1. Introduction to Cat Sitting Perth

When we think of going away, sometimes it’s hard to know where to leave the pampered little creatures that keep our legs warm, our hearts happy and our hands covered in fur – it’s always nice to have a cat. Depending on their character, they may not be the best of creatures to travel with as they don’t take kindly to being put in cages and bounced the length of the country. Travelling is often a time to switch off and get away from reality, and this can’t be done if your feline friend is making a fuss the whole time. So aside from paying for to board them in the local kennel-style cattery, what can be done? A cat sitting service may be the answer you are looking for. Cat sitting Perth is the process where a professional comes into your home once or twice a day and takes care of your animal’s needs – feeding, playing, cleaning the litter box (at the very least!), patting, and generally keeping them relaxed and safe.

Of course with any service, it’s important to know who is coming into your home and taking care of your animals while you are away. Some cat services come highly recommended, so it’s always best to check out reviews and from local forums, as having a good cat sitter looking after your loved one is as important as having a house and pet sitter when on holiday. Prices usually range anywhere from $20 to $50 per visit, depending on the number of cats you have and for how long, or what the service actually provides. Some cat sitters may take it upon themselves to sleep at your place with the cats overnight, where others may only pop into feed and check on them. With a good service, they will also do household jobs while with your pet so you don’t get a large bill for services rendered.

2. What is Cat Sitting?

For a cat lover, there’s nothing worse than going away on a vacation, family trip, or business journey without being able to take your feline friend with you. However, leaving your furry family member behind gives you the stress (and guilt) of wondering if he or she is being properly cared for. After all, the love between human and pet is a bond that not many people understand. Most hotels and motels that feature pet-friendly environments only allow dogs, not cats. For those busy with work or who simply want a fun getaway, cat sitting services offered by an experienced and trustworthy service can be the best alternative to boarding your beloved furry friend!

Why is this? You’ve probably heard of businesses, or individuals, who offer dog sitting and pet boarding. Cat sitting is a similar concept, plus a whole lot more. Cat sitters can provide a variety of services, depending on the needs of both the cat and the owner. Proper cat care and supervision include feeding and watering your pet, cleaning litter boxes, monitoring food intake, playing with the cat, giving medication when needed, providing exercise, grooming, giving baths, and, if wanted, keeping a journal of what your pet has done during his or her time with the sitter. Cat sitters can visit your house daily or stay for a few days at a time; it really depends on your own needs and preferences. While some cats are fine being alone for two or three days, others become lonely and anxious if they aren’t given attention on a daily basis; and while your pet knows you love him or her, only you can provide the special love and affection that will keep kitty happy and healthy until you return!

3. Why Choose Cat Sitting Perth Services?

Cats are adorable when they stretch and knock things off tables. But for some reason, you just can’t take him with. He likes to visit and go outside on occasion, but you’re afraid that if you leave him with your friend or your family, he will not come back. Is he really going to be okay by himself for just a few days? Cat sitting is definitely the better option for him. From knowing which toy makes that little chubby belly wiggle to when it’s time to put him in the litter box again, a cat sitter will know exactly how to take care of your furry friend while you enjoy time away. Of course, the first thought that runs through your head when you see a cat sitter is Who would want to do that job? Cats are stinky; they lick themselves; they scratch you. To everyone’s surprise, though, cat sitting is one of the most rewarding jobs. There is a niche in the pet sitting market that specializes in caring for cats because there are so many cat owners who leave town needlessly worrying about leaving their sweet little beacons of sass behind. Cat sitters understand the need for loving care surrounding your pet while it is unable to have its usual routines. Cat sitting services can range from a simple stop-in visit, which includes facilitating feeding, grooming, and taking care of sick kitties, to extended care during your family vacation.

