What You Need To Know To Be A Great Pet Sitter

Posted on: 20 January 2017

If you love animals and you want to make a great living, then consider combining your compassion for animals with your entrepreneurial spirit. Pet sitting is growing in popularity as pet owners wish to leave their animals at home when they are away, and is a terrific opportunity to make a lot of money. In fact, if you take in a few pets (mainly dogs) a week, you can make over $1,000 per month working part time and a livable wage if you do this service full time. To make it as a pet sitter and become a reliable professional your clients can turn to, here are things you should know.

Pet CPR

Dogs in particular can be susceptible to choking due to their love of chewing on things. Common choking hazards such as kids toys, rocks, and even rawhide bones can be dangerous to people's pets, and you want to make sure that you know the right CPR measures to give them emergency care until you can get them to a vet. A veterinarian can teach you how to do CPR on dogs and cats (the method is not the same for each), or you can consult a pet sitter coach to help you.

You will also want to know basic animal first aid and safety, such as what to do if a pet gets bit or consumes poison. You will want to keep a first aid kit around that has essentials, such as:

  • activated charcoal (for poisoning)
  • wraps/bandages
  • anti-itch spray

Housing safety

In order to pet sit at your home, you will want to make sure you have the essentials. You will need a vehicle that is large enough to house large kennels for when you pick up and drop off your furry clients. You will also want a fully fenced yard, kennels within your home of varying sizes, and a private play room for cats and smaller dogs. You will also want to arrange a designated dog walking area for pooches who will require exercise while they are in your care so your clients can approve where you let their animals roam.

If you are unsure of whether you have the skills to care for people's pets already, you can consult with a pet sitter coach service like The Pet Sitter's Coach to give you the training you need. They can help you design a marketing plan for your community to promote your business as well as help you prepare your home for your potential furry clientele.

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