With summer just around the corner, it’s time to kick vacation planning into high gear. For many people, that plan includes packing and planning a list of things to do at your vacation destination.
However, what those plans often do not include is preparing your home for a pet sitter. If your home is not prepared, the experience can be more difficult for everyone involved — including your pet. The last thing you should have to worry about on vacation is how your pets are doing back home.
Here are a few things you can do ahead of time to ensure your pet is well cared for while you’re away:
Supplies
Leaving food for your pet while you’re gone is a no-brainer, but there are some other supplies that are not as obvious but still an essential part of your pet’s daily routine.
Things like supplements, medications, and anything else that goes along with mealtime should be clearly marked and placed near the food, along with instructions about what should be taken when and how often.
We also recommend leaving cleaning supplies in case of accidents, as well as extra litter for cats and waste bags for dogs. For all of these supplies, we recommend allocating an extra day or two beyond the time you plan to be gone in case you are delayed your plans change.
Lights and Sensors
Every house has its quirks when it comes to things like light switches. Your pet sitter will be entering your home for the first time and trying to figure those things out without disturbing your pet in the process.
If your pet sitter will be entering your home after dark, consider placing your lights on a timer so that the sitter does not have to fumble around trying to find a light switch. Having the lights come off and on at a consistent time will also help your pet maintain a feeling of routine that they have while you are home and provide some security for your home.
In addition, make sure that batteries in smoke detectors and all other devices with sensors are changed to avoid chirping sounds or other notifications that might scare your pets while they are home alone.
Your pet sitter should not be responsible for changing a smoke detector battery or disabling a security alarm. Again, any time spent worrying about these things is time the sitter should be caring for your pet.
Instructions
A pet sitter will strive to stick as close to your pet’s normal routine as possible, but that can only happen if you leave instructions about what to do and when to do it.
Try to type your instructions if possible, as handwritten notes can be hard to read. The more time a sitter has to spend trying to decipher your handwriting, the less time they can spend caring for your pets.
For Your Spot uses an online portal where clients enter all relevant pet sitting information and instructions. This eliminates any potential for confusion or misunderstanding.
We also recommend notifying your veterinarian that you’ll be away and that a sitter will be caring for your pet while you’re gone. Include contact information for your vet in your instructions so your sitter can contact the right one in case something happens.
A Caring Touch
Vacation pet sitting is all about maintaining your pet’s routine while you are away. For Your Spot tries to do just that, but we can only be as good as the instructions our clients leave for us.
With a little planning up front, you can relax and enjoy your vacation knowing that your pet is in good hands. Contact us to learn more about our pet sitting services and reserve your sitter for the summer.