The Pet Guide: Find Care: Interviewing Pet Sitters

In this article

• About the interview
• Training
• Emergency plans and insurance
• References
• Make sure your pet likes the sitter

About the interview

If you are like me, you might hate the whole process of conducting an interview. The points below will help you create an effective interviewing strategy that you can live with.

• Training: All sorts of pet lovers are good at taking care of pets. Make sure your sitter is trained appropriately for your needs. If you need a dog walker, then someone experienced at doing so would be great. If you have an ill pet that needs special care, then someone with the appropriate training would be best.
• Emergency plans: Do you have a back-up pet sitter and a veterinarian on call? Create a list of emergency contacts for your sitter. Ask your sitter if she has ever handled a pet care emergency. Discuss what to do in case she has an emergency with your pet.
• Ask what services the pet sitter provides: Make a clear list of what you want your pet sitter to do and discuss each point. Do you want your pet to be groomed while you are gone? Do you think it's important that he spend at least an hour a day catching frisbees with your dog. A pet-sitter can do all these things. But you need to find out if your pet sitter will do them.
• References: Get three references and call them. Make sure you go through with it. Ask what services the sitter provided them, when and why she ended her empoloyment with them, and what their level of satisfaction was with the sitter's service.
• Have your pet meet the sitter: Does your pet even like your pet sitter? All the training in the world would not forestall a bad match here. You don't want to set your pet up on a blind date.
• Is your sitter bonded and insured? This would cover many dire contingencies (accidents, negligence, theft of your property, and more). If not, you need to have a frank discussion about your sitter's roles and responsibilities. Check your homeowner's insurance to see what situations would be covered in case your sitter or your pet damages something in your home.
• How many other pets is your pet-sitter currently sitting for? A full dance card, so to speak, means less special attention for your pet. Make sure your pet sitter has time for your pet.
• Is your pet sitter asking you as many questions as you are asking her? If the pet sitter doesn't seem especially curious about your pet, that is a red flag.

Steve Penhollow is the Arts and Entertainment Reporter for the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette in Indiana. He has written for a number of publications, including the Advocate chain of newspapers in Massachusetts and Connecticut.