So you’re a pet sitter and someone has just called you to care for their pets. What’s the next step you may ask? The next step is to set-up a time for you to meet with them. I like to call this a pet sitting interview. I use the word interview because it is much like one. Not only are you interviewing the customer but they are interviewing you as well. Remember to conduct yourself with confidence and if you ask appropriate questions about food, meds, waste and most important emergency information you will not only get the job but a trusted friend.

The forms are most important when conducting an interview. It is recommended that you format your forms in the order of questions you’d like to ask. Starting with the name and addresses followed by numbers and emergency information. Under the contact information you should include any additional information about the house and what the customers expect you to do. Does the customer need any plants watered? Where and how often? Having a line for newspaper, mail, garbage day and plants will help you remember when the time comes.

It is recommended having separate forms for contact information and animal information. The form for animal information can be very extent. There are a lot of questions that need to be asked to ensure the perfect care for that specific animal. Starting with the type of animal and its breed to the name and age is a given. Where is their food, what time and how do you feed them? This information varies with each customer as well as: where you walk them or clean up their waste. Never assume the same care for different customers.

Medication questions may be the most important questions you will ask the customer. There are some serious illnesses or conditions that exist in our beloved animals. Does the animal have any allergies? You need to ask the customer if there are any medical conditions that you need to be aware of. Talking to the customer and learning about these specific conditions could help you in case of an emergency. What type of medication, how and when do you administer them? Knowing this could save a life.

Along with the basic questions there are also other just as important to ask. Talk to the customer about their animal’s personality and traits. Their likes and dislikes. Is there proof of any aggression whether with strangers, animals or food? In the case of food knowing can help you from being bitten. Other questions to ask might be about their interests. Where does the dog sleep? Are they to be locked up when left alone? What do they like to play with? Do you have any bad behaviors like chewing or digging?

These are not the only questions that need to be asked when conducting a professional pet sitting interview but it’s a great start. If you’re a professional pet sitter there is no doubt that you love animals and probably have some of your own. A good way to create your own list of questions is to do a practice run on your own pets. Write down what you do and what you would tell someone watching your beloved animals.

Laura Parkin has been a pet sitter for about 5 years now working with all types of animals. I have conducted many pet sitting interviews and am constantly thinking up new questions to ask. Getting to know the animal in my care is the best part of the job. To learn more about Laura Parkin and her pet sitting services visit her on the web at http://www.Bartlettpetsitting.com.

Copyright 2009 Fine Pet Care.com. All Rights Reserved.

Pet sitting can be a rewarding job but can also be tiring. If you are interested in making your own business as a pet sitter, here are answers to most frequently asked questions about this career.

1. What does a pet sitter do? What is he/she responsible for?
Pet sitters care for your pet just as a baby sitter cares for your children. While most pets do not demand the same amount of supervision and care that a child does every pet has a certain amount of physical requirements as well as social needs. What is necessary for your pet will depend on the personality as well as species you are looking to have cared for.

In addition, pet sitters perform a variety of tasks. They may simply check the food and water supply of your animal. Dogs may require a walk while cats and caged animals may need their litter boxes cleaned or the papers changed. If you have an exotic animal or bird you should look for specialized services that can adequately meet the needs of your pet.

With pet sitters, your pet will be allowed to stay in its own environment without the stress of travel or new accommodations. Pet sitters will follow the schedule your animal is use to and the diet it is accustomed to. Pet sitters also provide the one-on-one attention your pet will be missing when you’re away.

2. What does a pet sitter cost?
You can expect to pay at least $15-25 for a daily visit of 30 minutes – possibly more if you require the sitter to walk your dog. Usually the cost for multiple animals is only a few dollars more per animal. If you need the sitter to stay overnight you will probably pay $50 or more. Holiday visits (during the day or overnight) will have an increased rate.

Please note that rates will vary according to region and specialty. Some pet sitters will visit twice a day or include other tasks, such as collecting the mail, with their pet sitting services.

3. How do I find a pet sitter?
You may find a pet sitter listing in your phone book or online. You can also ask friends, groomers and veterinarians for referrals.

It is wise to only hire pet sitters who are bonded and insured since they will not only be responsible for caring for your pet but must be trusted in your home and with your belongings. Even when trust is not an issue the sitter will be responsible for being respectful of your home and properly securing your home when leaving.

4. What do I have to do to become a pet sitter?
It depends on where you live you may have to have a business license to operate a pet sitting business. It is also important to acquire bonding and insurance, not only for the possibility of negligence but to assure customers of your professionalism.

