Pet care

A pet-sitting arrangement refers to someone acting as a temporary caregiver for another persons pet. The person who provides this service is called a pet sitter. Pet-sitting may transpire at the pet owner's home or elsewhere; some individuals offer drop-off pet-sitting in the provider's home. The term pet-sitting describes a more personal and individualized arrangement for care than the terms boarding or kenneling (of a pet).

According to the Pet Sitters International's 2016 State of the Industry Survey, its members completed 17 million pet-sitting assignments and generated more than $391 million in pet-sitting revenues in 2015. Many of the surveyed pet owners preferred hiring pet sitters rather than taking advantage of the more traditional pet care options available. Reasons people used pet-sitters included:

Many new pet-sitting businesses are arising due to high levels of pet ownership and the relatively low barriers to entry.

In many areas, no special occupational license is required for pet sitters. The term "licensed" is often used by pet sitting professionals to refer to licenses to do business, kennel licenses, and/or animal transportation permits available within the coverage area of the business. These licenses may be required, depending on the location. Licenses are not available in all areas.

Pet-sitting gig economy has led to the creation of various apps and websites to match pet-sitters with clients.

Pet sitters may offer a variety of services including exercising, cleaning, well being checks, as well as more traditional services such as vacation care.

During vacation, a pet sitter visits a client's home several times, as required. The exact length of visit is determined by both pet owners and pet sitters, averaging from fifteen to forty-five minutes. Typical services offered include: providing the pets' customary diet and exercise routine, administration of medications, vitamins, and other special care, monitoring health and arranging for medical treatment in case of illness. Most pet sitters bill clients on a per-visitor per-day basis, including additional charges for multiple pets, travel expenses, and special tasks. Less commonly, pet sitters offer live-in care. Pet sitters also provide house sitting in conjunction with vacation pet care.

Pet sitters also commonly provide dog walking services. Clients often hire pet sitters to exercise and care for their pets if they are unable to do so.

Pet sitters may also offer other more aggressive methods of exercise for dogs during dog walking appointments. These may include jogging, running, inline skating, bicycling, or dog scootering with client dogs.

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Wikipedia