There are a lot of things to get done before you leave! Here’s a helpful checklist to help you get ready for our visits.
Make sure that you have all of our contact information before you leave. We’re glad to give you one of our business cards to take with you!
Preparing For Your Pets’ Needs
· Stock up! Make sure there’s enough food, treats and supplies (like kitty litter, toys, chew toys) for the whole time you’re going to be away. Stock up a couple of days worth of extra in case you don’t make it home on time.
· Is your pet on any medication? Stock up on those and any necessary medical supplies.
· Let your vet know about your absence and that we’re going to be caring for your pets.
· Make payment arrangements with your vet in case of an emergency.
· Make sure your dogs’ collars and leashes are in good, working order. Give the rings, buckles and other hardware a thorough examination.
· Put new, fresh batteries in any electronic collars.
· Are your pets’ tags on their collars? Is the information up to date?
· Is your pet micro-chipped? Have you registered your information or kept it up to date?
· If you don’t normally have their carrier or crate out, get it out, inspect it and put it in a location that will be easy for your sitter to access.
Preparing Your Home
· Test all keys, remotes, codes or alarms that you may have in place for us.
· Give a key or access to your home to a nearby friend, neighbor or family member in case of emergency or extreme weather.
· Figure out who your emergency contact is going to be and make sure they’re going to be in town while you’re gone.
· If you’re going to be gone for a week or more, write down the names and phone numbers of your repair companies (plumber, electrician, air conditioning, etc), your landlord, lawn maintenance, cleaning companies, etc.
· If the weather is bad, or predicted to be bad, make sure your sitter can get into your house. Make arrangements for snow or ice removal, if needed.
· Put your cleaning products in a specific place for us. Make sure to let us know if there are any special instructions for cleaning any part of your home.
· Set your thermostat to a comfortable temperature for both your pets and your sitter.
· Check your fence! Look for holes, broken or loose boards, gaps, places that would be easy for them to dig out ….. be especially careful to look at the bottom of the fence in areas where bushes or landscaping obscures your view.
· Make sure your gates are secure. Many people put a lock on their gates now. It helps prevent any “accidental” openings (neighborhood kids, meter readers, wind, etc).
· Prepare your outdoor pets for our visits – access to plenty of water, a secure shelter and fencing.
· Let your sitter know about the quirks of your home (that door doesn’t shut all the way, don’t use that bathroom, that door locks automatically, etc).
· Are all of your doors and windows closed and locked?
· Washing machine and dryer lid closed? Pets can get in the craziest places!
· Put any potentially dangerous plants or decorations in a pet safe location. Make sure to safely store your gifts, foods, or other goodies from Christmas so Fido and/or Fluffy don't get into trouble while you're gone!
And finally, be like Motel 6 – leave a light on for us 