Do you need to get free lodging in your subsequent trip? Or are you on the lookout for methods to make additional money? Maybe you’re a digital nomad in search of methods to scale back housing prices. In that case, it’s time to learn to turn out to be a pet sitter.
Pet sitting permits you to receives a commission (in cash or lodging) in change for caring for cute animals. It’s actually a win-win state of affairs. With loads of gigs out there globally, pet sitting is a good way to journey.
I’ve pet sat world wide; I spent every week taking care of a Husky combine in Glasgow, a month and a half with a Frenchie in Tokyo, a number of weeks with a rescue cat in Brussels, and weeks with a Saluki in Kobe. It’s by far my favourite strategy to journey.
On this article, I’ll share the necessities to turn out to be a pet sitter, how you could find work, how a lot pet sitters receives a commission, and extra.
What’s a Pet Sitter?
Firstly, earlier than we get into the best way to turn out to be a pet sitter, it’s possible you’ll be questioning what a pet sitter is, and what the distinction is between a pet sitter and a home sitter.
Pet sitters take care of somebody’s pet whereas they’re away. This often entails staying on the pet proprietor’s dwelling, however this isn’t at all times the case; it might probably additionally embody dropping in to test on the pets, taking part in with them, checking the cat litter, or strolling the canines.
Pet sitting may embody letting the animals keep at your personal dwelling, however this requires a safe and secure set-up. Whatever the particulars, pet sitter duties sometimes contain offering the animals with security, meals, water, affection, and playtime.
In distinction, home sitters take care of somebody’s dwelling whereas they’re away; this virtually at all times entails staying on the property. Their duties can embody caring for a pet, nevertheless it additionally contains watering the crops, preserving issues clear, and taking care of the backyard.
I’ve expertise with each home sitting with a pet and pet sitting solely (the place I dropped in to test on an animal). Each varieties of jobs have professionals and cons however the primary distinction is that though you get free lodging with home sitting, you’re extra prone to receives a commission as a pet sitter.
Now that we’ve established what pet sitters and home sitters are, let’s get into how one can begin pet sitting.
Necessities to Change into a Pet Sitter
Should you’re questioning the best way to turn out to be a pet sitter with no diploma, it’s possible you’ll be asking what certifications, programs, or abilities you want so as to be up for the job.
Fortunately, most shoppers don’t require you to have any official pet sitting certifications or programs, nonetheless, there are some experiences and traits which might be important for thriving as a pet sitter, together with:
Expertise with Animal Care: With a view to safe pet sitting gigs, you should emphasize your previous experiences with pet care. This contains feeding, strolling, cleansing, grooming, and taking part in with pets. Should you’ve by no means owned any pets earlier than, you’ll be able to achieve some beneficial expertise by pet sitting to your mates or volunteering at an area veterinary clinic.
A Love for Animals: Should you’re right here to study to be a pet sitter, I think about you have already got a robust love for animals! Pet homeowners like to see their pet sitters have a transparent and apparent affection for his or her beloved animals.
Accountable and Reliable: One of the vital essential traits that pet homeowners are on the lookout for of their pet sitters is duty. They’re leaving their treasured animals and residential within the care of a stranger, they usually want to have the ability to belief their pet sitters utterly.
Versatile: With a view to work as a pet sitter, it’s a must to be versatile. The pet proprietor could have a last-minute request or your in a single day pet sitting dates could get modified and even canceled and so flexibility is essential to thriving as a pet sitter.
Nice at Speaking: Pet homeowners love receiving frequent updates on how their beloved pets are doing, so being an important communicator is important. From private expertise, I discovered that pet homeowners particularly love receiving images of their cats taking part in or canines out on walks, because it reveals that they’re having a good time and are glad. Being a very good communicator can also be required if and when emergencies or issues come up.
(Elective) Pet Sitting Certification: Having a pet sitting certification undoubtedly isn’t a requirement. I’ve been pet sitting for years with out one. Nevertheless, it might probably actually enhance your credibility as an expert, so it’s nice for these severe a few profession in pet sitting. Some certifications embody the NAPPS and the CPPS.
(Elective) Pet First Support Course: Whereas taking and passing a pet first assist course isn’t important if you wish to work as a pet sitter, it’s a good way to extend your credibility and reliability, which in return, could make it simpler to seek out shoppers.
I pet sat for 2 years earlier than I received my pet first assist certification, so don’t really feel pressured to get it straight away. That being mentioned, having the certification elevated my odds of securing new shoppers, and it made me extra comfy with caring for pets with medical points.
Easy methods to Change into a Pet Sitter (5 Steps)
Now that we’ve gone over the necessities of turning into a pet sitter, let’s get into the 5 final steps on the best way to get your first pet sitting place.
