The skills a pet sitter needs

The Merck Veterinary Manual lists the signs of acute fear in dogs: a low body posture, raised hackles, vocalising, and displacement behaviours such as yawning or lip licking, sometimes with a fast heart and breathing rate, heavy drooling or an upset stomach. A frightened dog may avoid you, run, or bite to make you go away. When you see these signs, stop what you are doing, give the dog space and let it come to you.

Cats are subtler. International Cat Care says chronic stress in cats tends to show in daily patterns: hiding more, eating less (or more), grooming too much, and passing urine or faeces outside their usual places. A cat that hides from a new sitter is normal at first; a cat that has not eaten or used its tray in a day is a reason to call the owner.

Dogs with separation problems are a special case. Merck notes that signs often start within the first 15 to 30 minutes after the owner leaves, and include distress barking, house soiling, drooling, pacing and destruction near exits. PDSA lists trembling, panting and a low mood among the signs. These dogs should be left alone as little as possible, which is exactly why an owner may book a sitter.

Enough to keep a pet alive and safe until you reach a vet. PDSA's first rule is to stay calm, assess the situation, give any first aid needed and call the vet, and to remember that a hurt or frightened animal may bite. The Merck Veterinary Manual's emergency list is a good one to know by heart: poisoning, severe pain, uncontrolled bleeding, trouble breathing, eye injuries, suspected broken bones or paralysis, heatstroke and hypothermia.

The 2026 RECOVER guidelines give the key actions in plain language: press directly on a bleeding wound; cool a pet with heatstroke with cool running water, away from the face; run cool water over a burn for at least 20 minutes; do not make a poisoned pet vomit unless a vet or poison service tells you to; and put nothing in the mouth of a pet having a seizure. Our guide to how pet sitters handle emergencies goes through each one.

When Petym opens in a city, the sitter will send a photo update every day of the booking and log the pet's plan (feeding, walks, medicines) as it happens. A good update is short and factual: what the pet ate, how the walks went, any medicines given, anything unusual, and a photo that shows the pet's face.

Bad news should never wait for the daily update. If a pet is unwell, refuses food for a day, escapes or is hurt, call the owner straight away. In an emergency, the sitter calls the owner and takes the pet to the nearest 24-hour vet on the city's list, and keeps the owner told at each step.

Sitting is also a position of trust in someone's home. Keep the keys safe and never lend them, lock up every time, and let no one in that the owner has not named. Learn the house details on the first visit: the society gate pass or visitor approval, the watchman's and any cook's or maid's timings, the inverter, the water motor, which rooms the pet may use. Leave the home as you found it.