4. Benefits of Professional Cat Sitters

When you’re going on a trip, there are a lot of worries on your mind, especially if you have furry friends at home. It’s not easy being away from your pets – you might be wondering if they are eating enough; if they’re getting the love and care that they are used to; or if they are simply spending their days all alone and going through the blues. Usually, the go-to option for pet parents is to board their pets at an animal hotel. But, did you know that there’s another better option that might solve a lot of your worries? It’s seeking the help of a professional cat sitter. Traveling can be a great fun but leaving home is seldom easy, especially when leaving your adored cat. Thankfully, cat sitting services offer you the peace of mind that while you are away, your fluffy friend is safe, comfortable, and happy. This is the main reason why so many cat parents opt for professional cat sitting services. Here are some further reasons why hiring a cat sitter is a great idea. Professional cat sitters provide personalized one-on-one care that boarding facilities usually can’t or don’t provide to every animal under their care. The attention of multiple staff members working with tons of animals is hardly enough to prepare a boarding facility for special cats that require a little extra love and help in order to feel at ease.

4.1. Personalized Care

Choosing a service that meets the needs of your beloved feline can be challenging, and it can be tempting to ask for the help of a friend or neighbor to care for your cat while you are away. Taking care of a cat is a particularly demanding and specialized task, particularly when they need special diets or medications. This is why opting for a service dedicated to the individual needs of your cat can be the better choice. Cat sitting services have the experience, expertise, and facilities to care for your furry friend while you are away. By selecting a cat sitter, you know for sure that you are making the best decision for your cat’s welfare since cat sitting services specialize in looking after kitties and will be able to provide them with the specific care they require. Our cats are like family to us, so why would we choose left-over care that isn’t designed for them? A cat sitting service is set up to meet all your needs as well as that of your kitty, ensuring peace of mind.

Another great benefit gained from hiring a professional service is the staff’s experiences; they know what signs to look for in a stressed or dehydrated cat. Many sitters will include free photo updates and video calls with your furry friend, allowing you to see that they are feeling safe and happy while you are away. Professional cat sitters should be insured and have pet first aid training, meaning they will be able to provide immediate medical attention should anything happen or provide aftercare and reassurance if your kitty has a traumatic experience. Many will also have a veterinary procedure partnership agreement with local vets, streamlining your cat’s medical care should the need arise.

4.2. Reduced Stress for Cats

Professional cat sitting services can also be critical for the well-being and health of our pets. Cats prefer not only to stay at home, surrounded by familiar stimuli, but also for their routines to be disturbed as little as possible. In fact, for many cats, routine, consistency, and familiarity with their environment are essential for their comfort and sense of security. Changes to a cat’s routine – such as a new feeding schedule or an unfamiliar person coming into the house to care for them – can be distressing for cats, sometimes leaving cats feeling anxious, confused, or vulnerable. As a result, many cats are unhappy and stressed by being boarded during owners’ trips.

Professional cat sitters understand feline behavior and needs, as well as the home environment. They can easily establish a routine to lessen the potential disruption. Familiar scents and sounds specific to each individual cat help to calm these animals and reduce their stress levels. The personnel taking care of the animals can also be different members of the family, to whom the cats are used to. Their visits may be at times there are no family members in the house. In addition to this, professional cat sitters frequently live relatively close, which makes visits during the day easier. Multiple visits give more opportunities for human contact, playtime, feeding, and observation.

Many cat owners feel guilty when leaving their animals in a boarding kennel, even motivated to travel less frequently. They also experience stress producing endocrine changes that can be harmful to their health. By utilizing in-home cat sitting services, pet owners do not need to worry about the well-being of their cats while they are away from home, nor do they need to deprive themselves from travel for a long period of time.

4.3. Convenience for Owners

To an owner, there is nothing more frustrating than taking holidays to discover that you can’t take your pets with you. So, when this happens, you end up trying to make your trip as fast as possible, which may be compromising. Leaving pets behind them is very stressful and your family may or may not want to help with that chore of watering/scooping/loving your cats. When you have a professional cat sitter, it promotes flexibility. You can leave anytime you wish, without worrying what you forgot or what’s left to do. Thus, whenever you want to travel, you can simply take your bags and off you go.

