How To Change into a Pet Sitter in 2023 (5 Easy Steps)

Do you wish to get free lodging in your subsequent trip? Or are you searching for methods to make further money? Maybe you’re a digital nomad in search of methods to cut back housing prices. If that’s the case, it’s time to discover ways to grow to be a pet sitter.

Pet sitting lets you receives a commission (in cash or lodging) in change for taking good care of lovable animals. It’s actually a win-win state of affairs. With loads of gigs accessible globally, pet sitting is an effective way to journey.

I’ve pet sat world wide; I spent per week taking care of a Husky combine in Glasgow, a month and a half with a Frenchie in Tokyo, a couple of weeks with a rescue cat in Brussels, and weeks with a Saluki in Kobe. It’s by far my favourite method to journey.

On this article, I’ll share the necessities to grow 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 easy methods to grow to be a pet sitter, chances are 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 house, however this isn’t at all times the case; it could actually additionally embrace dropping in to verify on the pets, enjoying with them, checking the cat litter, or strolling the canine.

Pet sitting may also embrace letting the animals keep at your individual house, however this requires a safe and secure set-up. Whatever the particulars, pet sitter duties usually contain offering the animals with security, meals, water, affection, and playtime.

In distinction, home sitters take care of somebody’s house whereas they’re away; this nearly at all times entails staying on the property. Their duties can embrace taking good care of a pet, nevertheless it additionally contains watering the vegetation, maintaining 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 verify on an animal). Each varieties of jobs have professionals and cons however the principle 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

For those who’re questioning easy methods to grow to be a pet sitter and not using a diploma, chances are you’ll be asking what certifications, programs, or expertise 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 can be important for thriving as a pet sitter, together with:

Expertise with Animal Care: To be able to safe pet sitting gigs, you have to emphasize your previous experiences with pet care. This contains feeding, strolling, cleansing, grooming, and enjoying with pets. For those who’ve by no means owned any pets earlier than, you’ll be able to achieve some helpful expertise by pet sitting in your mates or volunteering at an area veterinary clinic.

A Love for Animals: For those who’re right here to be taught to be a pet sitter, I think about you have already got a powerful love for animals! Pet house owners 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 traits that pet house owners are searching 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: To be able to work as a pet sitter, you must 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 house owners love receiving frequent updates on how their beloved pets are doing, so being an excellent communicator is crucial. From private expertise, I discovered that pet house owners particularly love receiving photographs of their cats enjoying or canine out on walks, because it reveals that they’re having a good time and are glad. Being communicator can also be required if and when emergencies or issues come up.

(Optionally available) Pet Sitting Certification: Having a pet sitting certification positively isn’t a requirement. I’ve been pet sitting for years with out one. Nevertheless, it could actually definitely enhance your credibility as knowledgeable, so it’s nice for these critical a few profession in pet sitting. Some certifications embrace the NAPPS and the CPPS.

(Optionally available) Pet First Help Course: Whereas taking and passing a pet first support course isn’t important if you wish to work as a pet sitter, it’s an effective way to extend your credibility and reliability, which in return, could make it simpler to search out shoppers.

I pet sat for 2 years earlier than I obtained my pet first support certification, so don’t really feel pressured to get it instantly. That being stated, having the certification elevated my odds of securing new shoppers, and it made me extra snug with caring for pets with medical points.

Change into a Pet Sitter (5 Steps)

Now that we’ve gone over the necessities of changing into a pet sitter, let’s get into the 5 final steps on easy methods to get your first pet sitting place.

These steps will provide help 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 provide help to discover constant pet sitting jobs as effectively.

1. Be a part of A number of Home Sitting and Pet Sitting Web sites

To begin with, so as to discover pet sitting jobs domestically and world wide, you must be a part of a number of home/pet sitting web sites.

Fortunately, there are numerous web sites to select from. Some decisions embrace 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 subsequent part to be taught extra about the very best pet sitting web sites.

Alternatively, in case you’re questioning easy methods to grow to be a canine sitter in your individual metropolis, you’ll be able to search for native jobs on web sites equivalent to Certainly, ZipRecruiter, and Rover.

After I first began out as a pet sitter, I used to be primarily inquisitive about discovering free lodging whereas touring. I solely used Trusted Housesitters to search out pet sitting gigs, and due to it being the biggest pet sitting platform on-line, it was simple for me to search out alternatives.

Nevertheless, I discover that it’s simpler to search out paid pet sitting jobs domestically. General, it’s finest 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 price.

