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Pet sitters Checklist.

zoinks

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We are going on holiday on Thursday and have booked a professional pet sitter to stay overnight with the boys while we are gone for a week.

I am SO nervous, this will be the first time since we got the boys that neither of us have been with them overnight.

Alfie will buddy up with anyone who will smack his butt but Dippy is a very nervous and jumpy sphynx, when a new person comes in he will rocket out of the room to hide.

She was introduced to the cats a few weeks back, and it went well, she seems really nice and Dips came to sniff her after a while. She says she will send updates & pictures but I am still so worried!

Does anyone have any good experiences with pet sitters that will make me feel better? :) Any tips and advice?

alfanddips.jpg 2.jpg dip1.jpg 3.jpg
 

Catzzzmeow

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We love our pet sitter! The cats are very happy and comfortable. I know ours would not do well if we boarded. Our sitter has a formal log she uses and writes down what each cat did during her visit and then a checklist of things they need to do while there. I wish I had saved some of the logs. You can make up your own if you want and they can fill it in daily while they are staying there. It is awesome they are staying overnight!


Be sure to share vet's phone number/location
Your cell phone number
Have a pet carrier out just in case of an emergency
List their favorite hiding places should the sitter not
see them when they visit
List meds if any and when to administer
How much food wet/dry
Water
Favorite snacks
Favorite toys
Lights off upon leaving or lights to be left on
Blinds up or down
Clean litter
Collect Mail
Treats yes or no

You can aways ask sitter to email you a picture of the log daily so you can read up and be less stressed.


Hope that helps...it will be fine. Enjoy!


patti
 

zoinks

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@Catzzzmeow Thanks Patti! Those are great tips. I am planning on writing a doc for them with things like this, including some feeding guide with photos as we have the fussiest cats ever! I hope that our pet sitter turns out to be as great as yours :)

@GizmosMommy Thanks! We are going to Alaska, hopefully pet sitter works out well so we don't worry so much about going on vacation from now on.
 

1sphynxlover

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Your being the typical sphynx mom. Have a great time on your holiday. Sounds like you have found a good setter, so enjoy. Think of all the extra loving your going to get when you get back.
 

admin

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Great stuff here, thanks @Catzzzmeow - I have made this post a sticky, this question has been asked many times. I will also add:

Be sure to share vet's phone number/location - alternative emergency vet phone/ location.
Your cell phone number - and a relative or friends phone number that is familiar with your home and pets.
Have a pet carrier out just in case of an emergency
List their favorite hiding places should the sitter not
see them when they visit
List meds if any and when to administer
How much food wet/dry - if the rule -NO table food or people food - snacks.
Water
Favorite snacks
Favorite toys
Lights off upon leaving or lights to be left on - CHECK all doors and windows before leaving the home, be sure screen is in window.
Blinds up or down
Clean litter
Collect Mail
Treats yes or no
 

Ickushouse

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If the sitter is willing, maybe she could call you at the end of each day and at least leave a message saying that all is well. I found this very comforting when I left Ickus, and I do this when I catsit for a friend. (Eudo, as well, has not spent a night by himself yet, so I TOTALLY understand your concern). It's great that the sitter will actually be staying overnight with them. They'll really appreciate that (as opposed to just short visits). Ickus loved this one sitter so much (a student who ended up spending long hours here studying) that he would wait at the door for her after we were already home!
 

Condo commando

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I've had cats a long time but my Sphynxes are way more interested in getting outside than any cat I had before. I don't know if yours are the same way but if so, I would just emphasize how important it is to eyeball the cats as she's heading out the door to make sure they didn't sneak out between her legs. Because mine have done it LOL.
 

SassyTheSphynx

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We love our pet sitter! The cats are very happy and comfortable. I know ours would not do well if we boarded. Our sitter has a formal log she uses and writes down what each cat did during her visit and then a checklist of things they need to do while there. I wish I had saved some of the logs. You can make up your own if you want and they can fill it in daily while they are staying there. It is awesome they are staying overnight!


Be sure to share vet's phone number/location
Your cell phone number
Have a pet carrier out just in case of an emergency
List their favorite hiding places should the sitter not
see them when they visit
List meds if any and when to administer
How much food wet/dry
Water
Favorite snacks
Favorite toys
Lights off upon leaving or lights to be left on
Blinds up or down
Clean litter
Collect Mail
Treats yes or no

You can aways ask sitter to email you a picture of the log daily so you can read up and be less stressed.