While you do not need experience to start your own business you will need to research businesses in the area and talk to groomers, vets and others about the market. It is important to be organized and take your business seriously – others are depending on you. Use contracts to establish the tasks and costs agreed to and keep paperwork and schedules organized.

Susan Wong maintains many interesting contractor websites, including Roofing Contractor Secrets, and Eczema Solutions.

Copyright 2009 Fine Pet Care.com. All Rights Reserved.

“While Traveling” Technique

Each day while traveling, you can communicate with your animal friends, sending love, reassurance, and updates (mental postcards) about your trip. You will probably find this is a relaxing moment for yourself. Your animals will appreciate your daily contact.

* Lie on a bed or sit comfortably in a chair or cross legged.

* Take 3 deep breaths, and on each exhalation, imagine any stress you are feeling is flowing out with your breath.

* Breathe normally, and pay attention to your breath, watch it going in and out for a minute or two.

* See, feel, allow, imagine you are in your heart center (a space in the middle of your chest).

* Just be in your heart center and connect with the Unconditional Love that lives there in unlimited quantities.

* See, feel, allow, imagine your animal friend in your heart center with you.

* Say hello to him/her and imagine yourself holding them as if you were actually physically present.

* Imagine stroking or petting or grooming them for as long as you wish.

* Talk to your animal friend, just as if you were with them. Tell them about your day. Tell them how much you love and miss them. Remind them you will be home in ___ (fill in number) of days. Tell them you will “visit” them again tomorrow.

When clients of mine have used these techniques, they have consistently reported success.

Kathy has many birds and a regular helper to take care of them. While visiting Hawaii, her helper called to say that Pidge, a rescued wild pigeon, had stopped eating. Kathy asked me what to do. When birds stop eating they can sicken and die very quickly. I gave Kathy the “While Traveling” instructions, which Kathy immediately began to use. Kathy’s helper saw an immediately change in Pidge the very first time Kathy used the technique: Pidge became more relaxed and began to eat. Everyone was relieved and Kathy was able to enjoy the rest of her trip while “visiting” Pidge daily.

Whenever Elaine went on a 3-day weekend with a friend, her cat, Marie, would ignore her for 24 hours after she returned. I suggested Elaine follow the instructions for “Before You Leave”, telling Marie where she was going and with whom, when she would leave and return, and about Marie’s care while Elaine was gone. When Elaine tried this, for the first time ever, Marie didn’t “scold” Elaine when she returned. Instead the cat greeted Elaine as if she had been gone only a few hours, rubbed against her legs, sat in her lap during the evening, and slept with her in bed that night, all of which was their normal routine.

Annette had been desensitizing Skip, her rescued German Shepard, to get used to the idea that staying at a kennel can be fun and is not abandonment. Still, Skip was having a difficult time with it, and Annette had a trip to take where the dog couldn’t go. I suggested to Annette that she use both the “Before You Leave” and “While Traveling” techniques, which Annette was willing to do. As a result, she now has a dog whose separation anxiety is dramatically reduced and Annette is able to go away whenever she needs to travel.

If you have to be away on a trip, give these methods a try. You may find that not only are your animals feeling better about your being away, but you, yourself, may feel more comfortable with the idea of traveling and leaving your animal family members at home.

Rev. Nedda Wittels, M.A., M.S., is a telepathic Animal Communicator and Shamballa Master/Teacher offering private sessions in telepathic communication and in healing for humans and animals. She also offers Spiritual Empowerment Sessions for people awakening to new consciousness. Nedda teaches workshops in telepathic communication with all species and in Shamballa Multidimensional Healing. She can be reached at 860.651.5771, neddaw@sbcglobal.net, and www.raysofhealinglight.com

Copyright 2009 Fine Pet Care.com. All Rights Reserved.

Does your cat ignore you for the first 24 hours after you return from a trip? Does your dog or bird stop eating while you are gone? Do animals that normally get along begin to fight? Do they start to get upset when your suitcase comes out? Do you worry about them when you have to travel?

It does not take telepathy for our animal friends to notice that a suitcase has been pulled from the closet. They know this means something is about to happen that affects their lives, but they don’t know what to expect each time.

Setting expectations helps reduce stress for everyone. Here’s how to make things easier for yourself and your animals.

“Before You Leave” Technique

While you may not believe that you are telepathic, you can still communicate with your animals about your trip. If you think your animals may have questions, ask an Animal Communicator to help you with this conversation.

