Professional pet sitters provide pet-care solution for cage pets
Pet Sitters International offers tips for owners seeking reliable pet care for their rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs and more.
KING, N.C. (July 27, 2017) — Cage pets such as rabbits and hamsters may not be as common as dogs or cats, but their owners still have a need for quality pet care when work or travel keep them from home.
According to the American Pet Products Association, 14 million small animals are owned in 6.7 million households across the United States. Fortunately, the number of professional pet sitters offering services to small animals or cage pets is growing.
Pet Sitters International (PSI), the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters, has more than 6,000 member businesses in the United States, Canada and abroad. According to PSI’s 2016 State of the Industry Survey, nearly 58 percent of its members offer pet-sitting services for cage pets such as rabbits, hamsters, etc. In 2014, about 53 percent of sitters said they offered care for cage pets.
PSI encourages cage-pet owners—and all pet owners—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,’” explained PSI President Patti J. Moran. “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.
PSI advises pet owners to ask seven important questions when interviewing a potential 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?
- Is the pet sitter a Certified Professional Pet Sitter (CPPS™) 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?
Pet owners should ask if a potential pet sitter has experience caring for their specific type of pet—whether it’s a rabbit or a guinea pig—but even if the professional pet sitter’s answer is no, the pet owners may still decide to book services based on the pet sitter’s reputation and level of experience and training in the pet-care industry. PSI has found that its professional pet-sitting members adjust and expand their services to meet the needs of their pet-owning clients.
“Oftentimes, professional pet sitters can adapt quickly to a pet’s care routine when given detailed instructions by the owner or with a ‘trial run’ before the actual pet-sitting services are needed,” said PSI Vice-President Beth Stultz.
To learn more about PSI, visit www.petsit.com. To find a local PSI member pet sitter in your area, search PSI’s Pet Sitter Locator at www.petsit.com/locate.
###
About Pet Sitters International
Founded in 1994 by Patti J. Moran, author of Pet Sitting for Profit, Pet Sitters International (PSI) is the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters, with member pet-sitting businesses in the United States, Canada and more than 20 other countries. PSI has been the most trusted name in professional pet sitting for more than two decades, and PSI members have access to the widest array of business services and educational resources available in the professional pet-sitting industry. PSI’s Official Pet Sitter Locator is the largest online directory of professional pet sitters, and pet owners can visit petsit.com/locate to find local professional pet sitters.
