The right pet sitter answers ten specific questions without hesitating. Here is the Ogden pet parent’s FAQ for vetting any sitter with confidence.
The gist, in three sentences.
Robert
You’ve been here before. Standing in the kitchen, phone in hand, about to hire someone to care for your pet. Last time didn’t go well.
Maybe the app sitter stopped responding on day three. Maybe your dog came back from boarding stressed and refusing food. Maybe the “professional” walker you found through a referral showed up twice, then ghosted.
Whatever happened, it left a mark. Now you’re vetting again, wondering if you’re even asking the right questions to ask a pet sitter this time around. You are. Or you will be, after reading this.
The right pet sitter answers every question on this list without hesitating. They’ve thought through each scenario before you asked. If someone dodges, deflects, or gives you vague reassurances instead of specifics … keep looking.
This guide covers the ten questions to ask a pet sitter before hiring, what good answers sound like, and what should end the conversation immediately. If you’re ready to start vetting, book a meet-and-greet with our team and see how we answer them firsthand.
A professional pet sitter asks more questions than you do, and that’s a credential in itself. The depth of their intake is the first real signal of how they run their business.
Here’s why this matters: anyone can say they’re experienced. Anyone can claim they love animals. The questions someone asks during intake reveal whether they actually know how to care for your specific pet or whether they’re just hoping it’ll work out.
A thorough intake looks like this:
If a sitter skips this intake, they’re planning to wing it, which is the last thing you want from whoever holds your house key and your animal’s wellbeing for a week.
The meet-and-greet is where this intake happens. It’s also where your pet meets the person who’ll be caring for them, where you walk through your home together, and where you get a gut-level read on whether this person is competent and trustworthy.
Any sitter who doesn’t do a meet-and-greet, or treats it as optional, is telling you something. They’re either too busy to run a professional operation, or they don’t think it matters. Both are problems.
Book a meet-and-greet with us if you want to see what a real intake process looks like.
These ten questions filter out most of the problems before they become your problems. Each one has a right answer and a wrong answer. Ask all of them, whether you’re hiring a solo sitter or a national franchise.
Direct answer: A professional pet sitter carries liability insurance and is bonded. They should be able to show you documentation on request, not just claim they “have coverage.”
Why this matters: accidents happen. Dogs slip leashes. Sitters trip on stairs. If your sitter isn’t insured, you’re on the hook for whatever goes wrong. If they’re not bonded, you have no protection if something goes missing from your home.
A good answer sounds like: “We carry $1 million in liability coverage and we’re bonded. I can email you our certificate of insurance before we start.”
A red-flag answer sounds like: “Oh, I’ve never had any problems,” or “I’m not sure what that means,” or “I think my homeowner’s policy covers it.”
Pet Sitters International recommends that all professional pet sitters carry liability insurance as a baseline standard of the industry.
Direct answer: Yes, and they should be able to tell you where they were trained and when their certification was last renewed.
If your dog chokes on a treat or your cat has a seizure, the person in your home needs to know what to do in the first critical minutes before they can reach a vet.
A good answer: “All of our staff are certified through a recognized pet first aid and CPR program, and we recertify every two years.”
A red-flag answer: “I’ve had pets my whole life, so I’d know what to do.”
Direct answer: A professional company has backup coverage built into their operation. A solo sitter should have a named, trained backup who knows your pet and your home.
This is the question that separates companies from hobbyists, because hobbyists get sick and cancel the visit, while companies have systems in place so someone trained always shows up.
If your sitter gets the flu on day two of your seven-day trip, what happens? “I’ll figure it out” is not a plan. “My sister can probably help” is not a plan. “We have three other trained staff members who can cover, and they’ll have full access to your pet’s care notes” is a plan.
A good answer: “We have backup coverage for every booking. If I’m out, another trained team member covers, and they’ll already have your pet’s information.”
A red-flag answer: “That’s never happened,” or “I’d just let you know and you could find someone else.”
Direct answer: You should receive a detailed report after every visit with photos, specific notes about feeding and water, medication administration confirmation, behavior observations, and anything unusual.
You can’t be there. The report proves someone was. Generic documentation (“cat was fine!”) tells you nothing. Specific documentation (“Luna ate half her wet food, used the litter box, and spent 15 minutes with the feather wand before settling on her blanket”) tells you everything.
A good answer: “Every visit includes a detailed report card with photos, feeding notes, medication confirmations, and behavioral observations. You’ll get it within an hour of each visit.”
A red-flag answer: “I can text you if you want,” or “I’ll send a message at the end of the week.”
Direct answer: They should have a clear, written protocol that includes: call the pet parent first, call the emergency vet if unreachable, transport to the vet with authorization to approve emergency care up to a pre-approved limit, and document everything.
