Kiddipedia
As pet owners, it’s normal to feel anxious about leaving your beloved pets with a new person. When planning to be away from home for work or play, pet care is one of the infinite list of things to do. Thankfully, you can now hire pet-sitters or dog walkers who can look after all your beloved pet’s needs while you are away. But, how do you make sure you find the best pet sitting and dog walking services in Australia?
Rohit Vijayan, the founder and CEO of Australian pet sitting service start up, Floofers gives his top tips and knowledge below with eight things you should look for when doing your research:
1. Does the pet carer have previous experience?
The most crucial thing to know is if they have previous experience handling animals. They could have simply cared for a friend’s cat, pet sat for their parent’s pooch or even worked as a veterinarian. All of these add up to valuable experience.
2. Start your research early.
With the health, happiness and well-being of your precious pet at stake, this isn’t the kind of process you want to rush. Make sure to do your research and get in touch with enough time to arrange your ideal sitter/walker. At Floofers we recommend between one and three months — “The most popular pet sitters get booked early, especially during popular vacation times so the longer you spend on your search, the more time you’ll have to find the perfect person for you and your pet.”
3. Is the pet carer reliable, trustworthy and caring?
It’s important you find a pet carer who you can 100% trust with your pet. By using a platform like Floofers, you can read reviews and testimonials from other pet parents like yourself before making a decision. A pet carer with lots of repeated bookings, 5 star reviews and great testimonials can give you an insight into the pet carer’s great qualities and work ethic to ensure they are reliable, trustworthy and caring. This, as well as communicating and meeting in person can ensure you find the perfect match and put your mind at ease.
4. Are they willing to meet you?
It’s important that pet parents and pet carers have a quick meet and greet prior to the booking. If a pet carer is willing to meet you first, it’s a great early sign that they’re committed to you and your pet’s needs. Meet and greets are a great way to talk about your pets needs, go over the booking details and ensure you have found the perfect pet carer.
5. Is the pet-sitting platform reliable?
Accidents can happen, so it’s better to be safe than sorry! It’s a good idea to enquire whether the potential pet carer has a valid police check and insurance to ensure the safety of your pet.
A hot tip is to look out for those pet-sitting services that have accreditation from the Pet Industry Association Australia (PIAA). This means the pet carers on their books have gone through a strict vetting process in order to be featured on their website.
All Floofers pet carers are vetted and police-checked and all bookings via the Floofers platform are covered by premium insurance.
6. Does the pet carer connect with your pet?
Forming a positive bond with the pet ensures that your pet will have a happy experience while you are away. If your pet suffers from anxiety, a good idea is to involve your veterinarian in the process. Make sure your sitter has their contact details and if your pet struggles with separation anxiety, your vet may recommend finding a sitter who can stay at your home continuously until you return. Floofers CEO Rohit Vijayan says: “In our experience, a great pet sitter will recognise the needs of your pet and be able to respond to them well. They should know when your cat has had enough playtime or your dog is going overboard on dinner. Find the person that handles your pet with affection and love.”
7. Which pet service is best for you and your pet?
Nowadays, there’s certainly no shortage of options when it comes to finding a trustworthy and responsible person to watch your pet while you travel. There are options for pet sitters to drop in a couple times a day to feed, play and walk with your pets while more ‘full-time’ sitters will stay in your home or host your pets at their home.
8. Is the platform easy to use?
Finally, ease of use on a pet-sitting platform is especially important. Floofers provides easy and secure payment methods, great customer support and premium Insurance which all make for a smooth process for you and your beloved pet.
Rohit Vijayan is the CEO and founder of Floofers, an online PIAA accredited portal connecting Australia’s most loving pet parents and pet carers. Visit: www.floofers.com.au for more information.