One of the additional benefits of professional cat sitting is that your kitty gets the care he wants while you’re away, without the stress of a trip. Cats are more comfortable staying at home when their guardians are gone. There are some of the important points you should follow why you can let a professional cat sitter care for your kitty instead of taking them away. Pet sitting allows your trip to be worry-free, a cat sitting service gives your pet the one-on-one attention they need, caring for pets in their own environment. Pet sitters can spend more time with your pets than office staff. Even though staff members may love your pet, their jobs do not allow for special cuddle time. A pet sitter can play, cuddle, and pamper your pets so that they have the best companionship service available.

If you travel often, a pet sitting service can provide you the ability to go away without the hassle of packing your pets or trying to find a friend to watch them. If your pets need special medication or dietary requirements, a pet sitter can provide for those needs consistent with your instructions. Take the burden off your family and friends. Let a professional cat sitter care for your cats when you go away. You’ll be in the know knowing your cats get the best of care and attention when you’re away.

5. Finding the Right Cat Sitting Perth Service

Finding the perfect cat sitter for your furry friend can believe daunting. There are so many cat sitting services in your area, how do you know which one is the right one for you? It can be hard to know exactly what to look for. The relationship that your cat has with their sitter is unique, and it will take time to build trust between them. You need to choose a person that your cat feels comfortable with, as well as someone that you feel comfortable leaving in your house! Here are a few tips to help you along your way in making this all-important decision.

Before you trust a person with your precious feline, it’s vital to conduct some research to see what services are available in your area. Find out who your local cat sitters are and verify their credentials. You can do this by asking friends, family, and colleagues if they have ever used a service they would recommend, or perform a search. Look for companies or individuals that offer cat sitting services. All reputable services will insure their staff, hold a relevant police check, and be trained in animal first aid. Some will have additional training in animal behavior or specific experience with administering medications. Make sure you find a cat sitter that is right for your special pet’s needs!

Once you’ve narrowed down the choices, read the reviews. There are many resources available that will help connect cat owners with cat sitting services. Read through the testimonials of customers that have used these services in the past. There are also many groups available that allow cat owners to ask for recommendations or advice from one another. Use these tools to your advantage! Checking that a sitter has good online reviews can save you a great deal of time.

5.1. Researching Local Services

Once you have made the decision to choose a professional pet sitter to care for your feline friend, the next step is to find potential cat sitters in your locality. Start your search nearby and then go further afield till you find the ideal one for you and your furry companion. If you have friends with pets who have used cat sitters in the past, you can ask them for recommendations. If not, turning to the internet may be your best bet. You can use search engines and social media to find cat sitters in your local area. Searching for terms such as ‘cat sitting services’ or ‘cat sitters near me’ can yield great results. There are also industry specific directories and websites that provide a list of services that you can search through. You can also check your local phone book and online directories to find pet sitting advertisements from your locality.

However, it’s a wise idea to do some more digging after you have located a few potential sitters from these resources. It’s important to note that the presence of a website or social media pages alone does not mean that the service is reliable. There are many so-called professional sitters today on social media and pet sitting websites who falsely claim to be experienced. Many of them are not even insured, trained, or are downright scammers. Don’t be afraid to ask them for credentials or proof of their work if something seems ‘off’. It’s also a good idea to have a face-to-face meeting where you can ask them any questions you may have before your final decision is made.

5.2. Reading Reviews and Testimonials

When searching for a cat sitter in Perth, reading reviews and testimonials from previous customers is an invaluable source of information. Each review will provide insight not only into the knowledge and experience of the service provider, but also how others liked the service. Pet owners are generally protective of their cats especially when leaving them in the care of someone else. Knowing that there are others who have been happy with the services of a particular sitter can put your mind at ease, allowing you to enjoy your time away knowing your fur baby is being cared for properly. Reviews are often found directly on the pet sitting service’s website, or can be found on listing directories or social media pages. Photos are also a great source of information, with many pet owners posting on these sites to show off their pets and what they are doing during their sitting. What these pictures won’t reveal is how your cat spent their time with the sitter. Were they happy? Did they simply ignore the sitter and sulk? Or did they have a relaxing time being spoiled with love and affection? If you are a conscientious cat owner, giving your cat the best experience is paramount. Reading testimonials from other customers will give you peace of mind, and help you to choose the best service for your needs.

