A Pet Sitter’s Journal
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What’s It Like to be a Pet Sitter?
I’m a pet sitter ... best job in the world. Well, for me anyway. I can’t imagine being, or doing, anything else. Oh, I’ve tried other things, done other things, but pet sitting ... it’s the best! Why? Hmm ... let’s see ...
Well, I spend my days receiving unconditional love from soft, cute balls of fur. What could be better than that? There are other parts, you know; teeth and claws to name a few, but I don’t have problems with those parts ... well, not very often. See, being a pet sitter is like being a part-time pet owner. When I’m at someone’s home taking care of their pets, they feel like mine, and more importantly, they think I’m theirs, too. It works out great for all of us.
People sometimes ask what it’s like to be a pet sitter. So, I thought I’d share some of the ups ... they’re mostly ups, and downs. I think lots of people have thought about quitting their job and becoming a pet sitter. But most never do. And with good reason. It takes years to build up enough business to make a living at it. (I still haven’t gotten there.) And you never get a day off ... NEVER! I guess that would be one of the downs. But to me, the rewards are worth the minimal sacrifice.
But, what’s it like? Well, it IS work. Sometimes very hard work because I am are going from house to house to house without a break. Some days start at 6:00 am and don’t end until 11:00 pm. Those are the difficult days, but they aren’t the norm. Then, some days seem like playing all day. Those are the fun days that make me smile all the time. Not really the norm either, but often enough to make the occasional difficult ones worth it. Of course, most days are somewhere in between. Where do I begin? Well, let’s start with my very first job.
I told my friends and co-workers that I was thinking about starting a pet sitting business. I had worked for Wheatland Animal Clinic a few years earlier and simply loved working with animals. Most of the reaction was pretty subdued. I didn’t really get a lot of, “Wow! What a great idea!” Well ... I thought it was a great idea. But, I guess I can understand why other people might not see it that way. Most people think of pet sitting as a favor you do for a friend or family member. But, I wanted to make a real business doing something I loved, and pet sitting seemed perfect.
I started by deciding on services and prices. I had used a pet sitter once. It had been several years earlier, and it had gone well. I still had her price list, so I used it as a guide, but I increased the prices for inflation. I thought that would be reasonable since the price list was several years old. With my husband’s help, I created a website, designed information sheets and came up with a customer contract. Thinking of a name for the business took weeks! Seriously, that was one of the hardest parts of the entire process. My husband and I spent day after day searching pet sitters all over the country just to read their company names. We finally settled on “Sit & Stay Pet and House Sitting.” (Later I dropped the “& House.” It was too long.) I ordered some cards and made some flyers. Finally, I was ready to select a start date and consider myself “Open for Business.”
I spent those first days taking cards and flyers to veterinary offices and pet supply stores and anywhere else I could think of. If I could visit with a receptionist or worker, I would. I wanted people to know who I was and that I would go to people’s homes several times a day to take care of their pets. Within a week or so I had been everywhere I could think of. Then I waited for the phone to start ringing. I waited...and waited...and nothing happened. Three weeks went by and I was getting a bit discouraged. Then, finally, one of my friends said that they were planning to go out of town for a few days. She asked if I would have time to take care of her dogs while they were gone. I told her I thought I could squeeze it in. I had never met her dogs, so we set a time to meet and she filled out all the paperwork online. First test of the online forms worked great!!
She had, and still has, a Boxer, a Dalmatian and a Shiba Inu. I was very excited to meet them and they were pretty excited, too! The Boxer, Dozer, was properly named. He was a real lover and thought he was a small lap dog that should sit in your lap. He would push right into you. And, it would be great if your lap was big enough. When he wagged his tail, his whole body wagged!! Riley, the Dalmatian, was a little more aloof, but very excited, too. She just wanted to be petted as much as possible and she ran around and jumped up. Then there was Dezel, the Shiba Inu. He was smaller than the others, and quicker. He really wasn’t sure what to think of me at first, but it didn’t take long for him to decide that it would be okay if I was around. He had a lot of personality and was a quite a character.
When it was time for my first visit, I was anxious to see how the dogs would react to me. They were outside and I was to let them in and fill their food bowls. Then take the two larger dogs’ bowls back outside. They were supposed to eat outside and Dezel would eat in the house. When I opened the door to let them in, it was a mad rush. They came crashing in, jumping and running all over. They settled down just barely enough to let me get the food in the bowls and take the big bowls back outside. The large dogs did just what they were supposed to. They went back out and gobbled their food right up. But Dezel, inside, wanted to sniff around and be petted and look for his toy and spend some time checking me out and anything else he could think of. “So ... hmm ... how do I get you to eat?” I wondered. I tried calling him to the bowl ... He just ignored me. I tried carrying the bowl to him ... He sniffed it and ran off. I tried just sitting there and doing nothing thinking he would get bored and eat because there wasn’t anything else to do. But that didn’t really work because he kept coming to me for a quick pet and then darting off again. The big dogs were at the door scratching to be let in but I knew if I let them in, they would eat Dezel’s food. I finally started hand feeding Dezel. He would take a few pieces, eat them and then get distracted again. But I guess his appetite finally kicked in, because at last he stood still and ate all his food. Yay! Then we went out with the other dogs and played and ran around in the yard. They loved to run! All in all, it was a great success and exactly what I had hoped for. The perfect job!
I’ve learned a lot since that first job. I thought that most of my jobs would be pretty much the same. And, I thought most people would do things the way I do them, at least pretty close. Now that I’ve taken care of hundreds of animals, I know none of them are exactly the same. None of the owners follow the exact same routine and none of the dogs, even in the same breed, act exactly the same. Of course, they are similar in many ways, but it’s really surprising to me how different they all are. But that’s one of my favorite parts of this job. That’s what makes it so interesting for me. Every day is completely different from all the others. Every pet is unique. Every home has a unique routine. And, I’m always changing pets, locations and routines. It never gets boring, never gets old. They are all fun and interesting. I fall in love with every animal I take care of.
These days, I have employees that do most of the pet sitting. There are too many jobs to take care of by myself. But, I still do my share. Whenever I’m telling someone about our different pet customers I find myself saying, “This is one of my very favorites.” Then when I talk about another one I say, “Oh, and this is one of my very favorites.” So, then I start thinking about which ones really are my favorites and I realize that they all are. They are all so special and wonderful and sweet. And, they are all different. I love each one for some special something that is unique to that pet. I think it’s amazing that God created every one of them (and us) so different and similar at the same time? And, He blessed me by letting me spend my life caring for the animals. And the pet’s owners are also wonderful and special and unique. I love each of them, too.
So, what’s it like to be a pet sitter? The days are full! Lots of time spent with the pets, playing, cleaning, feeding and petting. Then there’s the business side, phone calls, texting, scheduling, etc. Like any job, there are highs and lows, busy days and worrisome days. But, each day is a fresh start and different from the day before. And that makes it really fun. And ... the best job for me!
By Tina Helms
Co-Owner of Sit & Stay Pet Sitting - 580-231-1287
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