As of last year, U.S. households have over 94.2 million cats as pets. Learning how to recognize a qualified cat sitter is the first step to hiring one.
Cats are the second most popular pet in the United States. But in your heart, your cat(s) will always come first.
As a pet owner, it’s your responsibility to make sure your cat is in good hands while you’re away. Your precious feline darling deserves the best care and company there is.
Here’s what you should look for in a cat sitter.
No Pet Sitting Directories or Apps
Stay away from cat sitting directories and apps. There are often no minimum qualifications for the sitters to fulfill in order to get a listing on them.
In fact, directories and apps frequently lack a screening process altogether for the pet sitters they list. They don’t even perform any background checks on their sitters.
By using these directories and apps, you’d be taking a risk with your cat’s well-being. It’s not worth it. Instead, do the following.
Network Locally
Ask your friends to recommend a local cat sitter to you. The best cat sitters get most of their business through word-of-mouth recommendations.
Even better, consult your local veterinarian’s office for recommendations. Some offices even let pet sitters leave business cards in their offices.
Qualifications
A truly professional cat sitter is knowledgeable about cat care and cat health. They’re familiar with the signs that your cat needs emergency vet care.
The more medical training a sitter has, the safer your cat will be while you’re gone.
The best cat sitters are “cat people” who have extensive experience in caring for cats. They always have insurance and bonding protection.
References
Check the references given to you by any in-home cat sitter you’re thinking about hiring. Always ask references about their relation to the sitter for clarification on how they know each other.
If a candidate can’t provide you with references, they’re most likely not qualified to watch your cat. Hiring them is a risk that isn’t worth it.
Consider Boarding Your Cat
Kim Thomas of Cat’s Meow Resort says that if you don’t have a trusted cat sitter, it is often a better choice to board your cat when going out of town. The aforementioned link will take you to the best cat boarding establishment around.
Contrary to popular belief, boarding centers provide hospitable and fun environments for pets. Learning more about the benefits of boarding pets vs. pet sitting will clear up any misconceptions you might have.
Find The Cat Sitter of Your Dreams
Out of all American households, around 30.4% have pet cats. Finding a cat sitter isn’t easy, but the effort is worth the results you’ll get.
In the United States, there are over 75 million cats. All of them deserve the best love and care out there.
Be a true cat lover—check out our online cat information section. You owe it to your furry best friend to become more educated.