2. Create the Good Profile

When you’ve joined a pet sitting web site or two, it’s time to arrange the right profile.

In the beginning, be certain your profile is well-written and error-free, as it will convey your professionalism. Nevertheless, don’t neglect to incorporate slightly persona.

Discuss your earlier pet care expertise, expertise, and why you’re inquisitive about pet sitting. Embrace any testimonials or previous pet sitting critiques (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 photographs of you with some lovable animals.

Bear in mind to focus in your strengths. I at all times emphasize my expertise, duty, and love for animals in my profile. For those who’ve taken any pet first support programs or certifications, remember to spotlight them.

3. Safe Your References

Subsequent, it’s time to safe your references. That is a very powerful a part of getting began as a pet sitter, as having previous references, critiques, and testimonials makes you appear extra reliable and reliable.

For those who’re questioning easy methods to grow to be a pet sitter with none expertise, you’ll be able to at all times search for some native alternatives. Pet sit in your mates or household, discover native job postings, or supply to stroll your neighbor’s canine and easily ask the house owners to put in writing a evaluation afterward.

You too can ask for some character references from your folks, household, or employers. After I first began pet sitting, I requested my outdated boss to put in writing 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 critiques to construct belief with potential shoppers.

4. Discover and Apply for the Finest Jobs

So, you’ve joined a couple of pet sitting web sites, written a killer profile, and included your high references. Now, it’s time to seek for your excellent pet sitting job.

Most home sitting web sites assist you to specify your search to locations, dates, size of keep, and species of animals. Many pet sitting web sites may also 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 browse by way of some nice pet sitting job listings, it’s time to use to them. To take action, you’ll have to ship the pet house owners an interesting and informative software message.

Introduce your self, speak about their pets, spotlight your previous related expertise, and clarify why you’re the best alternative for them. Ensure that to ask some questions in regards to the job itemizing (and particularly, their furry member of the family), and finish the message by saying that you just’d love the chance to interview.

I at all times wish to tailor my software message to the itemizing; I point out their pet’s title typically, and I emphasize my earlier related pet care expertise. For instance, if the job itemizing is for a timid feline, I spotlight my expertise taking good care of nervous and shy rescue cats.

5. Put together in your Interview

After the pet house owners have thought of all their purposes, and in the event that they really feel you might be match, they’re prone to attain out and ask in case you’re inquisitive about an interview. You’re one step nearer to securing a pet sitting job. All you must do is ace the interview.

So, what’s the easiest way to arrange for these pet sitting interviews? I wish to go over the job itemizing and be aware something vital that they could deliver up.

Do the pets have any well being points or behavioral issues? If that’s the case, be ready to reply questions in your comfortability and expertise with a majority of these pets.

Whereas the questions and tone of the interview range per pet proprietor, some normal questions embrace:

• Why are you interested by pet sitting for us?
• What’s your earlier expertise with canine/cats/different animals?
• What are you planning on doing in the course of the pet sit?
• For those who’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 could be aggressive! Hold making use of, and also you’ll ultimately land the right pet sitting gig.

Whether or not you’re questioning easy methods to grow to be an authorized pet sitter otherwise you’re hoping to safe some home sitting gigs in your subsequent prolonged trip, these 5 ideas are the very best steps to get began.

Discover Work as a Pet Sitter

Now that we’ve gone over easy methods to grow to be a canine sitter and easy methods to grow to be a cat sitter, let’s increase on the place to search out work as a pet sitter.

These are the 5 finest web sites to search out pet sitting gigs:

1. Trusted Housesitters

For those who’re changing into a pet sitter within the hope you’ll get free lodging abroad, then you must use Trusted Housesitters. The most important pet sitting platform accessible, Trusted Housesitters lets you 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 without doubt one of the finest pet sitting web sites on the market. Nevertheless, you do must pay an annual membership price to entry Trusted Housesitters’ plethora of alternatives; it prices $129 per yr.

I personally wish to view this membership price 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 funds, so it’s positively price it.

Goats On The Street readers obtain an computerized 20% off the price of the membership price with Trusted Housesitters. Use this hyperlink for the low cost and particulars.

2. Rover

For those who’re inquisitive about getting paid to pet sit domestically, then I like to recommend you try Rover. A web site the place you’ll be able to record your pet sitting companies like home sitting, pet boarding, canine strolling, doggy daycare, and drop-in visits; it’s the easiest way to make cash as a pet sitter.

Rover permits you to get began without cost, however they take a share of your wage out of your bookings. They provide 24/7 help (which incorporates vet help), the Rover Assure (which incorporates reimbursement for up $25,000 price of vet charges), and give you entry to an abundance of potential shoppers – it’s price looking.

