Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with petsitting

For Dog's Sake - Help Me Start A Business!

Lipstick Thespian — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:07:20 -0800

What do I need to know about starting a dogwalking/sitting service? I need advice on starting a dog walking/sitting/grooming service in my town.

I've never done any kind of entrepreneurial work, and am doing this primarily as a way to build community where I live and meet a ton of cool dogs.

I'd like advice about the basics of starting a cottage business, especially from anyone whose done this kind of dogwalking thing before.

What are the pitfalls I can avoid, or some good advice about setting up a client base?

Relocate the cat again or leave him in place?

impluvium — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:32:10 -0800

We are moving house on the 24th of November, and going overseas for a week from the 7th of December. Should the cat stay in the new house (with a twice-daily visit from a pet sitter), or should he go to a cattery for the week we're away? Normally we leave the cat at home and get a pet sitter -- he's much happier that way, and it also means there's activity at home while we're away.

But this will be the first time we've moved since having the cat (a male, 3.5-year-old domestic shorthair), and we're wondering whether we should (a) leave him at home, giving him time to settle in and explore his new surroundings, but on his own and without us around (but with a twice-daily visit from a pet sitter he already knows), or (b) put him in a cattery for that week, which would mean another week of upheaval for him but would avoid him being in the new house alone.

I'm more and more tending towards option (a) but am a complete novice in relocating cats, so would particularly appreciate advice from people who've done this sort of thing already!

Will work for money

greta simone — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 09:05:45 -0800

How much should I charge for pet-, house-, and baby-sitting? I'm a grad student trying to make some extra cash in the evenings and weekends while still being able to maintain a flexible schedule. I have lots of experience baby-sitting/nannying, as well as house- and pet-sitting for neighbors and friends. As a nanny I usually ask between $10-15 an hour, depending, but I have no idea what to charge for pet- and house-sitting, as they have often been done in exchange for goods or favors. What is the going rate, if you use my baby-sitting rate as a baseline (which I am amenable to raising, if it is deemed necessary)?

PS. This doesn't need to factor in a lot of traveling, as I live in a small college town, and will not take clients outside of said town (due to fuel costs and lack of time).

P.P.S. If you have any tips on how to best manage advertising myself (outside of flyers, craigslist, and local papers), or any other tips in managing this kind of work, those would be appreciated too!

Adventures in Kittysitting

uncleozzy — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 06:50:16 -0800

I've offered to take care of a friend's cat for a week; a previous meeting between her cat and mine was a staring contest with occasional hissing. What can I do to make this week go smoothly? I know the conventional wisdom about introducing a new cat into a house (confining it to one room for awhile, etc.), but my apartment isn't particularly conducive to that. Both cats are about 8-10 months old; mine is an 11lb. neutered male, hers a 6lb., recently-spayed female. I took him to her place for a brief meeting last week, which wound up with him sitting inside his carrier or under the bed hissing at her when she came near. He lived in a shelter for about 2 months, so he has been exposed to other animals before, and seemed to get along with them.

I understand the hissing is pretty normal, and I don't think the two of them will actually fight (I work from home, so I'll be around to break up any scuffles anyway), but I was hoping the AskMe crowd might have some insight into making this week as pleasant as possible for both kitties. Thanks.

Pet Sitters and Boarders

roundrock — Mon, 18 Jul 2005 10:47:10 -0800

Has anyone ever used the Petsmart PetsHotel? Alternatively, are there any Austinites out there who can personally recommend an Austin/Round Rock area petsitter or boarder for small dogs? We unexpectedly have to board our very pampered shih tzu and chihuahua for about a week. Ideally, we'd like to leave the dogs with someone who cares for dogs in the home (theirs, not ours, as we only have an apartment, so housesitting is not an option). If we have to go with an actual boarding facility, it would have to be a more "indoor-oriented environment" (we'd like the dogs to be in a little "room" -- rather than in pens or cages). It's also important that the two dogs be kept together (they like to snuggle). There are plenty of people out there who view their dogs more as family members than as pets, so there must be facilities like this available. We'd especially love to find a place that caters to small dogs.

How do I keep a goldfish barrel algae-free?

Blue Stone — Tue, 03 Aug 2004 03:28:28 -0800

I'm looking after a neighbour's goldfish while she's recuperating after an accident. They're outside, in a half-barrel. The problem is that algi builds up in the water fairly quickly. Are there any tips to help keep the water cleaner, and improve the fishies' quality of life, in between changing it every week or so?