Now that several states in the US such as Minnesota are gradually lifting restrictions, many St. Paul and area residents are excited to travel again.
Like children, our pets are adorable members of our family. We love them, share special moments with them, and even dedicate most of our time and attention to them.
So, naturally, when we have to leave town without our little furry friends, we tend to worry a lot about their health, safety, and emotional well-being. Unfortunately, such situations are often unavoidable, and finding a suitable companion for a pet can be quite the challenge.
In the end, you might consider turning to a friend, neighbor, or relative to supervise your pet. Or you might opt for a professional pet sitting service instead.
Let’s examine both options and discuss why hiring a professional pet sitter is the best way to ensure your pets are in good hands during your absence.
The Issue with Choosing a Friend or Relative
At first glance, asking a friend or a relative to supervise your pet might seem like a great idea; especially because it costs little to no money, and your pets might feel more comfortable around a face they know.
However, your friends and family might be busy with their day-to-day activities, making it hard for them to visit your house regularly and spend quality time with your pet while you’re away.
Even if you arrange for your pet to stay at your friend or family’s house, there are still other factors to consider:
- You might be imposing on your friend, especially if they have terribly busy schedules.
- If your friend or relative already has pets, it might be hard for your pet and theirs to get along.
- Your friend might lack the knowledge, experience, and qualities required to meet your pet’s specific needs.
- If your pet is taking medication, your friend might not know how to administer the right doses at the right time. Or, worse yet, they know yet forget to administer the right doses at the right time.
Asking a friend or relative to watch over your pet for a day is easy enough. But vacations hardly last only one day—they usually last several days, and there’s an endless list of mistakes your friend could make during this period.
This brings us to the next option.
Hiring a Professional Pet Sitter
Choosing a professional pet sitter for your dog in the Southwestern St. Paul, MN area eliminates the anxiety associated with the former option.
Professional pet sitters are just like their title suggests: professional.
They have many years of experience and knowledge in pet sitting, as well as an excellent reputation to show for it.
So, what are some benefits of hiring a professional pet sitter?
Benefits to your Pets:
- Since your dog would be staying home, it usually wouldn’t have to change its diet or exercise routine.
- Hiring a pet sitter eliminates the trauma of separation anxiety, and allows your pet to thrive in a familiar and comfortable environment.
- There is a reduced risk of your pet’s exposure to other animals’ illnesses or parasites, as opposed to leaving them in the hands of a friend who has pets of their own.
- Some pets have certain quirky behaviors, which can offer insight into how they are feeling—if you know how to interpret them. Having spent time with pets for years, pet sitters can easily tell if your pet has any of these behaviors. And if it does, they can create a custom approach to meet your pet’s specific needs.
What About the Benefits for you?
- The biggest advantage to hiring a pet sitter is that it lets you ensure your pet’s safety without your imposing it on your friends or family. So your relationship with your pet AND your friends or family remain unaffected.
- By hiring a pet sitter, you can rest assured that your pet’s basic needs (grooming, feeding, exercising, etc.) will be well attended to. Asides from that, they have what it takes to handle medical emergencies.
- Pet sitters often take on flexible roles. Asides from watching over your pet, they might water your plants, retrieve your mails and manage some household chores, to help your home retain its homeliness while you are on a vacation.
How to Choose a Professional Pet Sitter
Picking a reliable sitter to manage your home and pets is no easy task. However, here are some tips to help your search yield the best results:
- Always conduct background research on a pet sitter before hiring them. One easy way to do this is to check if they are certified and registered with organizations like Professional Pet Sitters of Minnesota.
- Despite how reputable a pet sitter may appear, they remain strangers. Therefore, letting them into your home without first meeting them can be risky. For this reason, you should always interview a pet sitter before hiring them.
- During the interview, probe them to decide if they are as skilled as they should be. Ask them what communication medium they allow, and how often they will update you on your pet’s welfare. You should also ask if they offer other services, such as mail retrieval and chores management.
- Finally, evaluate the pet sitter’s qualities. Not only should a pet sitter be highly experienced, but they should also possess a calm and responsible demeanor, as pets can react aggressively to an aggressive pet sitter.
Things to do Before you Travel
After finding a reliable sitter for your dog, whether you’re in Cottage Grove, Woodbury, Lake Elmo or another local suburb of Southwestern St. Paul, it can be tempting to head right into your vacation plans. However, finding a pet sitter is only half the task. The other half involves providing the sitter with relevant information for cases of emergency.
Before traveling out of town, you must leave your pet sitter with a list of emergency contacts, as well as any special instructions concerning your pet.
If your pet has any behavioral issues or allergies, or if they are taking medication, make sure you inform your sitter. Another thing to do is to leave your sitter with an authorization letter, should they ever need to take your pet to a vet.
Looking for a Professional Pet Sitting Service?
Exercise is a vital part of every dog’s daily routine, which is why at Christine’s Professional Pet Care, a pet sitting service provider in Minnesota, also provides dog walking services to further assure a happy and healthy pet.
Christine’s Professional Pet Care LLC
8170 Jewel Ave S, Cottage Grove, MN 55016, United States
+1 651-491-9100
