Pet Sitter Education Month Tips & Best Practices from Cornell Feline Health Center

I saw this list from the Cornell Feline Health Center on my Facebook feed, and I DO ALL THESE THINGS!!!!!

1. New clients have a thorough registration meeting with me to go over all of their information. It generally lasts an hour. We go over the pet’s routine, where supplies and pet areas are, emergency contacts, and, if needed, the client demonstrates their preferred techniques for administering medication, food preparation, etc.

2. We go over the emergency medical plan, including veterinarian information. I also collect contact info for emergency contacts for the pets and the home. I encourage clients to leave cat carriers out, or to have them accessible to me (NOT in the basement storage locker).

3. I am bonded and insured with pet sitters insurance. This is business liability insurance.

4. Many common houseplants are toxic to cats. Tulips, lilies, poinsettias, etc. Sometimes, even the pollen of certain plants are toxic, even if the cat doesn’t chew on them. Sometimes a plant is so toxic that a cat will need to be rushed to the emergency veterinarian for immediate treatment if they eat it.

A good resource to consult is:

https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poisons/

5. I maintain training in pet first aid & CPR. Generally, these certificates are valid for two years, but I prefer to refresh my training every year. I am also a Certified Professional Pet Sitter (CPPS) through two major professional pet sitters associations, Pet Sitters International and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters, and I am a Fear Free Certified Professional (FFCP). I love contuing education and I enjoy attending educational webinars and conferences whenever possible.

6. I have a car and primarily drive to all my visits. This also means that I am able to quickly transport pets for urgent medical care.

7. As part of the registration process, I ask if cats are microchipped. Microchipping cats, even indoor-only cats, is a great way of helping them to return home if they ever get lost. Cat collars are mostly designed to easily break away, to prevent injury and entanglement, which makes microchipping a more reliable means of retrieving and identifying an owned cat that gets lost.

A common issue I see amongst cat owners is that they neglect to update their contact info with the microchip company after they relocate. Their phone numbers, address, and email address might change, which needs to be updated in their file. It’s usually free and easy to do so, and is extremely important.

I also ask if the cat is licensed. Montreal requires that cats be licensed, and the permit is renewed each year.

Info on cat permits: https://montreal.ca/en/how-to/get-cat-license