Pet Sitters International offers tips for selecting pet care for your senior pet
PSI advises pet owners to only use the services of a professional pet sitter and to inquire about a potential pet sitter’s experience with senior pets.
November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month, a time when pet advocates across the nation will encourage people to open their homes to senior pets. According to the AVMA™, pets are living longer now than ever before because of improved veterinary care and dietary habits.
“Senior pets make excellent companions, but it is important that pet owners—and anyone they entrust with their pet’s care—be knowledgeable of the specific needs of senior pets, tuning into even the most subtle of changes,” explains Denise Fleck, author of The Autumn & Winter of Your Pet: Make Those Senior Years Golden.
Pet Sitters International (PSI), the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters, advises pet owners that when they are traveling for work or pleasure—or when their schedules prevent them from regularly exercising their pets—using the services of a professional pet sitter can ensure their senior pets maintain a healthy routine.
“Physical and mental exercise is critically important for senior dogs and cats, as it keeps them entertained and helps them burn excess calories,” explains PSI President and Founder Patti J. Moran. “Professional pet sitters can ensure that senior pets benefit from regular physical and mental activity, even when their owners are away.”
PSI encourages owners of senior pets—and owners of pets of all ages—to only use the services of professional pet sitters for their pet-care needs.
“Often times, pet owners, and even news outlets, use the term ‘pet sitter’ carelessly, referring to anyone—from a family friend to the neighborhood teenager asked to check in on your pet—as a ‘pet sitter,’” Moran explains. “It is important that pet owners understand that pet sitting is a professional career and professional pet sitters offer peace of mind that other pet-care options cannot.”
PSI provides pet owners with access to the largest online directory of professional pet sitters free-of-charge and recommends that pet owners schedule an initial consultation with a potential pet sitter prior to booking services.
“Just as some people are ‘dog people’ and others are ‘cat’ or ‘bird’ people, there’s no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to finding the right pet sitter to meet the specific needs of you and your pet,” Moran advises. “Pet owners should inquire about a potential pet sitter’s experience with senior pets and any specific training they’ve had, such as Pet First Aid & CPR or PSI’s Certificate in Professional Pet Sitting Program.”
PSI encourages pet owners to ask seven important questions before selecting a professional pet sitter:
- Does the pet sitter have the proper business license for your city or state, if required?
- Is the pet sitter insured and bonded?
- Can the pet sitter provide proof of clear criminal history?
- Does the pet sitter provide client references?
- Will the pet sitter use a pet-sitting services agreement or contract?
- Has the pet sitter completed PSI’s Certificate in Professional Pet Sitting Program and/or has he or she participated in other pet-care training, such as pet first aid?
- Is the pet sitter a member of a professional and educational association, such as Pet Sitters International?
To learn more about PSI or the professional pet-sitting industry, visit www.petsit.com. To find a pet sitter to care for your pet, search PSI’s Pet Sitter Locator at www.petsit.com/locate.
