Many people just put their animal in a shelter for the time they are away. This causes excess stress on your animal. They are in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by other animals all who are also anxious, and aren't sure why they are there or if you are coming back. A better option may be to hire a professional pet sitter which allows them to stay in their own homes and familiar environment. |
Interview with Wendy Nigro owner of Purrfect Pet Sitting.
This service offers dog walking and pet sitting in East Greenbush, North Greenbush, Wynantskill, West Sand Lake, Averill Park, Schodack, Rensselaer and some of Troy (South and East). Contact them if your area isn't listed.
1) Can you briefly describe the benefits of a professional pet sitter instead of a friend or neighbor?
There are many benefits of hiring a professional pet sitter. First, this is our job. It's what we do for a living, not for some extra cash. We will be there when we say we're going to be there and we will make sure all client instructions are followed to the letter. We work with pets daily and are trained to notice the small things that others might not catch. We won't bail on a client because we got a better offer or had something else to do. Hiring a professional provides a peace of mind that free help usually can't.
2) Do you have any words of advice to decrease the animal's stress and maximize their well being while the people are away on vacation?
I normally like to tell people to leave a piece of clothing that they have worn (t-shirt, bathrobe, etc.) in a place the animal sleeps or frequents. Having that familiar scent seems to reduce their stress. Another thing is to leave a radio or tv on low to break up the silence. We do our best to stick to the pet's normal routine which also maximizes their well being.
3) Can you explain why it is so important to have a back up pet sitting plan and how your company handles this?
When I first started pet sitting a fellow pet sitter in the area passed away unexpectedly two days before Christmas (one of the busiest pet sitting holidays). She was a sole proprietor. When her daughter stepped in to try to make sure the schedule was covered she didn't know that her mother had taken reservations for the holiday and hadn't yet written them into her schedule. There were pets that went a full week without being seen (thankfully all survived). At that point I created a written emergency plan.
We always send two people to meet with new clients. That way, if the primary sitter has an emergency there are two people who are familiar with the home, the pets and the routine and our emergency coverage is seamless to the client. All my sitters check in after each round of pet sitting visits so I can compare the sits they've done to the schedule to make sure nothing has been missed.
4) How do you work with the dogs who may be unfamiliar to you to gain their trust? How do you minimize leash pulling or other aggressive behaviors when encountering other animals on your walk?
As I said previously, we insist on meeting with a new client before they go away. This way we can meet their dog and make sure all parties are comfortable with the arrangement. If we feel the dog is too aggressive, we turn the client down and suggest alternate arrangements. That extreme is rare though. If we feel the dog is aggressive, but we can work with them we may suggest the client have us come for a few 'test visits' before they go away to make sure we will be able to get into the home and perform our duties. It's better to find out before they are away than to have to call them on vacation and tell them we can't get into their house.
We also practice a lot of calming signals such as averting our eyes and not looking directly into their eyes, ignoring them and letting them come to us, licking our lips, yawning and blinking very slowly.
Leash pulling and aggressive behavior is taken on a case by case basis. For pulling dogs we may stop and make them sit and turn around, not letting them know exactly what to expect. Or, we will bring treats (client provided only) on our walk to work on proper leash etiquette. We are constantly on the lookout for other animals on our walk and we specifically ask the client during the interview how their dogs react to other dogs/animals so we can be prepared and act accordingly.
5) I know your company also offers routine pet sitting services to owners who work long hours and you will let the animal out, play with them, take them for a walk at a requested time during the day. What behavioral changes do you notice in pets who are home alone frequently and do you notice any change when you start doing routine visits?
We always insist on meeting a client before they leave so we can meet the pets and see the routine. We've had people tell us their cats hide from everyone and we'd never see them or people who tell us that their dog will be very nervous. It's amazing how much different pets act when they are home alone without their pet parent there. Cats who typically hide sometimes come out and be our best friends, nervous dogs greet us at the door with their tail wagging happy to see the Treat Lady. They get used to the routine and look forward to our visits.
6) Any other thoughts you would like to share?
Many people think that being a pet sitter is playing with puppies and kitties while chasing rainbows all day. That couldn't be further from the truth. It's a lot of hard work and dedication. It's early mornings, late nights, holidays and weekends. It's 365 days a year, 7 days a week in all kinds of weather. Pet sitters don't get sick days.
I urge people not to base their decision on hiring a pet sitter solely on price. If you're looking for a pet sitter who will be available (and still in business) the next time you go away look for a service that has a proven track record and has been in business for a while. So many businesses start up and then close within 6-12 months when they realize that it's a lot more work than they thought. For your own safety, make sure your pet sitter carries liability insurance.
