Adventures in Pet sitting: How to Avoid Mayhem and Enjoy the Experience

Over the weekend, I had to fulfill my duty as a cool aunt and pet sit for my two favorite furry nephews, two Alaskan Klee Kai puppies named Koda and Kane. At first, I was a little nervous with all the responsibility, but it ended up being a doggone good time! And I definitely picked up some survival skills quickly that I want to share with you in today’s Adventures in Pet Sitting blog post.

Meet Koda and his rebellious personality that I learned about during my Pet Sitting Adventures

Before you pet sit, ask yourself, “Can I really handle this?”

And take in consideration the type of pet (dogs are a handful, cats are less demanding, and small pets in cages aren’t too bad at all), your experience with pets (if you’ve never owned an animal, start out with something easy), and the time frame you will be pet sitting (the shorter the time, the less hair pulling).

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and write everything down.

When does your pet nap? How many times do I need to take your pet on a walk per day? How many times does your pet eat? What does your pet eat and where can I find the food in your house? Does your pet have any allergies? Any bad habits I should watch out for? Any areas in the house your pet is not allowed to go? Is there any medication I need to administer and how do I do that? What’s your Vet’s contact information? Is there any additional information I need to know in case of an emergency? These are all great questions to ask!

Make it easy for yourself and keep all-things-relating-to-the-pet in one area.

I felt like a lot of my time was spent running around finding toys to keep the puppies busy and I couldn’t even find the leashes to walk them. By day 2, I had everything in one spot, so it was easy to grab when Koda was yelping for attention or Kane wanted a treat.

Be comfortable with cleaning up their “business.”

Since the boys are still in the potty training phase, it was hard to tell when they needed to be taken outside. I was forewarned that they head to the door or start sniffing the ground if they need to use the restroom (AKA the backyard). Still, there were accidents! So I had to be comfortable picking up their accidental hiccups and carpet cleaning. Each pet is different, so you’ll need to be comfortable with picking up a range of “businesses.”

Develop an understanding of the pet’s personality.

Understanding and predicting what the pet will do next is a great way to avoid a headache. I noticed right away that when I picked up one pup that it made the other one follow me around and obey. I used this to my advantage when the boys were being too rowdy and I needed to take them inside. Each pet has certain quirks that if you watch closely, you’ll learn and be able to use to your benefit.

Pet sitting doesn’t have to be a huge disastrous adventure. Just follow these simple pet care tips and you’ll make that pet your best friend in no time, of course, it’s just until their mom comes home!

What is Kane thinking? Answer in a comment below.