How Often Should a Pet Sitter Visit?
A potential new Atlanta client called recently, asking about pet care for their kitty cat. This prospective client was leaving town for a week. She said they have an extra-large food bowl that was always kept full, an extra-large water bowl, and an extra-large litter box. She asked if we could visit her kitty Monday and Thursday that week.
These kinds of calls aren’t uncommon: Some kitty owners ask us to come every two or three days. And some dog owners headed out of town have a doggie door and therefore say they need us to come only one time per day to feed. The short answer to both questions is, simply, no.
It would be great if I could blame our insurance company: “Oh, I’m so sorry, but our liability insurance requires us to visit at least once per day for cats, and at least twice per day for dogs.”
But that’s not the truth. The truth is that I just cannot, in good conscience, leave a beloved pet unattended for that length of time. It’s too easy for kitty to get trapped behind a refrigerator or locked in a closet. And it’s just too easy for a frisky pup to get locked out of a doggie door, or choke on a stick or a chipmunk or . . . whatever.
And so I tell prospective clients just that: Pet Sitters need to visit kitties at least once every 24 hours, and pups at the very least twice per day. That policy has cost us a few new clients (who think we’re trying to gouge them and make more for the company), but I sleep better at night knowing that we can look after the clients who do choose us for their pet sitting and dog walking needs.
Whether you’re traveling or just need us to come by during the day, Buckhead Paws is your complete Atlanta area pet care provider. Call us at 404-432-1192!
Mark Shaver has owned Buckhead Paws since 2012, and is an active member of Pet Sitters International. Previously, he was a senior executive with three multinational corporations.
