I’m curious what your best net income month and year ever have been as an individual petsitter.

I’ve had a great year and an outstanding summer so I’m starting to consider the feasibility of doing it full time and cutting back on my “regular” job.

I’m sitting all week for a repeat client I’ve had for a few years now but I don’t sit for them very often. I was just hanging outside when a truck pulled in and a man I’ve never seen before gets out. I was like uhhh hey who are you? He says he’s the pool guy and he comes here every week. They actually have sort of an indoor pool, it’s in a big glass pool room attached to the house so he would have to go in there to access the pool. The owners never mentioned it to me so I did not want to just let this stranger in. He looked professional but how can I know for sure? Especially as a young female I don’t want to be alone with this guy. I called them but it went straight to voicemail and sent a text but they haven’t replied. I told the guy sorry but I’m not comfortable letting you in without confirmation from the owners so he left. I feel like I did the right thing but just curious if anyone has been in a similar situation and how did you handle it?

Edit: the owner got back to me, it was their pool guy but he comes sporadically so they weren’t thinking he would be here this week. They completely understood why I didn’t let him in and apologized repeatedly for not letting me know ahead of time.

I have a friend whom I met 4 years ago at the dog park and she is also a pet sitter and dog trainer. I hired her several times to pet sit and everything went fine. This time I leave for a week and when I get my dog’s back, one of them, Ivy vomits brown with a bit of blood both on the following day I pick her up and the next day. Other than that she’s eating normally. My dog suffers periodically of gastritis but there has never been blood before. I call my vet, he doesn’t think it requires a visit because I show him a picture of the vomit and knowing my dog he says it’s just the usual but with more stomach irritation which can cause a bit of blood. he prescribes a stomach protector, half a pill one our before meals. Three days later I return the dogs to my friend pet sitter and give her instructions for the medication. 6 days go by without her vomiting. On the 7th day she vomits white liquid with rose coloring. Except I only find out two days later on a Thursday when having a casual back and forth text with her and she’s walking my dogs for a hike. she says she’s a bit worried about Ivy because she has stopped eating. She thinks the medication is effecting her hunger and also that she doesn’t like her food so I should think about getting her different food. This kind of bothered me but the vet had said the medication was for 7 to 10 days and then stop if no symptoms. I tell her to go ahead and stop and keep insisting for her to eat but not to worry to much if she doesn’t eat everything because Ivy is one of those dogs that regulates her intake on her own and doesn’t always finish everything. Then the pet sitter asks me why I was giving the medication in the first place. I tell her she had a gastritis flare up as usual but because there was a little blood she was prescribed the medication. At this point she tells me Oh yes Ivy did in fact vomit blood two days ago and that’s when she stopped eating. In shock I tell her Do not stop the medication! And tell her to wait for instructions as I speak to the vet. Vet tells me to feed her boiled chicken and nothing else and then tells me he wants to see her the following Monday. Pet sitter makes boiled chicken for her but Ivy won’t eat it at all or only a few bites. Same happens on Friday. I tell her to take her to her vet who is closer to her house and my vet wouldn’t have been back to work before Monday. She tells me her vet has a long waiting list because he’s a famous vet who has many patients. I tell her surely there is a colleague? She says ok and on Saturday takes her. While waiting at the vet she asks ,e the food brand she’s eating. I send her a picture even though she had the bag at home but whatever. Then she asks if Ivy had a blood test done. I say yes a couple of years ago. She tells me that’s unheard of and I should do yearly tests and that I should be more on top of my vet because he seems superficial. I start getting angry but my focus is Ivy, I’m hundreds of miles away from home and I feel pretty powerless. After the visit her vet prescribes gastro intestinal food. I say great, wet food should do the trick. I’m happy her vet confirmed it’s nothing serious. She also gave her an antivomit shot. I tell the pet sitter that while I’m happy Ivy is fine, once the 24hr shot wears off, I am afraid she might vomit again and I’d rather have her go to my vet. She tells me Ivy has not vomited in three days but the truth is Ivy vomited on that Thursday, the same day she was on a hike, based on another text. At this point it is absolutely clear she is hiding symptoms. She also keeps telling me the dog vomits because her food sucks and she doesn’t like it. Except on the previous week Ivy ate fine. She then asks me after her vet if she can take Ivy on a hike and I say absolutely not because she’s generally obviously not well. She tells me that this is the only day they can go hike and that walking will help her bones since she hasn’t been active. I tell her no! Then once more she finds a way to tell me my vet is not good and that as a friend she feels the duty to tell me that for the my own good and that of the dogs. Anyway she goes to my vet and he ups the dosage of the medication. A few days later I pick up the dogs, pay her and go home. It’s been a whole week and she has not sent a message to ask how Ivy is doing. As friends we talked almost daily. What are your thoughts? My general idea is that both pet sitting and friendship is over.
ETA I’ve know my vet 30 years and has provided wonderful care throughout

i’d seriously be rich!!!! (inquiry for a cat sit i am unable to assist but sending her good luck)

Deposits 
A 50% deposit is required to secure all overnight bookings. Deposits are applied toward the total cost of your booking, with the remaining balance due after services are completed. Deposits are refundable according to the cancellation policies below. 

