PROS of Hiring a Pro Sitter

Pets are Comfortable & Secure – Pets are where they love most: home. They have their favorite foods, blankets, toys, etc. There is no need to adapt to a new environment.

Specialized Focus & Attention – Your pet will receive one-on-one interaction with a professional pet sitter, who comes on a regular schedule to feed, exercise, and check on your pets. Your pets are receiving optimal attention and care with a pet sitter in your home.

Direct Communication with Sitter – Being able to have a direct line of contact with a pet sitter is the ultimate peace of mind, so you can focus on enjoying your vacation. Whisker Watcher employs a 24-hour messaging system for clients so that you have access at any time of day to message your sitter for updates or questions.

Dedicated Point of Contact – In case of an emergency with your pet or home, there won’t be any confusion or miscommunication with multiple people. A single pet sitter will have all of the information up front and readily available to disseminate. Whisker Watcher pet sitters follow a strict set of Standard Operating Procedures in case of emergencies.

More Flexibility – Typically a boarding facility has employees that work a set amount of hours, and there is no flexibility afforded to the pet parents in case they may have a special request regarding their pet. At Whisker Watcher, our services are far more personalized, so if a pet parent has a special request, we are much more capable of offering assistance outside of normal operating hours.

More Security For Your Home – In your absence, Whisker Watcher pet sitters perform what we call a “House Check”, which is a complimentary service that we perform at every visit. These House Checks help to prevent any problems that could occur while you’re gone, as well as ensures that your home is secure before leaving.

Well Prepared in Emergencies – A professional pet sitter will be thorough when meeting with clients for the firs time, ensuring that they have all the information needed in case of a pet or home emergency. At Whisker Watcher, our staff are all Pet First Aid Certified and trained to be “competent, coherent, and capable” in emergency situations.

More Accountability – You never know who your pet will be with when at a boarding facility. Whisker Watcher screens all employees and requires background/criminal record checks as well as GPS tracking, time of day, and time length records of each visit. This information is also published to your pet’s “Pawgress Report” when we update you for each visit.

CONS of Hiring a Pro Pet Sitter

Finding a Pet Care Pro – As in any industry, there will be some bad apples. There are stories of pet sitters taking their client’s pets to a party, hosting parties at the client’s house, losing pets, etc. It is important that you vet your pet sitters and ask the right questions such as, “Are you bonded and insured?” “What is your protocol in emergency situations?” There are many hobbyists who simply perform pet sitting services as a “side gig” that are not bonded or insured, that will charge cheap amounts to the detriment of themselves and the client as your relationship will suffer.

Alone Time – Your pet will be alone for much of the day with a professional pet sitting service, as pet sitters will have other pet clients to check in on throughout the day.