A friend or a professional pet sitter: who should look after your pet?
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
A friend or relative your pet already knows can be the easiest choice: the RSPCA calls it the best option when they understand your pet's needs. A professional sitter suits when no one reliable is free, your pet needs medicines or close care, or the trip is long. It depends on the person, not the label.
Whoever you choose, meet first, leave a written plan with your vet's details, and have a backup. RSPCA Queensland warns that pets left with neighbours and friends can sometimes be forgotten or escape.
- Meet your sitter first, free
- PAN-checked, first-aid trained
- A photo every day
- Pay through Petym, never cash
How do a friend and a professional sitter compare?
| Option | Friend, relative or neighbour | Professional pet sitter | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knows your pet | Often already, which helps your pet settle | Meets your pet before the booking; the RSPCA advises introductory sessions | RSPCA (England and Wales) |
| Welfare charities' view | The RSPCA calls a friend or family member the best option | The RSPCA says someone who stays in your home usually works best, and to check their references | RSPCA (England and Wales) |
| Reliability | Good intentions, but their own work, family and travel come first; RSPCA Queensland notes pets can be forgotten or escape | The booking is their job for those days | RSPCA Queensland |
| Medicines and special care | Check they are confident, and ask your vet to show them | Cats Protection advises checking a sitter's experience with medication or special care | Cats Protection |
| Checks | You know them; no formal checks | Ask for references and checks; Petym will verify identity with PAN and require pet first-aid training | RSPCA (England and Wales) |
| Emergencies | Depends on the person; leave your vet's and a 24-hour vet's details | A set process; for Petym, call the owner and go to the nearest 24-hour vet on the city's list | Not stated |
| Backup | Often none if they fall ill | Cats Protection advises having a backup sitter ready either way | Cats Protection |
| Festival weeks | Often travelling themselves | Busy too: book early | RSPCA (England and Wales) |
| Payment | Usually a favour, which can make it hard to ask for more | Paid; on Petym, the rate card price with no booking fee on top | Not stated |
What do welfare charities say?
Both can work. The charities' advice is about the person and the preparation, not the title.
The RSPCA's advice to owners going away is that the best option is to have a friend or family member look after a pet, as long as they understand its needs and any special requirements, and that having someone look after a pet in its own home is usually best. It adds that it can take time to sort out care, so it should always be done well in advance.
For professional sitters, the same page says to meet them before employing them, check their references, check what cover they have for emergencies, and arrange introductory sessions so the pet can settle with them. Cats Protection says a cat sitter can be a friend, neighbour or family member who can visit at least twice a day, and for a professional, to check references, reviews and experience with any medicine your cat needs.
RSPCA Queensland adds a caution: when neighbours and friends feed and exercise pets while owners are away, the pets can sometimes be forgotten or escape. The risk is not the friendship; it is that a favour fits around someone else's life.
Which suits which situation?
A starting point for your own decision.
| A friend or relative | A professional sitter | |
|---|---|---|
| A weekend away, healthy adult cat Cats Protection | Often suits, if they can visit twice a day | Suits |
| A week or more away | Hard to sustain as a favour | Usually simpler |
| Dog that cannot be left long PDSA | Only if they can stay or come often; PDSA says no more than 4 hours alone | A sitter who stays overnight |
| Pet on daily medicine Cats Protection | Only if they are confident and your vet has shown them | Choose one with experience of that medicine |
| Anxious pet that hides from strangers RSPCA (England and Wales) | Suits if your pet already knows them | Arrange introductory visits first |
| Diwali or Puja week RSPCA (England and Wales) | Often away themselves | Book well ahead |
If you ask a friend, how do you set them up to succeed?
Treat it like a booking, even if it is a favour. These are the RSPCA's and Cats Protection's points, with Indian home details added.
- Ask early, and agree exactly what is needed: how many visits a day, or overnight stays, and for how long. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Write down your pet's routine, food and treats, exercise, behaviour, and the importance of sticking to the routine. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- List every medicine with when and how to give it, and ask your vet to show your friend how if they have not done it before. PDSA
- Leave your contacts, your vet's details including any out-of-hours service, and the nearest 24-hour vet. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Leave the vaccination card and your pet's medical history: vaccinations, worming, conditions and medicines. RSPCA Queensland
- Show them where the food, bowls, litter, leash and carrier are, and test the doors and locks together. Cats Protection
- Name a backup person in case they fall ill or are called away. Cats Protection
- Sort out the Indian details: their name with the society gate or visitor app, the watchman's knowledge of them, the inverter and water motor, and who else holds a key.
- Agree how they will update you, and that they will call at once if anything is wrong.
What tends to go wrong, and how do you prevent it?
The same problems can happen with any carer. Most are prevented before you leave.
If A visit is missed because the carer's own plans changed
Agree visit times in writing, ask for a message after each visit, and name a backup. RSPCA Queensland notes pets left with friends and neighbours can be forgotten. RSPCA Queensland
If The pet slips out of the door or off the balcony
Test the doors and locks with the carer before you go, show them which windows stay shut, and keep your pet's ID tag and microchip details current. Cats Protection
If A medicine is missed, or the pet will not take it
Write every medicine with times on the plan, and have your vet show the carer how to give it. If a dose is missed, the carer should call your vet, not double up. PDSA
If The pet falls ill and the carer does not know where to go
Leave your vet's details, including any out-of-hours service, and the nearest 24-hour vet's address, on paper and on the carer's phone. RSPCA (England and Wales)
If A dog is left alone far longer than it can cope with
Agree how long the dog may be alone. PDSA says dogs should not be left alone for more than 4 hours at a time. PDSA
Which assumptions trip owners up?