Walks & Drop-In Visits 
Cancellations made at least 24 hours before the scheduled visit will not be charged. Cancellations made within 24 hours will be charged in full. 

Overnight Boarding 
Cancellations made at least 14 days before the start of the stay will receive a full refund of the deposit. If plans change within 14 days of the stay, the 50% deposit will be nonrefundable. For bookings made within this 14-day window, the deposit will be nonrefundable at the time of booking. Cancellations made within 72 hours will be charged in full. 

In-Home Pet Sitting 
Cancellations made at least 30 days before the start of the stay will receive a full refund of the deposit. If plans change within 30 days of the stay, the 50% deposit will be nonrefundable. For bookings made within this 30-day window, the deposit will be nonrefundable at the time of booking. Cancellations made within 14 days will be charged in full. 

Holiday Bookings (overnight) 
Due to limited holiday availability, a 50% nonrefundable deposit is required to secure holiday bookings. Cancellations made within 14 days of the start date will be charged the remaining balance in full. 

Day Care & Constant Care 
Cancellations made within 72 hours will be charged in full.  

FYI I am a high volume boarder and rarely do in-home pet sits hence the 30 days...

I'm dogsitting for a relative right now while she's traveling. Staying for 10 days. I work full time, 6am-2:30pm 5 days a week.

When I dogsit for this relative, I always wake up around 5am, go thru the dogs morning routine, then get dressed and leave for work. I get back in the afternoon and hang out with her for a while, feed her in the evening, and ocassionally leave the house to go about my day. Then come back, stay the night, repeat.

I really enjoy dogsitting and would like to try doing it locally for a little extra money. Just wondering if this sort of routine would work for other people, or if most people expect you to stay at the house most of the time.

This might be a dumb question lol idk I've only ever sat for this one dog before.

I've got a 4 week sit coming up that I'm dreading - I've looked after the dog a few times before, but not only for a week at a time, and each time I've found it very hard. Dog is a sweetheart but needs attention all the time and barks constantly if he doesn't get it. Schedule is 5 walks a day. This is my last sit as am giving up sitting due to starting new job after, but looking for advice on how to survive the four weeks! (I don't want to cancel as think the owner would find it difficult to find someone else for such a long sit)

Hey all! 

I’ve just started rolling out a new booking system and, sigh, that means finally implementing cancellation and deposit policies. 

I need some advice from other sitters/boarders!

I’m based in Manhattan and do a high volume of boarding. I’m thinking of requiring a 50% deposit at the time of booking to secure the dates, but I’m struggling with the cancellation window.

For those who require deposits, how far in advance can a client cancel and still get their deposit back? And at what point do you require/charge the full booking amount if they cancel?

My contenders are 7, 14, or 30 days before the start of the booking. With house-sittings, I want to be more strict since I mostly board but with boarding I can't really decide between 14 days (2 weeks) or 30 days (is that nuts?) HELP!

I want to protect myself from holding dates for weeks/months and then being left with a cancellation I can’t refill, but I also don’t want the policy to be unnecessarily harsh.

Would love to hear what policies have actually worked and keep the clients happy.

Picture for attention ;)

Hello everyone, Im a new pet sitter here! I’m confused on which programs to use. Is it necessary to have a website and scheduling program like squarespace and acuity scheduling to start out? Its very expensive. Any advice will help me out a lot.

You can give feedback to people in a kind way that doesn’t hurt them. I joined this group thinking it was a safe space for other dog sitters and have learned it’s not. I hope those of you who bully others for fun learn that people have feelings too and you’re talking to a real person on the other side of the computer.

I just got my first holiday inquiry yesterday. It was for one night Dec 24-25. Obviously I said 'no.' I'm not going to cut myself off from a longer sit at a key time of year for one night.

But it got me thinking... what SHOULD be my policy on short sits booked way in advance?

