5 Questions You Should Ask about a Pet’s Health and Behavior

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Be sure to include these questions in either your pet-sitting service contract or pet profile sheets.

1 - How does your pet react to your absence from home? As a pet sitter, your job is to be there when pet parents can’t. Pets behave differently when their pet parents are away and asking this question will give you an idea of what to expect when you open the door for your first visit.

2 - Does your pet have any hiding places? Having the answer to this question will determine how you spend your visits. You could be confidently providing care, because you know these pets have a tendency to hide and you’ve already peeked in on them to make sure they are safe. Or you could be throttled by panic, because you cannot find the pets and are terrified they’ve made an escape.

3 - How does your pet react to children or other pets? You do not want to discover that a dog you are walking feels threatened by children or other pets after he or she has already bitten one. Pet sitters are advocates for the pets in their care and having this knowledge upfront can help you plan your visit accordingly, with safety of the pet, yourself and others as the top priority.

4 - Does your pet have any physical conditions, issues or illnesses that I should be alert to? This question is self-explanatory, but it’s important enough that it bears repeating. Not all conditions or illnesses are readily apparent just from looking and being aware of the health needs of each pet is vital to their continued well-being. Unfortunately, we’ve heard from pet sitters who have arrived to visits to find a deceased pet, only to later learn that it had health issues the client had not disclosed.

5 - Has your pet ever bitten/scratched anyone (pet or human)? It's important to be specific when asking this question, as simply asking a pet parent if their pet is "aggressive" or "has shown signs of aggression" will likely yield a quick answer of "absolutely not!" (and of course, a pet who has previously bitten/scratched may very well not be aggressive). In the pet profile sheets available through PSI, we ask this question: Is there any reason I should approach your pet with caution?

Remember, as much as you want to help every pet that crosses your path, you need to know up front if there is potential for you to be hurt.

Click here to read the full article by the PSI Staff at petsit.com.