How old do you have to be to pet sit: Is it safe for kids to pet sit?

Is it safe for kids to pet sit?

Looking after pets is fun, and can teach kids about responsibility and social skills. However, you must consider your child’s age: Young children must be supervised around pets at all times, and an adult must be the primary carer if you wish to pet sit with your child under 18.

When you should keep your kids away from pets

If you have very young children under 4, you should keep them clear of pets unless you are very familiar with the pet and it’s temperament, and you are supervising at all times. 

Younger children might be at different stages in controlling their physical and emotional impulses, and this can lead to unsafe situations around animals. Pet sitting can be an opportunity to teach your kids about gentle patting and demonstrating that, like them, pets need love, food and water. But be sure to be present at every step, and if you are a pet sitter, discuss these interactions thoroughly with the pet’s owner first.

Never make any assumptions about specific breeds or species. Use common sense, and remember you may not know the entire history of a pet: even a breed that has a reputation for being family-friendly, such as Labradors or Golden Retrievers, can have their own individual backgrounds or triggers that you may not be aware of. As such, it’s essential to find out as much as you can during a meet and greet. Likewise, all pet sitters should have a thorough understanding of animal body language. 

As a responsible pet sitter, you must prioritise the needs of your guest pet as well as your kids. If you are pet sitting a nervous or anxious pet under your roof, it’s best to allow them plenty of space and quiet time to adjust. We strongly recommend giving them access to a separate space away from your children and your resident pets. 

How to help your kids pet sit

If you wish to join a pet sitting website such as Pawshake, you must be over 18 years old in order to be covered by the Pawshake Guarantee. But that isn’t to say your children can’t join in the fun of caring for cats and dogs!

If your kids are keen to be involved in pet sitting, make sure it is completely clear on your profile that you are the primary pet carer and that they may be involved at times, depending on the pet owner’s wishes. This is something to discuss during a meet and greet, and if the pet owner doesn’t want this to happen, respect their boundaries. Their pet might be nervous around strangers, or kids/teenagers specifically, or have separation anxiety or other behavioural issues. This is all an essential part of the meet and greet discussion: make sure you are all on the same page and don’t leave any room for misunderstanding.

You might like to bring your kids along when you go for a brisk walk or run with your guest pet: you can teach them all about dog park etiquette and asking before patting unfamiliar dogs, but, as the adult in charge, make sure you are the one always holding the dog’s leash. Your kids might even be able to teach your guest pet some new tricks to impress their fur parent, or burn some energy with a game of fetch.

Pet sitting can also be a great way to introduce your kids to the responsibilities of pet ownership and safety around animals. You might wish to have a feeding/water roster for guest pets, and share your Pawshake earnings as part of your children’s salary: just be sure to supervise so that the pet owner’s requests regarding food amounts, feeding methods and mealtimes are honoured.

If you are a pet owner, be sure to have a meet and greet with the whole family that will be coming into contact with your pet, and don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions. Done the right way, your pet might find themselves with some new human playmates for life. And, if you definitely don’t want any children around your pets, simply select the ‘has no children’ search filter when looking for a perfect pet sitter.

Find a Pawshake pet sitter

How old should you be to dog sit? Experts weigh in

For many animal-loving kiddos, dog sitting sounds like the ultimate way to make a little money (while logging hours with their favorite four-legged friends). But when it comes to the “right” age for dog sitting, there are a few things experts recommend. 

Unlike the babysitting age in some states, there isn’t a minimum age in which kids can legally become pet sitters. However, “kids are usually ready to dog sit between the ages of 10 and 12,” according to Dr. Britta K. Ostermeyer, chief of psychiatry service at OU Health, University of Oklahoma, who adds that “for bigger dogs who are harder to watch, kids should be at least 12.”

Pet sitting, according to Ostermeyer, is lower stakes than babysitting, but even so, pet sitters need to be “ready to assume responsibility for the pet.” “The child needs to be able to direct the pet, feed them, and needs to be able to recognize when the dog is not well and needs to be taken for help,” she explains. “In that case, the child needs to know where to call to arrange for the pets to see a vet.”

