How to Become a Pet Sitter (And the Secrets No One Tells You About the Job)

A pet sitter is in charge of the care and well-being of another person’s pet while that person is unable to take care of the animal themselves. The job of a pet sitter boils down to keeping an animal (or animals) happy, healthy, and clean.

Most often, pet sitters take care of pets when the owners are out of town. However, pet sitters may also be needed at certain hours of the day (like when the owner is at school), or even when the owner is there and preoccupied (like if they need someone to look after their pet while they’re working from home).

Pet sitting duties may include:

• Feeding
• Grooming
• Exercising the animal
• Playing with them
• Socializing them
• Cleaning up after them
• Observing the animal’s health and safety
• Administering medications (which may include injections)
• Taking measures to care for the animal in case of emergency
• Sending updates to the owner

You won’t always need to do all of that. It depends on the pet and your agreement with the owner.

Pet sitters can be charged with caring for a wide range of animals—from dogs and cats to rats and lizards—so if you’re allergic to or dislike a certain type of animal, make sure you set your profiles or business pages to reflect what kind of pet sitting you’re willing to do.

Other tasks

Many pet sitters double as housesitters and may need to do additional tasks, like:

• Watering plants
• Maintaining the home’s cleanliness
• Retrieving mail
• Switching lights on and off (to give the impression that the house is occupied)

Anyone over the age of 18 can become a pet sitter. However, some people are better suited to the job than others. An ideal pet sitting candidate will possess the following skills and attributes:

• Love of animals
• Patience and empathy
• Pet emergency response and first aid training (including pet CPR)
• Pet care certification (this isn’t necessary, but having one can earn you higher pay)
• Physical fitness
• Reliability
• Communication skills
• Animal grooming know-how

Depending on the area where you plan on becoming a sitter, it may also be important for you to have access to a reliable vehicle for pet transportation.

What you’ll make as a pet sitter will depend on your qualifications, experience, location, and services. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for pet caretakers in 2021 was $28,600. 1

Pet sitters either charge per hour or per day. In 2022, the average daily rate for a pet sitter was $20–$40, which increased to $75–$85 for overnight stays. Keep in mind that if you’re using a pet-sitting platform, some of what you make will go to the service (for instance, the popular app Rover takes 20% of your earnings).

I was a pet sitter for roughly 7 years, working with different families, in different cities, and under different circumstances. The job was usually a way of making extra cash on the side, but sometimes, pet sitting was my only means of income.

Here are some pros and cons I can share from my own experiences caring for pets.

Pro: It’s fun!

Getting to run around and play with animals is just a good time. If the animals are well behaved and friendly, the job can be a real joy.

You usually pet sit in someone’s home, often overnight. On more than a few occasions, I stayed in houses with way more entertainment options (TVs with streaming services, video game consoles, books, you name it) than my bare-bones university apartment.

Between all of the pet love and the side perks, I was never bored on the job.

Con: It’s stressful

Most jobs are stressful because the tasks are hard, the workload is heavy, or you have to interact with difficult people. When it comes to pet sitting, the animals are usually lovely and the work isn’t particularly difficult if you have experience with pets.

However, you’re in charge of the safety and wellbeing of someone’s pet—a beloved part of their family. Carrying that responsibility can take a toll. I found myself constantly worried about the animals eating something bad or darting in front of a car during a walk or simply getting sick on my watch.

While I was lucky enough never to experience this, accidents do happen on the job. Be prepared to shoulder the emotional burden of caring for someone’s loved one and the possibility that something could go wrong.

Pro: A lot of clients tip

People appreciate someone taking good care of their pet and want to show that appreciation. Most of my clients left me a tip on top of the pet-sitting bill, which was always a pleasant surprise.

I also had quite a few families leave me gifts to express their thanks. Sometimes I’d find something waiting for me in the house at the start of my pet-sitting gig (like food in the fridge or on the counter addressed to me), or would be given something when I left (my favorite was a gourmet box of cookies).

Part of the pet-sitting job is tending to the owner’s needs as well. You need to stay communicative, send them pictures or videos, and assuage anxieties they may have about leaving their animal in someone else’s hands. But your hard work and empathy will more often than not be rewarded generously.

