A home based Pet sitting service could be for you. A pet sitting service and its sister dog walking business is fuelled by the busy life style without the family and friend support of yester year. For that reason it is more likely to be found in, or near major cities.
It is a simple business to set up and there are a number of organisations and even franchises that will help you. But more importantly can you live the pet sitting life?
Life as a pet sitter is a good job, for others it would be totally unsuitable. A great pet sitter requires to love animals, all animals. It is not just a need, it ought to be a natural love. Whether it is a rabbit, fish or one that some individuals may have a phobia about. Typical animal issues for potential pet sitters are scorpions, spiders, lizards, snakes and reptiles. In a larger company, they may be able to handle this, but typically pet sitting is a small business with only a few people, so you will need to handle these animals as a pet sitter. Fortuitously these animals require minimal care, but as a pet sitter you cannot avoid feeding and watering them. At times the owner may need the pet sitter to feed small live animals to the pet. In my experience other animals that cause potential problems for pet sitting include rats, “I don’t like the scaly tail”, particularly as the rats and owners like the frequent fussing and handling of the animal.
The demand for pet sitters is usually normally during the major holidays of Christmas, Thanksgiving and summer holidays. There is also a demand for pet sitters at weekends year round the year. Due to this seasonality, pet sitting often includes dog walking which is often required all year.
Dog walking in a first-rate pet sitting business will limit the maximum number of dogs to four or less. Superior businesses such as London dog walking will give you clothing and all weather gear. This is of common benefit, as the free clothes are free marketing, dog walking is one of the best adverts for their pet sitting business. You will not however be allowed to wear these when pet sitting, as it will announce that the owners are away on vacation. Though one of the benefits of pet sitting with somebody going in and out and doing other things such as emptying the mail box, reduces the possibility of burglary.
Pet sitting often requires the pet sitter to do other odd jobs around the house. A pet sitter will often look after the garden and house plants. Pet sitters often look after cats, who due to their territorial origins, hardly ever like leaving their home. Cat lovers hate the separation from their loved pets, so businesses such as London cat sitting will upload photos and comments on their web site for the pet owners.
Good businesses such as London pet sitting and customers will require a pet sitter be police checked as they are habitually visiting homes alone.
So if you have these characteristics, the investment is not huge, by most business standards. A web site, some advertising and probably the largest cost of insurance.
So pet sitting is a wonderful home based service for those whom it fits, try it!