October 31, 2020 • 17 mins
Have you ever needed a pet sitter? It's a little scary to have someone else care for your fur baby. I get to chat with Collin Funkhouser, pet-sitting expert about the state of pet sitting industry and what you need to know to find a great pet sitter
What is reasonable to expect a pet sitter to do? What should their credentials be? Collin explains all of this and so much more in this fun and informative episode!
EPISODE NOTES: Pet Sitter Basics
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dr-kat-gone-to-the-dogs-pet-life-radio-original--6669375/support.
What is reasonable to expect a pet sitter to do? What should their credentials be? Collin explains all of this and so much more in this fun and informative episode!
EPISODE NOTES: Pet Sitter Basics
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dr-kat-gone-to-the-dogs-pet-life-radio-original--6669375/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is Pet Life Radio. Let's talk pets.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Hey there, dog lovers, Welcome to Doctor Kat Gone to
the Dogs. I'm your host, doctor Catherine prim and I'm
a small animal veterinarian and dog lover. So today I
have a very interesting and appropriate guest, Colin Funkhauser, who
is a pet sitting expert, and he is going to
share with us some of the things that you might
(00:45):
not have considered when you thought about getting a pet sitter,
or as you've dealt with the issues associated with the
pandemic and isolation and social distancing. So we're going to
talk with Colin about all this stuff. Right after these messages,
we'll be right back.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
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the biggest health concerns facing our dogs. Daily Dose was
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(01:29):
or calming. Daily Dose Your Pets Daily Dose of awesome.
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Speaker 4 (01:46):
Let's talk pets on Petlife Radio dot com.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Welcome back to doctor Kat. Gone to the dogs. And
as I said, I'm here with Colin Funkouser.
Speaker 5 (02:06):
Hi Colin, Hi doctor Kat. How are you?
Speaker 2 (02:08):
I am excellent? So I want you to give my
listeners a little bit of background about you and what
you do, because you'll tell it better than I will.
Speaker 5 (02:17):
Sure, So Hi everybody. My name is Colin Funkhouser. I
have been a pet sitter for the past nine years.
I pets it with my wife. We started shortly after
we got married. Actually we pet sit in people's homes.
We pets it in our home. So we do boarding,
we do walks, do it all basically, is what I'm
trying to say.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Well, that's excellent because we all know that even though
I'm a veterinarian and I think that the medical care
of our pets is the most important thing, actually the
other parts of their lives and their lifestyle is important too,
and I think that's where a pet sitter comes in. Now,
COVID and the whole pandemic has kind of thrown us
all a little bit of a curveball, and I've talked
(02:58):
with behavior specialists and and different experts about the changes
on our pets, But what have you seen. Has it
changed your business model at all?
Speaker 5 (03:07):
It certainly has. We started out doing a lot of
in home boarding and in home care in people's houses,
and what we've seen is that there's been this gradual
switch where people are wanting us to really focus in
on a lot of one on one care. Where before
maybe we did a lot of pack walks, well, we're
doing a lot of single individual walks these days. We're
(03:28):
really focusing in on making sure that we are wiping
things down, setting time apart to sanitize, to clean things up,
and really trying to do our best to provide as
many different services as we can to pet owners. We
know that things have changed for them too. They're sitting
at home, they're waiting for businesses to pick back up,
and so we're really trying to meet their needs coming
to their home to pick up their pets, meeting doing
(03:50):
a lot of poop scooping. We've heard from a lot
of pet sitters that poop scooping has become a really
big thing for them because now dogs are spending more
time at home, so there's more cleanup too cats as well.
People are asking for pet sitters to come in and
clean up cat litter boxes and all sorts of things,
to fill in the gaps and to make sure that
the pets continue to get the best care possible even
(04:10):
doing these crazy times.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Well, I know that veterinarians and a lot of other
healthcare providers are all essential workers, and I know that
that has impacted the care of my own personal pets.
And so I'm sure that you have seen that. Have
you heard any questions or concerns from people about the
infectious nature of this social distancing? What are you seeing
(04:34):
and hearing?
