{"id":8771,"date":"2020-03-03T10:00:45","date_gmt":"2020-03-03T16:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/?p=8771"},"modified":"2026-02-17T10:08:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T16:08:09","slug":"is-pet-sitting-a-real-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/blog\/culture\/myths\/is-pet-sitting-a-real-job\/","title":{"rendered":"Debarking Pet Myths: Pet Sitting Isn&#8217;t a \u201cReal Job\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Welcome to another installment of \u201cDebarking Pet Myths,\u201d our monthly series that addresses common myths, misconceptions and old wives\u2019 tales about dogs, cats and their nutrition.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>People hold a variety of preconceived notions about what pet sitters do and what it takes to succeed as a pet-care professional. Since the first full week of March is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.petsit.com\/ppsweek\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Professional Pet Sitters Week<\/a>\u2122, we\u2019ll address one of the most common misconceptions about pet sitting: <strong>Pet sitting isn\u2019t a \u201creal job.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Pet sitting is a legitimate profession just like accounting, painting, plumbing, writing or any other occupation someone might pursue. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies \u201cpet sitters\u201d as part of the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/personal-care-and-service\/animal-care-and-service-workers.htm#tab-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">animal care and service workers<\/a>\u201d category, which also includes animal trainers, groomers and zookeepers. The bureau\u2019s Occupational Outlook Handbook provides an excellent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/personal-care-and-service\/animal-care-and-service-workers.htm#tab-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">overview<\/a> of the animal care industry, including what animal care workers do, how to become one and what the job outlook is. Be sure to check it out if you\u2019re interested in learning more about the field.<\/p>\n<h3>What do pet sitters do?<\/h3>\n<p>Pet Sitters International (PSI), one of two national educational organizations for professional pet sitters, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.petsit.com\/what-is-a-pet-sitter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">defines pet sitting<\/a> as \u201cthe act of caring for a pet in its own home while the owner is away.\u201d Some pet sitters will stay in your home with your pets; others will visit your pet two or three times daily while you\u2019re away. Still other pet sitters will care for your pet during one or more visits if you\u2019re working long hours or unable to care for your pet for medical reasons.<\/p>\n<p>Although services vary from one pet sitter to the next, most pet sitters perform these tasks during visits:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Feed pets and change their water bowls<\/li>\n<li>Provide exercise (including walking your dog) and play time<\/li>\n<li>Clean litter boxes and clean up any other pet messes<\/li>\n<li>Give medications, if needed<\/li>\n<li>Brush fur and teeth<\/li>\n<li>Provide plenty of TLC<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Pet sitters are also responsible for notifying you and taking your pet to the veterinary clinic when an injury or illness occurs while your pet is in their care.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to providing pet care, pet sitters will often bring in mail or newspapers, vacuum pet hair and alternate blinds and lights to give your home a \u201clived-in look.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And those are just the pet- and client-related tasks! While some pet sitters work for a pet-sitting company, many pet sitters work for themselves. That means they\u2019re responsible for running the business, from finding clients to caring for pets to ensuring taxes are filed appropriately.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re interested in learning more about pet sitting or simply curious about what a day in the life of a pet sitter looks like, check out this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.petful.com\/misc\/5-things-wish-knew-becoming-pet-sitter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">article written by a professional pet sitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>How do you become a pet sitter?<\/h3>\n<p>Some pet sitters start a pet-sitting business because they are long-time pet owners who want to be self-employed and work directly with pets and their owners. Others have a background in veterinary medicine or animal care, such as veterinary technicians or boarding kennel assistants, who are looking for a second income or to eventually work for themselves.<\/p>\n<p>The formal education of professional pet sitters varies tremendously. While some pet sitters have at least some college education, others may have multiple college degrees and still others have only a high school diploma. Formal education or training beyond high school isn\u2019t required to be a professional pet sitter. What you do need to know, though, is how to properly care for the pets entrusted to you, an understanding of animal behavior and hands-on experience with different types of pets and temperaments. You should also seriously consider completing a pet first aid and CPR course.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.petsit.