These steps will make it easier to safe new shoppers no matter whether or not you’re a brand new or skilled pet sitter. The following pointers have helped me get pet sitting gigs world wide, together with constant canine sitting jobs in Vancouver and home sitting gigs in Japan.
I’ve each confidence that these steps will make it easier to discover constant pet sitting jobs as nicely.
1. Be a part of A number of Home Sitting and Pet Sitting Web sites
Initially, so as to discover pet sitting jobs regionally and world wide, it’s a must to be part of a number of home/pet sitting web sites.
Fortunately, there are various web sites to select from. Some selections embody Trusted Housesitters (use this hyperlink to get 20% off), Nomador, MindMyHouse, Home Sitters America, Home Sitters Canada, and Home Carers. Take a look at the following part to study extra about the very best pet sitting web sites.
Alternatively, in case you’re questioning the best way to turn out to be a canine sitter in your personal metropolis, you’ll be able to search for native jobs on web sites equivalent to Certainly, ZipRecruiter, and Rover.
Once I first began out as a pet sitter, I used to be primarily enthusiastic about discovering free lodging whereas touring. I solely used Trusted Housesitters to seek out pet sitting gigs, and due to it being the most important pet sitting platform on-line, it was straightforward for me to seek out alternatives.
Nevertheless, I discover that it’s simpler to seek out paid pet sitting jobs regionally. General, it’s greatest to make use of many various web sites to increase your choices. Click on right here to enroll with Trusted Housesitters and obtain 20% off the membership payment.
2. Create the Good Profile
When you’ve joined a pet sitting web site or two, it’s time to arrange the proper profile.
Before everything, make sure that your profile is well-written and error-free, as this may convey your professionalism. Nevertheless, don’t neglect to incorporate slightly persona.
Speak about your earlier pet care expertise, abilities, and why you’re enthusiastic about pet sitting. Embrace any testimonials or previous pet sitting evaluations (in case you’re a complete beginner, get some references from mates or co-workers; see step 3!). And don’t neglect to incorporate some images of you with some cute animals.
Bear in mind to focus in your strengths. I at all times emphasize my expertise, duty, and love for animals in my profile. Should you’ve taken any pet first assist programs or certifications, make sure to spotlight them.
3. Safe Your References
Subsequent, it’s time to safe your references. That is an important a part of getting began as a pet sitter, as having previous references, evaluations, and testimonials makes you appear extra reliable and reliable.
Should you’re questioning the best way to turn out to be a pet sitter with none expertise, you’ll be able to at all times search for some native alternatives. Pet sit to your mates or household, discover native job postings, or supply to stroll your neighbor’s canine and easily ask the homeowners to write down a evaluation afterward.
It’s also possible to ask for some character references from your folks, household, or employers. Once I first began pet sitting, I requested my previous boss to write down me a reference to spotlight my reliability and duty.
General, no matter whether or not you’re a newbie or an skilled pet sitter, it’s important to incorporate references and evaluations to construct belief with potential shoppers.
4. Discover and Apply for the Greatest Jobs
So, you’ve joined a number of pet sitting web sites, written a killer profile, and included your prime references. Now, it’s time to seek for your good pet sitting job.
Most home sitting web sites can help you specify your search to locations, dates, size of keep, and species of animals. Many pet sitting web sites will even allow you to specify the kind of job, equivalent to home sitting with pets, drop-in visits, or canine strolling.
After you’ve discovered and skim via some nice pet sitting job listings, it’s time to use to them. To take action, you’ll must ship the pet homeowners an attractive and informative software message.
Introduce your self, speak about their pets, spotlight your previous related expertise, and clarify why you’re the perfect alternative for them. Make certain to ask some questions concerning the job itemizing (and particularly, their furry member of the family), and finish the message by saying that you simply’d love the chance to interview.
I at all times prefer to tailor my software message to the itemizing; I point out their pet’s title usually, and I emphasize my earlier related pet care expertise. For instance, if the job itemizing is for a timid feline, I spotlight my expertise caring for nervous and shy rescue cats.
5. Put together to your Interview
After the pet homeowners have thought-about all their functions, and in the event that they really feel you may be a very good match, they’re prone to attain out and ask in case you’re enthusiastic about an interview. You’re one step nearer to securing a pet sitting job. All it’s a must to do is ace the interview.
So, what’s one of the simplest ways to arrange for these pet sitting interviews? I prefer to go over the job itemizing and observe something essential that they could convey up.
Do the pets have any well being points or behavioral issues? In that case, be ready to reply questions in your comfortability and expertise with most of these pets.
Whereas the questions and tone of the interview fluctuate per pet proprietor, some commonplace questions embody:
- Why are you interested by pet sitting for us?
- What’s your earlier expertise with canines/cats/different animals?
- What are you planning on doing throughout the pet sit?
