CreatureFeature: Home Care For Pets

The joys of sharing life with animals are many but there is one glaring drawback to pet ownership - beloved as they may be, pets do tie one down. Arranging a trip away can involve as much planning for the animals left behind as it does for the humans doing the actual traveling.

Patrice Gleasner of East Hampton has the solution for pet owners with wanderlust. Since August she has been operating Perfect Pet Care, a professional pet sitting operation.

Professional pet sitting is a relatively new service available for the pet owner and a new career opportunity for the entrepreneurial animal lover. It used to be a simple matter for vacationers to ask a neighbor to stop in and feed the cat, but life has grown more hectic.

Dogs Love Kennels

As Ms. Gleasner explained, "People are busier. Everybody works now. People don't feel comfortable asking their neighbors because they know that person's busy."

Many of Ms. Gleasner's clients leave their dogs at home to be cared for there as opposed to boarding them at a kennel. This came as somewhat of a surprise to me since most dogs of my acquaintance seem to view a trip to the kennel with delight and excitement and once there they disappear into the facility with wagging tails and nary a glance back at their desolate owner.

Though Ms. Gleasner said that there are some dogs who do not tolerate a kennel situation well, she does admit that, in the case of many dogs, home pet sitting is more for the owner's psychological benefit than the animals, saying, "A lot of people have problems with boarding."

Cats Do Not

Cats, on the other hand, definitely do have a problem with boarding. Other small mammals such as ferrets, rabbits, hamsters, and gerbils may also find the boarding situation objectionable.

The lucky pet owner who finds a qualified pet sitter can travel happily, rid of pervasive anxiety and guilt.

"Many pet owners just don't feel comfortable with the idea of their animals left in a box for a week and when keeping them at home there is a lot less exposure to disease," said Carol Tomas of the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters. Ms. Tomas pointed out an additional benefit of having a pet sitter - home security. Having a person stop by at least twice daily certainly keeps burglars at bay.

Specialized Sitters

Ms. Tomas has been a pet sitter in the Richmond, Va., area for over 20 years. "When I first started, I was the lone soldier. Nobody had heard of professional pet sitters," she recalled. Now the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters, the trade association she helped found, has more than 1,000 members.

As their numbers grow, pet sitters are developing their own specialties. In metropolitan areas there are pet sitters who deal exclusively with reptiles, others who deal exclusively with birds. For the tropical fish aficionado there are even fish sitters well versed in aquarium maintenance.

In rural and suburban areas, where there are fewer exotic pets, sitters tend to work mostly with cats and dogs. Ms. Gleasner's clients thus far have included nothing more exotic than a rabbit, though she wouldn't balk at caring for a more unusual creature. What about a boa constrictor? "I'm not squeamish!" she said gamely.

Though Ms. Gleasner majored in international affairs in college, after graduating she was thrilled to get a job on a more domestic front, at the American Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals in New York City.

"Animals have always been my greatest love and interest," she said.

"Greatest Job"

She spent the next 12 years working for humane societies in an outreach education capacity, though always making sure she also got hands-on time with the shelter animals. Eventually she felt ready for a change. "As much as I enjoy humane society work there is an element of sadness there. Pet sitting is a happier thing," she said.

Ms. Gleasner is clearly happy with her new profession, calling it "the greatest job in the world." But perhaps not the job for every animal lover.

Ms. Tomas stressed that pet ownership and an enjoyment of animals don't necessarily qualify one to work as an animal sitter. "They need to have extensive education in animal care and behavior. Just because they've spent some time with animals doesn't quality them anymore than having a tooth pulled qualifies me to be a dentist," she observed. And she also stressed the need for business savvy as well as animal smarts.

Quality Time

Ms. Gleasner pointed out that making a full-time business of pet sitting is very time-consuming and that ultimately many people might not find it fulfilling. "They may really love animals, but not a lot of people would be happy walking dogs all day," she said.

When she is carrying a full load of clients, Ms. Gleasner is on the road from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Many clients request multiple visits to their pets and she takes time with each animal.

"I give them quality time, I don't just throw the food down and leave," she said. This can involve walking dogs, playing Frisbee in the backyard, or just plain old cuddling.

"I took care of some pets last week, it was great. We had our Oprah date every afternoon. The five of us, me and two dogs and two cats, would all snuggle on the couch for an hour watching Oprah," Ms. Gleasner said with a laugh.

The Interview

When interviewing a prospective pet sitter, Ms. Gleasner advised pet owners to have the sitter meet the animal and to watch closely to see how they interact with the pet. The prospective sitter should not only have knowledgeable questions about the care of the animal but also should ask general household questions about the heat, turning lights on and off, and opening and closing blinds.

Both Ms. Gleasner and Ms. Tomas stressed that a pet sitter should have an extensive professional background in animal care as a worker in an animal shelter, veterinary hospital, dog obedience training facility, or grooming shop.

Ms. Gleasner also stressed that flexibility of scheduling is of primary importance, pointing out that a pet sitter with another full-time job will not have the time to make the several visits a day that may be required. Both women strongly advised pet owners to ask for references either from previous clients or from local veterinarians.

Guiltfree Traveling

Pet sitters can be found through referrals or bulletin board ads at veterinarians', pet stores, pet groomers, and animal shelters, through classified ads, and through word of mouth from friends and neighbors.

The lucky pet owner who finds a qualified pet sitter can travel happily, rid of pervasive anxiety and guilt. They know that the pets are in their secure home environment, sticking to their usual routines and being lovingly attended by a professional with an attitude similar to that of Ms. Gleasner, who said, "When I have animals in my care I think of them as mine. I enjoy them!"