Wondering how old you should be to dog sit? Here’s what the experts say.   

Is there a general age when kids are ready for dog sitting? 

According to Dr. Heather Venkat, a companion animal veterinarian at VIP Puppies in Phoenix,  kids 12 and up are generally ready for dog sitting. “But depending on the size and energy level of the dog, it may be best to wait until a kid is a teenager before they tackle dog sitting,” she adds. 

And keep in mind, as Dr. Tomitra Latimer, Medical Director of Lurie Children’s Pediatrics at Deming, points out: “Young children are not able to be by themselves so it’s a good idea for the dog owner to introduce the dog to all family members of the dog sitter.”

“Depending on the size and energy level of the dog, it may be best to wait until a kid is a teenager before they tackle dog sitting.”

— DR. HEATHER VENKAT, VETERINARIAN

When Tiffany Cho of Aberdeen, New Jersey went away with her family last summer, she did just that. After asking her 11-year-old neighbor to watch their Pomeranian for a few days, she made sure everyone in his family was OK with it. “We live close, so we just asked him to take him out a few times a day, feed him, make sure he had water and our house wasn’t too hot,” Cho says. “But I knew his mom would wind up helping him with everything, so I ran it by her first.”

What are signs a kid is ready to dog sit? 

Before taking on a dog sitting gig, kids should “show signs of responsibility and maturity,” according to Venkat. Here are a few indicators a child may be up to the task:

• They help out with their own pets. Says Venkat: “If a child has pets in the home, a sign that they would be ready to dog sit is if they do a great job helping out and taking care of their own pets.”
• They’re passionate about animals. Even if a kid doesn’t have a pet themselves, “a passion for pets is a great place to start,” according to Dr. Danielle Bernal, global veterinarian for Wellness Pet Company. “At the end of the day, pet parents want to ensure their pet is happy and healthy, but they also want someone to care for them as much as they do each day,” she says. “Someone who loves pets and enjoys their company is crucial. ”

“At the end of the day, pet parents want to ensure their pet is happy and healthy, but they also want someone to care for them as much as they do each day.” 

— DR. DANIELLE BERNAL, VETERINARIAN

• They’re a good student. “Doing well in school and in extracurriculars is a sign that a child could be ready to dog sit,” Venkat says. “However, they should be able to balance their time with the extra tasks.”
• They do their chores. “If the child displays maturity and responsibility in completing chores, such as making their bed and washing dishes, without prompting, they may be ready for dog sitting,” notes Latimer, adding that they should also take care of themselves without being asked. (Think: You don’t have to remind them to shower or brush their teeth.)
• They have common sense. Bernal notes that, while in most cases, dog sitting refers to feeding and making sure the animal gets exercise, pet sitters still need the maturity and common sense to know if something is off.  “Pet sitters should be able to detect if the pet is not well or simply not acting like its normal self,” she says. “With their pet parent(s) away, a pet may become more stressed or anxious, causing mischievous or troublesome behavior. Noticing the pet has not drunk enough water, passed any stools or are simply just not themselves is vital to keeping a pet healthy.” Because of this, Bernal notes that kids who are pet sitting should always have an adult they can immediately ask for a second opinion.
• They’re physically strong. If a child is watching a big dog, they need to be strong enough to manage large dogs,” Latimer says. 

If the pet sitting job takes place out of the home, Latimer notes that an adult should accompany the child or teen to help or take over if needed. 

In addition to the child, there’s the dog to consider. Here’s what Latimer and Bernal say to keep in mind on the pup’s end: 

• The breed size and/or number of pets. “A larger breed size or greater number of dogs could imply that a child needs to be a little older or physically more mature to manage them, especially if out on a walk,” notes Bernal. 

“A larger breed size or greater number of dogs could imply that a child needs to be a little older or physically more mature to manage them, especially if out on a walk.”

— DR. DANIELLE BERNAL, VETERINARIAN

• The dog’s demeanor. “Parents and kids should consider and know whether the dog has a history of any behaviors that might present risks to the child, others or themselves,” Latimer says. “For instance: Do they play well with other animals? How do they walk on a leash? Do they have any triggers, such as noise sensitivities?”
• The care required. “Even some of the smallest dogs can be quite the handful,” Bernal says. “If the dog is challenged or needs additional care like medication, it may make more sense to wait a few more years or choose another dog to pet sit. It’s important that every child feels just as safe as the pet does.”

