If one was available and was licensed, bonded, insured and maybe even part of the BBB would you use one over a kennel? It goes without saying that quality service is a must, but what would you consider quality? Also, what price would be benificial to the customer? Cheaper than a kennel, the same or more? What I mean is, would people expect it to be cheaper, or would they feel the service is compramised at a lower rate?
2007-03-02 14:02:42 · 7 answers · asked by joe C 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
jpiglet86 - you know the whole video thing I thought of for my own pets. This is why im interested in starting this sitting biz up. We have two dogs and a cat and when we are gone for a week I wonder whats going on. The video is expensive but as part of this business I will email a picture post card every day. I think this is just as good. It would make me happy.
2007-03-03 02:52:16 · update #1
I had my own pet sitting business for 7 years. I obviously prefer a pet sitter over a kennel, especially with older pets. Animals are very set in their ways and are much more comfortable being at home in their own environment. They can get really stressed and even sick when they are in a strange place. Most kennels don't pay much attention to the animals as they are too busy feeding, watering, cleaning cages and just tending to basis needs. A pet sitter gives more personal care....walks, playtime, etc. Also a pet sitter can keep an eye on the house and property, bring in mail, newspapers, leave on lights and make a house look more lived in. Pet sitters tend to charge more than a kennel as it is more personalized care, especially if the pet is a senior or has special needs such as medication or a special diet. Most people expect to pay a sitter more than a kennel.
2007-03-02 14:48:45 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Honestly, I don't use pet sitters or kennels. It's just some mental hang up I have thinking that no one can or will take care of my babies the way I do. They come with me anytime I travel, they are more used to flying than most people are.
I'm just afraid that I'd find this great sitter and I'd think that everything was fine, then the minute I left something would go terribly wrong and my cats would get hurt somehow.
I know, I'm nuts. But honestly though, a big part of my decisions regarding this are cost and right now it's much cheaper for me to pay the extra $100 and have my cats fly in cabin with me wherever I go.
So, if it was cost effective and I could have a constant video feed of wherever my cats were so I could make sure they were well taken care of, I would get the pet sitter.
Of the two choices though, I would take the sitter over the kennel, provided they would come to my house. I just think that pets do better in familiar environments and if they're already traumatized over their owner's leaving them for a few days, it's probably better not to force them into a completely new environment in the process.
Hopefully this helped a little. I know I'm a little nutty, but I love my kitties, what can I say :-)
Best of luck to you since it sounds like you're thinking about opening a pet sitter business!
2007-03-02 15:06:28 · answer #2 · answered by jpiglet86 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I would LOVE to find a pet sitter with the qualifications you listed. We have always used friends, but if there was a trust-worthy person, I would prefer to hire them. I would definitely use a qualified pet sitter over a kennel. The price would not be a big deal to me, but I would like to see it about the same as a kennel. If the price was cheaper than a kennel, I would worry that my dog would not get the attention I expected. If you are considering this, you might also want to provide background check/references since my two main worries when considering a pet sitter are my dog's health and the belongings in my home.
This is a great idea! If you are planning on doing this, I hope you are successful!
2007-03-02 14:14:18 · answer #3 · answered by KS 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First and foremost, I want to trust the person who is coming into my home and taking care of my pets. So that is number one, second is the price, if it costs more than a kennel, I will get a house sitter, People do expect it to be cheaper than kennels. I would personally never take my pet to a kennel though.
2007-03-02 15:33:03 · answer #4 · answered by katie d 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i don't know i was thinking about starting a dog sitting biz;)
2007-03-02 14:57:04 · answer #5 · answered by elvonsha k 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Anyone who sits on a poor defenceless animal is just plain nasty. :-)
2007-03-02 14:51:08 · answer #6 · answered by munromad2004 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a pet sitter! YYYYEEEEESSSS!!!!
2007-03-02 14:09:08 · answer #7 · answered by Tony the Goddess 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