A few years ago, Pete and I went to Punta Cana for a vacation and were fortunate enough to have one of our close friends, Matt, agree to stay at our place to take care of our dog, Bailey, and our cat, Bella. After giving him the run down on the daily routine and what to expect, we left a couple hundred dollars with a thank you note and were off.

We had a great time on our trip and when we returned we got the scoop on how the pet sitting went. Let me say that before we left, Matt insisted that we didn't need to pay him since we were such good friends and he would love staying at our place anyway. Well, after dealing with Bailey and Bella for the week...his words to us were "you didn't pay me enough".

Matt was full of hilarious stories of waking up in the middle of the night with Bailey at eye level watching him sleep and breathing his hot doggy breath on him. And of course, Bailey is a very energetic dog who always wants to play and tends to whine if he hasn't gotten enough exercise. He can definitely be a lot of work for the unsuspecting victim! And did I mention that Bella gets the "crazies" in the middle of the night and goes on rampages of knocking down everything on the kitchen counters? That week she had a particular dislike for my Rascal Flatts CD and kept knocking it onto the garbage can where it made a loud bang that woke Matt up. Needless to say, Matt was a great sport but also not so subtly hinted that he'll never pet sit for us again!

While this is just an example of one of the really funny experiences we've had, I'm sure some of you can relate to it. It's really awesome to have friends, family, or neighbors who are there to help take care of your pets while you travel. But sometimes, you may feel guilty about asking them to do so. Or you may be afraid that you ask them to do this for you too many times.

One of the great benefits of having a professional pet sitter is that taking care of your pets (with all of their lovable quirks) is their job! That's what they're paid to do. So you no longer have to have the guilt of worrying about whether or not your pet is ruining your relationship with your friends one dropped Rascal Flatts CD at a time. When you hire a professional pet sitter, they're used to dealing with all types of circumstances and you can be as detailed in your pet care plan as you want without the guilt. A professional pet sitter will also have a lot more experience in handling various situations that may arise. In fact, most professional dog walkers or pet sitters will be certified in Pet First Aid and Pet CPR.

Also, if you're a bit impulsive and love seizing the day, that's fine too! Even last minute trips can most likely be accommodated by your professional pet sitter. So you won't have to scramble through your contacts or call the kennels to see if they have openings. Many professional pet sitters will have flexible schedules that should be able to accommodate adding a few visits to take care of your pet. Of course you'll most likely need to perform a Meet & Greet with them first to become a client, but once you do that, you should be all set to take on the world! (Hint: Book in advance for holiday travel! Your favorite pet sitter's schedule will fill up quickly. Also as with other service industries, expect holiday fees for services rendered on holidays.)

When your pets are able to stay in the comfort of their own home, they are healthier, happier, and experience less anxiety and stress while you're away. They will be more comfortable in their familiar surroundings, and unlike at kennels, they won't be at risk for illnesses and injuries from interactions with other animals. They can also maintain their regular diet and exercise routines while enjoying the company of a new human friend! Also, if you're concerned about the safety of your home while you're away, there's no need to hire a separate house sitter. The pet sitter can take care of all of your lighting adjustments, mail collection, plant watering, security checks, etc. to make sure your home is safe and secure.

Looking for more reasons to hire a professional pet sitter? Check out the infographic below from NAPPS.

So if you're planning a trip, contact your local pet sitter today! And for those of you lucky enough to be in The Waggly Tail's service area, I still have a few openings left for Memorial Day Weekend! Contact me today to schedule a Meet & Greet!

Have any topics you'd like to see covered in next week's blog? Post them below in the comments!

Have a Waggly Tail Day!