Dog sitting skills to *bone* up on

A responsible track record and passion for pups can be great indicators of a budding pet sitter, but doing a little homework on the front-end is important, too. According to Bernal and Venkat, the following skills are helpful when starting out as a dog sitter:

• A general knowledge of dog behavior. “Knowing basic dog behavior is important for kids who want to dog sit, so that they can read a dog’s body language well and know how to handle them,” Venkat says. To that point, Bernal adds that it’s crucial to be able to “detect a limp or a sick dog” in order to keep pups healthy.
• Basic animal training knowledge. Bernal also notes that knowing the commands on how to get a dog to behave are important.
• Road sense and caution if taking the pet out on walks. An adult should accompany younger kids on walks and help older kids plan out a safe route for walking and/or playing.

According to Bernal, the most important things are that the pet owner, child and their family keep safety in mind and make comfort a priority for everyone. And for kids who are on the younger side: “Don’t worry,” she says. “Employing the help of parents or guardians is a great way to start dog sitting, especially if your first customer is a close friend or family member.”

How old do you have to be for Care.com?

While there’s room for interpretation when it comes to determining the appropriate age for dog sitting, there’s not when it comes to joining Care.com as a pet sitter. In order to enroll, you need to be at least 18, and every caregiver who joins the Care.com platform is required to undergo enhanced screening, which includes a criminal background check called CareCheck.

“Mom, buy a dog!” Top 12 questions about children and pets

Small and large dogs, fluffy kittens, hamsters – no child can pass by them calmly. But how to understand that he is already ready for the appearance of a pet, will walk the dog and will not give up this idea in a week? Together with the Yuna Center for the Rehabilitation of Temporarily Homeless Animals, which will hold an exhibition-attachment in Moscow on February 9, we answer the main questions that concern parents.

1. What is the best age for a child to have their first pet?

One of the most serious barriers in this matter is the possibility of an allergy in a child. That is why, in the presence of children under three years old, there are certain risks if you are thinking about a cat or a dog.

Be sure to test your child for allergies. And to yourself, if in doubt. Sometimes it does not appear immediately, but several weeks after the appearance of the pet in the house. Act especially prudently in such a situation, try to think of an alternative to cats and dogs: for example, get a fish or a hamster.

For many parents, the safety of the child becomes an important factor. We are almost sure that with proper upbringing, a cat or dog cannot have a desire to harm, but you should not forget about this aspect.

In addition, a small child can do harm himself by painfully grabbing the animal by the tail or squeezing it tightly. Therefore, only after six years is it recommended to have puppies and kittens, and up to six years it is worth choosing adult animals.

Of course, it matters if you have free time to take care of your pet. Remember that you need to walk with the dog, educate it, monitor its behavior. All this can become a problem if you have a small child.

Often the initiative to get a pet comes from a child. When children go to school, most often they begin to pay attention to pets and their owners, and they get the idea that they would also like to have a cat or dog at home.

In this situation, you need to be aware that a child will be able to fully take care of a new friend at the age of 10–12 years (of course, it happens earlier, it depends on the individual characteristics of the child). At this age, you will most likely be able to share the care of a pet among all family members, and the child will be its full-fledged owner.

2. Which animal is best for small children?

The same fish can be kept from birth, since they do not harm even the smallest child, but watching them is a real pleasure. But, of course, the aquarium needs to be placed higher so that it does not “catch” beautiful fish. By the way, there are times when an allergy occurs to fish food!

Also, there should be no problems with cats and dogs that were already in the house before the birth of the child, because addiction in such cases passes quite quickly.

3. How to prepare an apartment for the appearance of a pet?

In order for the pet to feel as comfortable and safe as possible in their new home, owners need to prepare as follows:

• Remove all wires and do not forget to unplug chargers and electrical appliances.
• Remove poisonous houseplants, if present (e.g. dieffenbachia, ivy, lilies, ficuses, etc.).
• Remove chemical detergents from the bathroom to the closet, hide medicines away.
• If there is a cat in the house, special cat nets must be installed on the windows.
• If there is a dog in the house, put away your favorite slippers, children’s toys and everything that will be difficult for you to part with if the dog wants to taste something new.