5.3. Interviewing Potential Sitters

It’s very important to interview any potential cat sitter face-to-face before making a final decision. Finding the right person to care for your cat can take time, especially if this is your first time finding a sitter. If earlier sitters have already built rapport with your cat, it’s likely that your kitty will become more attached to the newest sitter, and this process may take even longer. Be patient, and remember that you’re looking for the perfect temporary caretaker for your cat. If you need to schedule a few preliminary interviews with different cat sitters before making your decision, that’s totally understandable. In the chat with the first candidate, think about the qualities and specific needs that you’ve already identified as being necessary for the future caretaker of your cat. It might be a good idea to write down a list of questions to ask beforehand and then take notes afterward to help you remember which cat sitter offered which services. You’ll want to know how much experience the woman or man has, specifically with cats, and may want to ask if they had cared for any special-needs felines. It’s very important for your cat sitter to be friendly yet assertive in all of their dealings with your cat. Some cats are easily frightened, while others can be rather rude, so it’s necessary for the cat sitter to understand the differences between the two and be able to coordinate with your cat’s personality appropriately. It’s also essential that you and your sitter are on the same page when it comes to pricing, even little things like how much to feed your cat or whether to leave the television on to help keep your cat company can affect your pet’s comfort while you’re gone. You’re looking for someone who can make the time spent apart from you as easy and peaceful as possible for your fur baby.

6. What to Expect from a Cat Sitting Service

Your cat care routine when you are on holiday will vary, depending on the length of your absence, the needs of your cat, any medical conditions, and specific instructions given to a pet sitter prior to a visit. Guidelines for a typical service are listed below. Your cat sitter will always appreciate specific instructions for your cat, as every pet’s needs are slightly different.

When your cat sitter arrives, you can expect:

Daily Routine and Care Daily litterbox scooping and changing of litter when required. Your cat’s litterbox area will be kept clean and odour-free. Waste will be bagged and removed from your home. If there is a litterbox accident outside of the litterbox, your pet sitter will clean that up, as well. For both clean and dirty litterboxes, the sitter will inspect the litterbox for signs of illness, such as blood or worms in the stool. Special concerns are also if your cat isn’t using their litterbox regularly, or if they are urinating or defecating larger or smaller amounts than normal. If your cat has more specialized litterbox criteria, be sure to inform your sitter of these requests.

Petting, grooming, and administration of any special instructions pertaining to toys, scratching posts, sleeping locations, or catnip. If your cat has a favourite toy that needs to be out during visits, make sure it is left out beforehand; otherwise, the pet sitter will replace it with your cat’s second favourite!

Feeding and Medication Administration Checking and replenishing food and water. Expect inspected food dishes, a fresh supply of food each day, and a water bowl free from debris and filled with fresh water. Cats can develop urinary tract problems if they don’t drink enough water, so your cat may need to drink more than normal in summer. If your cat’s personality usually dictates that they lie around during the day when you’re home but be more active at night, you may want to ask your pet sitter for a couple of visits in the evening.

6.1. Daily Routine and Care

Most cat owners have a daily routine while they are at home with their furry friend. They normally feed them breakfast and/or dinner, drink coffee or tea, shower, eat, get dressed, go to work, come home, eat dinner, do house work, watch TV or read, go to bed, and sleep. Cat sitting services should aim to follow kitties’ daily routines when owners are away from home, and clients have special requests. Cat owners do not typically hand over their priceless and irreplaceable cats to just anyone, and they are most likely to choose cat care services recommended by their family members and co-workers. Cat owners trust the person giving care to communicate and work with them. You could be with the owner at your final meeting before they leave, the owner could send you a message, and most importantly, if you go to their house on the first schedule and meet a concerned cat owner, often they will tell you more information than what they wrote in their cat sitting information form.

