Pet Sitting
Once you have a pet in your home it becomes part of your family. Today’s social media allows sharing of the activity of the pet. Companies have been developed to share a real time feed (Petcube) of the video of their pet in the home. Although the pet has become part of your family with the love that you shower on others, oftentimes they don’t travel well. That’s where you need a great team to take care of things while you are away.
I’ve worked with a number of teams over the years that will come into the home and take care of cats. My approach includes documenting a detailed list of step by step instructions for the care. It’s amazing to me that the tasks that are repetitive for me, become pages of procedures for somebody that does not do it on a regular basis. The best teams follow the instructions and leave a note which includes using text messaging with a quick video of the friendly feline.
In selecting a team to come into your home it requires an introductory meeting for both parties to get to know each other. During the meeting you can have a checklist of requirements, but nothing can substitute for the “Feeling” you get when you meet with the team. While apps are on the rise for this type of service in the “on-demand” context, this is a “client” type of relationship. If you will travel in the future, spend the time now to meet a team that you can rely on and develop the relationship. Set them up with the keys to your home and walk through the logistics. Setting this up in advance allows you to place a phone call in the future, leave a summary of the instructions and depart on your trip.
There are a number of quality team members that enjoy pets and taking care of them. They enjoy knowing that the pets are not alone for hours on end. They can provide quality care even if it is for a short duration. If you have a pet, take the time to meet a great team and break up the long lonely hours that your pet may endure while you are at work or on a quick trip. Side note, if you are traveling for a long period of time, please consider getting somebody to stay in your home. Boarding is just too traumatic for cats.