For a cat, you need to purchase a tray, litter and scoop, two/three bowls (for water and for dry and wet food), suitable food (according to the recommendations of the veterinarian), a scratching post, a special brush for combing hair and nail clippers, toys, carrying.

The following kit will be enough for a dog: two bowls (for water and food), suitable food (according to the recommendations of the veterinarian), a special brush for combing out wool, toys, bedding (bed), leash, collar / harness, address book.

It is important that pets have the opportunity to hide and retire in case, at some particular moment, they do not want to make contact, but want to rest. Do not forget that animals need a passport and a chip.

4. How to explain to a child that it is impossible to squeeze an animal all the time, to stroke it by force?

Children learn about the world, including at the level of tactile sensations, so they show interest and attention to the pet through such “hugs”.

Animals understand that they have a child in front of them and treat him more condescendingly, but small children and older children should be explained that by pulling a pet, squeezing and squeezing, they cause him physical pain.

Moreover, it is also important to explain that a pet’s patience may run out and he may bite or scratch the child.

Invite the child to imagine a situation in which he himself would be constantly pulled, squeezed and squeezed in hugs. It is important to convey to him that a pet is not a toy that can be sold or exchanged for something more attractive. It is advisable to take care of the pet yourself regularly and with pleasure, so that the child takes over responsible behavior from you.

5. What should I do if a dog ate a child’s favorite toy?

It is important to understand that if a dog does something, it means that the owner somehow allows it. To prevent such situations, the host must:

• keep things in order, in their places, so that the dog cannot reach them;
• keep an eye on her: as soon as you notice that she is encroaching on a thing, say “no”. Scold, raise your voice, but do not shout very loudly. The dog will perceive your anger and screams as aggression, so the situation may worsen. It is important to realize that the dog does not consider destroying things as something bad. Therefore, you need to speak to her calmly, but strictly, reproachfully, in an upset voice, so that she realizes that she upset the owner with her actions, that these toys are important to you and spoiling things is bad;
• provide the pet with enough of its own toys. Remember that dogs love plastic bottles, and you need to buy special, dense balls and other toys, preferably from a single piece of rubber, because such a toy will last longer. The child should also be explained that the dog did not do this on purpose and not in order to offend him with this, and if possible, buy a new toy.

6. What if after a few weeks someone in the family develops an allergy to animals?

Of course, there are methods of prevention. These include careful care of the animal, use of household air purifiers, washing hands after stroking or playing with the pet. If an allergic reaction does occur, go to an allergist for an accurate diagnosis. Allergy symptoms are similar to many other diseases.

Next, the appointment of medication will follow. This may be as antihistamine therapy, the use of desensitization therapy or even a barrier technique. But, unfortunately, allergies are a predisposition, and if it manifests itself intensely when you have already taken a cat or dog, then the only right decision is to transfer the animal to other family members or friends.

7. At what age can a child take a walk with a dog or feed a cat?

It is impossible to accurately determine the age of the child, which would be universal for walking or not walking the dog. All children are different, with different abilities and levels of awareness in relation to animals. In addition, the dog itself may be well educated and prepared to walk with the child on its own, or may not be ready for this.

In any case, a child can walk a pet only if he understands that he has a big responsibility

And provided that you have all the necessary attributes for walking the dog: collar, leash, address book and muzzle (if necessary).

It is worth showing by personal example how to walk the dog, how to clean up after it, tell why you can’t let it off the leash. Take several such walks under the close supervision of a parent.

Feeding a cat is no less a responsible task. The main thing is that parents clearly demonstrate how to do it correctly: explain where the food is, how much to put, how to understand that the pet is hungry, and so on.

8. What should I do if my child promised to take care of an animal but does nothing?

Before confronting this problem head-on, try to see if your child is ready for a pet. For example, you can go together as volunteers to an animal shelter, help clean the enclosures, care for the animals, or with their socialization.

