Do you remember the first time you looked after someone’s else’s pet? Popping your cherry is very exciting! You are on your way and all your hard work is starting to pay off.

For most of us, our first contact with a paying customer is the consultation. The purpose of which is to meet the customer and their pets.

What to ask at the consultation

The consultation is your chance to find out all about the pet, including:

• What are their feeding habits?
• Do they take any medication?
• Ask the owner if the pet has any preferred toys or ways to play.
• Find out if the pet relates to their name or do they have a nickname?

• Make sure you know are shown how the door locks and alarm systems work.
• Find out where the pet’s food will be stored and how much should be given and when. Check to see if any medications are needed.
• Ask about how often litter trays should be emptied and where to dispose of the dirty contents.
•  Let your customer know of extra services you can offer such as vet appointments, opening, and drawing curtains, putting out dustbins, watering plants, etc., and confirm your rates for extras.

Head over to our pet sitting checklist for more tips, and get your free downloadable, printable checklist.

Offer additional services

Now is also a good time to offer extra services to make your business stand out: watering plants, putting bins out etc.

Don’t know what to ask? We can help. We sell 12 cat sitting documents for £9.99. We use them in our own 5 figure business so you can be confident they are professional and thorough. Plus, they are solicitor approved.

Don’t forget the keys!

My first time looking after someone’s cats was a baptism of fire. The customer had double-locked their front door but I only had one key and I couldn’t get in.

After an initial panic, I calmed myself down and called the customer. They were at the airport but had cleared security.

A quick call to their parents and the crisis was averted. The door was unlocked and I could start my first cat sitting.

Cat sitting was all downhill from there 😃.

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