Professional Pet Sitters

What they do

Professional pet sitters visit or stay in your home on a set schedule to feed, water, exercise, and spend time with your pets. A typical booking starts with a meet-and-greet, where the sitter learns where food is stored, how doors and alarms work, and what each animal needs day to day.

The work is broader than feeding. Sitters give medications as directed by you and your veterinarian, walk dogs, clean litter boxes and cages, water plants, bring in mail, and rotate lights or blinds so the house looks lived in. Good sitters send a report after each visit with photos, notes on eating and toileting, and anything unusual they noticed.

This is the generalist category in pet sitting. Unlike a drop-in service built around short check-ins, or an overnight sitter who sleeps over, a professional sitter may offer both — plus holiday coverage, multi-pet households, and longer trips. Many run this as a full-time business with insurance, bonding, contracts, and backup sitters if they fall ill.

Trust is the product here. You are handing someone your keys, your alarm code, and your animals. Professional sitters treat that seriously, with written agreements about access, emergency contacts, veterinary authorization, and what happens if you are delayed getting home.

Services you can expect

• Scheduled home visits for feeding and companionship
• Dog walking and yard play
• Medication administration as directed
• Litter box, cage, and accident cleanup
• Visit reports with photos and updates
• Mail, plant, and home-care tasks
• Meet-and-greet and key handover
• Emergency veterinary transport coordination

What to expect

• A meet-and-greet at your home before the first booking, with notes taken on each pet
• A written agreement covering visits, access, emergencies, and cancellation terms
• Timed visit reports with photos, sent the same day
• Your home left secure and tidy, with keys handled as agreed
• A clear backup plan if the sitter is delayed or unwell
• Prompt contact if a pet is off food, unwell, or behaving out of character

How to choose

• Look for insurance and bonding, and ask what each actually covers
• Ask whether sitting is their main work or a side job, and how long they have done it
• Check references from clients with pets similar to yours
• Confirm how keys and alarm codes are stored, labeled, and returned
• Make sure they will do a meet-and-greet and a trial visit if you want one
• Ask who covers if they get sick mid-booking — a named backup matters

Questions to ask

• Are you insured and bonded, and can I see proof?
• How do you store my keys and access codes between bookings?
• What will each visit include, and how long will you stay?
• How and when will you send visit updates?
• What do you do if my pet needs a vet while I am away?
• Who is your backup if you cannot make a visit?
• What is your policy if my return is delayed?

Red flags

• Unwilling to do a meet-and-greet or visit your home first
• No insurance, no written agreement, and vague answers about emergencies
• Keys kept loose, labeled with your full address, or left under a mat as standard practice
• Visit reports that are late, generic, or missing for whole days
• No backup plan — one person, no cover, no contingency
• Pressure to pay in full in cash with no receipt or contract

What affects the price

• Number and type of pets in the household
• Number and length of visits per day
• Travel distance to your home
• Holiday, weekend, and short-notice bookings
• Extra tasks such as medication, walks, or plant and mail care
• Length of the overall booking