If the child accepts such suggestions well and readily responds to help, this is a good sign. Try to act out a situation that every dog ​​owner faces: start practicing daily half-hour walks in the morning together. This will show whether the child will be ready to get up early in order to have time to walk the dog before school.

It is important to understand that if you scold your child for not fulfilling his duties, this can only lead to a worsening of the situation. Children may begin to avoid punishment by pretending that they did everything. Parents should serve as an example and sincerely show concern and care for animals, thereby showing that it can be interesting and exciting.

Talk to your child, explain that caring for a pet is as important as caring for family members. Tell that the animal cannot cook its own food and clean up after itself during a walk.

We have developed the Yuna Class course, where we talk about responsible attitude towards pets using fun tasks and educational videos. Each parent or teacher can leave a request to attend our lessons, the teacher’s visit to the school, or even the transfer of all materials for self-study.

9. What if the child asked for an animal and then started crying and asking to give it back?

Everything is solved by talking and finding out the root cause — why the child started crying. Perhaps the animal scratches, bites, or even throws itself at him. It is necessary to follow both the behavior of the animal and the behavior of the child when handling it.

Further, depending on the reason, take measures. Most often they are educational. If opportunities allow and the problem lies in the fact that the animal cannot be friendly to the child, you can turn to a zoopsychologist or dog handler for help. The same measures should be taken if the child complains about an animal that has been living with you for a long time.

10. How do you explain to a child that fish and hamsters have sex/eat their children?

Fish and hamsters have sex. It is their physiological need to produce offspring, which in turn will also reproduce themselves. The instincts of all living beings are aimed at solving the main task – the preservation of the race. In our opinion, one should not hide the truth from children and try to deceive them by replacing the names of physiological processes with children’s counterparts.

Regarding cannibalism. Unfortunately, this is a natural process for hamsters. It can be explained by several reasons: the female eats babies that were born with any genetic deformities in order to get rid of them. The female has 8 nipples, she can feed 8–12 cubs, but if there are 16–18 of them, it is likely that the mother will bite the “extra” ones. Most often this happens when hamsters are not yet two months old.

In the case of fish, the situation is somewhat different: most often the mother eats the cubs, obeying the instinct of self-preservation. The fry are perceived by the female not as her children, but as competitors in the struggle for food and territory. For fish, anything smaller than the individual itself is perceived as prey.

11. How can I explain the death of a pet to a child?

Referring to the advice of psychologists, we can draw the following conclusion: do not try to protect your son or daughter from sadness, grief and tears. These are normal, natural manifestations of human emotions.

Children will recognize and experience the problem in their own way. Your task is to try to make this experience easier by supporting the child.

Don’t hide your emotions as a parent, you are human too. Don’t be afraid to show sadness, don’t be shy to cry. Don’t hide anything from him. It is better to experience the loss together, then the child will not consider you his enemy or a deceiver.

12. What should I do if my child brings stray animals home all the time?

Here it is important to discuss with the child why he does this and find a compromise. The most appropriate tactic is to start by explaining that an animal picked up from the street must be examined by a veterinarian and most likely needs professional treatment.

In case you are not ready to take an animal from the street into the family, it is important to offer an alternative. For example, go as a volunteer to an animal shelter. Buy food or medicine together with your child as a gift to the shelter and explain to him that such actions are more reasonable in relation to homeless animals and help to solve this problem in a civilized manner.

On February 9, the Yuna Center for the Rehabilitation of Temporarily Homeless Animals will hold the last winter exhibition of dogs and cats from shelters. The event will take place in the small hall of the Artplay Design Center.

The exhibition dedicated to St. Valentine’s Day and dedicated to stories of true love and fidelity, the organizers will present more than 100 healthy, vaccinated and well-groomed cats and dogs.

There will also be a collection point for animals from shelters, where you can bring food, medicine, toys and other gifts.

Illustrations: Shutterstock (GoodStudio)

how to take animals, how much you can earn and what are the difficulties

Ivan Zhukovin

makes money on overexposure of animals

In May 2021, my girlfriend posted an ad about overexposure of animals.