The animals are all telepathic, so if you choose to do this yourself, use mental pictures and take the time to fill in details.

1) Be physically present with the animal, sitting down if appropriate.

2) Close your eyes for a moment, take 3 deep breaths, and tell yourself to relax as you exhale.

3) Get the animal’s attention by saying the animal’s name.

4) Just as you would tell a spouse or partner about a trip you are taking, tell your animal friends. Include details and use mental pictures or images to help get the message across.

a) Tell them you are going away and the purpose of your trip.

Animals care about us and want us to take care of ourselves. When you explain why you are taking a trip, you can say:

VACATION: “I’m going to go on a vacation where I cannot take you. I need to rest and relax and have no responsibilities for a short time. Unfortunately, there is no way you can come along.” Hold a picture in your mind of the place you are planning to visit.

BUSINESS: “I have to take a trip for my job. While I’m away, I’ll be working.” Hold a picture in your mind of you at work.

b) Tell them when you are leaving and when you are returning.

Animals understand concepts of time. They know what a day/night cycle is. They also understand human concepts of a week. Animals who live outside understand moon cycles. You might say, “Today is Wednesday. I’m leaving in two days, on Friday morning, and I will be back 4 days after that, on Tuesday evening.”

c) Tell them who is going to take care of them. You can say:

KENNEL: “You will be staying at the same kennel you stayed at last time. Remember what a good time you had?” Have a picture in your mind of what the place looked like, followed by an image of a person at that place whom your animal really liked. (Make sure this person is still working there if you tell them to expect so see that person.) Remind them about the activities there that they like.

STAYING WITH A FRIEND: “You’ll be staying at [insert person's name] home. You’ll get to play with [insert person's and/or animal's name(s)." Fill in more details if you have them.

PET or HOUSE SITTER "[person's name] is going to [stay here] or [come ___ (fill in number) of times a day] to take of you.”

d) Fill in more details about their care while you are gone.

Reassure the animals that they will be fed their normal food, supplements, and medicine.

Tell them what the caretaker will do: groom them, take them for a walk, play with them, clean their cage or litter box, whatever. You can say: “I’ll make sure you have your own food, bed, and toys.”

e) Tell them you will miss them and be sending them love from your heart while you are gone.

Use the “While Traveling” technique described below to communicate with your animal while you are away.

Click here for this technique, which is explained in part II of the article.

Copyright 2009 Fine Pet Care.com. All Rights Reserved.

Choosing the right pet sitter to care for your animals while you’re away can be a very difficult decision. Reining Cats and Dogs, a Raleigh pet sitter is pleased to provide pet owners with a series of topics to research potential pet sitters to help in the pet sitter interview process. We encourage you to take some time early in the selection process to determine the pet sitter best suited for your situation.

I recommend, whether you choose Reining Cats and Dogs Pet Sitting or not, that you choose a professional pet sitting company that is licensed, bonded, insured, and pet first aid certified so that you and your pets do not have to worry during the time you are away from each other.

· A dependable pet sitter will have set office hours for you to contact them.

· If you leave a message for a pet sitter, all calls should be returned within 24 hrs.

· A good pet sitter will have established fees for their services. Beware of pet sitters who do not publish their fees.

· Make sure your potential new pet sitter is bonded and insured.

· Because emergencies do happen, make sure your potential new pet sitter is certified in pet first aid.

· Quality pet sitters require to meet with you and your pets in advance to get to know one another and go over the service you require.

· Look for a pet sitter that has experience caring for animals. There are a lot of people out there who absolutely love animals. This does not mean they make a great pet sitter.

· Professional pet sitters use service contracts that spell out the services to be performed and the fees for doing so.

· Look for a pet sitter that has a policy in place for emergency medical care.

When you engage the services of a professional Raleigh pet sitter, use this list of topics to help evaluate the pet sitter. This ensures that you can leave your beloved pets with the peace of mind knowing that they will be well cared for.

Article Source: Denise Doll

Copyright 2009 Fine Pet Care.com. All Rights Reserved.

When you are going on a vacation or taking your cat out for a length of time you will want to have the cat trained to ride in a car or vehicle so that the cat is not jumping all over and over the seats.

Purchasing a pet carrier will be the first thing that you will want to do. Searching for the right carrier is another thing that you will want to do. Knowing the right size and fit for the cat will be very important to the cat and you. A carrier in which your cat will like and a carrier that easily picked up and put in the car.

