PetsittingA Petsitting business gives you lots of cats to love and you set your own hours. Bring treats and toys with you so your charges like to see you.
Put your flyer up in places frequented by cat owners: Pet Stores, Churches, your local Library and Supermarkets - where ever you go, yourself. Talk with friends and collegues. Network. Figure out how much trips to the cat's house will cost you to get there and back. Add that to the costs of toys and treats. Add in your time for watching the cat. If you have to set up a business license or carry insurance, figure that in as well by amortizing* the cost over a year. This is how you set your fees. You can offer multiple cat discounts this way, too. Also, if all your cats are in one neighborhood, you can discount your travel by splitting it between multiple homes. So - TARGET your ads! This is a competitive business. Bonding is a form of insurance where you pay a set amount against the bond. The money you put into the bond is multiplied by a figure and that is the amount of your Bonding Limit. A bond would be used to pay for loss or damages that were your fault. Talk to your local bondsman to find out more. Some states won't let you do this and prefer insurance. Business insurance is not the same as car or home insurance. Talk to your insurance broker to find out more. Again, the differences in states make this topic difficult to discuss in the general forum provided here. If I get enough requests, I'll put up a link to state by state information. * Amortize - to equally spread a cost over a period of time. I this case, a business license fee and annual insurance or bond. Take the total and divide by 365. This is the amount to add in to your fees. If you have several cats at one time, you can further divide this, but don't go overboard. You need to make sure that your costs are covered and you make a profit, or why be in business?  Now, the nuts and bolts: You get a call generated from your flyer or word of mouth advertising. Your clients will need you for 5 days next month. What do you do? Write It Down! Put it on your calendar so you don't forget. While on the phone, set up an appointment for a day or two before they leave to meet to get the keys, alarm codes, vet information, feeding schedule, and what you'll do or not do. For instance, will you water plants and gardens while you are watching the cats? Will you clean the house? Will you stay with the cats and house sit or just visit? How long will you visit each time? Meet the cat(s) you will be sitting. You need to know what they look like and the cat(s) needs to know your smell and the sound of your voice. Negotiate your fee at this meeting. You already know your costs and your minimum for a 15-minute visit twice a day.
You will actually spend much more than 15 minutes, but this is your base. You will probably spend anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on how many cats there are and whether they come out to play or not. When you arrive for your first visit with the cat, plan to spend 10-15 minutes feeding the cat and cleaning the solids from the cat litter box. Then, sit down somewhere and call the kitty out of hiding. The cat may not come out, but that is fine. Give the cat about 20 minutes. Leave a treat where you were sitting and leave. Be sure to lock up securely. Your second visit may be very much like the first. However, the cat knows you are there and is not so afraid of you. It may come out and watch you from a safe place. Again, lock up securely when you leave. To the Top of how to be a petsitting, how to be a petsitter,pet sitting By your third visit, the cat is certainly watching you. It may even come out into the open. This cat has been without cuddles, loving or human companionship for a whole day, and misses it. Take out one of the toys you always have with you. A fabric mouse, a fluffy ball, whatever. I like the fishing pole type toys or a peacock feather as they provide more interaction between people and cats. Once the cat plays with it, leave it there. You never want to use a cat toy for another cat. If a toy smells like another cat, it may cause the next cat to not play with you. Also, if one cat is FeLV+, you can pass this on to the next cat. You can put the toy up in a secure place when you leave, so that the cat has to play with YOU. Put a treat out where you were sitting. Wash your hands with soap and water. Remember to lock up securely when you leave. From here on, the cat should come out when you come in and greet you at the door or in the kitchen. The cat is learning to trust you. Continue to play with the cat and leave a treat when you leave. Remember to wash your hands. ALWAYS - ALWAYS lock up securely when you leave. When the people come home, set an appointment to return the keys and collect payment. You can report how the cat played and greeted you. They may be amazed at this behavior. That's excellent! Most cats are stand-offish to strangers, but you have made a friend of the cat. When the people go away next time, they will call you. You are now their private petsitter. If the cat becomes sick while you are petsitting, you have the vet number because you got it at that first meeting. Call, but don't take the cat in unless they tell you to. For this purpose, you want to be sure you have a pet carrier. Make sure it is cleaned after each use. Make sure the vet knows who is paying the bill - the owner! I offer Cat Sitting Services in the Knoxville, TN, USA area. If you need this service, please contact me. Free rate quotes. Once you have your Petsitting business up and running, you can register your petsitting business and tell people what days you are available on the intenet.
A couple of neat, inexpensive toy ideas: Give the cat a slightly bent pipe cleaner or chenille twist. Place a ping pong ball or golf ball in a dry clean tub. |
