't be walking the dog when the child doesn't feel like it and it's raining.

Being responsible for pet health care can teach children a lot about maturity and responsibility. Very young children may not be able to cope with the commitment and could perhaps be left responsible for the cleaning and feeding of goldfish or a hamster. Older children are more inclined towards bigger pets like dogs and cats. The next time your child implores you to get a pet, have a discussion about responsibility and pet health care needs. They'll either agree and have a chance to learn a lot, or, terrified of the responsibility quickly change their mind; parents can't lose.

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Pet Sitter - Best Tips to Find One

By Penelop Jones

We all love our pets. A pet is a domestically owned animal which is kept basically for companionship. People love to play with their pets all day long. Some of the people even regard them as a part of their family. Further in this topic we are going to talk about pet sitting in detail. But first of all let us understand what pet sitter exactly is. Well, a pet sitter is a person who takes care of your pet whenever you are out for some important work. They basically work on contract basis.

So, if you are going out for a long vacation then you can leave your pet behind with a trustworthy sitter. Some of the finest places to look for a sitter are: local Humane Society and a famous Veterinarian agency. You can certainly find a good pet sitter in this way. Some of the sitters even work on freelance basis. It could prove to be very beneficial to you. You really need to plan well before hiring a professional for this job. Ample research is also required for this purpose.

Now, given below are some of the finest tips to help you find a good pet sitter.

1. Always opt for an established and experienced sitter. Only such professionals could really help you. If you go for an amateur then it is possible that your pet might be in danger. So, if you really love your pet then you must opt for an experienced sitter of pet.

2. You should interview a few short listed candidates for this job. Yes, it is very important to do so. Make a complete list of questions that you need to ask the candidates. Specialized sitters must offer both evidence of bonding and accountability indemnity treatment. They should be able to easily interact with your pets.

3. You really need to talk about their price. Before hiring them you need to discuss about the price that they are going to charge. It should be reasonable enough. They should not ask for a hefty amount.

4. You also need to discuss the style of working of the pet sitter. He should work in the best possible manner and provide you all types of services.

So, these are some of the things that could really help you find a suitable pet sitter. Don't forget to read this article once.

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