Knowing what your clients value during your scheduled visits will set you apart from others. For example, if a kitty prefers to be fed at 6:30 p.m. before the servant comes home or if they only eat when the bus is coming down the road, it may be something you hear during a scheduled visit. Many things can be done during scheduled visits. Owners want you to keep their home clean and comfortable for their return home, and they appreciate your attention to detail, keeping their gardens and potted plants watered or dead leaves cleaned. They also appreciate that you change cat litters daily. Most importantly, this is the time when they trust you to make sure their cat is healthy and in good spirits and that they are not hiding under the bed all day.

6.2. Feeding and Medication Administration

Good cat sitters should collaborate with you before service begins to ensure that feeding and medication-taking are completed the way you want them. If you have a special feeding schedule, nutrient needs, or preferred feeding methods, your cat’s sitter will want to learn those rules. However, if you have a particular food that your cat likes best (or perhaps has to be fed special proteins), you’d want to discuss that with your pet sitter as well. They’ll need to know where to find your cat, their favorite treats, and how to reward them for good behavior.

Administration of medications is tricky or stress-inducing for many cats. A good cat sitter can ask questions and get the leave-behind notes from you to learn the ins and outs of keeping your pet calm and safe while ensuring that they get their necessary medications. If the medications need to be given at specific times, they will add these to their schedule as well. If you are worried about leaving your cat with someone else while they are in need of medical help, rest assured that your cat is in good hands with a proficient pet care provider. Sometimes, following treatment protocols can be time-consuming or not easy. Following specific and accurate guidelines is important for a smooth, stress-free procedure every day if the cat needs injections or other specific care.

6.3. Playtime and Engagement

Cats have unique personalities. Some are playful and goofy, while others are introverted, preferring to spend their time napping and sharpening their claws. A short visit will not be long enough for an introverted cat to come out of its comfortable haven, but we will respect its decision. However, we want to ensure that your playful, young kitty has plenty of stimulation and engagement during our visit, while allowing you valuable peace of mind while away. We may find your kitty sleeping at the beginning of the visit, but we will spend considerable time trying to locate it, with loud sounds seeming like an effective method. Once we find your kitty, we will ask her to join us, and we usually have fun walking it back to the bright area. We will then make her experience the happiest moment of the day, playing with its toys and teasing her while watching its meticulous movements! When your kitty gets tired, we’ll walk together back to the sunny area for a nap, where it can watch some birds fly — in this case, a small plate of treats will be nearby, just in case she suddenly becomes curious and decides to crawl back out for more playtime.

We pay attention to your kitty’s specific playtime needs as well. For example, whether she simply likes to hunt a wand toy or needs more complex activities like those requiring toys to be moved correctly to allow them to reward her and grab a treat. Depending on your kitty’s temperament, playtime will last somewhere between 5 to 25 minutes because too much activity may stimulate some furbabies more than others. Cats that get hyper oftentimes after an intense play session would not want to come back to their hiding place afterward. When they have calmed down, we will gently stroke their fur and provide them a little more love.

7. Safety and Security Considerations

It seems fitting that we mention Safety and Security Considerations as they relate to security. While there are certainly many conveniences to be gleaned from hiring a sitter, it is important to keep in mind that care for your lovely kitty should never be compromised. Once you have done the proper research, all that we present here are just considerations. They alone should not sway you one way or another. The climax is that a cat should never go without the proper care.

Ensuring Your Cat’s Safety

Keeping your creature safe is first on the list of priorities for you and certainly one of the first jobs for your sitter. If for no other reason, the sitter should be given simplistic tasks to ensure that your kitty doesn’t get lost. A simple accident could cost you your kitty baby. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions regarding this topic as this is a serious issue not only for you but the house sitter as well. Accidents do happen, so it is prudent to be overly cautious and prepared.