3. Nomador

For these nonetheless questioning easy methods to grow to be a pet sitter, Nomador is without doubt one of the finest web sites to get began.

Stuffed with worldwide home sitting alternatives, it’s the right platform for vacationers and digital nomads. It does, nonetheless, has a membership price of $85 per yr.

4. MindMyHouse

Much like Nomador and Trusted Housesitters, MindMyHouse is a global home sitting web site that’s excellent for these seeking to grow to be a pet sitter.

With an easy-to-use web site and plenty of pet sitting alternatives, MindMyHouse is an effective way to get began. It’s additionally one of many cheaper choices accessible and prices simply $29 per yr.

5. Native Job Listings on Certainly or ZipRecruiter

Lastly, top-of-the-line methods to search out paid native pet sitting jobs is on job platforms equivalent to Certainly or ZipRecruiter. By looking current job listings, you could find native corporations hiring pet sitters and canine walkers for cheap charges.

Nevertheless, the alternatives accessible to you’ll range primarily based on the place you’re situated and the time of yr. However, it’s the easiest way to constantly discover potential, paid pet sitting jobs. This was the case for me, regardless that it took me some time to get employed.

How A lot Do Pet Sitters Make?

Now that we’ve gone over easy methods to grow to be a contract pet sitter, chances are you’ll be questioning what the common 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 automobile entry, however, a lot of the listings discovered on web sites like Trusted Housesitters, Nomador, and MindMyHouse received’t pay.

Nevertheless, when you achieve extra expertise and expertise as a pet nanny and home sitter, you’ll be capable of leverage your experience for cash. Skilled pet sitters can anticipate 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 anticipate to make $10 to $25 per 30-60 minute go to. You may record your companies and costs on web sites like Rover; simply be aware that the upper your charges, the more durable it’s to search out new shoppers.

General, don’t anticipate to make an excessive amount of cash at first. I used to be home sitting with pets without cost 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.

Professionals and Cons of Being a Pet Sitter

Up to now, we’ve gone over easy methods to grow to be knowledgeable pet sitter, the necessities of changing into a pet sitter, and the very best pet sitting corporations to select from. However how are you going to make sure if pet sitting is the best match for you? What are the benefits and drawbacks of being knowledgeable pet sitter?

Professionals of Turning into a Pet Sitter

• Free lodging and utilities: One of many largest perks of pet sitting is that you just get a free place to remain. For those who’re pet sitting domestically, you’ll be able to deal with it as a staycation; you’ll lower your expenses on utilities, and also you would possibly even get to dwell some time in some luxurious properties. For those who’re touring, pet sitting can assist you to go to new cities with out paying a dime for lodging.
• Spend high quality time with animals: For those who crave the corporate of lovable animals however don’t personal pets of your individual, pet sitting is the easiest way to go. This was the best attract for me; once I first began out as knowledgeable pet sitter, I couldn’t personal any of my very own pets as a result of I used to be dwelling nomadically in Japan.
• It’s an effective way to make more money: Whereas it’s slightly unlikely you’ll make a full-time earnings off of pet sitting alone, it’s an excellent, simple, and handy method to make some further money.
• It’s versatile: As knowledgeable pet sitter, you could 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 accessible, there are numerous 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 certainly one 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 steadily varies between shoppers and seasons.
• You may need to take care of some difficult shoppers: Whereas a lot of the pet house owners I’ve met have been very welcoming and sort, you often must take care of troublesome and fussy shoppers. It may be nerve-racking and exhausting to take care of their typically countless stream of calls for.
• You may need to take care of some misbehaved pets: Pet sitting a very mischievous or untrained animal could be fairly nerve-racking. Caring for a poorly-behaved animal could 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 price: For those who’re questioning easy methods to grow to be a pet sitter with none expertise, it’s finest to hitch a home sitting web site. Sadly, most of those web sites cost a membership price. I wish to view it as a small funding for my private freelance pet sitting enterprise.

Change into a Pet Sitter: FAQs

Listed here are the solutions to some generally requested questions on easy methods to grow to be a pet sitter:

In Conclusion

I hope this text on easy methods to get into petsitting has offered you with the means and the arrogance to get began. Pet sitting is actually certainly one of my favourite jobs on this planet; not solely do I get to save cash whereas visiting costly locations, however I get to spend high quality time with lovable animals.

Whether or not you wish to begin pet sitting to avoid wasting on journey lodging or to make some further money at house, 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.

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