How to Earn Extra Income as a Petsitter

 

I have discussed my job previously as an online teacher with VIPKID, GoGoKid, and Outschool, and I run this blog as well. However, there is another job I do that I absolutely love: petsitting. Here’s why you should become a pet sitter!

 

Why Petsitting?

Petsitting and housesitting are great ways to help cushion your monthly income, and even lower travel costs by supplying free accommodation and some extra cash. Who wouldn’t want to get paid to hang out with someone’s pets for awhile? During the busy holiday months, I’ve earned up to $1k a week just by taking care of dogs, cats, and other pets!

I love pet sitting, even while not traveling because it is such a fun, easy job! I can write, answer emails, and teach my classes from someone else’s home and keep their pets company while their owners are away.

How to Become a Petsitter

I petsit mostly through a website called Rover. The site works by showing your profile to families looking for a local pet sitter, house sitter, or dog walker, and allows the family to contact you through the app. You do not need to supply any personal information to the families if you do not want to, and all communication can occur in the app. The app is free, but they do take 20% of your fees once your sit is complete. Think of it as an advertiser fee! You can also charge whatever you want for your services, so keep this fee in mind.

 

I get most of my petsitting clients through Rover, and have had many repeat clients! You can set your own rates, and the app automatically calculates what the owner will owe you when requesting your services, and payment is required at the time of booking. It really makes the process much easier! You get paid via Paypal once your sit is completed.

Rover used to only be available in the United States but is now available in Canada, the UK, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. If you will be staying in one location for a long time, you can change your location in the app to offer housesitting while you travel.

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Petsitting and Housesitting Abroad

I have not done this yet, but my blogger friend Nic from See Nic Wander has traveled the world for free by housesitting. Yes, free! She uses Trusted Housesitters for her sits and swears by it. Check out her article here!
Housesitting can sometimes involve taking care of pets, but sometimes it doesn’t. It really depends on the client!

 

Cons of Petsitting

This wouldn’t be an informative post if I did not include the cons of petsitting. While most of my sits have been easy, with wonderful pets, the job is not always a vacation. I have dealt with some fairly difficult clients, as well as some difficult animals. For example, if pet sitting for a young puppy, you often can’t leave the house for more than a couple of hours at a time. Older dogs can require daily medications and special instructions from the owners to keep them happy and healthy while the owners are away. Finally, separation anxiety is a real concern with dogs. The calm pup you met during a meet and greet can become a crying, destructive animal after his owners leave.

 

I love being a pet sitter, but it can be hard being away from home if the owners want me to spend the night at their house. As someone with a background in animal medicine, I also get a lot of requests from clients who have animals with special medical, dietary, or behavioral restrictions. Before deciding to petsit, be sure to weigh the pros and cons, and make sure you can be flexible if things don’t go according to plan.

What Petsitters Need to Know

If you have decided to pursue petsitting, you should gather some necessary information from the owners before they leave. Get the contact information for the animals’ local veterinarian, and know where the nearest animal emergency hospital is. Accidents happen, and getting the animal to a doctor, if necessary, is a must. Better safe than sorry!

 

If the owner is going out of town or leaving the country, get their contact information, their hotel’s contact information, and any contact information of the neighbors if possible. If something serious were to happen, you need to be able to get a hold of the owners or someone nearby who can take care of the animals if you cannot. For example, I was once in a minor car accident in the middle of a sit, and could not make it to feed a family’s cats that evening. Always be prepared!

 

I would also suggest getting canine and feline CPR and First Aid certified through the Red Cross. It will help instill confidence in you, as well as the owners. My certificate even helps me get more bookings because the owners know that I am well prepared!

I would also make a mental note of where the nearest Veterinary ER is from the sit, just in case. Clients REALLY like it when you bring up this knowledge during interviews!

 

Some people say I take this job way too seriously. After all, I spend most of the time cuddling up with the pets on the couch, feeding them, and taking them for walks. However, after working in the animal medical field for quite some time, I know that accidents can happen. Being well prepared will help you, the owners, and the pets in a worst-case scenario. Typically, all goes smoothly, and you gain a furry friend.

If you have any questions regarding pet sitting, the process of becoming a pet sitter through Rover, or earning your Red Cross certification, feel free to email me!

 

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