In a month and a half, we earned 40,000 R. During this time, seven pets managed to live with us: three cats and four dogs.

If you love animals and spend a lot of time at home, you can also take care of your pets. I’ll tell you what you need to be prepared for.

Cat Keks lived with us for two weeks

What is overexposure

Overexposure is a temporary home for animals. My girlfriend and I call ourselves nannies for dogs and cats. We take other people’s animals, feed them, walk them and take care of them as if they were our own. But at the same time, we do not educate. Everything is like with children.

My girlfriend and I live in Vladivostok in a two-room apartment. We can afford to take animals for overexposure, because we work mainly from home. I teach guitar, students come to my house. The girl works six hours a day outside the home, the rest of the time is remote.

We are most often contacted when they go on vacation and have no one to leave their pets with. It also happens that they bring us animals that they cannot take care of, for example, because they work around the clock. This is especially true for puppies: they need to walk up to six times a day until they grow up.

People pay money for overexposure. If you do not want to pay, you can negotiate with friends, relatives or neighbors. But they are not always comfortable: they may have cases in which the pet does not fit at all.

People can also leave animals at the zoo. We have one in Vladivostok. The animals are walked there, fed, cleaned up after them. But they are kept in cages. I think it’s terrible.

/pet-budget/

How much does it cost to keep pets: 5 examples with calculations

Unlike a pet hotel, pets feel at home here. We do not have our own pets, because it is expensive and requires too much effort. You can’t just get an animal and forget about it. He needs to be educated: play every day for at least fifteen minutes, take him to a cynologist or a cat psychologist, and if it is a dog, then also walk it. At the same time, we love animals very much, so overexposure is a compromise that suits both of us.

This is how the pet hotel looks like. I feel sad for animals in cages. Our houses are much more comfortable. He moved in with the girl and her parents, and another cat was already living there. Ragnarok began to attack him. It was necessary to isolate the alien animal from danger. We volunteered to shelter the cat for a while, while a friend saves money to rent a separate apartment. We set a condition: the owner of the cat will pay for food and filler for the toilet.

As a result, Ragnarok lived with us for four months with a break for March. During this time, we got used to it a lot, and it was a pity to leave. But the situation hardened us: the next partings with temporary pets were less painful.

/readers-pets/

“I was sure that this is our dog”: how much does it cost to shelter a homeless animal

After Ragnarok, the dog Graham lived with us for a week. His owner, our friend, was leaving for a retreat. We agreed to help on the same terms as with the cat.

It was more fun with the dog: he was trained and brought up to the best. We often played with him on the street: we threw toys at him, and he brought them. I purposely climbed a small mountain and threw toys down. During the walk, Graham was exhausted and slept most of the time at home. The hostess laughed: she rarely played with him so much and therefore almost never saw him so calm.

A one-minute video from one of our walks with Graham, which I filmed and edited

We did not take money from the owners of Ragnarok and Graham, we helped out of friendship.

Ragnarok rests This is Graham. He has sad eyes

Our announcement and first clients

My girlfriend Sasha has long wanted to take animals for overexposure for money. She already had that experience. As a student, she registered with the Dogsy service and from time to time took dogs to her. Dogsy is a service for finding dog and cat sitters, that is, dog and cat nannies. With its help, people find those with whom they can leave their beast for the time of departure.

When Ragnarok temporarily moved in with us, Sasha once again started talking about accepting animals at home on a commercial basis. And I agreed.

/perederzhka/

How much does it cost to take a puppy for overexposure

At first we decided to register with the same Dogsy and work through it. But the application rejected our questionnaires without explanation. We assume that we were not convincing enough in the questionnaires and looked too young and inexperienced. Or maybe in Vladivostok, Dogsy just has a few clients, but a lot of dog sitters.

It was possible to go to city agencies, but we did not, and instead published a private ad on Farpost – this is a bulletin board for residents of Primorye and the Far East. I am accustomed to working for myself, so this option suited me completely. In the ad, we wrote that we love animals very much, indicated our conditions and prices.

This is how our ad looks like

A couple of weeks later, the first response to the ad came. We were asked to take the dog Stephen for a day. The owners were leaving for a recreation center, and there was no one to leave the dog with.