Speaker 5 (04:35):
Yeah, absolutely, that's one of the first concerns that came up.
How does this transfer, who can transfer it, what can
transfer it? And so as pet sitters, we get a
lot of those questions from the pet owners because they're
really concerned about that. They want to know what kind
of precautions we're taking when we're in their home or
whenever we're walking their pets or taking care of their
(04:56):
pets for them, And then they want to know about
their own pets. I mean, very early on, there were
some stories and some reports that were coming about pets
getting it and whether they did or didn't, and so
there was a lot of confusion from that, and we
relied a lot on our local veterinarians too to help
fill in some of the gaps of our own missing information.
And so communicating that has been a real challenge because
(05:16):
of all the unknowns around it, and so really focusing
in on the precautions that were taking place and pushing
people to first hand resources so that they can start
digging into that on their own. But as pet sitters,
trying to be as educated as possible. So a big
thing that took place was taking a lot of different education,
taking a lot of certification courses, and really digging into
(05:38):
the information that was out there to make sure that
we were giving the best information possible. And some of
that's changed over time, but it's really forced pet sitters
to focus in on educating ourselves so that we are
helping our clients as best as we can.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
So let me ask you a sort of personal question.
I guess, when you are personally taking care of a
pet and when you see that something is a miss.
Speaker 5 (06:03):
What do you do? This is a great question because
as pet sitters, we have eyes and ears and hands
on somebody's pet a lot of the time if they're
not there and we get to see them over the
course of time, so we watch for changes. That's one
of the things that we talk about with other pet
sitters is the importance of observation and really taking good notes.
(06:25):
That's something that a good pet sitter will do is
take notes on their visit. How is the animal behaving,
how are they eating, what were they drinking? All of
those kinds of things that we can track over time.
And so if we come into a situation where something
seems off, where it doesn't quite meet what we thought
would be there of different behavior issues, maybe they're not
eating the way they used to, we always check with
(06:47):
the owner. We always ask hey, I noticed this, have
you seen this too, and just to gauge because things
do change over time, especially as pets get older. They're
eating habits change, they're not as active as they used
to be, all those kind of things, so we always
want to check with the owner first thing. Obviously, if
it's something more severe, we're going to check with the owner,
and then we're going to take them to the vet
(07:08):
that we have on record with the owner and let
them know that we're doing that, let them know the
actions that we're going to take, and really be as
proactive as possible. We never want to be coming from
a position where we are reacting to situations. A good
pet sitter is going to be as proactive as possible.
They're going to be communicating about things that they see
and observe in somebody's home. So if the pet owner
stays as informed as possible.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Absolutely, and I applaud your your idea that you've checked
with local veterinarians and tried to find good resources because
there's a whole lot of misinformation out there, and through
my podcasts and all of my other avenues, I've really
tried to give good information and I applaud you for
doing the same. So what do you think someone listening
(07:51):
that maybe hasn't ever had a pet sitter, what do
you think that they might need to consider that a
pet senter could provide for their pet that would help
in rich it's life.
Speaker 5 (08:01):
Right, And enrichment actually is the very first thing that
I like to bring up. Pets require interaction. A lot
of them need some sort of engagement throughout the day,
and so this scales whether you have a hyperactive pet
all the way to a pet that just needs maybe
a little bit more attention or special medications. So that's
another thing, medications. If you don't feel comfortable giving medications,
(08:24):
seek out a pet sitter who has training in that
that can come into your home that can give those
for you, especially if there are set times and if
you're not at home, they can do that for you.