Trustworthiness of Sitters

Even after being shown proper safety techniques and variables, accidents happen. So again, how does one assure that nothing bad happens? Hire a sitter that is not a stranger. You may be curious that while traveling should your cat be left at home? One method of care is having a family member cat sit. But what if that’s not an option? You may be concerned with background checks and insurance but what should one really be concerned about when hiring a stranger to house sit? As with anything, it’s about Trust. If someone is cleaning your gutters, you trust them not to steal your couch. If you hire a friend to watch your kids, you are trusting that person with their safety. Hiring a stranger relies on recommendations. If you are using a house sitting service, they want to protect their name and their customers recommend and use them again. All good reasons to trust.

7.1. Ensuring Your Cat’s Safety

The increased interest in cat sitting services means that there are many non-professionals offering pet care services. The easy access to the Pet Sitting International Code of Ethics means that anyone can appear to run an ethical business, complete with checking boxes, without any in-depth understanding of pet behavior. Your first step is to get an idea of different service providers—friends, family, or pet sitters that specialize in cat care. One of the best ways to learn firsthand what it is like to have a cat sitter is to find someone who has already used a service or have your cat sit for them first. Talking to a few people who have experience with a particular person is the best way to understand how successful that service was in ensuring a cat’s safety and happiness. This will prepare you for what to look at as you determine if someone will be a good fit. You may also want to check reviews of local sitters, seeing as this kind of review is usually accurate. It is better to hear a few bad things about someone from several people than it is to only read a glowing review from a single source. When you have a candidate, there are a number of important criteria to check. Make sure the person has formal training in animal care. Check to see that they are insured and bonded, and will be checking in on your pet at the minimum required amount for its specific care needs. Once you have passed through these guidelines, it is time for an official meet and greet. See how your cat reacts to the person. The sitter should be able to identify if there are any issues with certain behaviors and able to consult you on what needs to be modified for the visit to be as positive as possible.

7.2. Trustworthiness of Sitters

What they’re really saying is “I trust my sitter.” You can see that words are cheap – it wouldn’t take me 20 minutes to filter to our top sitters. So, is every sitter out there warm and trustworthy? No, no, no.

Were they warm and trustworthy while they were sitting? We have our own data from that trust experiment. Based on six years of sitting experience and tons of feedback from clients. We’ve also been interviewing our clients for the last two weeks about what they want to know and how we can help them.

We’re trying to figure out a new way to present sitters who have unusual or special skills, a focus on certain types of assignments, live in a more suburban area, or have different lifestyles that may appeal more to some clients than others. We’re using city icon types as well – business, world-traveler, etc. We would love your help in revising and expanding these descriptions to give people hair rather than words.

Your expectations may differ slightly from ours. If you’re choosing a sitter with more experience and glowing feedback for pet care, there is less room for miscalculation. You will be developing a relationship with the sitter too.

Important factors when trying to ensure trustworthiness are ratings, repeat business, feedback, personal info, hire high-anxiety instances, and contact. If you want to be an extra-special client, offer to do a short, warm-up assignment with new sitters so they can get familiar with your pet, house, etc.

168 Conclusion

From the perspective of a cat owner, having an experienced cat sitter to look after your cat while you are away could make the separation less stressful. You can enjoy your time away from home with the knowledge that your cat is happy and comfortable, and is being looked after by someone who truly understands cats. Your mind can be at ease while you are on holiday. You will be able to travel if for any reason there is a problem with your cat during your absence. You can return home to a happy, healthy, and socially-adjusted cat. From a cat’s perspective, being left alone can sometimes be more stress than the cat can handle, especially during a move or other major disruption to its environment. In general, a cat would rather remain in its comfortable home environment than be moved from its surroundings. Since cats do not travel around in the same way other animals do, moving a cat from one place to another can cause anxiety. And unlike dogs, cats are not going to enjoy a trip to a cattery or kennel. Cats don’t want to be in strange environments with strange people milking for their attention but neglecting them because of other people, and strange loud animals. A cat can become frightened and lash out. A cat can become withdrawn and unapproachable. A cat can develop urinary blockages, emotional distress, and extreme separation anxiety from being put in a situation like that, creating more problems than what seemed like an easy answer. What it really all boils down to is choice. What kind of service do you want to choose for your cat?