This isn’t hypothetical. Pets have allergic reactions. They eat things they shouldn’t. They fall. They have seizures.
An experienced sitter has seen emergencies and knows what to do. A hobbyist panics. Our team walks through a real one in how Ogden pet sitters handle pet emergencies.
A good answer: “We contact you immediately. If we can’t reach you, we contact your emergency backup. If we can’t reach either, we transport to your listed vet or the nearest emergency vet and authorize care up to the amount you’ve pre-approved. We document everything and update you as soon as possible.”
A red-flag answer: “I’d call you, I guess?” or “That’s never come up.”
The ASPCA’s emergency preparedness guidelines recommend that pet parents establish clear emergency protocols with any caregiver before travel.
Direct answer: A professional sitter can handle pills, liquids, eye drops, ear medications, and subcutaneous injections (like fluids or insulin). They should ask detailed questions about timing, dosage, and administration method.
If your pet needs medication, this isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s the whole point. If your sitter is vague or hesitant about their ability to handle it, that tells you they’re not experienced with medical care.
This question matters especially for senior pets, cats with chronic conditions, or any pet recovering from surgery.
A good answer: “Yes, we handle all of those. We’ll want to practice the administration during the meet-and-greet to make sure we’re doing it exactly how your vet showed you.”
A red-flag answer: “I can try,” or “I’m not comfortable with injections.”
Direct answer: Keys should be stored securely, never labeled with your address, and returned after service or stored in a locked system for future use. Alarm codes should be kept confidential. Home security checks should be standard during visits: doors locked, lights rotated, mail brought in, thermostat checked.
Your sitter isn’t just caring for your pet. They’re in your home while you’re away. That deserves the same level of care.
A good answer: “We use lockboxes or secure key storage, never labeled with addresses. Alarm codes are kept in our secure client system. During visits, we check all doors, bring in mail, rotate lights if you want, and confirm the house looks occupied.”
A red-flag answer: “I just put the key under the mat when I’m done,” or “I don’t really pay attention to the house stuff.”
Direct answer: Yes, and they should be able to provide them without hesitation. References should be from clients in your area with similar pets or needs.
Online reviews matter. A direct conversation with someone who’s used the service tells you things reviews can’t: how they handled a problem, how they communicated during a long trip, how their pet responded over time.
A good answer: “Absolutely. I can connect you with two or three clients who have similar pets and have used us for similar service. Just let me know.”
A red-flag answer: “I don’t really have anyone you could call,” or “Can’t you just check my reviews?”
Direct answer: There’s no magic number, but longevity matters. Someone who’s been doing this for 19 years has seen situations a first-year sitter hasn’t imagined yet.
That said, a newer sitter with strong training, good instincts, and a professional structure can be excellent. The question isn’t just “how long” but “what have you learned.”
A good answer: “I’ve been doing this for several years, and in that time I’ve handled medical emergencies, reactive dogs, and senior cats with complex care plans. I can walk you through specific examples if that would help.”
A red-flag answer: “I just started, but I’ve always loved animals.”
Direct answer: Clear, written policies that cover cancellations (how much notice, any fees), schedule changes, and inclement weather (when visits are delayed, how you’re notified, makeup procedures).
This sounds administrative, but it matters. If you need to extend your trip by two days, can they accommodate? If there’s a blizzard, are they still showing up? What happens if you need to cancel last-minute because of a family emergency?
A professional sitter has thought through these scenarios and has policies in place. An amateur says “we’ll figure it out.”
A good answer: “We have a written service agreement that covers all of this. Cancellations within a set notice window are subject to our published policy. Weather delays are communicated immediately, and we make up visits as soon as conditions allow.”
A red-flag answer: “Just let me know if anything changes.”
Five warning signs you’re talking to an amateur, regardless of how nice they seem. Nice doesn’t keep your pet safe. Systems do. Training does. Experience does.
If you see any of these during an interview or phone call, end the conversation and keep looking.
No meet-and-greet offered. This is non-negotiable. A sitter who’s willing to care for your pet without meeting them first, without seeing your home, without walking through the routine with you, is either overbooked, undertrained, or both. Skip it.
No insurance documentation available on request. “I have insurance” is not the same as “Here’s my certificate of insurance.” If they can’t produce documentation, assume they don’t have it.
Vague about which sitter actually shows up. “One of our team members will cover your visits” is not an answer. You should know exactly who is entering your home and caring for your pet. If they can’t tell you, they’re running a volume operation where consistency doesn’t matter.
No backup plan if they get sick. Solo sitters without a backup are gambling that nothing will go wrong with their health during your trip. That’s a bet you don’t want to take.
No written service agreement. Verbal promises evaporate when something goes wrong. A professional sitter has policies in writing: what’s included, what’s not, how problems are handled, what happens if schedules change. No contract means no accountability.