For more inf ormation, ple ase visit:
http://www.purrfectpetsitting.net
or call 469-6459
Now that you have their physical needs met, don't forget that you can purchase Reiki sessions to help with the emotional aspects of you being away from home. Reiki can help bring in calmness, peace, balance, and help them know they are safe while you are away.
This service offers dog walking and pet sitting in East Greenbush, North Greenbush, Wynantskill, West Sand Lake, Averill Park, Schodack, Rensselaer and some of Troy (South and East). Contact them if your area isn't listed.
1) Can you briefly describe the benefits of a professional pet sitter instead of a friend or neighbor?
There are many benefits of hiring a professional pet sitter. First, this is our job. It's what we do for a living, not for some extra cash. We will be there when we say we're going to be there and we will make sure all client instructions are followed to the letter. We work with pets daily and are trained to notice the small things that others might not catch. We won't bail on a client because we got a better offer or had something else to do. Hiring a professional provides a peace of mind that free help usually can't.
2) Do you have any words of advice to decrease the animal's stress and maximize their well being while the people are away on vacation?
I normally like to tell people to leave a piece of clothing that they have worn (t-shirt, bathrobe, etc.) in a place the animal sleeps or frequents. Having that familiar scent seems to reduce their stress. Another thing is to leave a radio or tv on low to break up the silence. We do our best to stick to the pet's normal routine which also maximizes their well being.
3) Can you explain why it is so important to have a back up pet sitting plan and how your company handles this?
When I first started pet sitting a fellow pet sitter in the area passed away unexpectedly two days before Christmas (one of the busiest pet sitting holidays). She was a sole proprietor. When her daughter stepped in to try to make sure the schedule was covered she didn't know that her mother had taken reservations for the holiday and hadn't yet written them into her schedule. There were pets that went a full week without being seen (thankfully all survived). At that point I created a written emergency plan.
We always send two people to meet with new clients. That way, if the primary sitter has an emergency there are two people who are familiar with the home, the pets and the routine and our emergency coverage is seamless to the client. All my sitters check in after each round of pet sitting visits so I can compare the sits they've done to the schedule to make sure nothing has been missed.
4) How do you work with the dogs who may be unfamiliar to you to gain their trust? How do you minimize leash pulling or other aggressive behaviors when encountering other animals on your walk?
As I said previously, we insist on meeting with a new client before they go away. This way we can meet their dog and make sure all parties are comfortable with the arrangement. If we feel the dog is too aggressive, we turn the client down and suggest alternate arrangements. That extreme is rare though. If we feel the dog is aggressive, but we can work with them we may suggest the client have us come for a few 'test visits' before they go away to make sure we will be able to get into the home and perform our duties. It's better to find out before they are away than to have to call them on vacation and tell them we can't get into their house.
We also practice a lot of calming signals such as averting our eyes and not looking directly into their eyes, ignoring them and letting them come to us, licking our lips, yawning and blinking very slowly.
Leash pulling and aggressive behavior is taken on a case by case basis. For pulling dogs we may stop and make them sit and turn around, not letting them know exactly what to expect. Or, we will bring treats (client provided only) on our walk to work on proper leash etiquette. We are constantly on the lookout for other animals on our walk and we specifically ask the client during the interview how their dogs react to other dogs/animals so we can be prepared and act accordingly.
5) I know your company also offers routine pet sitting services to owners who work long hours and you will let the animal out, play with them, take them for a walk at a requested time during the day. What behavioral changes do you notice in pets who are home alone frequently and do you notice any change when you start doing routine visits?
We always insist on meeting a client before they leave so we can meet the pets and see the routine. We've had people tell us their cats hide from everyone and we'd never see them or people who tell us that their dog will be very nervous. It's amazing how much different pets act when they are home alone without their pet parent there. Cats who typically hide sometimes come out and be our best friends, nervous dogs greet us at the door with their tail wagging happy to see the Treat Lady. They get used to the routine and look forward to our visits.
6) Any other thoughts you would like to share?
Many people think that being a pet sitter is playing with puppies and kitties while chasing rainbows all day. That couldn't be further from the truth. It's a lot of hard work and dedication. It's early mornings, late nights, holidays and weekends. It's 365 days a year, 7 days a week in all kinds of weather. Pet sitters don't get sick days.
I urge people not to base their decision on hiring a pet sitter solely on price. If you're looking for a pet sitter who will be available (and still in business) the next time you go away look for a service that has a proven track record and has been in business for a while. So many businesses start up and then close within 6-12 months when they realize that it's a lot more work than they thought. For your own safety, make sure your pet sitter carries liability insurance.
For more inf ormation, ple ase visit:
http://www.purrfectpetsitting.net
or call 469-6459
Now that you have their physical needs met, don't forget that you can purchase Reiki sessions to help with the emotional aspects of you being away from home. Reiki can help bring in calmness, peace, balance, and help them know they are safe while you are away.