The meeting with the beast was tense: Steven did not want to go with me to the apartment, he escaped from his hands and ran to the owner. He had to get out of the car and carry the dog on his own to the fourth floor.

At home, Stephen wrote to bed, but there were no other difficulties with him. Soon he played out, jokingly biting our hands and running after Ragnarok, who was still living with us at that time.

It was easy to leave. Over the course of the day, we didn’t get attached to Steven much.

In August, three months later, he was left with us again, only this time for three days. We got to know each other better. Steven turned out to be an anxious dog. He often barked for no apparent reason, peed on the carpet again, and desperately demanded to be played with his favorite toy.

After that, we began to accept animals for overexposure more or less regularly.

Our conditions

We accept small and medium dogs, cats, as well as rodents and fish for overexposure.

We ask owners of dogs and cats about vaccinations and take their word for it. Some owners confirm the words with a veterinary passport, where vaccination marks are affixed.

We also ask about sterilization and castration. We will not take two animals capable of reproduction at the same time. Let’s take one.

/photo-liebe-tier/

From mini-pigs to seagulls: 10 rare pets that live with readers T-F

On average, animals are left with us for 5-7 days. But we love it more when the beast lives with us longer – from a month. During this time, we manage to love him as our own. For so long, we have had three pets so far: Ragnarok the cat, Lucky the cat and James the puppy.

What we offer. We walk the dogs twice a day, play, wash and trim the nails if the owners leave the tweezers. We play with cats and also trim our claws. Naturally, we feed and drink everyone.

We have a two-room apartment in an old house with high ceilings. There are no bars on the windows, which is why, with the windows open, the cats climb over the window sills from room to room. We live on the fourth floor. At such moments, we are very worried about them, but so far there have been no accidents. We do not plan to install bars, instead we keep the windows closed if we see cats climbing onto the windowsills.

We put toilets in the corners so that the animals do not interfere with each other, and we put the beds next to the bed. But we have few people lying on the beds: we allow animals to sleep with us if their owners do not mind.

We and the animals live in such conditions. Right now, no one lives with us, so the beds in the photo did not get

We do not limit the number of animals that live in the apartment at a time. Often there are two of them. Once, for one day, we had four left at once: two dogs and two cats. It was difficult and nervous, I don’t want to repeat this. My maximum is three animals: two cats and a friendly dog. Sasha says she is ready for four or five animals at a time. I doubt she understands what she’s getting into.

Owners know that their pet will not be alone. This suits many: animals can communicate with each other. But it happens that the owners have doubts that the beast will get along with others. Then we promise that in case of problems we will separate the animals into different rooms. There are two of us, and everyone can look after.

If it is important for someone that the animal lives alone, we will offer dates when this is possible and ask for additional payment.

/dog-price/

How much does it cost to get a dog

The girl and I share the money in half. Duties too. Basically, I walk the dogs, and Sasha cleans up after the animals at home.

How we communicate with customers. Sasha communicates with the owners. Most often, they are worried about how we will sit with pets, since we do not have a house, but an apartment. We answer: “So are you. You also live in an apartment.”

There were some unusual requests. One girl wanted to come to our house before the overexposure and see how we live. Another time, they wanted to leave the animal for only three hours. And there was also a request for overexposure of a dog that was found on the street. We politely refused all these requests.

How much you can earn

We charge 300 R per day for small dogs and cats. This is the standard price. Overexposure from competitors in our city is more expensive – from 400 R per day.

For a dog weighing over 8 kilograms, we set a higher price – 350 R. And for a dog weighing over 15 kilograms – 500 R, and it is important for us that it is not aggressive.

Owners pay for overexposure and food, bring beds, toys and cat litter for the toilet. If something ends, we buy more with the money of the owners. Once, at their own expense, they treated the dog with a bone and treats.

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Rights if there are pets

If we have two animals, we earn 18,000 R per month. The money is paid in advance, so we get several thousand at once. We do not conclude any contract.

In the first month and a half, we managed to earn even more – 40,000 R. This happened due to the large number of animals that we accepted at the same time.

