Pet sitting: a guide for pros
What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.
Offering pet sitting
Pet owners hire pet sitters to keep their animals in familiar surroundings while they travel. Your care plan, your visit log and your update routine are what win trust and repeat bookings.
What customers ask
- Can you handle my cat, my dog and my bird together?
- Will you give medication on time?
- How do you keep my home secure during visits?
- Will you send updates with photos?
- What happens if my pet gets sick?
How to win the job
- On the first call, ask for each pet's species, age, health, medication and daily routine.
- Meet the pets and the owner before the first visit, and walk through the care plan together.
- Keep a visit log with feeding, watering, medication and any changes you notice, and share it with the owner.
- Explain the home security steps you take on each visit, in plain words.
- Put the visit times, the number of pets, the medication steps and any overnight stay in the quote.
- Confirm the vet the owner wants you to call and the emergency contact, in writing.
What to put on your profile
- Photos of pets in your care, shown with the owner's permission
- A list of the species you care for and the species you do not
- Your pet first aid training and the date it was completed
- Your insurance status and your emergency plan, described in plain words
- Your visit schedule and your service area
Follow-up that helps the customer
- Offer a pre-trip visit to check the home and review the plan
- Suggest a regular visit plan for a client who travels often
- Offer a plant or mail care add-on for a client who needs it
Licenses and permits
A license is often not required for pet sitting, but rules differ by state and city. Keep your business registration, any local business license your city or county requires, and a current insurance policy, and list your training and insurance on your profile.
Questions
Do I need a license to care for pets in clients' homes?
A license is often not required for pet sitting, but rules differ by state and city. Check your local city or county rules for business licensing and keep your insurance current.
What if a pet is missing?
Search the home and the area right away, call the owner, and follow the emergency plan. Contact local animal control or a shelter if the pet is still missing, and keep a record of each step.
Should I care for exotic pets?
Only if you have the training and experience with that species. Tell the owner what you can and cannot do, and refer them to a specialist for species you do not know well.
About this guide
This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.
Edit history
- Oct 29, 2026: Drafted by infinibell to our content guidelines.
More pet care guides for pros
Start here
About this guide
Get pet sitting requests
Customers pick you by name. Signup is free, and you pay only for leads you accept.
Join as a pro