Your sitter can only help you if you’ve thought through what “good care” means for your specific pet. Spend ten minutes with this checklist before you start interviewing.
What does “normal” look like for your pet? How much do they eat? How often do they drink? How many times a day do they use the litter box or go outside? What’s their energy level?
The sitter needs to know normal so they can report abnormal. If your cat usually eats half a can of wet food and suddenly eats nothing for two days, that’s a vet call. The sitter can only make that call if you’ve told them what baseline looks like.
What’s the medication schedule? Write it down. Every medication, every dosage, every timing, every administration method. Include what to do if your pet refuses it, and what side effects to watch for. If your pet is recovering from surgery or managing a chronic condition, this is the entire service.
What’s your communication preference? Some pet parents want a detailed update after every visit. Some want a quick text once a day. Some want minimal contact unless there’s a problem. Tell your sitter upfront, since mismatched expectations create frustration on both sides.
What are your home security needs? Mail brought in? Lights on timers?
Thermostat adjusted? Plants watered? Packages moved inside? Make a list.
Here is how Away Home & Pet Care answers these ten questions. Use this as a benchmark when interviewing anyone.
We’ve been providing in-home pet care in Weber County since 2007, 19 plus years of figuring out what actually works and what separates reliable care from crossed fingers.
We’re fully insured and bonded, with documentation available before your first visit. All staff are certified in pet first aid and CPR, and we train continuously. Backup coverage is built into every booking, so if your assigned sitter is out, another trained team member covers with full access to your pet’s care notes.
Every visit includes a detailed report card with photos, feeding confirmation, medication notes, and behavioral observations, delivered within an hour. Our emergency protocol escalates through you, your emergency backup, and your vet, with authorization to approve transport and care as needed. We handle pills, liquids, eye drops, ear medications, and subcutaneous injections, practicing each during the meet-and-greet.
Keys are stored securely and house checks are standard on every visit: doors, mail, lights, thermostat. Local references are available on request. Our written service agreement covers cancellations, schedule changes, and weather delays, and you have it before we start.
Here’s what this looks like in practice:
The meet-and-greet wasn’t optional. The dog needed time. We took time. Three days later, belly rubs.
For pet parents with complex medical needs, the bar is higher:
Fifteen years old. FIV positive. Pills, liquids, inhalers, eye drops, eye ointment. That’s exactly what professional pet care is for.
If you want to see our pricing or have more questions, visit our FAQ page.
Common follow-up questions Ogden pet parents have after reading this guide.
Pet sitting rates in Ogden vary depending on the type of visit, number of pets, and whether you need overnight care. Away Home & Pet Care publishes its current rates at awaypc.com/pricing. Prices generally reflect the sitter’s experience, insurance status, and the level of service provided.
It depends on your situation, boarding facilities often charge per dog, so a single-pet household may pay similarly either way. For multi-pet homes, in-home pet sitting frequently costs less than boarding every animal separately. You also avoid transport costs and the stress your pets experience from an unfamiliar kennel environment.
Tipping is not required but is always appreciated, especially for holiday visits, last-minute bookings, or when your sitter handles something unexpected like a sick pet. A standard tip is 15–20% of the total visit cost. If your sitter goes above and beyond, a written review is equally valuable to a small business.
Some professional pet sitters are trained to handle insulin injections and subcutaneous fluids for diabetic or kidney-disease pets, but you must confirm this skill before booking. Ask specifically whether the sitter has hands-on experience with your pet’s condition, not just general medication handling. Away Home & Pet Care discusses medical care capabilities directly during the meet and greet.
Leave your pet’s food, measuring cup, leash, waste bags, and any medications clearly labeled with dosing instructions. Write down your vet’s name and phone number, a local emergency contact, and the nearest 24-hour animal hospital in Ogden, Emergency Animal Clinic of Ogden is a common go-to. A short written routine (feeding times, quirks, favorite spots) helps any sitter keep your pet calm and on schedule.
The right questions filter out 90% of hobbyists before you ever hand over a house key. Once you’re comfortable asking them, vetting any sitter gets much faster.
You don’t need to be confrontational about it. You don’t need to grill anyone. Just ask these ten questions, listen carefully to the answers, and watch how they react to being asked.
A professional welcomes the questions. They’ve answered them before. They have systems in place. They’re not defensive because there’s nothing to defend.
An amateur gets vague, changes the subject, or reassures you that “nothing bad has ever happened” instead of walking you through what would happen if it did.
Trust your gut. Trust the checklist. And if something feels off, keep looking.
When you’re ready to schedule a meet-and-greet with a team that answers all ten questions without hesitating, we’re here.
Licensed, bonded, and insured, with a small team of W-2 employees Robert trained personally. A consistent care team, photo updates after every visit, and service across Ogden, North Ogden, South Ogden, and Riverdale.
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