When people aren’t planning to take their pets while going out of town, they need to find someone to take care of them. Asking friends to pet-sit can be a reliable and affordable option. However, not all of them are fit to handle such a task.

Like redditor NeedleworkerAway2189’s friend, who mistreated her ducks while looking after them, leading to their passing away. This completely put a wrench in their friendship, pushing the woman to consider cutting ties with him.

Scroll down to find the full story and a conversation with Julie and Jonathan, professional pet sitters from The Global Pet Sitters, who kindly agreed to tell us more about leaving your pets with friends.

Relying on friends to pet-sit can be a great option when going on vacation

Image credits: 卓浩 虞 / pexels (not the actual photo)

However, this woman who left her pets to a friend found out some of them passed away under their care

Image credits: Ivan Samkov / pexels (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Mikhail Nilov / pexels (not the actual photo)

Later, the author provided a clarification

Image credits: NeedleworkerAway2189

Before reaching out to a friend about pet sitting, the owner should consider if they’re suitable for such a responsibility

Relying on friends to pet-sit has quite a few advantages. The first one is them being an already familiar face. With them, the getting-to-know-each-other part can be skipped and the pet can feel comforted in staying with a known person while their owner is away. It’s also said that recognizable faces can significantly reduce the separation anxiety some pets feel when their owner isn’t at home. 

Not hiring a professional sitter can additionally reduce costs that can be used later to make up for temporarily leaving them. You can expect to save anywhere from $25 for a brief visit to $300 per week. Some friends agree to keep an eye on pets for free or for the same favor in the future. However, some suggest still paying your friends for their time. Whatever agreement you both reach, you’re still going to cut expenses significantly.

Furthermore, the owner might feel more at ease leaving their pet with someone familiar. They may also be more comfortable asking their friend for 24/7 updates about their furry companion, like what they’ve been up to during the day or if they’ve experienced anxiety since they’ve been gone. 

Julie and Jonathan, professional pet sitters from The Global Pet Sitters, agree that in some cases, leaving pets with your friends can be a good option. “We think pet owners may very well ask friends and family to care for their pets, either in-home at the pet owners or at their own home. It’s perhaps an easy option and could work out well. Perhaps they can help each other with kind for kind, they know their pets and their friends/neighbours well.”

However, it’s important to note that such a duty isn’t to be taken lightly. Before choosing a friend and confirming with them about pet sitting, the owner should consider if they’re suitable for such a responsibility. Some may not realize how much commitment and effort are involved in it. Therefore, people who work long or unpredictable hours, have busy schedules, or are generally unreliable aren’t fit to take care of other animals. 

Image credits: cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo)

In some cases, it might be worth hiring a professional pet sitter

Image credits: Kampus Production / pexels (not the actual photo)

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