The Best Little Pet Nanny In Town
Loving them when you can't...for 20 years!
Serving Milton & Alpharetta
FAQs
People often have questions about pet sitters and the business of pet sitting.These are some of the questions I get asked most often.
If you have a questions that aren't answered here, please use the form at the bottom of the page and I'll be happy to answer you!
Q. Why is your service area so small?
A. My job is to provide a quality service. For me it makes more sense to cover a small area thoroughly rather than to spread myself out over a greater area putting quality care at risk due to time and traffic. I believe that since my job is to care for your pets and keep their routine as close to "normal" while you're away, I shouldn't be rushing through your pet's visit so that I can make it to the next client's home.
Q. Will you stay with my pets at my house?
A. At this time I do not stay at client’s homes. There are pet/house sitters who do offer this service, but the logistics don't work for me . First and foremost, I have my own pets to take care of. I would need to hire a pet sitter to care of them if I wasn't home!
As a small business owner, I've learned that just because I’m at home doesn’t mean I’m not still at work. A lot of my "free time" is spent catching up on administrative work (scheduling, invoicing, etc.), returning phone calls & e-mails and meeting with new clients. Although some of this can be done anywhere, it's actually more efficient to do it all from my home office.
As my business has grown over the years, and my days are busier, I’ve also come to treasure sleeping in my own bed at night. I get better rest (even when it's only a few hours a night during a busy holiday week) and I wake up refreshed and ready for another active day of loving your pets!
Q. Can my pet stay at your house?
Many pet-sitter apps have people offering up their home for your pet to stay in.Taking other people's pets into your home is a big deal and just because someone "likes dogs" doesn't mean they can manage lots of dogs that aren't their own. If you find someone who will keep your pet at their home, please make sure you know who will really be taking care of your pet (the 10 year old child who hugs cats more than the cat wants or an elderly parent who could easily be knocked over by your energetic pup). Also, make sure they have the ability to manage the pets. You can't always leave animals loose in the house when nobody is home and precautions should always be taken around mealtime.
A. My job is to provide a quality service. For me it makes more sense to cover a small area thoroughly rather than to spread myself out over a greater area putting quality care at risk due to time and traffic. I believe that since my job is to care for your pets and keep their routine as close to "normal" while you're away, I shouldn't be rushing through your pet's visit so that I can make it to the next client's home.
Q. Will you stay with my pets at my house?
A. At this time I do not stay at client’s homes. There are pet/house sitters who do offer this service, but the logistics don't work for me . First and foremost, I have my own pets to take care of. I would need to hire a pet sitter to care of them if I wasn't home!
As a small business owner, I've learned that just because I’m at home doesn’t mean I’m not still at work. A lot of my "free time" is spent catching up on administrative work (scheduling, invoicing, etc.), returning phone calls & e-mails and meeting with new clients. Although some of this can be done anywhere, it's actually more efficient to do it all from my home office.
As my business has grown over the years, and my days are busier, I’ve also come to treasure sleeping in my own bed at night. I get better rest (even when it's only a few hours a night during a busy holiday week) and I wake up refreshed and ready for another active day of loving your pets!
Q. Can my pet stay at your house?
A.
It depends. While it sounds like it might sound like a good idea, I am not a licensed boarding facility so options are limited.I have my own pets and their well-being has to come first.There are also many regulations and rules regarding boarding animals and I don't have the capacity to run a full boarding business out of my home.
Q.Are you against boarding a pet?
A. Not at all! If your pet does well at a boarding facility and you’re comfortable taking her there, then by all means do that. It really depends on what works for your pet. If you are going to board her, I would suggest a place that offers “extra attention” – either extra walks or playtimes or some type of extra time spent out of the cage/run. I do not receive kickbacks from boarding facilities, so this is based solely on personal experience with my own pets who I have boarded and take to "daycare". Your pet will enjoy her stay more if there’s some fun involved!
Many places also have a “check out time” like a hotel. There are situations where your flight may be delayed and you don’t get to pick her up before they close so she spends an extra night there and you spend an extra night without her. What if you need to head out before they open? This is where my pet taxi service will come in handy. I can go and pick her up and bring her home for you, that way she’s already waiting at the door when you walk in!!
Q.Some boarding facilities claim that pet sitters aren’t reliable and leaving pets at home is dangerous.
A. I have never told a client not to check my references or asked them to not tell their neighbors I am coming to their home. You will know how many visits I plan on making and at approximately what time of day. I always have my cell phone with me and you call me to check on your pets. Your neighbors will see me walk your dog, but who sees the walk they're supposed to get at a facility? The truth is, you have greater ability to track the coming and goings of a pet sitter to your home than you do to see what’s happening with your pet at a boarding facility.
The other thing you’ll notice is your pet's behavior and attitude when you return home. Are they stressed out like they've been ignored or exhausted because they haven't slept in days? Sometimes a pet is exhausted because they played hard but sometimes a pet is exhausted due to lack of rest or stress. Talk to me about your pet. When you talk to people about your pets, you can tell if the conversation is "generic" or if that person really spent time with and got to know your pet.