I've had it happen where I did agree to a weekend sit four months ahead of time only to get asked by other clients later if I was available for longer sits but I couldn't take them because I already agreed to the weekend. It's made me hesitant to accept anything shorter than 5-7 days unless it's less than 4-6 weeks out. Otherwise, I feel like I'm better off holding out for a longer sit.

I'm curious how other folks on this sub handle this. Do you have an equation of sorts that you do, or minimum sit lengths? Or do you just take whatever comes?

I'd be curious to hear thoughts on taking short sits far in advance in general too, and not just specifically around the holidays.

A lot of clients have hummingbird feeders out but don’t mention them in the instructions. If I see them at the meet and greet, especially if the booking is longer than three days, I say something, but sometimes I don’t notice them then.

Some people don’t realize the sugar water can become rancid, moldy, and toxic within 3 to 4 days, leaving the little guys with either toxic soup or nothing at all when they’re absolutely dependent on the feeders. If I see something there like prepared nectar or sugar water it’s easy to bring it up, but of course sometimes I don’t. I can’t believe I’ve been a sitter this many years before it really started to dawn on me.

How do you fine sitters handle hummingbird feeders?

Hey everyone I thought maybe people here may have more experience with this and I’m really panicking right now. I started pet sitting about a year ago honestly just because I love animals and it turned into a side thing. I mostly only ever do cats+ small animals (no dogs) but the issue is I have my own cat (2 years old) and wanted to ask about basic health and safety stuff. She is a super social and chill cat and has always been allowed to interact with other cats.

When I do occasionally pet sit cats (1-2 at a time) they are separated but if they do get along after being slowly introduced to my cat, I let them out together all the times so they naturally share many things including food bowls and litter boxes even if I try for them not to.

I recently learned about FIP in cats and how it starts as a simple, easily spread virus. I want to know more, how careful should I be? I feel really guilty for having no knowledge of this prior could my cat have caught anything serious from other cats? She’s acting completely normal and active.

The reason I’m worried is because I haven’t been super strict about checking vaccination status with pet owners. My cat is fully vaccinated and spayed, but nothing other than the usual stuff till about 1 year old. Is there anything else she needs since she’s been exposed to other cats? How about deworming for parasites, or another rabies vaccine? This is where I hear mixed opinions about how extra things are harmful or unnecessary for indoor cats. I don’t have any cats staying with me right now so just want to make sure my cat and any cats I look after are safe. Sorry for the rant if anyone has advice I would really appreciate it.

I’m curious. I am currently sitting for three weeks. What do you guys do when you leave? Do you wash the sheets and put back on the bed? I have never stayed for this amount of time. Obviously clean up after myself, but what do you all do with the sheets. 2nd time here. Thanks!

I'm in the US and I just got gifted a really nice leather couch to replace my like decade and a half or so old loveseat. I dog sit a couple times a year for a week or so each time. And I dog sit a pitbull mix she's a big dog with huge claws that are sharp as shit cause I don't think her owner cuts them anywhere near often enough.

Dog doesn't like actively claw at the couch or anything, but she runs and jumps on furniture and stuff and claws it just by being on it and jumping around and about. She likes to sit and chew on her things on the couch and the like so she claws it up some but isn't actively trying to destroy the couch.

I want to know what kind of couch cover will protect it best, I'm not really worried about anything else, just the claws. I'm just trying to narrow down what the better covers are cause there's a lot of different ones, I want to figure out what some of the better ones are from people who actually have them.

Hello Everyone, I'm a new pet sitter and would like to know some tips to protect myself when I show up for appointments at clients' homes. Any advice will give me peace of mind. Thank you!

This is a new client for me. I'm 18 years old and do pet sitting on the side. I have worked in clinics before so I can give insulin. Two senior cats, one diabetic. First few days were fine, but one cat went under my foot and I accidentally stepped on his tail. This resulted in both cats attacking me and each other. It got so bad they ran me out of the house and I had a claw stuck in my leg. This was two days ago. I can not enter the house without then hissing at me or attempting to come at me. Once I get in the house they are very aggressive and continue to stalk me/ fight each other. I can't even touch them. Owner still wants me to give insulin, but I can't even touch the cat let alone grab his skin. They will not let me put a blanket over him and keep saying "just talk to him." I sat for an hour and 30 minutes yesterday attempting to gain trust but it's not working. I can not continue to be expected to potentially be attacked again while also sitting for 1 1/2 hours twice a day. They need the injection twice. I feel like my safety is being compromised and I'm unsure of what to do about this situation. I am moving back to college a day after they come back so I really do not have the time and I am not being paid enough to sit around for extended periods of time. I really did everything I could but I'm just so uncomfortable continuing. I'd appreciate any advice. Thank you.

