How To Become A Pet Sitter With No Experience (5 Easy Steps)

If you’re passionate about animals and love the idea of caring for furry friends, pet sitting could be your perfect path.

While it might seem daunting to start without experience, many successful pet sitters began precisely where you are now – with nothing but a love for animals and a willingness to learn.

This guide will cover everything you need to know to begin your pet-sitting journey, from gaining initial experience to connecting with your first pet families.

Whether you’re looking to care for occasional weekend pets or dream of making this your everyday calling, we’ll show you the proven steps to establish yourself as a trusted pet care provider in your community. Ready to start your adventure with animals? Let’s dive in!

What Is A Pet Sitter?

When pet owners need help caring for their furry friends, they may contact a pet care provider. Many people send their pets to pet hotels or kennels, but many prefer someone who can spend time one-on-one with them.

As a pet sitter, you will care for pets and build rapport with animals whose owners need assistance. Some daily care tasks include feeding, exercising, grooming, and even giving them medications.

How Do You Become A Pet Sitter?

There are a lot of choices to make and tasks to complete to become a pet sitter.

Pick Your Services

First, decide what services you want to offer. Maybe you’re only interested in working with dogs or cats, or you can only work during the day.

If you can provide overnight care, that would be a valuable service. If you have experience with medically needy pets, that may be your specialty. If you decide to charge for your services, you’ll want to know the going rates for house sitting.

Pick a House Sitting Website

One of the easiest ways to get started as a pet sitter is to set up an online profile. There are many house-sitting sites to choose from. You will want to learn more about each of them before deciding which suits your needs best.

Most of these online house sitting platforms are pretty simple. You fill out a profile with all your basic information so homeowners can find you. If someone thinks you would fit their needs well, they can contact you.

Build Your References

Your first pet-sitting gig will be the hardest to land. If you know anybody with pets, you can reach out to them. Maybe one of your friends or relatives will benefit from your services. If you impress them, they’ll certainly spread the word!

Even if your friends don’t need your pet-sitting services, you can still ask them to help you get your name out there. Once people know you are a reliable pet sitter, getting more clients won’t be hard.

More Information Here: How to Build Your House Sitting References

Use Airbnb Reviews

Already have great reviews as an Airbnb host or guest? Let those stellar ratings work double-duty! There are several innovative ways to share your proven track record:

1. Create a professional-looking document in Canva showcasing screenshots of your best Airbnb reviews. This visual portfolio can highlight comments about your reliability, cleanliness, and excellent communication – all qualities that matter just as much in house sitting.
2. Many house-sitting platforms like TrustedHousesitters and MindMyHouse allow you to add external links to your profile. Include a direct link to your Airbnb profile or reviews page to let potential homeowners see your history of trustworthiness firsthand.
3. Even on platforms without link options, you can mention your Airbnb username in your bio so homeowners can look up your reviews.

Remember: Those five-star Airbnb reviews prove you can be trusted with someone’s private space. When homeowners see your history of positive experiences, they’ll feel more confident choosing you as their house sitter. A well-presented collection of reviews, whether through a Canva document or direct profile links, can help you stand out from other sitters just starting out.

The Power of Positive Reviews

Great reviews are like gold in the pet sitting world – they tell the story of your dedication and care better than anything else. Each positive experience creates a ripple effect, as satisfied clients naturally share their stories with other pet owners.

Think of each review as a vote of confidence from a pet parent. When they write about how you sent daily photo updates, gave extra belly rubs, or remembered their cat’s favorite treat spot, it helps future clients picture their own pets in your caring hands. This is especially valuable when you’re building your experience, as these authentic testimonials can speak volumes about your reliability and genuine love for animals.

Remember: consistently outstanding care leads to glowing reviews, which connects you with more pet families.

Advertise Your Services Locally

While word of mouth is the best way to advertise your services, it isn’t the only way. Create some posters to put on community bulletin boards. You could also hang them at the pet store or veterinarian’s office.

Posting them at a bank or post office (where people tend to wait in line) means more people will likely read them. Otherwise, think of high-traffic areas. At grocery stores and coffee shops, enough people walk by that someone will notice! Use eye-catching graphics so it will catch people’s attention.

Create a Handover Checklist

You want to provide an excellent service, so create a checklist of all the questions you’ll need to ask the homeowner. This will ensure you provide professional services and get great referrals.

This is our; dog care sheet template and cat care templates.

Create a Pet Sitting Resume

A pet-sitting resume will tell your potential candidates that you are qualified! The easiest way to create a pet-sitting resume is to fill out an online profile on a pet-sitting website. These aren’t traditional resumes, but they have all your skills and credentials.

You can easily reformat your online profile into a traditional resume. You can also look online for templates that tell you everything to include! Be sure to highlight your pet care skills and experience with animals. Also, provide evidence that you are reliable and trustworthy.

Get a Police Check

Background checks are useful tools when trying to prove that you are trustworthy. Also, pet-sitting websites require police checks before you start pet-sitting.

Many places offer free background checks, but there are also paid options. Find the most comprehensive one to ensure your clients can trust you. Most background checks are relatively affordable. Then, they increase your clientele, so you’ll pay for it quickly!

How Much Does A Pet Sitter Make?

Some people charge for pet sitting, and some don’t. I pet-sat for 9 years while traveling the world. I didn’t charge any money, as it would have been an issue with tax and visas. But if you’re house-sitting in your local area, the information below may be helpful.

If you live in a rural area, people won’t pay as much for your services. In urban areas, prices are much higher. With more experience, you can charge more money. You can also increase your rates if you are in high demand. So you’ll want to know how much should you charge for house sitting.

It also depends on whether you work for yourself or a company. Many people only make minimum wage in this industry. However, you can earn more than that if you work for yourself. Your earnings could be substantial for a side gig or livable for a full-time career.

The average salary of a pet sitter is about $28k, while some make $40k. In the District of Columbia, the average salary is $38k. Alaska, Hawaii, California, and Washington are also high-ranking states for full-time pet sitters.

What Does A Pet Sitter Need?

Below are some of the skills that are useful to have as a pet or house sitter.

Experience With Animals

Having previous with animals or even specific breeds can be helpful in landing assignments. If you are applying for a position and you have experience with that type of animal or breed, it is worth mentioning it on your application. It can help you stand out amongst all the applications.

Learning first aid and CPR ensures you are the most qualified to care for pets. You can even get a pet-sitting certification, which may help you book clients.

Character Traits

There are some personality traits you need to be a good pet sitter. You should be patient, loving, and assertive with animals. You should be personable with humans and provide excellent customer service. You should also be a reliable and responsible person with a good work ethic. Good organizational and communication skills are also beneficial in this business. 

Need Help Getting Started With House Sitting

Have we got you excited about house-sitting? We love sharing our experiences and teaching others how to become house-sitters and start their journeys. 

So, if you need help starting your house-sitting journey, see my resources here, and don’t hesitate to contact me and ask me any questions.