Checklist For Hiring A Pet Sitter in Fort Myers, FL
(What to Ask Before You Book)
This sweet pair enjoyed a relaxing day at home with one of our trusted pet sitters. We provide in-home dog walking and cat care across Fort Myers.
Not all pet sitters or pet sitting companies are created equal.
You give your pets the best care every day. So when you’re away, whether it’s a weekend trip or a month-long vacation, you want the same high level of care and peace of mind. That’s where a professional pet sitter makes all the difference.
But how do you know who to trust with your home and your beloved fur baby? Let’s walk through a smart checklist to help you choose the right sitter for your beloved pets.
Fortunately and Unfortunately, not all Pet Sitters are the same. Lets breakdown some of your options for pet care while you’re away…
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- There are Professional Pet Sitting Companies like Pet Sitters Unlimited, which are Licensed, Bonded & Insured companies.
- There are software companies that engage people looking for a Gig Job here.
- There are pet sitters who may be a colleague at work who says their teenager can do it or maybe the neighbor says she’ll help.
These options are all very different experiences for the client and the animals in their care.
When you consider prospective pet sitters, create a list of questions prior to the initial conversation or meet and greet which is generally required with professional pet-sitting services. Make sure you ask as many questions as necessary to allow you to make an informed decision as to whether or not to hire a particular sitter for your precious fur babies.
1. How long have you been a professional pet sitter?
You want to get as much information about the individual’s experience as a pet sitter and with pets in general. Have they done a Pet CPR course? Do they have the ability to give medication, and do they know tips and tricks to medicate difficult animals? Do they have experience giving Insulin or Subcutaneous (Sub-Q) fluids? These things are important because if there were an emergency while you’re away, your sitter having the ability to resume care in the comfort of your home is essential to their health and wellbeing.
2. Are you licensed, bonded, and insured?
If the answer is yes, keep asking questions. If the answer is no, your best bet is to find a pet sitter who is licensed, bonded, and insured.
3. Can you provide references?
References are great. You can look at their online reviews which are organic but also asking for references from previous or current pet-sitting clients, including an email address or a phone number so you can contact each is a great way to get a really good Idea of the validity of the services you are considering engaging.
When you contact references, ask them about their experience:
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- Were you happy with the pet sitter? Why or why not?
- What did you like and what didn’t you like about the services provided?
- Would you hire the pet sitter or company again? Why or why not?
- Are you still a client? If not, why
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4. Do you have a backup pet sitter?
The unexpected – illness, injury, death in the family, broken down vehicle, accidents happen, even with professionals. The difference between a professional and an amateur, however is, the professional has a backup plan. Does the pet sitter have a backup pet sitter who is also a professional, who will make the scheduled visits to care for your pets when your regular pet sitter cannot? Find out exactly what happens when your pet sitter can’t make a scheduled visit. Maybe they have a staff and a system to back each other up in the event of an emergency. It surprises people frequently how many little emergencies in a day that will pop up in the course of caring for these precious little fur babies. For example, think about your last trip with them to the veterinarian, my guess is that it took a fair amount of time and that can double or triple when it’s an emergency basis. Or arriving to a home where the fur babies have had way too much fun, and there is a mess to clean up. It happens and it all takes time.
5. Where does the pet sitter keep your key?
Find out where your pet sitter keeps the key to your home. Is it in a secure location to which no one else has access? How is your key identified? Is it color coded? (Make sure the pet sitter does not write your address on the key. That is a recipe for disaster if the key is lost or stolen.) A professional pet sitter will have a proper and secure system in place for the maintenance of the keys or door codes in their possession. The number one insurance claim in the industry is rekeying a home because a sitter lost a key. We can proudly say that from the beginning we have had a very secure system in place that works well and is consistent and that we have never lost a key or access to a home because a key was lost or stolen, nor have we ever had to rekey a home, thank goodness.
6. What type of visits do you offer?
Generally pet sitting professionals are multifaceted is the care they provide and also have experience with many types of pets. Those who offer only dog walking or cat care, will be limited in their knowledge when it comes to the full dynamics of house sitting and the care that is given to the home and multitude of pets in a home.
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- How long is each visit?
- Do you offer overnight visits?
- How much does each visit cost?
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7. Can you book last minute appointments?
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- How far ahead of time should you book pet sitting visits?
- How far in advance do you have to book for holidays?
- Is there an extra fee for booking at the last minute?
- Can you schedule dog walks on a consistent ongoing basis?
- Can you Schedule visits a year in advance?
- How do you maintain your schedules?
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8. Does the pet sitter have an emergency procedure if your pet becomes ill or injured?
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- What happens if your fur baby becomes ill or injured?
- Will your professional pet sitter first contact you or will she immediately seek veterinary assistance?
- Will your sitter be able to handle care of your fur baby in the event that they need medication, insulin or Subcutaneous (Sub-Q) fluids?
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9. Does the pet sitter provide regular updates?
Will your professional pet sitter update a journal (online or hand written), send a text or an email after each visit or once a day to let you know how your pets are going? With the technology available today, we have the ability to do all of these things but a professional sitter should have a method that is consistent throughout the business so that it leads to consistency for all. It’s not uncommon for our clients to ask us to text them, however for the consistency in our business we use an online journal, so that in the case of an emergency with the sitter, their backup sitter can reference any notes from the previous visit as needed.
10. How will you contact the pet sitter?
If you need to extend the scheduled visits, if you’re stranded in an airport and won’t be home until late, or if you just want to check on your pets, how will you contact the pet sitter – by phone, software system or email? This is often a last minute thought and understandably so. During the events of 9/11 we updated this process and it has worked well for us and our clients when many systems were down that day, we knew that we had to be sure that as best we could, we needed a way to connect with our clients, if the phone/cell systems we down. We will also continue to make regular visits to your home until we hear that you have arrived home and we have a system set up for that as well.
The Most Important Question?
Ultimately, it’s this: “Can I trust this person with my pets, my home, and my peace of mind?”
We’re Here If You Need Us
At Pet Sitters Unlimited, we’ve served pet parents for over 30 years – with loving, professional care that goes beyond expectations.
If you’ live in Fort Myers, Estero, Bonita Springs, Fort Myers Beach or North Naples, Florida and you are looking for Dependable In-Your-Home pet care, that you can trust and count on, we would be happy to connect with you and see if our services are a good fit for your Pet Sitting, Kitty Sitting or Dog Walking needs. We recommend a brief phone call first, before setting up your profile. This ensures we’re the right fit for your pet family and saves you time.
📞 We recommend starting with a quick phone call before setting up your profile. This helps us make sure your needs align with what we offer and saves you time.
👉 Call us at (941) 777-4057 to discuss what your fur family needs.
Explore Our Services:
Overnight Pet Sitting Services
Ready to move forward?
Once we’ve chatted and you’re ready to book, you can set up your profile here and schedule a 30 min Meet & Greet (fee applies). 👉 Click here to set up your profile.
📝 Want a Handy Checklist?
Download the PDF version of this guide to keep for your records or to use when interviewing sitters: