Finding the Perfect Pet Sitter in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

A good pet sitter doesn’t just sit.  

A good pet sitter actively engages with your pet because you’re not there to do it. While your absence can upset many pets, a good caretaker will reassure your furry companion by following routines, giving affection, and becoming a friend. 

Think about it: Dogs are extremely social, having evolved in packs for survival. Even the most aloof cat feels her human’s absence. You and your family are your pet’s lifeline.

When you don’t come home for days at a time, pets get rattled and anxious. They’ve no idea where you’ve gone, when you’ll be back, and, on long trips, whether you’ll return at all.

A competent sitter will feed, check water, and walk your dog. A really good caretaker will do all the above, but will also work to create a bond with your pet, keeping her happy and your home just as you left it. The right caretaker will make your absence easier to tolerate and your return a pleasure.  (And, here at JHPS, if you ask nicely, your JHPS sitter can even have dinner ready upon your return!) ?

This guide will help you find and interview the perfect caretaker for your pets and your home. 

Get to know your Pet Sitter

Ask your potential caretaker about their typical days, other work obligations, and other clients. Discuss whether they may be caring for other pets. Discuss your pet’s needs for physical exercise, mental stimulation, and affection. 

This is the perfect time to discuss your expectations. If the pet sitter plans to take Fido on a hike in Upper Cache Creek, ask what she’d do if Fido got into trouble with another dog. 

Ask what she’ll do after returning home. If it’s a tick and burr brush-out and a paw check for Fido, that’s a great sign. 

Are They Insured? Do They Have References?

Leaving your pet and home in someone’s care for days or weeks at a time is a serious undertaking. Make sure your pet sitter has taken the time to acquire some know-how and experience. 

Having pet-sitting insurance shows that your pet sitter takes her responsibilities seriously. What if another dog bites your dog while out on a walk? What if your pet sitter gets injured while trying to break up the interaction? What if your dog escapes her yard? 

If the pet sitter will be driving your pet, make sure he has a valid driver’s license.  Make sure you discuss whether Fido should be seat-belted, crated, or au natural (not recommended, but nothing soothes like that open car door window!).  Make sure they’re insured to drive your pet in their vehicle.

If they don’t have a website or social media page, ask for references. Ask to see any certifications they claim to have. A competent pet sitter will easily provide evidence of relevant experience and positive references. Be sure to call all references to learn more about this person before leaving them in charge of your fur-babies and your home.

Do a Meet-n-Greet

A meet-and-greet is a crucial part of hiring a pet sitter. This is the ideal scenario for your pet, who gets to investigate this stranger in his own home, with you, his human. It’s a great opportunity to see how the caretaker and pet interact.  This visit is ideal for getting the lay of the land (usually the kitchen).

For example,

• Where’s Fido’s food kept? 
• Is there an adequate supply to last until your return? 
• Will he need his teeth brushed? How do you usually handle his dental care?
• His probiotics are in the fridge.  Where are his other meds? His leash?  

This is when you and the caretaker should discuss 

• Where Fido typically sleeps; 
• His daily routine; 
• His likes and dislikes, 
• What he’s afraid of and what calms him down. 

Do They Have Heart?

Each pet has favorite routines and unique fears and anxieties. Your pet needs a pet sitter who will actively tune in and calm him in your absence. 

When your pet sees you walk out the door, he’s likely already unsettled. His caretaker’s job is to settle him down, keep him busy or relaxed, and maintain his routine. 

Whether it’s a specific diet, administering medications (which can be challenging), or giving insulin injections for diabetes, a good pet sitter is prepared to take these extra steps to ensure her charge’s well-being. 

A good pet sitter may even help you with your pet’s issues – or at least have some ideas.  Say your pet doesn’t like pills and hates those commercial pill pockets. One of our petsitters here at Jackson Hole Pet Sitting showed me a simple trick that gets any pill down. (Hint: It involves cream cheese!)

The Long Goodbye

An attentive pet sitter is important for your pet’s health and sense of well-being in your absence. Domesticated pets in many households experience lots of anxiety. Abrupt changes, long absences, and unmet needs affect behavior. 

Many people scoff at the idea of pets having emotions: “It’s a cat. Leave her with plenty of food and water. There’s no harm in leaving her alone.” 

Imagine leaving your cat alone for days. Your cat is already unsettled by your absence. If no one comes, she may stop eating. She’ll definitely resent the stinky litter box and find a nice clean spot to eliminate. She may begin to claw the furniture, over-groom, or cry endlessly.

Say you get the neighbor kid to stop in to check on her. Suddenly, a stranger walks into your pet’s home, his safe place. Water? Check. Food? Check. Litter box? Check. Then the stranger leaves. 

Your furry may equate these visits to threatening and scary intrusions.  The animal is jolted from the silence of the empty house by a possible intruder. 

After a few days, your cat is so anxious she’s found a new place to soil, has begun climbing the curtains, and is suddenly trying to escape the house. 

Anxious pets left on their own or with an unresponsive caregiver can, over time, develop emotional problems. These often emerge in the form of behavior issues like soiling, climbing, door dashing, and even aggression. These upsetting, disruptive and expensive problems often come as a baffling surprise to their humans. 

Lack of exercise and play is the most common cause of unwanted canine behaviors, but the easiest to prevent – with a good pet sitter or dog walker.

Pets have bad days, too.

Do They Ask Relevant Questions?

The pet sitter should have questions for you during your interview. Your pet deserves an attentive sitter who wants to help. 

She should inquire about:  

• Medical history; any allergies or health issues to watch for;
• The pet’s age and physical condition;
• Veterinarian’s contact (name, phone, and street address);
• Whether his vaccinations are up to date;
• Typical daily routine, mealtime, exercise, play, and elimination habits;
• Whether his teeth should be brushed; whether a minor injury should be checked;
• What foods and treats he’s used to;
• Behaviors if stressed. For example, will he door-dash in an attempt to find his missing humans? 
• Past conditions to watch for; for example, a past bout of pneumonia could return; 
• His likes and dislikes, his fears, and what soothes him;
• Nighttime sleeping arrangements if the sitter is staying nights;
• Rules around the house – is he allowed on the couch? In the bed?
• Whether he’ll need to relieve himself in the middle of the night or likes to eat the cat’s you-know-what.

If your pet sitter covers these bases, Fido will likely be in capable hands. 

What is Your Emergency?

Prevention is key, but sometimes accidents happen. Your sitter’s ability to think on her feet may help prevent expensive and heart-breaking situations.

Make sure your sitter is prepared for any emergency and can quickly get your pet the care she may need. Provide her with your veterinarian’s contact information and a neighbor’s phone number in case she needs help. 

Make sure she has a backup plan for medical emergencies that occur outside regular office hours. (JHPS uses a travel vet.) Ask if she has a vehicle she can use to get your pet emergency care. 

Imagine a scenario and ask how they’d handle it. For example, what steps would she take if another dog bites your dog badly on a walk? What if your cat still isn’t eating by day 3 of your trip –  what would she do?

Are They Experienced?

People’s ability to connect with animals can vary significantly, even within the pet-sitting profession. Some pet-sitters have a genuine love for and interest in animals, and they may also admit they love the endorphins. 

Others are in it for the money. 

You want someone who will really care for your fur baby when you’re not around. If you have an anxious pet, your pet sitter’s unique personal resonance can reduce Fido’s anxiety about your absence – or exacerbate it. 

Remember, you and your family are Fido’s pack. A dog’s pack is absolutely crucial, and is his lifeline not only to food and water, but also to his sense of security. A good pet sitter knows this and will tend to the animal’s emotional well-being as much as his food, water, and walks. 

Experience Matters

Caring for a pet may seem simple until you realize the 110-pound Bernese Mountain dog in your care is too old to climb the stairs for the night. This happened to me. The owner hadn’t mentioned her elderly dog’s hip pain when climbing stairs. 

At bedtime, Rosie wouldn’t go upstairs, despite my coaxing and treat bribes. I ended up devising a pulley system with a towel to get her slowly but safely upstairs. A less-experienced pet sitter may have given up and left her to sleep alone, an unacceptable situation for a dog who’s already feeling her family’s absence. 

Your Anxious Pet

A good pet sitter will carefully observe your pet’s behavior, various eliminations, and appetite daily. She’ll help him cope with your absence by keeping him engaged and stimulated.  

Inform her of your pet’s personality and habits. If your dog loves driving in the car, ask her to include Fido on errands. If your cat gets bored easily, ask for some dedicated playtimes. If your pooch loves other dogs, suggest a visit to the dog park. Or ask her to work on training or curbing a specific behavior while you’re gone. The dog—or cat—will love the attention and stimulation. 

I’ve cared for many pets with anxiety and behavior problems. I appreciate these clients as they challenge my intuition, observation skills, and patience. These clients whet my appetite for pet whispering, which is simply trying to intuit what that particular animal needs or wants. 

The goal for pets in my care is to earn their trust so thoroughly that they come to see me as their temporary human, and, if only for a little while, forget theirs is away. Like children, they have endlessly different personalities, past experiences, fears, and joys. I treasure the challenge of putting them at ease. 

Will They Go The Extra Mile? 

A Pet Sitter’s Confession

Confession: I once had to break into a client’s condo. They’d hired me to walk their dog while hiking in Teton National Park, but I somehow left the key on the kitchen counter instead of pocketing it. 

This was embarrassing, of course. I told the neighbor lady watching me remove the screen from a window, “Please don’t call the police. I’m responsible for this dog but I’m locked out.  It’s unfair to leave him to piddle on the floor.”

This lady saw that I was all four paws in and wasn’t about to leave the dog on his own. She hired me on the spot because she saw that extra mile in me.  To this day, she and her dog, Jackson, are one of my favorite and most consistent clients. (And I always ask clients how I get in if I lose the key or the code!) 

Will They Treat Your Home Like the Palace It Is?

A good pet sitter doubles as your home’s caretaker when you’re away. 

The caretaker’s goal should be to disturb your pets and home as little as possible and keep your home clean and organized. 

A good pet sitter will take care of the stinky garbage you forgot to toss before your flight. He’ll notice when the dogs track in mud and do a quick mopping so it doesn’t get tracked to the carpets. A good pet sitter will do what needs to be done, even if it wasn’t part of your initial agreement.

On a long stay, he’ll bring in packages and water plants (even if you forgot to ask him to). He’ll shovel crucial walkways if it’s been dumping snow. He’ll notice if the garage door isn’t closing properly and fix it. And if he can’t, at the very least, he’ll call you.

Details, Details, Details

Say you inadvertently overlook something. Perhaps you have cleaners coming on Friday. A professional caretaker will call you to check – before letting strangers into your home. 

A good pet sitter will have a checklist and will follow up on important matters you both may have forgotten to address.

Ask if she’ll be staying with your pet all day or if she’ll be in and out. Will she sometimes be at another job? Ask if she’ll bring her own food or agree she can eat yours if it will expire before your return. 

Ask if she’ll be doing laundry at your house. If so, show her where the dryer’s lint trap is, how to use the compactor, and where to put the used kitty litter. And by all means, tell her what you’d rather she not do in your home and with your pets. You’re the boss! (Of course, the more time she spends in your home, the more your pet and home will benefit.)

In Jackson’s far-flung and often rural homes, caregivers of the female persuasion tasked with staying overnight may ask to bring a friend. Of course, this is up to you. But do consider the caretaker’s age, current weather, the vehicle she will be using to get to your home, and whether your home has an alarm system she can turn on at night.

Be kind enough to alert a caretaker if you have cameras in your home. I always counsel JHPS sitters to assume they’re being watched. Creepy? Maybe. Practical? Certainly. For both care-giver and owner.

You and your caretaker should discuss house rules and maintenance needs that may crop up:

• Whether animals are allowed on the furniture;
• Whether lights should be left on at night or if your neighbors like dark skies;
• What to do in case power goes out;
• Where the generator is;
• Where the breaker box is;
• Whether to expect cleaning staff or a repairman;
• How to change the trash compactor bag;
• Whether any of the pets are door-dashers and the best precautions to take;
• Whether Fido has ID tags and whose number is listed on them;
• Whether a ride in the car or a CBD chew may help with Fido’s anxiety;
• Whether Fido hates the dog next door;
• Whether the Ben & Jerry’s in the freezer is fair game – or not;
• Whether or not she can use your treadmill or office computer.

Conclusion

Asking these questions can provide you with valuable insights about your potential pet sitter. These discussions not only ensure that your pet and home are in capable hands but inform the caretaker of your expectations. This will help make your trip worry-free and your return home to your furry friends even happier.