You can also think of a pet sitter as having
eyes and ears on your home while you're not there,
so there's actually some safety involved there too, where they
can keep checking on how the home is and what's
(08:45):
going on. So besides enrichment and play, there's exercise, there's engagement,
and good pet sitter is also going to be able
to provide some training reinforcement. So if you're focused on
some certain things about your pet that you are trying
to work on, whether it's behavioral issues or maybe some
new feeding regime, tell your pet sitter about that. They
can do that for you. They can continue to enforce
(09:07):
that while you're not in the home.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
So there's a definite difference in a pet sitter and
someone that just gives the neighbor kid ten dollars to
come in and so it's kind of like, you know,
getting advice from your pet store employee versus getting advice
from your veterinarian. So can you kind of expound on
why someone might choose a true pet sitter.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
Yeah, a true pet sitter. There's a lot that's tied
up into that, but a true good pet sitter is
going to have a handful of things that you're going
to want to look for. A true pet sitter is
going to be bonded and insured. This is to protect yes,
them as their business, but also you as the pet
owner as the homeowner, so looking that they're insured and
(09:50):
bonded is really important. I also want to see a
pet sitter that has CPR and first aid training. This
shows that they are definitely interested in the well being
of your pet and that they've taken it seriously enough
to go get some training in that. You can also
ask them for particular certifications and resources that they have
and what kind of continuing education that they're doing. And
a good thing to look for is what a professional
(10:12):
society that they belong to that shows that they are
plugged into a broader community, that they're seeking out additional resources,
and that if they have a question, they have some
place to go. But above and beyond all that, you're
looking for somebody who is honest and on time. That's
a good communicator, not just someone who has love towards pets,
but that's going to treat you well too, focuses on
(10:33):
your needs as the client, as the pet owner, making
sure that they're communicating to you well, keeping you updated,
and making sure that again that you're taking care of
in addition to your pet.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
That's excellent. So I'm so glad that you pointed that out.
Is there a certification program that a pet sitter can take.
Speaker 5 (10:51):
There are a couple different certification programs out there you
can look for. Some of the big ones, Pet Sitters
International or PSI offers a certification that you can ask
your pet sitter if they have heard of. The other
organizations as well offer ones NAPS and IBPSA all have
different certifications, and some of them even provide specialized training
(11:12):
and education on particular breeds and different animals that you
may have to care for. Many of them actually offer
exotic training, so if you have a lizard or a
bird or something like that, ask your pet sitter if
they've had training in those kind of services so that
you care for your pet and you want someone to
care for them as much as you do, So ask
(11:34):
about that education and there are a lot of different
options and just see which one is going to be right,
not just for you, but for the petsitter that you're
bringing in.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
So you mentioned enrichment, and that's one of my favorite
soapboxes that I talk about, especially for indoor only cats,
because cats love novelty and things that are interesting and new,
and I think a pet sitter could serve that role beautifully.
So I think that that's wonderful. Let's just take a
quick break and come back and hear a little bit
more from Colin. We'll be right back.
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Speaker 2 (13:26):
Welcome back to doctor Kat Gone to the Dogs on
pet Life Radio. Today we're learning about why we would
want to enlist the services of a pet sitter, and
all kinds of inside information about pet sitters and their
credentials and what they should and do know. And so
I've got Colin Funkhouser who has been a pet sitter
(13:46):
for quite some time and has a pet sitting business.
So let's kind of pick up where we left off,
because you've talked a little bit about the administering of
medications and enrichment for pets and exercise. But but there
are other things that I think would be beneficial to
having someone take care of your pet in your absence
(14:07):
or even in addition to you.
Speaker 5 (14:09):
Would you agree, Yeah, absolutely. The services that can provide
are there's a lot there. One of the big ones
that we're seeing, especially in time of time after COVID
I guess, is separation anxiety. So as pets have been
with you, if you've been home this whole time, if
you're starting to go back to work, if you're starting
to go out of the house more, your pets are
(14:29):
going to miss you. They're used to someone being around
all the time. So having a pets that are come
over to your house, whether it take them on the walk,
whether to play with toys in the home, and enrich
their life in that way can really help and go
a long way towards dealing and coping with separation anxiety
as well.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Do you have like a protocol of games like that
you play or things with cats that you could do?
I mean, is that something? Is that a thing?
