Pet Care Provider Interview Tips

Oct 5. 2023: Episode 138

Here's a post from Central Oregon Pet Services.

If you're interviewing pet sitters, we recommend asking about their emergency backup plans. This applies to all pet sitters, but especially those who are providing overnight care. We have several clients who came to us after their sitters canceled at the last minute, and they were left scrambling to locate trustworthy pet care. I understand that emergencies happen, & I empathize. This is why plans should be put into place. We should all anticipate the unexpected.

We also recommend building relationships with a few sitters, as overnight pet sitting demand is high. Contact sitters well in advance, in order to get to know them. Hire them to walk your dogs or play with your cats, before you travel. Allow your pets to get acquainted with them. Leave the house for a few hours so that your pets can have time with them while you're absent. Pets often react differently while their parents are present. You could request that the sitter record the pets' reactions to their entrance, which you can watch and evaluate.This is standard for us.

Please be careful about who you choose to work with. We also have a few clients who booked elsewhere when we weren't available, who discovered that their pets were never seen. They had been left unattended for hours or days. They contacted us, as they were still out of town upon discovery. We were able to provide daytime care. This can't make up for the time when the animals were hungry, lonely, etc.

This is a great segue, as we recommend using cameras as one of the many tools in your bag. Cameras are useful, even if you have a care provider who you trust. We have a client who keeps an eye on her pup while she's at work. There was a medical emergency, which she wouldn't have known about otherwise. She contacted us, and we escorted her pup to the vet, as she was unable to leave work. Her pup is fine now.

We weren't providing service for her at the time. All of our clients are free to contact us during an urgent situation, even in the middle of the night. We cannot guarantee that we can assist, as we might be helping with another emergency. However, if we are available, we will help. This is why we provide every client all 3 phone numbers. We urge everyone to have a few trusted members of their inner circles as emergency contacts, so that they're not dependent upon a single person or entity for assistance.

Typically, pet sitters aren't with your pets for 24 hours every day. Cameras may allow you peace of mind that everyone is safe & healthy. You might even see something interesting or humorous. A recent story was that camera footage revealed a cat was using the doggy door to invite a multitude of other cats in for lunch. They then promptly departed, so without the camera the parent wouldn't have known. You may see how your pets play or cuddle when you're absent.

Pet sitters have brought cameras into homes where cats are hiding. This is to ensure that they're not stuck somewhere. They first evaluated the litter box for use and the food for consumption.

I belong to pet sitter groups with members throughout our world. There are stories of cats turning on bathtubs and flooding the house. Dogs have turned on ovens, by leaning against the buttons. A camera could've assisted in these situations, before extensive damage took place. Cameras aren't simply used because you're suspicious of someone, but because sometimes, the unexpected happens.

Here's an instance which doesn't get discussed often. Should the pet sitter have a medical emergency, the pet parent may see through the camera. This may save precious lives. Whether or not cameras are used within the home, we recommend that pet sitters share videos of the pets as well as photographs. There are a few reasons why. Obviously, this helps the pet parent's heart & soul, as videos are more living than photos. They can participate in the sweet, adorable and silly moments of their pet's interactions. In addition; and equally important; is that this is an imperative means of communication. The sitter may observe a physical ailment and may question if that's typical for the pet. If the issue is common for the pet, but only occasionally happens, the parent may forget to mention it to the sitter. This communication is imperative in both parties' determinination of whether medical assistance is necessary.

Sitters should share their times & locations with a loved one, so that someone knows where to find them if phone contact is lost. This could also be due to medical emergency. Or, it could be something as simple as a phone battery requiring charge. Please take care of yourselves & your families.

Nakala