When you’re away at work or on vacation and need a pet sitter to come in and care for your pets, it’s important to make sure your home is safe. Here are some easy things you can do to make sure your home is secure while you’re away, and most importantly your pets get the care they need.
Convenient tips you can do to make your pets are safe when you’re away
First, you’ll want to let the pet sitter know about any special features of your property such as an alarm system or surveillance. You can also install a smart lock to your front door if a pet sitter is a regular service you like to use. Having a smart lock and code also ensures that your pet sitter or walker can always get into your house, thus leaving no excuses as to why they can’t let themselves in when needed.
Second, you can also install a home security camera system for your pet sitter. Installing cameras in the rooms where your pets are located will give you peace of mind as to what is going on while you’re away. If you have a big house, it’s recommended that you have at least two cameras to catch everything.
Create an emergency plan for your pets and sitter
Help your pet sitter understand how to handle emergencies that might arise with your pets while you’re gone. It’s also important to have an emergency plan for any type of emergency. For example, if a fire breaks out, you want to make sure all your pets can get to safety. You should have a prepared pet carrier ready for each pet with their name printed on the top of it so if there is an emergency, that way your sitter can grab it and go. Also, make sure you have a place in your home the pet sitter can go in case of an emergency, so they have a safe place for them to be.
However, it is smart to create other health and safety plans as well. These plans can include things like, administering medication or caring for an animal in heat. Make sure to leave all pertinent information needed including what type of food each pet likes, feeding schedules, and exercise routines in a folder in a designated area.
Creating a folder of information and routines
In the folder, you can also provide your pet sitter with any house rules, such as whether or not they are allowed to let your pets out in the backyard, leave windows open, turn on the TV, etc., and if there is anything that must happen while you’re away (For example, if your dog needs medication each day at 3:00 pm, please inform the pet sitter of all information and keep it in one place so it’s easy to access.
Microchip your pets
Chipping your pets might be a good idea if you haven’t chipped your pets already. Implanting microchips in your cat or dog not only adds to your peace of mind, but they’re also beneficial because your pets can then always be identified no matter how far away, they roam. Also, if they get lost and wind up at a shelter, the shelter will know who they belong to and be able to contact you.
Pet-proofing Tips
We’ve heard of many horror stories of pets getting into all sorts of trouble and causing serious damage to homes and owners. You can avoid this by pet-proofing your home. Look around your house and look for any dangers that could harm your pets, such as cactus plants which are poisonous to cats, or an exposed nail in the wall that might hurt a furry friend.
Make sure any plants in your yard are safe for your pets
It’s always important to make sure all plants, bushes, and trees are safe for your pets. If you have indoor plants, make sure to place them high enough so your cats won’t get into them and eat any of the leaves. Some plants can be dangerous even if they’re eaten in small amounts, so it’s best to keep them out of reach just to be safe. You can also ask your pet sitter or the owner of the service to help by telling them which plants are poisonous to pets. Many dogs chew on things they shouldn’t chew on, so make sure you have chew toys for your dog. If your dog is an aggressive chewer, try giving them a Nyla bone or other tough toys.
Secure trash bins, vents, and fence lines
Securing trash bins can help trap smells so that your pet isn’t tempted. You can also secure vents with screens so that pets don’t crawl inside and get stuck, check your fence line so that dogs can’t jump over it, make sure all windows are closed with screens secured in the window tracks or if they open to a fire escape or another area where pets can slip through.
The article offers a lot of advice for pet owners who are looking to make their life easier by providing information on how they can prepare their pets and home before they leave. We must give our pet sitters as much detail about the house rules, feeding schedules, and any other pertinent facts so it makes their job easier when caring for your pets while you’re away. A few tips include microchipping your animal if they don’t already have one implanted, making sure all plants in the yard or at home are safe for them to eat from or chew on (i.e.: cactus), and securing areas such as trash bins and vents where your animals might get stuck/hung up on something dangerous like sharp nails poking out of a wall. This article may also help pet sitters who are considering the job, as it offers some good advice on what type of owners, they will be taking care of and what types of things to look for when preparing for a job caring for other people’s pets while they’re away from home.
photo credit: https://unsplash.com/photos/2l0CWTpcChI
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