Speaker 5 (14:54):
It really is a cat by cat basis. It's something
that we can ask the owner about. What are their
face toys? Where do they like to spend time? How
do you interact with the pet? These are questions that
a good pet center is going to be asking because
they want to continue providing a great service. They want
the pet to feel like you, the pet sitter are
part of the family. So whether that's coming over and
(15:16):
getting out the laser pointer, or finding their favorite toy
that's hidden under a couch, or dealing with some catnip
as well, or all things that a pet sitter can
and should be looking to do for your pet. If
that's the kind of cat that your pet is, we
all know that they're different and they all have different personalities,
so a pet sitter should be adaptable to that and
should be communicating to you exactly how they're interacting with
your pet and asking for advice from you too, to
(15:39):
see what you do when you're home.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
So it's just not okay to go in as a
pet sitter and not see the cat. You know, you
need to track the cat down and measure its food
and that kind of thing. And what you're saying is
that good pet sitters are going.
Speaker 5 (15:54):
To know that, right, Yes, absolutely, If you have a
pet sitter come over and you don't get any photo
of your pet. If you don't get any updates about
what they're eating, about what they're drinking, about how they played,
or about you know, how many times they even went
to the bathroom while you were there, those are signs
that you may need to look at a different pet
sitter or ask additional questions. A good pet sitter is
(16:16):
always going to make sure that the pet is where
they're supposed to be, that they've interacted with them, that
they've fed them, that they've watered them. All of those
things are part of just a basic home visit for
a pet sitter, because that's what you expect. That's what
you want to make sure that they are actually interacting
with your pet.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
That's excellent. Yes, that is what I want. And when
the pet comes to see me at the veterinary hospital,
I'm going to ask a lot of questions. And I
do have clients say, you know, we've been out of town,
but the pet sitter said that they noticed, you know
whatever and many times. And that's very valuable to me
as the veterinarian to know that my patients are cared for,
even in the absence of their owners. Okay, dog lovers,
(16:58):
thank you for listening to Doctor Kat Gone to the Dogs.
Thank you Colin for being with us today.
Speaker 5 (17:03):
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
It has been really fun and educational and I hope
it's given you all some criteria to judge if your
pet sitter is doing what you think. So all of
my listeners, thank you so much. Special thanks to my producer,
Mark Winter, and I want you to go out and
raise the rough.
Speaker 4 (17:24):
Let's Talk Pets every week on demand only on Petlife
Radio dot com
This is Pet Life Radio. Let's talk pets.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Hey there, dog lovers, Welcome to Doctor Kat Gone to
the Dogs. I'm your host, doctor Catherine prim and I'm
a small animal veterinarian and dog lover. So today I
have a very interesting and appropriate guest, Colin Funkhauser, who
is a pet sitting expert, and he is going to
share with us some of the things that you might
(00:45):
not have considered when you thought about getting a pet sitter,
or as you've dealt with the issues associated with the
pandemic and isolation and social distancing. So we're going to
talk with Colin about all this stuff. Right after these messages,
we'll be right back.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
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a daily dental scrub with powerful supplements to help with
the biggest health concerns facing our dogs. Daily Dose was
developed by Vets to be simple to use and super effective,
Plus dogs love the taste. Available for joint skin, heart health,
(01:29):
or calming. Daily Dose Your Pets Daily Dose of awesome.
Visit your Petsdailydose dot com to save three dollars on
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Speaker 4 (01:46):
Let's talk pets on Petlife Radio dot com.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Welcome back to doctor Kat. Gone to the dogs. And
as I said, I'm here with Colin Funkouser.
Speaker 5 (02:06):
Hi Colin, Hi doctor Kat. How are you?
Speaker 2 (02:08):
I am excellent? So I want you to give my
listeners a little bit of background about you and what
you do, because you'll tell it better than I will.
Speaker 5 (02:17):
Sure, So Hi everybody. My name is Colin Funkhouser. I
have been a pet sitter for the past nine years.
I pets it with my wife. We started shortly after
we got married. Actually we pet sit in people's homes.
