How exciting – you’re moving to a new place with your furry friend. Even though this is a positive change, it can also be stressful for people and animals. After a move, you need to deal with many tasks and find a few service providers for all sorts of things. One of them is undoubtedly finding someone to take care of your pet. Being new in the city, it can be tough to find a qualified pet sitter as you don’t know the local companies or individuals that can help you out. Learn how to do it and find a trustworthy animal-lover who’ll care for your furry friend while you’re not around.
Why it’s better to hire a pet sitter?
You’ve just moved to a new place and may not have someone close to trust your furry friend with. In that case, hiring a sitter is a good idea. Professional pet sitters have undergone special training and know a lot about common animal behavior. This means they’ll probably provide great care and react adequately if something happens. Finally, it’s better to pay someone to help you out rather than imposing someone you know and taking away their time.
Know your needs
Firstly, you should identify your and your pet’s needs. You need to know the difference between a professional pet sitter and someone who only walks dogs or does this as a hobby. If you’re going to be away for more than an hour or two, it’s essential to find a reliable professional that suits your needs. List everything you’ll need from the sitter, potential pet-sitting schedule, and the characteristics of your pet. You’ll be asking questions, but you should also provide all the necessary information to the potential sitter.
Know your pet’s needs so you can find a qualified pet sitter for them.
Ask for recommendations
The best way to find a trustworthy pet sitter is to ask people you know for recommendations. If someone you trust recommends or warns you about a person or a company, it’s easier to believe it. So, if you have friends, family, or co-workers who live in NYC and have a pet, be sure to ask them about a trusted professional – there are good chances you’ll find what you’re looking for.
Read reviews
The internet can be beneficial when searching for a qualified pet sitter, dog trainer, or a groomer after moving to a new city. Do the online research of the local area for qualified pet sitting companies or individuals. Read reviews on Google or Yelp or some other local relevant website. However, don’t trust everything you see online. These reviews are often not entirely accurate or up-to-date, so don’t base your search only on them.
Look for certified companies
You need someone serious and professional to take care of your beloved pet. That’s why you should browse companies with a license for their team. Such companies have procedures for hiring pet sitters to ensure they’re dealing with experienced people. These companies are also part of a pet sitting community and organizations – look for this information on their website. Also, if anything goes wrong, there’s a manager or company owner to talk it over with. Finally, if the company you hire has a team, it will be easier to get emergency sitting services or a substitute. These things are not as smooth with individual or solo sitters because they work independently. Even though there are reliable solo sitters, hiring a certified company is a much better option when you move to a new city.
There are different pet services – explore all of them to find out which one works best for you.
Explore more than one option
It’s important to explore multiple options to find the best one. Contact two or three pet sitting companies so you can compare their services and fees. Not all companies have the same offer.
Bonus tip: this is also a great tip when choosing a moving company for your relocation. Roadway Moving experts recommend you get a couple of estimates to ensure you’ve got the best deal for the services you need. Also, comparing companies can help you notice specific issues and avoid problems after hiring.
Prepare the questions
Interviewing a sitter should be informative and concise. You should be able to get all the necessary information – but you need to have the crucial questions previously prepared. We want to help you do this by sharing some essential questions that will help you determine if a pet sitter is good for you:
- Do you have a proper license that’s valid in the local area?
- Do you have insurance?
- Tell me more about your previous experience?
- Can you share references from previous pet owners?
- Did you complete any training regarding pet sitting or first aid?
- Are you a member of any association?
- What’s your plan in case of an emergency? Do you have a substitute?
Another thing that will help you see you’re interviewing a qualified pet sitter is the fact that they are asking questions. If that person is a true animal lover, they will ask more about your pet, take notes about their daily routine, allergies, etc.
Have a trial run
Even though you like someone, be sure they get along with your pet before you make a longer commitment. Let them come by and spend some time with your pet to see how it goes. A trial run can ensure everything will be okay even after you leave for work.
Trust the feeling
In general, your gut should never lie. The person you hire should be someone you can trust with your pet, house keys, and privacy. That’s why checking everything before you hire a qualified pet sitter should be topped off with the final decision – made solely by your feeling about the person.
Moving with your pet – tips for a smooth and stress-free relocation
Finding a person to take care of your pet after the move is not the only thing you should do. Organizing the move and ensuring your pet doesn’t feel stressed out is also on the moving checklist. Relocations can make pets quite anxious and cause more serious problems.
Traveling tips
Prepare your pet for traveling by introducing the transporter weeks before the move. Let them play and sleep in it, so they don’t find it strange once you need to travel to your new home. This is particularly important for pets that are not used to traveling. That’s why it’s important to help them get used to it for a safer and more peaceful journey.
Visit the new home
If possible, visit the new home together before the move. This is particularly important when moving with a dog or cat, as they are curious about the environment. Let them explore the space, smell everything and get familiar with all the rooms. This way, they won’t be nervous after you arrive to stay.
Don’t change the routine
Insist on keeping your pet’s daily routine throughout the moving process. Don’t change your feeding time, go out for walks as usual, etc. Disrupting their routine signals that something is going on, which can make your pet pretty nervous.
Find a new vet
Contact your old vet for advice and recommendations. They should give you necessary prescriptions if your pet takes any therapy, prepare documentation and recommend a good vet in a new area. If you’re moving to a place where you don’t know a good vet – ask people you know about it, or explore the internet for the best-reviewed vets in the new city.
New home, old toys
Bring all the old pet items to the new house. Don’t switch their bowls, bed, toys, and leashes. Bringing them to the new home will make it more familiar and help your pet adjust better to the new environment.
Let your pet keep their items even after the move.
Pet-proofing the new house
Pet-proof your new home the moment you arrive. Until they are fully settled and familiar with the house, don’t let your pet go out on their own, and also make sure they can’t run away. Some dogs or cats want to go back to the old house because they feel scared, which can be dangerous and potentially tragic.
Know what to do in case your pet doesn’t adapt well
Changing the environment is a big step for people, but even bigger for animals. They need to adapt to the new living space without completely understanding why. That’s why you never know what to expect – the reaction of your pet can be pretty unpredictable. In this case, you should know how to deal with an anxious pet, be understanding and try to make them feel safe and peaceful as much as possible.
Conclusion
It can be challenging to organize a move, find a qualified pet sitter in a new city, and help everyone adapt – but you’re doing that for your beloved furry friend. We hope this guide will make it a bit easier and ensure a smooth relocation for every member of your household.
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meta: Moving can be challenging for both people and animals. Find a qualified pet sitter after moving to a new city with these valuable tips.
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