Pet sitting is caring for a pet while its owner is away. Dog walking is also classified as pet sitting since it involves going to the pet’s home to provide exercise and companionship.
People often hire pet sitters when they go on vacation, travel for business, work long hours, or when they’re sick or injured and can’t take care of their pets. Some pet sitters offer overnight pet-sitting too, and some of them do more than one check-in per day.
A pet sitter’s duties during a pet-sitting visit include:
- Changing the water bowls of the pets, feeding them
- Providing exercise and play time (may include walking the dog)
- Cleaning litter boxes and cleaning up any other pet messes
- Administering pet medications, if needed
- Providing lots of TLC!
Pet sitters often bring in mail and newspapers and change blinds and lights while owners are away so the house looks lived in. As requested by the pet owners, pet sitters can also do other tasks.