The Top Questions a Pet Sitter Should Ask You at the Initial Inquiry: A Checklist for Clients
This resource is a product of the PPG Pet Care Division Team: Kat Frizzell, CPPS, FFCP, PFACCI, PLBS; Kristi Jones, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, CET; and Roxanne Dockter, MSc., CPPS, FFCP, CFVA, PFACCI
If you are planning to hire a pet sitter, before you plan a meet and greet and before making your reservation, schedule an initial inquiry. Be prepared for the prospective pet care provider to ask the following questions at minimum (there might be more). These questions help the pet sitter understand whether you’re a good match, determine your needs, assess safety, and evaluate if their services align with what you are looking for, and evaluate if they have the required experience to help you.
- What is your residential address?
- What do we need to know regarding location and ease of access?
- What kind of pet care are you looking for?
- What specific services are you looking to schedule?
- What are the service dates you are looking for?
- Do you need round-the-clock care for your pet?
- How often do you travel?
- Have you used a professional sitter before?
- Do you understand and are you in agreement with our policies?
- Core pet care duties
- Deposit, refund, and cancellation terms
- Restricting home access to third parties, unless otherwise agreed upon
- Equipment use, and application, and equipment deemed ineligible
- Tell us about your pets.
- Name of each pet that resides in the home
- Species/type and breed
- Sex and spay/neuter status
- General demeanor of each pet when you are absent
- Scenarios that come into play when their routine changes
- Any concerning behaviors?
- Bite history?
- Aggression?
- Resource guarding behavior?
- Fear or anxiety?
- Issues between pets in the home?
- Does your pet have any special or medical needs?
- Past chronic or severe medical conditions or accidents?
- Any ongoing conditions, disabilities, treatments, or allergies?
- Current medications? Provide name and dose frequency.
Download the checklist here:
About the PPG Pet Care Division
Supporting pets and their owners is a shared function of all pet professionals, including pet groomers, pet sitters, dog walkers and canine enrichment technicians. If you are interested in joining our divisional team and giving a voice to pet care providers, please join PPG today then log in to your PPG member account and fill out the volunteer form.
With your help, we can develop more resources for pet care providers and build great referral programs across the many vital roles of pet professionals.
