When you are away on vacation or at work, you trust your professional pet sitter for the care of your pets. But did you know that beyond pet sitting and dog walking, your professional pet sitter can do much more for their clients?
Here’s a list of things you shouldn’t be afraid to ask to your professional pet sitter.
Please note that some of these services may incur additional charges, especially if the added tasks exceed the length of time of a typical pet sitting visit. These added responsibilities should be discussed with your professional sitter before your departure to make sure proper time is secured in your pet sitter’s schedule and that your pet sitter has all the instructions in hands.
Pick up the mail, packages left by couriers, and those pesky flyers.
Nothing screams “nobody’s home” more than an overflowing mailbox and damp flyers pilling up at your front door. Theft of packages left behind by your local UPS delivery guy is also on the rise. Don’t take any chances! Your professional pet sitter will gladly take your mail, packages, delivery slips and flyers inside at the beginning of each visit!
Check all the doors, gates and windows.
A professional pet sitter will always check all the doors and windows of their client’s house, especially at the beginning of a pet sitting assignment. It is not uncommon for people to leave a window open or forget the walkout basement door! Trust your professional pet sitter to make sure your house is secured in your absence!
Take your garbage bin to the street, and vice-versa.
It’s never fun to come back to a stinky garbage bin after a two-week vacation! Let your professional pet sitter know when it’s garbage day, and they’ll be happy to drag your bin to the street, and bring it back later that day, or at the next visit.
Water your indoor and outdoor plants, as well as your garden and greenhouse.
Going away shouldn’t mean leaving your garden and flowers to dry and die! Give specific instructions to your professional pet sitter about how you want your flowers and plants watered. Furthermore, they’ll gladly take care of the garden and the greenhouse and pick any vegetables or fruits ready for harvesting.
Switch ON the slow cooker or check the stove.
You’re waiting in line to board your plane and suddenly, you wonder if you turned off the stovetop? Quick, contact your professional pet sitter and they’ll be happy to go check it out as soon as they can! Did you forget to turn ON the slow cooker this morning before leaving for work? You don’t want your meat to go bad and your family, to go hungry! Thankfully, your professional pet sitter is scheduled to come over later that morning to walk your puppy. Let them know. They’ll turn it ON for you!
Check the furnace, water heater and all appliances.
A broken furnace or a leaky dishwasher can cause significant damage to your house! Your professional pet sitter will ensure that the furnace, water heater, toilets, taps and faucets, and other appliances are not leaking in your absence.
Check your vehicles, and even move them out of the way.
Unfortunately, vehicle theft and prowling are on the rise in cities, and in the suburbs too. If not left inside the garage, let your professional pet sitter know about your vehicles, their model and color, as well as their location (in the driveway, on the street, in the underground parking…). Your professional pet sitter can easily do a quick check at each visit to make sure your vehicle has not been stolen or tampered with. And if anything has happened, they can be sure to contact the proper authorities – and you too.
Need your vehicle removed from the snow route, or just moved? Let your professional pet sitter know.
Take care of the hot tub or the pool.
Don’t let the precious water in your hot tub go sour during your vacation. You might need a soak after that long flight! Give detailed instructions to your professional pet sitter about how to handle the chemicals and water testing kit.
Feed the fish in your pond.
Probably one of the highlights of a professional pet sitter visit, is the care for outdoor carps and garden ponds. Your professional pet sitter can feed the fish, as well as cleaning debris and checking the pumps.
Check after stormy weather.
There isn’t a month in the year where we are not hit by some stormy weather, especially hail and damaging winds. Your professional pet sitter can keep an eye out for any damage to your property caused by severe weather, and then report to you and act accordingly.
Evacuate your pets.
Although never on anyone’s wish list, your professional pet sitter may have to evacuate your pets. The threat of a wildfire, gas leak, or long-term loss of electricity or water could put your pets’ well-being at risk. Your professional pet sitter will be there to react in case of a menace and take your pets to safety.
Check for pests and insects.
You have been gone for 10 days and an entire colony of ants has decided to invade your kitchen. The horror! Your professional pet sitter will let you know and you can decide how you want to address these uninvited guests.
Take photos for insurance purposes, or provide a GPS tag.
Did you know that most home insurance providers will void your coverage if you leave your home unattended for more than a couple of days? Don’t believe us? Do a quick Google search and call your home insurance provider. Now, having a professional pet sitter to come not only care for your pets, but look after your home, is an excellent way to avoid problems with your insurance later, especially if a disaster occurs while you are absent. These days, many professional pet sitters will snap photos during their visit, and some will even have a GPS tag on record in their phone or their pet sitting software.
Call the police in case of suspicious activity.
This one is a given. If your professional pet sitter arrives at your home and they can tell something is wrong, they will call the authorities. Many professional pet sitters have caught active burglaries and were able to call and assist the police.
Unlock a client out of their own home!
Has your purse been lost or stolen, along with your house keys? Guess who has a duplicate of your house keys on file!
Shovel your driveway, front steps and sidewalks.
Many professional pet sitters will offer to shovel your driveway, steps and sidewalks after snow falls (usually at an additional cost). To quickly shovel your driveway helps give a lived-in look and feel to your home. Furthermore, in Calgary, property owners face a legal obligation to keep their sidewalks clean, safe, and ice-free. Don’t risk a pedestrian injury or attracting the Bylaws’ attention. Ask your professional pet sitter to help keep your sidewalk safe in the winter!
As you can see, professional pet sitters can do much more than just caring for your pets. Your friends at Paskapoo Pet Services can provide all the services above at no, or very little, extra costs for our clients. We’re in this business for our clients’ Peace of Mind.
Think of something else? Let us know ?
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