Con: Some animals are naughty

When we imagine ourselves spending time with pets, we envision sweet, precious fur angels. But reality doesn’t always match fantasy. Different animals have different dispositions and have received different training. Some have behavioral or emotional distress issues.

You may be tasked with watching a badly behaved animal, an animal with severe anxiety, or just an animal you don’t get along with. For example, I once pet sat for a family with a rabbit who I’d describe using some choice words. She’d bite my fingers when I went to feed her and kick wood shavings at me when I tried to clean her cage. Not my favorite charge by a landslide.

Other times you may be dealing with animals with poor training, like a dog that makes a mess in the house—one that you’ll need to clean up.

If this still sounds like the right gig for you and you’re ready to become a dog sitter or pet sitter—on the side or full time—follow these steps to get your business underway.

1. Make sure it’s the right job for you

Pet sitting may sound easy enough, but it definitely isn’t a job for everyone. When you’re on the job, there’s no such thing as a break, as you need to be keeping an eye on the animals under your supervision at all times.

It can be exhausting (emotionally and physically), stressful, and messy. Make sure you have the desire and abilities required before taking on work as a pet sitter.

2. Get training and certifications

Getting pet-care certified isn’t necessary, but it can net you higher rates and make you a more competitive candidate for any pet sitting listing. For example, Pet Sitters International offers an exam that you can pass to earn a professional pet sitter certification.

Getting specialized training and certifications can better prepare you for the job, especially if you look for programs that teach pet emergency response and first aid.

3. Join an organization

Joining an association like the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) can give you access to resources, job opportunities, training, and other members of the pet-sitting community.

4. Get proper insurance

While some platforms and individuals may require you to have pet care insurance, most will not. However, getting insured may be in your best interest as it can protect you legally and financially in case of pet-sitting accidents that you’d otherwise be held responsible for.

Pet care insurance can provide you with:

• Legal protection against claims of personal injury or property damage
• Financial protection against claims of physical property damage 2

5. Sign up for a pet-sitter platform

One of the easiest methods of becoming a pet sitter is to create an account with a dog-sitting or pet-sitting platform that will match you up with pet-owners in need of your services. Popular platforms include:

• Rover
• Wag!
• Care
• Pet Sitters International (PSI)
• Trusted House Sitters

Note that Trusted House Sitters connects home and pet owners with sitters without compensation. Instead of getting paid for your pet sitting, you’ll get free room in someone’s home. While this is a good option if you’re traveling or living nomadically, it isn’t a good platform for earning income as a pet sitter.

6. Start your own website

Rather than working through a third-party platform, you may want to set up your own website to run your pet-sitting business. Setting up a website is easy enough these days; just use a website builder like WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace.

The difficult part will be drawing attention to your website and setting up a payment system if you want clients to be able to pay online. As for reeling in clientele, you’ll need to put extra effort into the next step of this process.

7. Advertise your services

Whether you’re pet sitting through a third party or setting up a business with your own website, you’ll need to get the word out about your services.

There are quite a few ways to advertise and what methods you choose will depend on how much work you’re willing to do (and have time to do). It also depends on what kind of advertising is built into the platform you’re posting on.

Places you can advertise your pet-sitting services include:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Local radio
• Craigslist
• Word of mouth
• Bulletin boards
• Handing out business cards
• Pet stores
• Pet Sitter International’s sitter locator

8. Start an LLC

If you want to take your pet-sitting business to the next level, open an LLC, or Limited Liability Company. LLCs are business structures that can be opened by an individual or a group.

The benefits of opening an LLC as a pet sitter include:

• Protections for your property (including your car, house, and savings)
• Tax benefits
• Credibility

As the name implies, LLCs serve to limit the liabilities of their members. Unfortunately, being a pet sitter does expose you to liabilities, as accidents can happen on the job resulting in injury, property damage, and even loss of life.

This step isn’t necessary if you’re just dipping your toes into the world of pet sitting, but it’s a good idea if you’re planning on turning this into a long-term career.