We pets it in our home. So we do boarding,
we do walks, do it all basically, is what I'm
trying to say.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Well, that's excellent because we all know that even though
I'm a veterinarian and I think that the medical care
of our pets is the most important thing, actually the
other parts of their lives and their lifestyle is important too,
and I think that's where a pet sitter comes in. Now,
COVID and the whole pandemic has kind of thrown us
all a little bit of a curveball, and I've talked
(02:58):
with behavior specialists and and different experts about the changes
on our pets, But what have you seen. Has it
changed your business model at all?
Speaker 5 (03:07):
It certainly has. We started out doing a lot of
in home boarding and in home care in people's houses,
and what we've seen is that there's been this gradual
switch where people are wanting us to really focus in
on a lot of one on one care. Where before
maybe we did a lot of pack walks, well, we're
doing a lot of single individual walks these days. We're
(03:28):
really focusing in on making sure that we are wiping
things down, setting time apart to sanitize, to clean things up,
and really trying to do our best to provide as
many different services as we can to pet owners. We
know that things have changed for them too. They're sitting
at home, they're waiting for businesses to pick back up,
and so we're really trying to meet their needs coming
to their home to pick up their pets, meeting doing
(03:50):
a lot of poop scooping. We've heard from a lot
of pet sitters that poop scooping has become a really
big thing for them because now dogs are spending more
time at home, so there's more cleanup too cats as well.
People are asking for pet sitters to come in and
clean up cat litter boxes and all sorts of things,
to fill in the gaps and to make sure that
the pets continue to get the best care possible even
(04:10):
doing these crazy times.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Well, I know that veterinarians and a lot of other
healthcare providers are all essential workers, and I know that
that has impacted the care of my own personal pets.
And so I'm sure that you have seen that. Have
you heard any questions or concerns from people about the
infectious nature of this social distancing? What are you seeing
(04:34):
and hearing?
Speaker 5 (04:35):
Yeah, absolutely, that's one of the first concerns that came up.
How does this transfer, who can transfer it, what can
transfer it? And so as pet sitters, we get a
lot of those questions from the pet owners because they're
really concerned about that. They want to know what kind
of precautions we're taking when we're in their home or
whenever we're walking their pets or taking care of their
(04:56):
pets for them, And then they want to know about
their own pets. I mean, very early on, there were
some stories and some reports that were coming about pets
getting it and whether they did or didn't, and so
there was a lot of confusion from that, and we
relied a lot on our local veterinarians too to help
fill in some of the gaps of our own missing information.
And so communicating that has been a real challenge because
(05:16):
of all the unknowns around it, and so really focusing
in on the precautions that were taking place and pushing
people to first hand resources so that they can start
digging into that on their own. But as pet sitters,
trying to be as educated as possible. So a big
thing that took place was taking a lot of different education,
taking a lot of certification courses, and really digging into
(05:38):
the information that was out there to make sure that
we were giving the best information possible. And some of
that's changed over time, but it's really forced pet sitters
to focus in on educating ourselves so that we are
helping our clients as best as we can.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
So let me ask you a sort of personal question.
I guess, when you are personally taking care of a
pet and when you see that something is a miss.
Speaker 5 (06:03):
What do you do? This is a great question because
as pet sitters, we have eyes and ears and hands
on somebody's pet a lot of the time if they're
not there and we get to see them over the
course of time, so we watch for changes. That's one
of the things that we talk about with other pet
sitters is the importance of observation and really taking good notes.
(06:25):
That's something that a good pet sitter will do is
take notes on their visit. How is the animal behaving,
how are they eating, what were they drinking? All of
those kinds of things that we can track over time.
And so if we come into a situation where something
seems off, where it doesn't quite meet what we thought
would be there of different behavior issues, maybe they're not
eating the way they used to, we always check with
(06:47):
the owner. We always ask hey, I noticed this, have
you seen this too, and just to gauge because things
do change over time, especially as pets get older. They're
eating habits change, they're not as active as they used
to be, all those kind of things, so we always
want to check with the owner first thing. Obviously, if
it's something more severe, we're going to check with the owner,
and then we're going to take them to the vet
(07:08):
that we have on record with the owner and let
them know that we're doing that, let them know the
actions that we're going to take, and really be as
proactive as possible. We never want to be coming from
a position where we are reacting to situations. A good
pet sitter is going to be as proactive as possible.