Difficulties

In my experience, the first couple of days with an animal is the hardest. The animal gets used to a new place and owner, and you get used to it. Cats usually hide and watch from secluded places. And dogs that are more attached to people can sit near the door and whine, or even try to run away. This is how James and Stephen behaved at first.

Moving is stressful for an animal, and it is difficult to predict in advance how it will behave. It is important to take this calmly and let the pet get used to you and your apartment. By the second or third day, everything should stabilize. If this did not happen and the animal is still sitting, huddled in a corner and not touching the food bowl, this is a reason to see the veterinarian.

I’ll tell you what problems we had and how we solved them.

The beast refuses to eat. It happened to us with Lucky the cat. The veterinarian advised us to force feed her: grind the food, mix it with water, draw the mixture into a syringe and pour it into her mouth. The owners were aware of the situation and gave the go-ahead for a trip to the veterinarian and forced feeding.

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The beast gets into dangerous places. The same Lucky climbed up the pipes to the second ceiling in the toilet and could sit there all day, so we were worried about her. We have high ceilings, and in order to get it, we had to disassemble the plastic layer and get a stepladder. After a couple of cases, we began to close the door to the toilet.

back

Lucky likes to hide and climb higher. In the photo, she is sitting on the fourth shelf in the kitchen. Height – 1.8 meters, she climbed herself The same second ceiling in the toilet, from where we got Lucky. We doubt that she would have been able to climb out of there on her own. Since then, the ceiling has remained disassembled into one cell: they could not put it back together

Beast damages property. Once we left a cat and a dog alone for four hours. And when they returned, they saw that the monitor was lying on the table. It turned out that his matrix was broken. Now we save money to fix it.

I wanted to write to the owners and demand half of the money from them for repairs, but the girl and relatives insisted that I not do this. They were afraid to run into a conflict in which we would lose: they themselves did not watch it.

The animal has health problems. The dog Mani had bloody diarrhea, and he did his business exclusively on the carpet. For us, this was a surprise: the hostess did not warn that the dog was sick. When we told her about this, she spread her hands and suggested that the dog was stressed because of other animals. She advised giving him pills, but they didn’t help.

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We were not paid extra for a damaged carpet. The dog was not with us for long, so we just waited until the term expired and returned it to its owner. Since then, we have been cleaning carpets in advance if there is a suspicion that they will be spoiled.

The beast is misbehaving. The most difficult of our guests was puppy James, a naughty spaniel. Although we walked with him three times a day, at home he was rampant: he gnawed rags, plastic, linoleum. At night he barked because he saw a fly. I ran after cats and even tried to molest the cat Lucky, who, in addition to everything, started estrus just at that moment. James regularly got hit in the face with cat claws, but this did not stop him.

Eventually we got tired and returned it to its owner. The owner was not happy with this decision, but what to do: James took a lot of energy. At the same time, we earned only 350 R per day on his overexposure.

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I can say that when we started overexposure, we did not think about all these risks at all.

James is photogenic and naughty He pretends to be the way he is

Our plans

Although we like to babysit animals, we got really tired of problem dogs in a month. Two dogs in a row gave us trouble: one was shitting on carpets, and the second was a hooligan: chasing cats, disobeying on the street, chewing on linoleum, plastic and rags.

So we took a break for a couple of weeks from keeping dogs. Cats are not so difficult: they require less attention. They do not need to be walked, but you can play at home.

We plan to raise prices for difficult cases: we will take puppies and sick dogs at an increased rate – 450-700 R per day. If the owners hide that the animal is aggressive, too young and sick, we will return the dog. It is difficult to predict the behavior in such a situation, so we will improvise.

We also want to start an overexposure Instagram. People will be able to go to the profile and evaluate how we look after pets. A page on the social network will allow us to increase the average check and subsequently buy more goods for animals: cat houses, toys for dogs and cats. Many owners do not buy toys for their pets, and they are bored with us. We will entertain them.

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Conclusions

Despite the various difficulties, I like to take animals for overexposure. The unconditional love they give pays for everything. I especially love it when pets sleep with us in the same bed and meet us on the threshold of the apartment when we come home.

To take animals for overexposure, you need to be patient and loving.