- Should you’re touring from abroad, what are your journey plans like?
And bear in mind, don’t beat your self up in case you don’t get the job ultimately. Pet sitting may be aggressive! Hold making use of, and also you’ll ultimately land the proper pet sitting gig.
Whether or not you’re questioning the best way to turn out to be a licensed pet sitter otherwise you’re hoping to safe some home sitting gigs to your subsequent prolonged trip, these 5 suggestions are the very best steps to get began.
Easy methods to Discover Work as a Pet Sitter
Now that we’ve gone over the best way to turn out to be a canine sitter and the best way to turn out to be a cat sitter, let’s increase on the place to seek out work as a pet sitter.
These are the 5 greatest web sites to seek out pet sitting gigs:
1. Trusted Housesitters
Should you’re turning into a pet sitter within the hope you’ll get free lodging abroad, then it’s a must to use Trusted Housesitters. The most important pet sitting platform out there, Trusted Housesitters permits you to discover an abundance of home sitting alternatives world wide.
With a 24/7 vet hotline, nice customer support, and an easy-to-navigate web site, Trusted Housesitters is among the greatest pet sitting web sites on the market. Nevertheless, you do should pay an annual membership payment to entry Trusted Housesitters’ plethora of alternatives; it prices $129 per yr.
I personally prefer to view this membership payment as a small funding; I pay $129 upfront, nevertheless it saves me 1000’s of {dollars} on lodging a yr. I’ve used Trusted Housesitters to journey to nations like Japan, the UK, and Belgium on a price range, so it’s undoubtedly value it.
Goats On The Highway readers obtain an automated 20% off the price of the membership payment with Trusted Housesitters. Use this hyperlink for the low cost and particulars.
2. Rover
Should you’re enthusiastic about getting paid to pet sit regionally, then I like to recommend you try Rover. An internet site the place you’ll be able to listing your pet sitting companies like home sitting, pet boarding, canine strolling, doggy daycare, and drop-in visits; it’s one of the simplest ways to make cash as a pet sitter.
Rover enables you to get began free of charge, however they take a proportion of your wage out of your bookings. They provide 24/7 assist (which incorporates vet help), the Rover Assure (which incorporates reimbursement for up $25,000 value of vet charges), and give you entry to an abundance of potential shoppers – it’s value looking.
3. Nomador
For these nonetheless questioning the best way to turn out to be a pet sitter, Nomador is among the greatest web sites to get began.
Stuffed with worldwide home sitting alternatives, it’s the proper platform for vacationers and digital nomads. It does, nonetheless, has a membership payment of $85 per yr.
4. MindMyHouse
Much like Nomador and Trusted Housesitters, MindMyHouse is a world home sitting web site that’s good for these trying to turn out to be a pet sitter.
With an easy-to-use web site and plenty of pet sitting alternatives, MindMyHouse is a good way to get began. It’s additionally one of many cheaper choices out there and prices simply $29 per yr.
5. Native Job Listings on Certainly or ZipRecruiter
Lastly, top-of-the-line methods to seek out paid native pet sitting jobs is on job platforms equivalent to Certainly or ZipRecruiter. By looking latest job listings, you could find native corporations hiring pet sitters and canine walkers for cheap charges.
Nevertheless, the alternatives out there to you’ll fluctuate primarily based on the place you’re positioned and the time of yr. However, it’s one of the simplest ways to persistently discover potential, paid pet sitting jobs. This was the case for me, although it took me some time to get employed.
How A lot Do Pet Sitters Make?
Now that we’ve gone over the best way to turn out to be a contract pet sitter, it’s possible you’ll be questioning what the typical wage appears to be like like.
Sadly, most home sitting with pet jobs are unpaid as your pay comes within the type of free lodging and utilities. Sometimes, these jobs additionally include further perks, like free car entry, however, many of the listings discovered on web sites like Trusted Housesitters, Nomador, and MindMyHouse received’t pay.
Nevertheless, when you achieve extra abilities and expertise as a pet nanny and home sitter, you’ll be capable to leverage your experience for cash. Skilled pet sitters can count on to make $25 to $80 per night time, relying on the realm, shoppers, duties requested, and your testimonials.
Moreover, jobs that contain drop-in visits and canine strolling are undoubtedly worthy of fee. You may count on to make $10 to $25 per 30-60 minute go to. You may listing your companies and costs on web sites like Rover; simply observe that the upper your charges, the more durable it’s to seek out new shoppers.
General, don’t count on to make an excessive amount of cash at first. I used to be home sitting with pets free of charge for 2 years earlier than I began requesting fee, and though I may’ve began charging a lot earlier, I used to be primarily in search of free journey lodging.
