Most of us look forward to our holidays but let’s face it – there’s a lot to get ready. Travel plans, accommodation, holiday shopping, packing, it can feel like you need a break before you’ve even begun! With so much to think about, getting your home ready for a pet sitter can feel like an extra job.  

With nearly two decades of industry experience, we know exactly how to ensure your home and pet care is taken care of.  We chatted with over 50 home and pet sitters to understand how to make your holiday pet care stress-free. Here are our Top Five Tips…

There’s no such thing as booking too early

Every peak season we are overwhelmed with last-minute enquiries. The admin team are prepared and we always pull out the stops to fulfill every booking. On the odd occasion this just isn’t possible. Don’t forget, you can get in touch and meet with a home sitter, even if you are not sure on your holiday dates yet.  It’s much better to get the ball rolling and we will happily change your dates if you need us to.

Pet Sitters LOVE detail

If you have used our service before, you will be familiar with our ‘pre-visit meeting’. This is your opportunity to get to know the house sitter.  Your sitter will come to the meeting with a home and pet questionnaire.  Providing your home pet and pet sitter with as much information as possible will ensure they have all the details they need while you’re away. Some clients opt to leave a manual. This might include interesting local knowledge – the best restaurants or even better, great places to walk your dog!  If you’re not familiar with Pet Sitter Plus, this is the software we use to manage our client accounts and bookings. It’s a great way to share details about your home and pets with the Home Pet People team.  

Honesty is the best policy 

It’s important that our sitters are comfortable and happy. And equally important that you feel your home and pets are in safe hands.  Your home and pets are unique and we tailor our service to meet your needs.  You should always be upfront about your care requirements and let us know how best to serve you.

Let us know how we’re doing 

All of our sitters are true animal lovers. They genuinely like to know that they’re doing a good job.  When you get back from your holiday, let your sitter know how they’ve done.  You can text or e-mail them or get in touch with our office team. This helps us to continually improve our service and to get to know you better. 

We are always asked ‘what do I need to get ready for my sitter?’ The truth is, there is no single answer. Every home, every client and every pet is different – so too are the pet sitters! It’s great to help our clients with a few hints and tips but now it’s over to you! We would love to hear your thoughts on the article. Maybe you have some ideas on how our sitters can get ready for a house sit? Drop comments and suggestions below, let’s see how well we know you guys!