Professional Pet Sitting vs. Friends or Family

Why Hire A Professional Pet Sitter versus a Neighbor or Friend?

Here are a few stories of persons who let a friend or neighbor come and watch their pets while they were away on vacation.

Family #1:

The friend owned pets too- so it made perfect sense! This friend has watched their dog before, and the dog was familiar with their friend. The cost they were paying their friend was less then boarding/professional and then the pup could stay at home.

They never heard from their friend, nor did he ever send pictures- but when they texted every other day- he said all was fine. ..and things seemed great until they came home early to find the house with many urine accidents, feces throughout, and their dog had a small amount of old water. Fortunately their dog was fine. Obviously, they were extremely upset and it cause a lot of stress on their pup ( and wallet!). The friend ended up not being able to make it more then once a day sometimes but never mentioned anything until approached later.

Family #2:

Another family let a friend come a check on their cat- every few days or so due to having automatic food and water- well, one day the cat got locked into a closet from the maid who came by. A few days later the family friend came to find the cat- and unfortunately that outcome was not as good.

Friends are wonderful to have, but I have heard from countless clients, the first hand reality of what can go wrong when your pets’ lives are not in the hands of a professional.

There is a truth that separates them from a professional pet sitter:

-Your pet is a professional pet sitter’s first priority. A Lakeland, Florida professional pet sitter has an obligation to care for your pet whether their car breaks down or not. When you hire a professional pet sitter, you’re hiring someone who has made a life commitment to the care of animals.

-A professional pet sitter not only invests education all about pets and animals but understands your care and concern as an owner.

-Professional pet sitters make sure to protect you, your pet, and even your home. Not only will most professional pet sitting services require you to sign a legally binding general service contract and veterinarian notification form, they’ll also have acquired insurance and bonding created specifically for professional pet sitters and agencies.

Some other great reasons to hire a professional pet sitter?

-Your pets will never have to leave the comfort and security of their own Lakeland home- whether in Downtown Lakeland, South Lakeland, East Lakeland, Mulberry, Sun N Fun, Lake Morton or 540A area ( plus all those other places in between!). This includes the added amenity of never being exposed to kennel-related diseases, or having to endure extra vaccinations simply in order to be kenneled.

-For many pets, life at the kennel is extremely stressful; this added stress can actually weaken your pet’s immune system and make them even more susceptible to disease.

-Professional pet sitters provide focused one-on-one personal pet care. When you hire a professional pet sitter, that specialized attention is included in their fee, not added a la carte like boarding. This one-on-one approach provides the focus needed to spot acute illnesses, changes in behavior or diet, and can prevent medical emergencies before they occur.

– A professional pet sitter, dog walker, dog babysitter, cat sitter ( we have so many names!) forms a strong bond with your pet and becomes their BFF (Best Friend FURever) while you are away . This bond reduces stress, provides your pet with a sense of protection and security, and prevents fear and confusion caused when multiple people are responsible for your Cat or Dog care.