Housesitting/Petsitting payments?

[mickeyfan1]

I pay a young lady (21) $25.00 per night. She stays in my house, we have 2 old dogs, one is blind, so we would rather not board them in the kennel. DH hates to have to house empty, so she stays.

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by taylor1293
How do you find a good pet sitter?

Also, how much should I be expected to pay for watching 2 cats/2 dogs?

Ask your vet for a referral. Ask the vet techs at your vet if they are interested, or have friends that are interested who are vet techs.

If you have a local agricultural college, call ove rthere and see if there are any grad students looking to make a little extra money.

Ask co-workers with pets who they use.

If there is a local club for your breed or species, ask them.

CHECK REFERENCES!!!

As far as payment, that seems to vary from area to area. It will probably also depend on the size of the dogs, how many times a day they are coming over, and if there are medical needs.

Anne

 

[kaseyC]

We usually have to find someone willing to spend the nights with our dog. She has emotional problems and a deep fear of the dark. We adopted her at 6mos old from a shelter and she had been abused and neglected. We haved used professioal pet sitters before and have loved them.
This year we are using our college aged neice, she will come and spend the week at our house and we are paying her $150.00 for the week. She was willing to do it for free to get a week away from home and to be so close to the Gurnee Mills Mall. I think I may surprise her with a gift card for the Gap Outlet store in the mall. She will take care of the dog, giver her her meds, take care of the trash, mail and newspapers.

Also when looking for a good pet sitter check with your groomer and/or local Humane Society.

 

[peachgirl]

I do not even want to think of what would happen if a neighborhood kid got into you liquor and then drove home or slipped and broke something in your house. I hope anyone that is doing this is well insured! You never know who will sue you-it has happened.

We don't have any liquor so that's not a problem.

Of course we carry liability insurance, but we aren't concerned in the least. Besides, it doesn't matter who is in your house, if they get injured they can sue you.

At any rate, I feel a lot more comfortable with someone I know rather than having strangers in my house.

Everyone has their own preferences, but this works well for us.

 

[PatriciaH]

Originally posted by taylor1293
How do you find a good pet sitter?

Teresa

I would also try www.petsit.com. That is the web page for Pet Sitters International. Members follow quality standards (insurance, bonding, classes in pet CPR, etc.) Put in your zip code and a list of pet-sitters will come up. Most pet-sitters will set up a free interview and you can see if you and your pets like the sitter. Referrals are great as well!

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

We recently used a petsitter for the first time and it worked out great. She's a 20yo responsible young woman who is our fill in babysitter. At first I was nervous, but as my DH reminded me I trust her with my kids, why not the dog She also stayed over and I think she would have paid us, she got full use of the house, a stocked fridge, a hot tub, and $25.00 per night. And also she got away from her younger siblings who I know drive her crazy.

 

[ZachnElli]

You guys are really lucky! We just got home from a 10 day WDW trip and had a new pet sitter. She charged $47 a day and I'm so not happy with her! My previous sitter I LOVED, but she "retired". And of course, the neighbors who I am close to left at the same time as us this summer. I'm afraid we'll have to go back to the kennel.

 

[ducklite]

What happened that you're not happy with the pet sitter?

Anne

 

[Tarheel Tink]

My co-worker is dog sitting for one of our clients (I'm a vet tech at an animal hospital) and is watching 2 parrots and 7 Yorkies in their ocean front home for $75.00 a day! She is quite delighted to do this, as you can imagine!
I watch some friends and relatives dogs when they are on vacation and don't charge them (good friends only). There is a lot of responsibility in doing this. I once had a neighbor stop speaking to me after I watched her cats for about 10 days. She told a neighbor that she was furious that when she came home she found fur on the couch and pawprints on the kitchen counter. Apparently feeding, scooping and playing with her cats and watering her 50 some plants for FREE was not good enough- I was supposed to vaccuum and wash counters also. To "punish" me, she told the neighbor she wasn't going to give me the coffee mug she had bought for a gift for me.
As for myself, I trust no one to watch my dogs. I board them at work which is a second home to them. Although an animal hospital, the boarding kennel is separate and no ill animals are boarded there.
A friend of mine had close friends watch her dog for a weekend. The dog jumped the fence first thing and the "friends" did not once attempt to search for the dog or call my friend. He was found 2 weeks later miles away.

 

[~Sparkly~Zoe]

I have my kids godfather stay here when I go away. He takes care of the dog and takes i the mail, anythign that needs done. Plus it gives him a place of his own tot stay at for a while! He is happy with anything I give him or what we bring back from Disney for him.

 

[taylor1293]

Thanks for the tips on how to find a pet sitter!

I have checked out the website (there are sitters in my area) and will give my vet a call to see who he recommends.

Teresa