As for danger, accidents happen whether you’re home or not. Something can happen to your pet while you’re at work, out to dinner or out of town. The advantage of a pet sitter coming to your home is that I can check things out. If I notice something isn’t right (an unlocked door, power outage, etc.) I can take care of things before they become a big problem. Be sure to ask the kennel what their emergency plan is and how they will handle caring for 50+ pets at a time during an emergency. When we meet for our free initial consultation visit, I will review my "disaster plan" with you and you'll know exactly what I will do to ensure the safety of your pets.
A. Not at all! If your pet does well at a boarding facility and you’re comfortable taking her there, then by all means do that. It really depends on what works for your pet. If you are going to board her, I would suggest a place that offers “extra attention” – either extra walks or playtimes or some type of extra time spent out of the cage/run. I do not receive kickbacks from boarding facilities, so this is based solely on personal experience with my own pets who I have boarded and take to "daycare". Your pet will enjoy her stay more if there’s some fun involved!
Many places also have a “check out time” like a hotel. There are situations where your flight may be delayed and you don’t get to pick her up before they close so she spends an extra night there and you spend an extra night without her. What if you need to head out before they open? This is where my pet taxi service will come in handy. I can go and pick her up and bring her home for you, that way she’s already waiting at the door when you walk in!!
Q.Some boarding facilities claim that pet sitters aren’t reliable and leaving pets at home is dangerous.
A. I have never told a client not to check my references or asked them to not tell their neighbors I am coming to their home. You will know how many visits I plan on making and at approximately what time of day. I always have my cell phone with me and you call me to check on your pets. Your neighbors will see me walk your dog, but who sees the walk they're supposed to get at a facility? The truth is, you have greater ability to track the coming and goings of a pet sitter to your home than you do to see what’s happening with your pet at a boarding facility.
The other thing you’ll notice is your pet's behavior and attitude when you return home. Are they stressed out like they've been ignored or exhausted because they haven't slept in days? Sometimes a pet is exhausted because they played hard but sometimes a pet is exhausted due to lack of rest or stress. Talk to me about your pet. When you talk to people about your pets, you can tell if the conversation is "generic" or if that person really spent time with and got to know your pet.
As for danger, accidents happen whether you’re home or not. Something can happen to your pet while you’re at work, out to dinner or out of town. The advantage of a pet sitter coming to your home is that I can check things out. If I notice something isn’t right (an unlocked door, power outage, etc.) I can take care of things before they become a big problem. Be sure to ask the kennel what their emergency plan is and how they will handle caring for 50+ pets at a time during an emergency. When we meet for our free initial consultation visit, I will review my "disaster plan" with you and you'll know exactly what I will do to ensure the safety of your pets.
Q. What are your thoughts on "Dog Sitting" Apps?
A. Although they aren't all bed, many of those apps provide you contact with people who "like" animals, but don't really have experience with animals that aren't their own pets. As I said above, just because you like dogs doesn't mean you're suited to take care of other people's dogs.
Most people offering their service through these apps are doing so to make extra money. In truth, if they're not in the mood or have something else to do when you need them, you have to go through the process of finding another sitter who has to learn about your pet, or worse, let the app send you someone based solely on location, not experience. And sadly, we're seeing more and more incidents with app sitters because they don't really care to take time to understand animals. A puppy can be very frustrating and we all know that's why they're so cute! A senior dog will have an accident in the house, count on it. Dogs behave very different on leash than off. Dogs use more than a tail wag to let you know what they're thinking and feeling. If you only like dogs when they're trained and healthy, being a pet sitter really isn't for you.
A professional pet sitter on the other hand, does this for the love of animals. Late nights, weekends and bad weather don't determine if I'll take care of your pet. I'm proud to say that I'm taking care of 2nd and 3rd generations of pets with many of my clients (and I've seen lots of human kids grow up too!). A pet sitter you know and trust will almost become a part of the family. Keep this in mind when your app sitter changes every month.
Then there's liability. Most of these apps may provide limited insurance coverage for their sitters each month. That keeps overhead down so the app owners can make a bigger profit. As a professional pet sitter, my insurance is broader and is written specifically for pet sitting.
If you use an app sitter, make sure their coverage for the month isn't used up - you may never need it but "what if" can always happen.
If you find a good person through one of the apps, absolutely stick with them. Someone who you trust and who knows your animals can provide a huge sense of comfort to you. Every new pet sitter takes time to build trust with so when you find the right person, keep them!
Q. Your job sounds fun. I think I
want to be a pet sitter. Any suggestions or advice?
A.
There are some very good books out there you can read, some are about pet sitting, some are about running a business. The best advice I can give is to talk to a professional pet sitter and see what is really involved. It's so much more than just walking a dog or petting a cat, it's earning and keeping the trust of that pet's family!