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You’ve always loved caring for your four-legged bestie, and you’ve always been the person your family calls on to watch Fido or Mrs. Whiskers over the holidays. Maybe you’ve even been told you have a natural gift for being around animals. But have you ever wondered how to become a pet sitter?
If you’re looking to start a new business, pet sitting might just be the ticket. After all, every pet owner needs a reliable, responsible person to watch their fur baby now and again. What does it take to go from being an everyday pet parent to being a highly sought-after sitter, though? And how do you become a pet sitter with no experience?
To find out, we spoke with two highly experienced pet sitters who did just that, going from animal lovers to pet sitting entrepreneurs. Read on to find out how to get started on your pet sitting journey.
Key takeaways
- Before embarking on your pet sitting journey, consider what types of animals you’d like to care for and whether you have the right traits and skills for the job.
- Gain pet sitting experience by asking friends, family and other trusted individuals if you can offer your services for free or at reduced cost.
- Consider certifications like CPR and first-aid training, as well as becoming insured, in order to make yourself more trustworthy as a pet sitter.
What is a pet sitter, and what do they do?
A pet sitter is an individual who watches pets while their owners are away, whether they’re at work, school or on vacation. The tasks vary depending on the needs of the pet, says Breanne Wiggins, professional pet sitter and owner of Breanne’s Bed & Biscuits, but pet sitting typically include:
- Feeding pets.
- Making sure pets have fresh water.
- Cleaning out litter boxes.
- Walking dogs or letting them outside to use the bathroom.
- Cleaning kennels, tanks or enclosures.
Wiggins, who is also a former zookeeper and veterinary assistant, says other tasks might include playing with pets, as well as administering medications and monitoring health and behavior.
“We [also] ensure the home looks lived in if the pet parents are away,” adds Jennifer Aguirre, owner of Dirty Paws Pet Sitting Services. “For example, we might bring in the mail, make sure garbage bins are placed out for pick up and brought back in, water plants if needed and alternate lights and blinds throughout our visits.”
“You can always set up meet-and-greets to see if the pet and pet parent are a good fit, whether it’s an exotic animal, such as a leopard gecko or guinea pig, or a domestic pet like a dog or cat.”
— Jennifer Aguirre, owner, Dirty Paws Pet Sitting Services
How to become a pet sitter with no experience
If you think you’ve got what it takes to become a great pet sitter but are lacking experience, how do you begin the process? The experts we spoke to suggest the following.
1. Decide which types of pets you want to care for
“Start with species you know you enjoy caring for and that you know how to properly care for,” says Wiggins. “If you don’t know how to properly care for or handle a certain species, maybe hold off until you do know more.”
She also recommends considering how much time you have to dedicate to your potential animal clients, as well as where you’ll be caring for them (whether in your home or theirs), which may limit what types of pets you can sit for.
“You can always set up meet-and-greets to see if the pet and pet parent are a good fit, whether it’s an exotic animal, such as a leopard gecko or guinea pig, or a domestic pet like a dog or cat,” adds Aguirre.
2. Consider pet sitting certifications and insurance
While pet care certifications and insurance aren’t required to begin pet sitting, they can add tremendous value to your business. Clients are often more likely to choose a pet sitter who has had some formal training, as well as someone who has already proven to be prepared for worst case scenarios, especially if they’re just starting out.
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“We pay for pet care insurance for sitting, dog walking, drop-in visits, and we have boarding and pet taxis just in case it’s needed,” says Aguirre. “It’s definitely a plus to have pet care insurance in the event an emergency arises and a pet needs vet care under my supervision.”
As for certifications, our experts recommend at the very least getting certified in pet CPR and first aid. “The Red Cross offers certifications on its site for a small fee,” says Aguirre. Other good options include the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) certification and the Certification for Professional Pet Sitters from Pet Sitters International.
3. Gain introductory experience
The easiest way to begin gaining pet sitting experience is by asking close friends, family, as well as neighbors, if you can help care for their animals. Whether it’s walking your neighbor’s dog or coming by to feed your best friend’s fish while they’re away, it’s all relevant experience — and you can ask them to write testimonials for you later on.
