What is a Pet Sitter?
PSI • June 7, 2021
The definition of pet sitting
In 1997 Pet Sitters International (PSI) successfully campaigned to have “pet sitting” added to the Random House Dictionary.
“Pet sitting” is defined as “the act of caring for a pet in its own home while the owner is away.” Dog walking is also a form of pet sitting since it involves coming to the pet’s home to provide exercise and companionship.
While some pet sitters and dog walkers offer additional services, such as limited in-home boarding (less than 30 percent offer this service, according to PSI's 2020 State of the Industry Survey), these are separate services, and not considered "pet sitting."
Caring for pets in the clients’ homes is what separates pet sitters from boarders or doggie daycares.
What are the advantages of pet sitting (over other pet-care options)?
• Pets are happier and experience less stress at home in their familiar environment.
• Diet and exercise routines are uninterrupted.
• Travel trauma for both owner and pet is eliminated.
• Pet's exposure to illness is minimized.
Occasionally, extenuating circumstances (i.e., a pet with special health issues or severe separation anxiety or repairs taking place in the pet’s home) warrants a pet sitter caring for a client’s pet in his or her own home for extended periods of time. Having a pet sitter can bring peace of mind to the owner, as well as the pet.
What does a pet sitter do?
As the definition above indicates, pet sitters care for clients’ pets in the clients’ homes. Pet owners often use pet sitters when they go on a vacation, travel for business, work long hours or when they are too sick or injured to care for their pet(s).
Pet sitters often offer more than one pet-sitting visit per day, and some pet sitters offer overnight stays as well.
During the pet-sitting visits, pet sitters perform a variety of tasks, including:
• Feeding the pets and changing their water bowls
• Providing exercise and play time (may include walking the dog)
• Cleaning litter boxes and cleaning up any other pet messes
• Administering pet medications, if needed
• Providing lots of TLC!