4 Ways to Find an “In-Apartment” Pet Sitter
Every pet owner has experienced it at some point: the near-crippling guilt of walking away from your puppy or cat while he paws futilely at the door of his carrier. Somehow, he can sense he’s being left behind in this kennel—and he’s not wrong.
If you want to escape this unpleasant situation the next time you go out of town, opt to have someone stay at home with your pet instead. Even if your furry friend doesn’t know the pet sitter, at least he’ll be able to cower in his usual hiding places. You also have the added bonus of a built-in house sitter to keep an eye on your apartment while you’re away. If you don’t immediately have someone in mind for the job, here are four ways you can find an in-apartment pet sitter.
- Ask your vet for a recommendation. When there’s a good pet sitter or pet-sitting agency in town, word gets around. Your vet is probably the first person who will hear about a good experience with a local pet sitter. She might even have firsthand experience with the person if it’s a client. So when you’re looking for someone who you can trust with your pet (and in your home), go to a pet expert. Ask your vet for recommendations for local pet sitters or pet-sitting agencies, specifically ones that come right to your apartment.
- Look online. If you can find a babysitter online—or a roommate or a new doctor or a dentist—why not a pet sitter? From com to sittercity.com, there’s a slew of websites that can help you locate sitters in your area. The Humane Society of the United States highly recommends two pet-sitting organizations in particular: the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters and Pet Sitters International. Both organizations’ websites offer tools to help you locate a pet sitter in your area, so you’ll probably have access to a few different options. That means you should be able to find a pet sitter willing to come to your home and care for your four-legged friend.
- Rely on good, old-fashioned word of mouth. It may be old school, but actually asking around to see if anyone has heard of a good pet sitter just might do the trick. The only way to really know if a pet sitter is worthy of a call is by getting first hand reviews from customers. You can do the online version of word-of-mouth snooping on com, too, but you might get more honest opinions in person.
- Check with trusted friends or neighbors. You may not know that one of your neighbors is a cat person. The same goes for a friend or a family member. Put the word out that you’re looking for someone to come take care of your cat and dog, both in your circle of friends and family and in the building, and see if anyone volunteers for the honor. If you find a neighbor you trust who’s willing to pet sit, you can offer to swap and watch after his apartment (and any pets therein) the next time he’s out of town—it may just be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Choosing a Pet Sitter [The Humane Society of the United States]
6 Tips to Find the Perfect Pet Sitter [MoneyTalks News]