Execs and Cons of Being a Pet Sitter
To date, we’ve gone over the best way to turn out to be an expert pet sitter, the necessities of turning into a pet sitter, and the very best pet sitting corporations to select from. However how will you be certain if pet sitting is the proper match for you? What are the benefits and downsides of being an expert pet sitter?
Execs of Turning into a Pet Sitter
- Free lodging and utilities: One of many greatest perks of pet sitting is that you simply get a free place to remain. Should you’re pet sitting regionally, you’ll be able to deal with it as a staycation; you’ll lower your expenses on utilities, and also you may even get to reside some time in some luxurious properties. Should you’re touring, pet sitting can can help you go to new cities with out paying a dime for lodging.
- Spend high quality time with animals: Should you crave the corporate of cute animals however don’t personal pets of your personal, pet sitting is one of the simplest ways to go. This was the best attract for me; after I first began out as an expert pet sitter, I couldn’t personal any of my very own pets as a result of I used to be residing nomadically in Japan.
- It’s a good way to make extra cash: Whereas it’s slightly unlikely you’ll make a full-time revenue off of pet sitting alone, it’s an important, straightforward, and handy strategy to make some additional money.
- It’s versatile: As an expert pet sitter, you may be self-employed. This implies you’ll be able to select your jobs primarily based in your private preferences, and with an abundance of pet and home sitting gigs out there, there are various choices to select from.
- It’s top-of-the-line methods to journey: Pet sitting offers you with the chance to go to the much less touristy areas of a metropolis and uncover some hidden gems. That is one in every of my favourite elements of pet sitting; it allowed me to discover utterly new areas of London and Tokyo.
Cons of Turning into a Pet Sitter
- The wage isn’t excessive, constant, or dependable: Whereas it’s nice to receives a commission to cuddle and look after some animals, the wage isn’t nice. It additionally continuously varies between shoppers and seasons.
- You might need to take care of some tough shoppers: Whereas many of the pet homeowners I’ve met have been very welcoming and type, you often should take care of tough and fussy shoppers. It may be annoying and exhausting to take care of their generally limitless stream of calls for.
- You might need to take care of some misbehaved pets: Pet sitting a very mischievous or untrained animal may be fairly annoying. Caring for a poorly-behaved animal may be tiring; from cleansing up their messes to offering them with a wholesome outlet for his or her extreme vitality.
- Most pet and home sitting web sites cost a membership payment: Should you’re questioning the best way to turn out to be a pet sitter with none expertise, it’s greatest to hitch a home sitting web site. Sadly, most of those web sites cost a membership payment. I prefer to view it as a small funding for my private freelance pet sitting enterprise.
Easy methods to Change into a Pet Sitter: FAQs
Listed below are the solutions to some generally requested questions on the best way to turn out to be a pet sitter:
There aren’t any particular necessities to turn out to be a pet sitter, however some fascinating traits embody a love for animals, expertise with animal care, familiarity with animal habits and customary coaching methods, stellar communication abilities, and pet first assist certification.
One of the best ways to start out canine sitting or cat sitting as a beginner is to realize as a lot pet care expertise as you’ll be able to. This may embody strolling your folks’ canines or volunteering at an area veterinary clinic. Don’t neglect to ask them for references.
Pet sitters are undoubtedly in demand, particularly in massive cities. Pet homeowners know that their beloved animals are way more comfy staying at dwelling than at a pet boarding facility, and pet sitting corporations like Rover and Trusted Housesitters are persevering with to develop and develop to satisfy calls for.
Whereas pet sitting is usually considered as a straightforward job, it undoubtedly comes with its challenges, particularly when deling with animals which have behavioral points or an extreme quantity of vitality. With a view to turn out to be a pet sitter, you’ll must be affected person, devoted, and accountable.
Sure, as an expert pet sitter, you’ll be able to count on to receives a commission $25 to $80 per night time, relying on the placement, variety of pets, and particular pet companies requested. For drop-in visits, you’ll be able to count on to receives a commission $10 to $25 per 30-60 minute go to.
If you wish to canine sit in your personal dwelling, you’ll should have an appropriate set-up. This contains having a safe space only for the canine with the entire necessities comprising a clear water dish, mattress, and enrichment (equivalent to canine toys!).
Some duties pet sitters have embody offering the pets with meals and water, taking part in with them, grooming them, giving them their drugs (if requested), strolling the canines, cleansing the cat litter, and preserving the homeowners up to date on their well-being.
In Conclusion
I hope this text on the best way to get into petsitting has offered you with the means and the arrogance to get began. Pet sitting is really one in every of my favourite jobs on the planet; not solely do I get to economize whereas visiting costly locations, however I get to spend high quality time with cute animals.
Whether or not you need to begin pet sitting to avoid wasting on journey lodging or to make some additional money at dwelling, there’s nothing higher than getting paid to look after a pet. So, open up your laptops and begin organising your profiles, it’s time to get began.
