Wonderful input! Thank you kindly for your contribution @jrschacht2!
Hi @jrschacht2 and welcome, thank you for joining in the conversation and as @Amparo says, thank you for your contribution , we look forward having you on the forum and being part of more discussions.
Angela and the Team
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As a HO with a variety of animals, I’m finding this thread really interesting. My Word document for sitters is fairly long and comprehensive already, but i have found some extra things to add!
This is not something exactly to go on the list of what sitters need to know about pets, but more some of my thoughts on the outdoor animals we have. We have donkeys alpacas, sheep, chickens and ducks as well as the usual dog and cats. Of course, we leave the current ‘rules’ and guidelines on feeding, cleaning out, grooming, strange habits and foibles etc. But in terms of things like change in behaviour, potential medical issues etc, we obviously can’t leave a comprehensive account of “if X happens, then look at Y” as the permutations are too large. With dogs and cats most sitters (being animal experienced) would have a reasonable idea of when one of them may be sick, or stressed. But with the less routine ones then sometimes it is not so obvious.
What we do is leave a decent and comprehensive book about caring for each outside animal which covers most of those permutations (eg Llamas and Alpacas: a Guide to Management) so that a sitter always has a reference point. We would always want to be told whether there were any issues anyway, and we would put our heads together with the Sitter from wherever we were in the world to deal with it, but we also know that it’s so useful and reassuring for a sitter to be able to check first and to understand more about it, and to know whether it is normal or not. Perhaps for those of you who are going to be sitting for the different sorts of animals it may be worth asking the HO if there are any such books in the home.
The main thing that comes to mind that I always show inexperienced people to do with the donkeys is how to position yourself when grooming them. Their front hooves kick forward, so if you are grooming their front end then stand slightly behind the front hooves and you can’t get kicked. And their back hooves kick backwards, so if grooming the back end, stand just in front of those back hooves! It is a simple thing and quite obvious once you know of course, but not everyone does (I didn’t before I had them!) and quite important!
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Such excellent and well thought out input.
The uncommon common particulars of your pets are exactly what is needed.
Hmm a title for our little bewklet?
Thank you @Boodie
Thanks Boodie. We always enjoy learning more about the different animals it is our privilege to sit 
Great list of important things to know about pets!
Here are some I always ask about walking a dog:
- Do they get on with other dogs?
- (If a big or strong dog) Do they pull on the lead? (I’m little!)
- What is their recall like?
Thanks for the warm welcome!
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All good and useful points Amparo. I think key details are a must,finer details can be discussed later but a clear picture of expectations is really useful for a potential sitter to see to help them make a decision that the sit is for them.
There are some great, informative profiles so it’s worth checking others to get a general idea. A welcome guide that is ready to share is most useful too.
I like to see clear pictures oyf the home and garden and lots of the pets too, the house is going to be our home so it’s great to see where we will sleep, cook, shower, watch TV and settle in with the furry friends. Information on the pets personalities is always interesting too.
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Dogs
Can i take him/her/ them in my/your car ?
(To go go the vet/ to a distant park or a beach near by)
Will he stay on the back seat, or in the car boot?
May he/she vomit ? Is there a special blanket to protect m’y/your back seat ?
When it’s cold or wet, should i put a raincoat on the pet ? Where shall i find it?
Is your pet neutered . If not when do i need to pay attention (for a female)
cats
Where is the luggage/box to carry him/her to the vet ?
Amparo,
I think that covers a lot. All I can think of is food agression if more than one dog and allergies as distinct from intolerances. I once has had small dog who was sick after eating some yoghourt and when I stopped giving him that, he was no longer sick.
The TRUTH please.
Us sitters need to know the full truth about the pet.
None of us want to discover that the animals behaviour is very different than described.
We sitters need to know if the pet pulls hard on their lead, is difficult with other dogs, shy with people, cannot be left long, cannot be taken to cafés or cries and scratches at the bedroom door etc.
Please just provide us with all their needs and behaviours because it makes the sit more enjoyable and a happier pet.
The one I found out the hard way because I had not asked, “are there any other pets not listed”? I once got a tarantula and when I asked why it had not been mentioned on their profile / Ad - they told me you don’t need to feed it - its been fed!