They're going to be communicating about things that they see
and observe in somebody's home. So if the pet owner
stays as informed as possible.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Absolutely, and I applaud your your idea that you've checked
with local veterinarians and tried to find good resources because
there's a whole lot of misinformation out there, and through
my podcasts and all of my other avenues, I've really
tried to give good information and I applaud you for
doing the same. So what do you think someone listening
(07:51):
that maybe hasn't ever had a pet sitter, what do
you think that they might need to consider that a
pet senter could provide for their pet that would help
in rich it's life.
Speaker 5 (08:01):
Right, And enrichment actually is the very first thing that
I like to bring up. Pets require interaction. A lot
of them need some sort of engagement throughout the day,
and so this scales whether you have a hyperactive pet
all the way to a pet that just needs maybe
a little bit more attention or special medications. So that's
another thing, medications. If you don't feel comfortable giving medications,
(08:24):
seek out a pet sitter who has training in that
that can come into your home that can give those
for you, especially if there are set times and if
you're not at home, they can do that for you.
You can also think of a pet sitter as having
eyes and ears on your home while you're not there,
so there's actually some safety involved there too, where they
can keep checking on how the home is and what's
(08:45):
going on. So besides enrichment and play, there's exercise, there's engagement,
and good pet sitter is also going to be able
to provide some training reinforcement. So if you're focused on
some certain things about your pet that you are trying
to work on, whether it's behavioral issues or maybe some
new feeding regime, tell your pet sitter about that. They
can do that for you. They can continue to enforce
(09:07):
that while you're not in the home.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
So there's a definite difference in a pet sitter and
someone that just gives the neighbor kid ten dollars to
come in and so it's kind of like, you know,
getting advice from your pet store employee versus getting advice
from your veterinarian. So can you kind of expound on
why someone might choose a true pet sitter.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
Yeah, a true pet sitter. There's a lot that's tied
up into that, but a true good pet sitter is
going to have a handful of things that you're going
to want to look for. A true pet sitter is
going to be bonded and insured. This is to protect yes,
them as their business, but also you as the pet
owner as the homeowner, so looking that they're insured and
(09:50):
bonded is really important. I also want to see a
pet sitter that has CPR and first aid training. This
shows that they are definitely interested in the well being
of your pet and that they've taken it seriously enough
to go get some training in that. You can also
ask them for particular certifications and resources that they have
and what kind of continuing education that they're doing. And
a good thing to look for is what a professional
(10:12):
society that they belong to that shows that they are
plugged into a broader community, that they're seeking out additional resources,
and that if they have a question, they have some
place to go. But above and beyond all that, you're
looking for somebody who is honest and on time. That's
a good communicator, not just someone who has love towards pets,
but that's going to treat you well too, focuses on
(10:33):
your needs as the client, as the pet owner, making
sure that they're communicating to you well, keeping you updated,
and making sure that again that you're taking care of
in addition to your pet.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
That's excellent. So I'm so glad that you pointed that out.
Is there a certification program that a pet sitter can take.
Speaker 5 (10:51):
There are a couple different certification programs out there you
can look for. Some of the big ones, Pet Sitters
International or PSI offers a certification that you can ask
your pet sitter if they have heard of. The other
organizations as well offer ones NAPS and IBPSA all have
different certifications, and some of them even provide specialized training
(11:12):
and education on particular breeds and different animals that you
may have to care for. Many of them actually offer
exotic training, so if you have a lizard or a
bird or something like that, ask your pet sitter if
they've had training in those kind of services so that
you care for your pet and you want someone to
care for them as much as you do, So ask
(11:34):
about that education and there are a lot of different
options and just see which one is going to be right,
not just for you, but for the petsitter that you're
bringing in.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
So you mentioned enrichment, and that's one of my favorite
soapboxes that I talk about, especially for indoor only cats,
because cats love novelty and things that are interesting and new,
and I think a pet sitter could serve that role beautifully.
