To kick off Homey Hounds Pet Sitter’s official blog, I am going to answer a question that, in my opinion, is one of the most important questions in this business. Why should you hire a professional pet sitter? Why not send your dog to a kennel? Or get the teenager down the street to do it for $10 and a 12 pack of mountain dew? While it is possible that some of you may have an exceptionally responsible and mature teenage neighbor, we honestly believe that professional pet sitting is the best, and often the most affordable, pet care option for many families. If you are planning a trip and still trying to figure out which way to go, take a few minutes to consider the potential benefits you and your pet could gain from hiring a professional pet sitter.

Comfort

Some kennels put a lot of effort into making their facilities as comfortable and home-like as possible.  Why do they do this?  Because even they know that there’s just no place like home!  Your pets are comfortable in their home.  Why not let them spend their days napping on the couch, running around their own back yard, or sleeping under the covers in your bed at night?  The absence of an owner can be difficult for some dogs, but being in a familiar place with familiar things and smells will most certainly be easier for a nervous dog than a crowded kennel full of unfamiliar people and pets.

Experience and Reliability

This is where a professional sitter and your teenage neighbor could not have less in common.  When you hire a pet sitting company, you aren’t just hiring one person.  You are hiring a team of people who specialize in pet care and who do it for a living, not just as a way to make a little extra cash in their spare time.  They know pets and are usually pet owners themselves.  In addition, hiring a pet sitting company means that your plans don’t have to depend on just one person.  What if your sitter has an emergency come up or gets sick or has car trouble?  Pet sitting companies work as a team to insure that your pets get the care they need, regardless of whether or not your specific sitter is able to provide it.  They have processes in place to deal with health emergencies and are committed to providing you and your pet with the best care possible in any situation.  Their jobs depend on it!  In short, like so many other things, having a professional to handle the job gives you the peace of mind of knowing that the job will be done and will be done well.

Customization

The great thing about hiring a pet sitter is that your care is 100% customized to you and your pets.  Does your dog like to get belly rubs or play fetch?  Do your cats love to chase lasers or play with toys?  Because your pets are the only ones your sitter is caring for, they get care that is customized to their preferences, rather than having playtime with 2 or 3 humans and 30+ dogs.  This customization goes far beyond just playtime too.  A pet sitter can administer special medications, help meet your pets’ unique dietary requirements, take pictures and videos of your pets, or feed and care for smaller animals like birds, fish, turtles, lizards, and more.  Another great benefit of customization is that you have more options available if you are trying to get great care on a budget.  If all you need is someone to go to your home once a day to feed your dogs in the back yard and take in the mail, why pay for 24 hour boarding?  If you have cats that don’t need a great deal of supervision and just need someone to check in on them once a day, just have a pet sitter come in and save the money and hassle that comes with boarding.

Because your sitter is caring for only one household at a time, another great benefit is that they are able to accept pets that kennels may not.  This includes puppies that are younger than 6 months, senior dogs that require special care or medications, dogs with certain illnesses that require more care than a kennel can provide, and certain breeds that some kennels don’t allow such as Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, and others.

Home Care

Care for your pets is something you almost surely think about right away when planning a trip but what about care for your home?  Who will take out the trash, get the mail and paper, or water the plants?  One of the great things about having a pet sitter is that you have a house sitter too!  Your sitter will be checking in on your home every time they check in on your pets, so, if they notice any problems, you’ll know about it right away.  Sitters can also help with other basic house sitting tasks like basic pool maintenance, covering plants or fish ponds when the weather gets cold, running water to avoid frozen pipes, and many other things.  Having a person regularly in your home (and a car regularly in your driveway) is also a great way to deter potential thieves.

Cost

So maybe now we’ve managed to convince you that a pet sitter really is the best option, but you are wondering how much this type of service is going to cost you.  The answer is probably not as much as you think.  In fact, depending on the type of care you are looking for, it could even be cheaper than a kennel!  Do you have multiple pets?  Almost all kennels will charge you per pet, but many pet sitting companies, including Homey Hounds, charge per visit.  This means that whether you have 1 pet or 4, the price doesn’t increase!  As you can imagine, this means huge savings for owners of multiple pets.  Hiring a professional pet sitter may also be cheaper if you have low maintenance pets that only need to be fed and checked in on once or twice a day.  Boarding these pets can become very expensive very quick, but having a pet sitter come to your home to look in on them can be a much more affordable and convenient option.

If you are finally convinced that just maybe pet sitting is right for you and your family, click here to be redirected to our home page where you can get a quote and check availability for your travel dates.  If you have any additional thoughts on the benefits of hiring a pet sitter, feel free to comment below!