A pet sitter needs more than just food and water to care for their clients’ pets. They also need a variety of tools and supplies to keep their jobs running smoothly.
Pet sitting software allows sitters to manage online booking, client management, and payment tracking on one centralized platform. This type of specialized software helps pet sitters run their businesses more efficiently and effectively.
Towels & Blankets
In keeping with the Scouts’ motto of “be prepared,” it’s important for professional pet sitters to always carry a few essential tools on their assignments. These include towels and large blankets for cleaning up messes, as well as to keep pets warm and comfortable on their walks. Blankets can also be soaked to help cool an injured animal or to transport pets who might otherwise become agitated or upset on the road.
Another essential tool is pet sitting software. This enables dog training, daycare, and boarding businesses to manage bookings, invoices, payments, and more on a single centralized platform. It’s a helpful way to streamline processes and avoid missing appointments.
Pet First Aid Kit
A pet first aid kit can help you respond quickly and correctly to a health emergency. Look for one that includes a thermometer that can be inserted rectally and styptic powder to stop mild bleeding.
You can also find kits that include a needleless syringe to give liquid-based oral medication and a tick and sting remover. They have a waterproof case and carry handles for easy transport.
Stickers and wallet cards with contact information for a veterinarian, 24-hour animal hospital and animal poison control can be handy. Gloves are another useful tool in a pet first aid kit. They help prevent contamination from your hands while you work and decrease the risk of infection in a wound. They are also useful for keeping a grip on tools, like scissors or tape.
Spare Toys
From squeaky toys for dogs to their favourite cat swatters, spare toys can help pets stay entertained and take their minds off their owners’ departure. Chat with your client to find out what their furry friends love most so you can bring along some of their favourites.
Puppy pads are also useful for pet sitting, especially in homes with quality area rugs that you don’t want ruined by accidents. And a small ziplock bag of treats can go a long way towards winning over new pets.
Finally, clear and thorough instructions are a must for any pet sitter. Make sure your client knows how much their pet eats, what time they’re fed, and where the leashes, waste bags, and litter boxes are located. This will ensure that everything runs smoothly during their absence.
Lint Roller
The lint roller is the most useful tool in your professional pet sitting arsenal for picking up large particles of hair and lint that brushes can’t reach. It also comes in handy for getting dirt out of crevices like the bottom of a drawer.
Lint rollers are affordable and easy to use. They’re available in a variety of sizes, including the small Mainstays lint roller, which fits easily into your pocket for portability. You can also opt for a reusable version, which costs more upfront but requires less refills, such as the Wellted lint brush or ChomChom pet hair remover.
Another great tool for both pet sitters and pets is pet sitting software, which streamlines scheduling, manages customer information, tracks payments and more. It eliminates the need to keep track of appointments and payments manually, allowing sitters to focus on client care.
Marketing Materials
Pet sitting software is a useful tool for managing appointments, invoicing, clients and payments on a single platform. Many of these applications also come with advanced features such as GPS tracking and time logging.
These tools are particularly useful for small businesses such as pet sitting, dog walking and house cleaning services. These companies often use door hangers, which are geotargeted marketing materials that are left on a client’s doorknob, to promote their services to potential customers in the area.
Growthink’s business plans are designed to help pet sitters get their businesses off the ground with confidence. If you need assistance, click here to learn how a Growthink plan writer can help your company. We’ve helped thousands of entrepreneurs get their businesses up and running, and we look forward to helping you too!