So I think that that's wonderful. Let's just take a
quick break and come back and hear a little bit
more from Colin. We'll be right back.
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Speaker 8 (13:12):
Radio pet Life Radio pet Life Radio dot com.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Welcome back to doctor Kat Gone to the Dogs on
pet Life Radio. Today we're learning about why we would
want to enlist the services of a pet sitter, and
all kinds of inside information about pet sitters and their
credentials and what they should and do know. And so
I've got Colin Funkhouser who has been a pet sitter
(13:46):
for quite some time and has a pet sitting business.
So let's kind of pick up where we left off,
because you've talked a little bit about the administering of
medications and enrichment for pets and exercise. But but there
are other things that I think would be beneficial to
having someone take care of your pet in your absence
(14:07):
or even in addition to you.
Speaker 5 (14:09):
Would you agree, Yeah, absolutely. The services that can provide
are there's a lot there. One of the big ones
that we're seeing, especially in time of time after COVID
I guess, is separation anxiety. So as pets have been
with you, if you've been home this whole time, if
you're starting to go back to work, if you're starting
to go out of the house more, your pets are
(14:29):
going to miss you. They're used to someone being around
all the time. So having a pets that are come
over to your house, whether it take them on the walk,
whether to play with toys in the home, and enrich
their life in that way can really help and go
a long way towards dealing and coping with separation anxiety
as well.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Do you have like a protocol of games like that
you play or things with cats that you could do?
I mean, is that something? Is that a thing?
Speaker 5 (14:54):
It really is a cat by cat basis. It's something
that we can ask the owner about. What are their
face toys? Where do they like to spend time? How
do you interact with the pet? These are questions that
a good pet center is going to be asking because
they want to continue providing a great service. They want
the pet to feel like you, the pet sitter are
part of the family. So whether that's coming over and
(15:16):
getting out the laser pointer, or finding their favorite toy
that's hidden under a couch, or dealing with some catnip
as well, or all things that a pet sitter can
and should be looking to do for your pet. If
that's the kind of cat that your pet is, we
all know that they're different and they all have different personalities,
so a pet sitter should be adaptable to that and
should be communicating to you exactly how they're interacting with
your pet and asking for advice from you too, to
(15:39):
see what you do when you're home.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
So it's just not okay to go in as a
pet sitter and not see the cat. You know, you
need to track the cat down and measure its food
and that kind of thing. And what you're saying is
that good pet sitters are going.
Speaker 5 (15:54):
To know that, right, Yes, absolutely, If you have a
pet sitter come over and you don't get any photo
of your pet. If you don't get any updates about
what they're eating, about what they're drinking, about how they played,
or about you know, how many times they even went
to the bathroom while you were there, those are signs
that you may need to look at a different pet
sitter or ask additional questions. A good pet sitter is
(16:16):
always going to make sure that the pet is where
they're supposed to be, that they've interacted with them, that
they've fed them, that they've watered them. All of those
things are part of just a basic home visit for
a pet sitter, because that's what you expect. That's what
you want to make sure that they are actually interacting
with your pet.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
That's excellent. Yes, that is what I want. And when
the pet comes to see me at the veterinary hospital,
I'm going to ask a lot of questions. And I
do have clients say, you know, we've been out of town,
but the pet sitter said that they noticed, you know
whatever and many times. And that's very valuable to me
as the veterinarian to know that my patients are cared for,
even in the absence of their owners. Okay, dog lovers,
(16:58):
thank you for listening to Doctor Kat Gone to the Dogs.
Thank you Colin for being with us today.
Speaker 5 (17:03):
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
It has been really fun and educational and I hope
it's given you all some criteria to judge if your
pet sitter is doing what you think. So all of
my listeners, thank you so much. Special thanks to my producer,
Mark Winter, and I want you to go out and
raise the rough.
Speaker 4 (17:24):
Let's Talk Pets every week on demand only on Petlife
Radio dot com
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