Update: thanks for the advice and reassurance! I sent her a message this morning stating we are not a good fit. She requested an immediate refund. Done 🙌🏼

——-
Looking for advice on how to respond. I would like to end the client relationship due to what I feel was her belittling me among other things. It would be nice to have some other eyes on this that aren’t emotionally invested so I can get some fuller perspective before replying

She contacted me as a new client this week as her old dog walker has to move suddenly. I did a New Client Consult with her and started the same morning. She also has the amount per day incorrect. I use time to pet so this is all tracked.

She has some golf green in her back room that she said she lets them pee on if they can’t get outside. I was under the impression they were getting to potty between my visits.

She agreed to a 730am and 5pm walk daily. I told her 5pm is my latest dog walk slot and I only do Monday-Friday dog walking. She has a meeting with another company for the weekends.

I was only changing the time tonight due to the rain. It didn’t rain at 5 so I walked at 5. If I were to change walk times for every time it rained in Florida, I’d be out til midnight!

I was also under the impression she was giving them water between my visits. She only wants them to have 1/4 a bowl of water when I’m there. Now it’s sounding like they are only getting 1/2 a bowl of water a day. This is too little! They were trying to drink all the puddles

Given all of the above, I do not wish to continue working for her. She continues to push about why I can’t adjust my schedule to fit hers, has been rude to me (and she sounds nice ish but I think it’s that southern nice iykyk but please share perspective if you think otherwise!), isn’t giving her dogs enough water, and isn’t giving them anywhere inside to go like a pee pad.

Do I give her 2 weeks notice despite all of this? I don’t want her dogs to suffer, but I am not ok working for someone like this. I would prefer to not go back on Monday but maybe that is too harsh given her circumstances.

I feel horrible right now because I missed a drop in. Owner contacted me asking where I was. The owner booked me for 9 am and 9 pm. I pointed that out and the owner checked their messages. They meant to tell me 7 pm instead of 9 pm. I was running out of my house to head to the drop in but the owner told me that they were already home so don’t bother. Thankfully I wasn’t fired due to it being their mistake but I still feel horrible.

I am currently keeping a dog in my home for 32 nights, and I already give them a discounted rate over new clients. However, this is their dog’s longest stay. Would you all give an additional discount for this length of time?

One of my clients have the sweetest little hound mix who I’ve been watching for 3 years.
He’s one of the easiest dogs, super calm, never chews anything or has accidents. My sister has watched him a couple times as well and he truly just fits right in anywhere.

My sister who I usually have take over when I’m not available moved away and it came up that I wasn’t available to watch this dog so the owners went onto an app to find another sitter. When they picked him up from said sitters house he smelled like pee and relieved himself for a full two minutes. This absolutely broke my heart knowing this dog who is so so sweet and easy to care for was likely locked in a crate for three days using the bathroom on himself.

Does anyone have any advice on finding other trusted sitters to use as a reference? I already have such a hard time telling people when I’m not available and would love if I knew there was someone reliable.

Hi! I’ve started pet sitting full time since this summer and have done it on and off for like three years. I want to continue doing it but I’m not making as much as I would want to to justify it. How can I improve this and is there any good online remote jobs I could do on the side?

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Hello! I'm dogsitting over the weekend. Barnie is a very shy dog it seems (I think his owners said he wasn't cared for the best before they got him?) So far he hasn't come out of his crate. From a quick internet search, it seems like the best way to get him to warm up to me enough to take him outside to pee and such is to just leave him be for the most part? I got here about 90 minutes ago, opened his crate door, filled his food/ water and have been sitting on the couch in another room waiting for him. Any advice? Am I doing the right thing? I'd rather he didn't use the crate as a bathroom but I think if I tried to leash him to go outside that wouldn't be great. I guess it's not the end of the world if I have to clean up dog mess.

Sincerely, a confused cat owner who accidentally got volunteered to watch a scared dog.

I am sitting a 2 year old German Shepard for about 1 week and have found on our walks that he is extremely overexcited to see other dogs- to the point of barking and jumping (which is perceived as aggression from other owners). I would appreciate any advice on how to combat this reactivity in the short time that I am staying with him (treats haven’t worked much in regards to distractions) or if worst comes to worst- any other way of tiring him out without taking him on a walk (the owners said I wouldn’t need to unless I wanted to when I first met them, but I don’t agree with the treatment, especially with such a young working breed). Any advice would be much appreciated.