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pet Sitters International<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/petsitters.org\/page\/NAPPSUniversity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Association of Professional Pet Sitters<\/a> (NAPPS) offer courses that cover all topics relevant to pet sitting, including pet care, pet first aid and business development. Both organizations also offer certification exams.<\/p>\n<h3>Tips for vetting a pet sitter<\/h3>\n<p>So maybe you don\u2019t want to become a pet sitter but are interested in hiring one so your pets can stay in their own home while you\u2019re out of town. You want to be sure you\u2019re entrusting the care of your four-legged family members (and access to your home) to someone who is trustworthy, reliable, caring and patient \u2014 someone who will care for your pets like they would their own.<\/p>\n<p>Hiring a pet sitter is a serious process, so here are seven steps to help you through it:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Use the pet sitter locators created by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.petsit.com\/locate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PSI<\/a> and\/or <a href=\"https:\/\/pro.petsitters.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NAPPS<\/a> to find professional pet sitters in your area. You can also identify potential pet sitters through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rover.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rover.com<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.care.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Care.com<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>If possible, visit the websites of the pet sitters in your area to ensure they offer the services you need and to review their rates, services and service area.<\/li>\n<li>Schedule a \u201cmeet and greet\u201d or initial consultation with select pet sitters. This meeting, which takes place in your home, allows the pet sitter to interact with your pets and lets you discuss services and business policies (as you\u2019re watching how the pet sitter and your pets interact).<\/li>\n<li>Develop a list of questions to ask prospective pet sitters. PSI has an excellent handout on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.petsit.com\/stuff\/contentmgr\/files\/0\/29c7765bd8e4601c70461fadbcf844cd\/files\/tips_for_conducting_a_professional_pet_sitter_interview.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">conducting an interview with a professional pet sitter<\/a> that\u2019s available for download from its website. It\u2019s a great place to start!<\/li>\n<li>Hold interviews with prospective pet sitters. Don\u2019t hesitate to ask if the pet sitter has the appropriate license and if he or she is bonded and insured. You\u2019ll also want to get references that you can check. During the interview, potential pet sitters may provide you with a pet-sitting agreement or contract to review.<\/li>\n<li>After the interview, be sure to check the references you were given. You\u2019ll want to prepare a list of questions to ask when contacting references \u2014 ideally before you call.<\/li>\n<li>Decide which pet sitter is right for you and your pets, and get that pet sitter scheduled!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>As the primary caregiver for your pet, you know that caring for your dog or cat requires more than filling food and water bowls, an occasional walk or play session, and a daily scratch behind the ears. Professional pet sitters know that too. And they know that, when it\u2019s done right, pet sitting IS a real and rewarding job.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8776 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/394DN-2002-Pet-sitting-isn\u2019t-a-real-job-MYTHOMETER.jpg\" alt=\"An interior graphic with text that reads, 'Debarking Pet Myths: Pet sitting isn't a 'real job' \u2014 False'.\" width=\"800\" height=\"185\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/394DN-2002-Pet-sitting-isn\u2019t-a-real-job-MYTHOMETER.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/394DN-2002-Pet-sitting-isn\u2019t-a-real-job-MYTHOMETER-300x69.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/394DN-2002-Pet-sitting-isn\u2019t-a-real-job-MYTHOMETER-768x178.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>RELATED POST: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/blog\/culture\/pet-tips\/pet-care-options-for-vacation\/\">Pet Care Options for When Your Pet Can\u2019t Vacation With You<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to another installment of \u201cDebarking Pet Myths,\u201d our monthly series that addresses common myths, misconceptions and old wives\u2019 tales about dogs, cats and their nutrition. People hold a variety of preconceived notions about what pet sitters do and what it takes to succeed as a pet-care professional. Since the first full week of March [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":8778,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"Debunking the Myth That Pet Sitting Is Not a \"Real Job\"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Learn more about the legitimacy of pet sitting as a profession. Understand the responsibilities of pet sitters, how to become one & tips for hiring the right sitter!","_seopress_robots_index":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[158,275],"tags":[100,101,10,344,343,132],"class_list":["post-8771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-myths","tag-cat","tag-diamond-pet-food","tag-dog","tag-pet-babysitting","tag-pet-sitting","tag-walking-dogs"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8771"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8771\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}