Hope that helps...it will be fine. Enjoy!


patti
I always have a folder that has all Sassy's shots records and vet numbers in one place for whoever is watching her. :) Great list Patti!!
 

SassyTheSphynx

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We love our pet sitter! The cats are very happy and comfortable. I know ours would not do well if we boarded. Our sitter has a formal log she uses and writes down what each cat did during her visit and then a checklist of things they need to do while there. I wish I had saved some of the logs. You can make up your own if you want and they can fill it in daily while they are staying there. It is awesome they are staying overnight!


Be sure to share vet's phone number/location
Your cell phone number
Have a pet carrier out just in case of an emergency
List their favorite hiding places should the sitter not
see them when they visit
List meds if any and when to administer
How much food wet/dry
Water
Favorite snacks
Favorite toys
Lights off upon leaving or lights to be left on
Blinds up or down
Clean litter
Collect Mail
Treats yes or no

You can aways ask sitter to email you a picture of the log daily so you can read up and be less stressed.


Hope that helps...it will be fine. Enjoy!


patti
I always have a folder that has all Sassy's shots records and vet numbers in one place for whoever is watching her. :) Great list Patti!!
 

RoseEllen

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@Catzzzmeow nailed it! I work out of town for 2 weeks at a time, and it seems at least once a month my hubby is away at the same time as me so we have lots of experience with a sitter.

I was so nervous at first too. Mostly I used to worry that they would think we abandoned them.. I knew they would be getting the essentials for survival. They are never worse for the wear when we get home and my sitter always updates me on their well-being each day. Biggest thing is communication with the sitter to make you feel better about being away.

I love your pics!! they are gorgeous.
 

Yoda mom

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i am kitty sitting for a neighbor who had an emergency hospital visit for the past few days
She set up in advance form of payment in case of emergencies (I have known her for 16 yrs , she left out the credit card )

** For those who use pet sitters ...

** How do you prearranged form of payment for emergencies?

I would never leave a credit card with someone I did not know or trust
Yet payment is always due at time of service or upfront ?
 

Condo commando

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I just got over a bout of pneumonia. Missed 3 weeks of work. Luckily the drugs worked and I was able to ride it out at home but picture I'm walking around hunched over because my chest hurt so bad but in my mind I'm thinking "if I go to the hospital who is going to look after the cats?" I had just gotten sphynx #3 and I was doing the introduction process on top of it.

Right before I got sick, I had taken about 15 lb of chicken from the freezer to make cat food. I ended up having to throw it out because I couldn't stand up for the 4 hours it would take. Instead I drove my sick azz to the pet store and bought a few cans of food. You know how they are in PetSmart that you come in the store and they're like, "hi how are you today" ....well I'm thinking I feel like hell but I'm just going to say "great how are you."

Personally sitters have been hit or miss so I don't trust them anymore. I'd probably ask my neighbor next door. I had to ask her to drive me to the urgent care; that was how I found out I had pneumonia. She wanted no money or anything. I've been offering to take her out to dinner and she keeps saying I don't owe her anything, and I keep telling her that it's just to show appreciation. LOL. Also a couple of months ago when my refrigerator broke she let me put a few things in hers so they wouldn't spoil.
 
Last edited:

Toa and Ross

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@Yoda mom

I have several options:
The pet sitter contacts me, I contact the vet to let them know I agree on the cost and pay when I get back.
If they don't go with that (if it's too much money) my pet sitter has the phone number of my parents. In case of an emergency they can pay and I'll repay them.
 

alandsim

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i am kitty sitting for a neighbor who had an emergency hospital visit for the past few days
She set up in advance form of payment in case of emergencies (I have known her for 16 yrs , she left out the credit card )

** For those who use pet sitters ...

** How do you prearranged form of payment for emergencies?

I would never leave a credit card with someone I did not know or trust
Yet payment is always due at time of service or upfront ?

I think if the pet owner is available by phone, most vets I've met have the capability to take card payments that way, especially if it's their regular vet. And if I was in that situation and the owner was not available by phone I would probably ask if they would invoice the owner by mail.

I've always had family friends dog sit and I'd be comfortable leaving like a blank personal check for them. You can always stop a check if they do something they shouldn't with it. (Same thing with a debit card now that I think about it...)
 
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