“You will gain plenty of experience and confidence handling dogs and cats,” says Aguirre. The experts we spoke to also recommend volunteering as much as possible at animal rescues, veterinary hospitals and even zoos, in order to gain experience caring for a variety of animals.
“Talk about any animal experience you have had with your potential clients,” says Wiggins.
4. Set your rates
Setting your pet sitting rates can feel daunting at first, but you can easily come up with some starter rates based on where you live, what type of animal you’re caring for and what tasks you’ll be responsible for. Use our Cost of Care calculator to see what others in your area are charging.
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“Many new pet sitters will start with slightly lower rates than (or very comparable to) what they find in their internet comparison search. This helps to build a client base,” says Wiggins. “But also, know your worth! Once you have more experience, raise your prices.”
Wiggins says if you’re offering more services than your competition, it makes sense to charge more. “Maybe you include training, pick-up and drop-off or play time with the pet,” she says.
Other pet sitter pay factors our experts recommend you take into consideration include:
- Travel to and from the client (including time and distance).
- Any pet care certifications or other degrees you hold.
- How much knowledge you have in working with animals.
“Remember that your rates are not set in stone — you can always change them as you go,” Wiggins adds.
5. Start building your client base
How can you show the world you’re ready to care for their fur babies? Here’s what the experts suggest:
Name your business. Wiggins says having a business name will help you appear more legitimate and trustworthy (and you can even go as far as establishing an LLC if you’d like).
Create an online presence. Offer helpful tips, cute photos of pets you’ve cared for and even customer reviews. This can be a website, social media accounts, or both. “Find Facebook groups in your area that are specifically for pet sitting,” says Wiggins. “Comment on posts and offer your services to people who are looking for a caregiver!”
Create your online business profile. Create a profile on Care.com to start connecting with potential clients. Aguirre also recommends using apps like Rover or Wag! to offer your services to the community.
Advertise the old-fashioned way. Wiggins suggests leaving business cards or flyers on community boards in your neighborhood to reach more clients. Places like coffee shops, coworking spaces, rec centers, libraries and even college campuses are great places to start.
Get active in your community. “Network as much as you can! Find local pet related events and go to them, or host a booth to get your name out there,” says Wiggins. “Connect with other local pet sitters to ask about what they are doing that is working for them. You might even be able to refer clients to each other when you are already booked.”
What traits and skills does a good pet sitter need?
“Reliability, trustworthiness and flexibility are musts when handling animals since they can be unpredictable,” says Aguirre, who has been pet sitting for over 20 years. And that’s only the start of it. Great communication skills are also important for a number of reasons.
“Honesty — especially about issues, incidents and concerns — is important,” says Wiggins. Making sure you understand your client’s needs, making sure to ask questions and never promising anything you can’t deliver are all extremely important.
But general communication is also a great way to build trust in your relationship with your clients. Wiggins says offering “basic updates and pictures, especially when the clients want or expect them” are also great ways of proving you’re a good pet sitter.
Lastly, our experts say being comfortable with and knowledgeable about different animals (including different species, breeds and temperaments, as well as body language) will also ensure you’re successful as a pet sitter. Aguirre says pet sitters must “have compassion and love for animals and what they do.”
“Pet parents love when you love not only your profession, but when you love their pet as your own.”
— Jennifer Aguirre
Expert tips to grow your new pet sitting business
Getting reviews every time you have a new client, whether it’s on Google reviews, Yelp or pet sitting apps, is a great way to begin growing your business. The more positive reviews people see, and the more your online presence grows, the better the chance of getting more new clients. Asking friends and family members to write some is a good start, but you can also offer small incentives to new clients for leaving an honest review.
Wiggins recommends figuring out how to make yourself (and your business) stand out from the others. “Think of services that you can provide that not many others are providing in order to make your customers that much happier,” she says.
And finally, Aguirre says you should simply lead your business with compassion, love and care. “Pet parents love when you love not only your profession, but when you love their pet as your own.”