You may have read
Anyone who loves animals can look after mine.
Myth
What the sources say
The RSPCA's advice is to make sure the carer understands your pet's needs and any special requirements. Love helps; a written plan and practice with medicines matter more. RSPCA (England and Wales)
You may have read
A neighbour popping in once a day is enough for a cat.
Myth
What the sources say
Cats Protection suggests visits at least twice a day, and more for very young, old or unwell cats. Cats Protection
You may have read
A professional sitter does not need to meet my pet first.
Myth
What the sources say
The RSPCA advises meeting a sitter before employing them and arranging introductory sessions; Cats Protection advises meeting at home several days before you leave. Cats Protection
You may have read
If it is a favour, I cannot ask for updates.
Myth
What the sources say
Asking for a daily message is part of keeping your pet safe, not a judgement on your friend. Agree it before you leave.
Which to pick when
It depends on who is free, how much care your pet needs and how long you are away.
If A friend or relative your pet knows can come at least twice a day, or stay, for the whole trip
Ask them, with a written plan and a backup. What to leave for your pet sitter RSPCA (England and Wales)
If Your pet needs medicines, injections or close watching
Choose whoever has done it before, friend or professional, and ask your vet to brief them. Special-needs care Cats Protection
If Your dog cannot be left for more than a few hours
Someone who stays overnight, friend or professional. Drop-in visits or overnight sitting? PDSA
If No one you know is free for festival week, or the trip is long
A professional sitter, booked early. Overnight sitting RSPCA (England and Wales)
If You are not sure a friend will cope
Book a professional and ask your friend to be the backup. How to choose a pet sitter
What will Petym check before a sitter is listed?
Petym is not taking bookings yet; it opens city by city once its sitters have passed these checks. Every sitter will have their identity verified with PAN, complete pet first-aid training before their first booking and name a 24-hour vet within reach. Sitters who host pets in their own home will also have a video walk-through of the home by Petym, the housing society's permission for paid pet sitting, and a pet limit set for the home.
Each booking will start with a free meet and greet. You book and pay through Petym, and the sitter is paid after the booking. During the stay the sitter follows your pet's plan as you write it, logs feeding, walks and medicines, and sends a photo update every day; in an emergency they call you and go to the nearest 24-hour vet on the city's list. Afterwards you can write a review of the booking. Any cover for vet bills will be set out in Petym's terms before bookings open; Petym does not describe one now.
Going away soon? Tell us your dates.
A checked local sitter feeds, walks and keeps your pet company at home, follows your care sheet to the letter and sends a photo every day. Petym is opening city by city: send your dates and we will tell you when a sitter can take them.
- Meet your sitter first, free
- PAN-checked, first-aid trained
- A photo every day
- Pay through Petym, never cash
Questions owners ask
Is it better to ask a friend or hire a pet sitter?
- It depends on the friend and your pet. The RSPCA calls a friend or family member who understands your pet's needs the best option, but RSPCA Queensland warns that pets left with neighbours and friends are sometimes forgotten or escape. A professional suits long trips, medicines and busy festival weeks.
Should I pay a friend to look after my pet?
- That is between you and your friend, but agreeing something clear helps: what is expected, how often, and for how long. Whether paid or not, give them a written care plan, your vet's details, a backup contact and a way to update you every day.
What should I check before hiring a professional pet sitter?
- The RSPCA advises meeting the sitter before booking, checking references and what cover they have for emergencies, and arranging introductory sessions. Cats Protection adds checking experience with any medicine your pet needs. Petym will verify identity with PAN and require pet first-aid training.
Can my neighbour feed my cat while I am away?
- Yes, if they can visit at least twice a day, which Cats Protection suggests, and know what to do if your cat is unwell. Leave written instructions, your vet's details, enough food and litter, and a backup in case your neighbour has to go away too.
What if my friend cannot give my dog its tablets?
- Ask your vet team to show them before the trip: PDSA says vet practices can demonstrate techniques. If your friend still is not confident, choose a carer who has given that medicine before. A missed dose is a reason to call your vet, not to double up.
What happens if a friend's pet sitting goes wrong?
- It depends on what was agreed. That is why welfare charities stress preparation: a written plan, your vet's and a 24-hour vet's details, a backup person, and agreeing in advance that your friend goes straight to the vet in an emergency and calls you.
Do professional pet sitters have insurance in India?
- It varies, so ask. The RSPCA advises checking that a sitter has cover for emergencies. Petym will set out any cover in its terms before bookings open and does not describe one now. Whatever the cover, ask what the sitter will do first in an emergency.
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Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- RSPCA (England and Wales): Pet sitting (opens in a new tab)
- RSPCA Queensland: Holiday checklist: 10 tips to prepare your pet (1 December 2020) (opens in a new tab)
- Cats Protection: Going on holiday (opens in a new tab)
- PDSA: How to give your dog a pill (opens in a new tab)
- PDSA: Separation anxiety in dogs (opens in a new tab)