The first thing that you will want to do after purchasing the carrier for your cat is. Let the cat get use to the carrier being around. Set the carrier in the cat area for a couple of days and let the cat investigate with it. Do not push the cat into the carrier or your cat will not want to go in the carrier. After that, you will want to play with the cat with the carrier by putting something that the cat loves to play with in the carrier and see if the cat will go in by it. Once you have the cat going in and playing with the item then you will want to start with the rewarding of small treats, for the cat. Allow the cat for a few days to do this, once the cat is comfortable and maybe laying down in the pet carrier, you will want to start with the door, not to close and lock it, by allowing the door be slightly open for a period of time till the cat is comfortable.

Once you are able to have the cat comfortable in the carrier and you may start with closing the door all the way and then locking the door. Leave the carrier in the place for a few days when doing this.

Next, you can pick up the carrier and carry the cat gently around the house, to get the cat to be comfortable in the pet carrier with you walking. You should do this for several times a day for a few days, just so the cat is comfortable.

Now is the big day, to go for the first ride, remember that your cat has not maybe been in the car. Sounds from the car and near by cars and traffic noise will tend to startle your cat. You may want to do the first drive in a quiet area, with your cat next to you. There is music out to play while you are driving, with your cat to help the cat to relax. Talk to your cat to help it relax and assure it that everything is all right. If at anytime the cat does get frighten you will want to stop and help the cat to relax to assure there is nothing wrong. By doing this the cat will want to go back in the carrier the next time.

Remember to take treats with on the drive; this will help the cat to know that they are doing a good job and that you are keeping them safe. When your cat is doing well in the pet carrier as you are moving you can give the cat a treat to let it know they are doing a good behavior. Do not at anytime yell or do anything to startle the cat, as your cat will have a fear of the pet carrier.

Have patience and practice with training the cat for travel. Now you can pack the bags and cats items that you will need and off on the wonderful vacation with you.

About The Author

Burt Cotton http://www.petcarenews.org

Copyright 2009 Fine Pet Care.com. All Rights Reserved.

What should I do if I am leaving town and need a place to keep my dog?

If you are going away for a while, it is imperative that your dog is taken care of. Dog day care is something you should look into as well as a dog kennel. Boarding your dog is a great idea because the caretakers will treat your dog well, as they are educated and have the best products and cares for your pet. If you decide to gat a pet sitter, there are a few things that you will want to do in order to ensure that everything goes according to plan.

One of the first things that you can do is to prepare detailed instructions for your pet sitter. Include your phone numbers of where you can be reached in the event of an emergency. You will also need to give your pet sitter the name and phone number of your vet. Make sure that you also ask for other client references. These will help you get a clearer idea of what to expect if you hire this person.

It is also important to get pet insurance just so that you will not have to deal with any repercussions of carelessness. Bonding and insurance protects you in the case of damage or theft of your property. However, it does not ensure that the pet sitter is reliable, caring or trustworthy. These traits can often be determined from their former employers.

In addition, it is a good idea to set up a meeting in your home with each potential pet sitter. Watch how the sitter relates or interacts with your dog. Are they actively involved with the dog or are they distant or restrained around them? Does your dog want the pet sitter’s attention? If your dog and the person interviewed do not seem to click, keep interviewing until you find a good match.

A reliable and dedicated sitter will take notes for the details of your unique dog routines. They should ask you questions, and be concerned of trying to maintain the same routine as the dog has been use to. If they do not ask questions or take notes from you, keep interviewing.You can also ask trusted friends or family members if they can recommend a pet sitter they have used. A professional pet sitter should belong to an organization such as PSI (Pet Sitters International) or NAPPS (National Association of Professional Pet Sitters). However, remember these national organizations do not know these individuals or their reputation. Instead, ask for local affiliations and follow-up.

When dealing with a pet sitter, make sure that you ask them for a copy of their contract. Then you will have to carefully review the details. A contract will protect you and your dog. It will also spell out exactly what you can and cannot expect from the pet sitter. It should also list the appropriate rates for all services offered. Do not hesitate to ask questions. Next, you should arrange for the pet sitter to spend some alone time with your dog. A walk is a great idea. Monitor your dog’s reaction. Is he happy and comfortable with the pet sitter? Or does he seem eager to get away from them? This also gives the pet sitter a chance to see if they can appropriately handle your dog (particularly if the dog is a large-breed, strong or very energetic).

So if you want to find more about wag the dog or about pet sitting or even about pet sitting services please click these links.

Copyright 2009 Fine Pet Care.com. All Rights Reserved.