Imagine walking a dog or taking care of a cat all day long and getting paid to do it! Yes, pet sitting is an actual career option and it has great scope in our country. Pet sitting has been around for some time but it was more prominent in the West up until now. However, more and more working people in India are looking for professional pet care services so their pets have company while they are away at work or on vacation. It is for this reason that pet sitter, as a career option, is catching on in our country.
But, what exactly does a pet sitter do?
A pet sitter is someone who watches over someone else’s pet while they are away or unable to attend to their animal. In a sense, pet sitting is like babysitting, but for pets. The role of a pet-sitter involves feeding, grooming and taking care of someone’s pet to ensure that they remain healthy and well. The rate of pet ownership in India is surging as more and more people are adopting, buying and raising pets every day.
Pet sitting can be a demanding job. You’ll need to have a lot of patience and determination. You may have to care for animals that may not always like you. Your responsibilities as a pet sitter involve basic tasks such as feeding on time, cleaning and grooming as well as tasks specific to the kind of pet you are handling. For instance – walking dogs, maintaining humidity for snakes, and changing the water in aquariums.
Great job! But does it have scope in India?
While pet ownership in our country used to be something for the upper class, that’s changing fast. Today, an increasing number of middle-class families are becoming pet owners. This, combined with our increasingly busy lives and the trend towards nuclear families, the need for someone to look after pets when the owners are unavailable is greater than ever in India. So, if you like working with animals and enjoy their company, pet sitting may be a viable profession for you.
What kind of education do you need to be a pet sitter?
You don’t need to be a vet to be a pet-sitter. But if you know animal first-aid for the type of pet you are sitting, it will increase your value. You can take an online course to learn first-aid for various animals. First Aid for Pets and ProPetHero are some courses you can take online.
To put it simply, sitters with medical knowledge are more highly valued than those without. Most pet sitters offer their services for dog and cat owners as those are the most popular pets. But you can find others that specialize in more esoteric pets like snakes and spiders. Their prices may be higher due to their specialized expertise.
Can you make a living as a pet sitter?
The amount of money you make varies on the kind of services you provide, the duration and the quality. Most dog walkers charge around Rs. 200 per walk. But if you offer more services, you can mark up your price accordingly. Long-term pet care will mean that you’ll get paid in weekly or monthly amounts depending upon the duration of the care. If the care requires you to buy products such as shampoo, conditioner, etc. you will include the cost of these things in your charges. Experienced pet sitters can expect to make up to Rs. 1,000 per visit. You can even find employment with professional pet sitting companies like TrustedHouseitters and Petsville.
Pet sitting is still something of a new discipline for most Indians. Many are unaware that such a job even exists. But with more pets and less time, pet owners are feeling the need for additional help. However, the highest demand for pet sitters continues to remain in urban and suburban regions. So if you love animals and you live in a relatively urban area and would like to follow a profession that lets you remain close to the animals you love, try giving pet sitting a shot!
Found this article interesting? Click here to read about dog grooming as a profession!
