Pet sitters need to be prepared when they get in the car and head out for a day of visits and dog walking.
For most pet sitters their car is their mobile headquarters and office. So what do most pet sitters carry in their vehicle?
Here is a list of essential pet sitting business supplies:
Pet First Aid Kit – For unexpected accidents or emergencies it’s always best to have this kit in easy reach. Put this together yourself to ensure you are familiar with its contents. For suggested pet first aid kit contents read the comments below from real pet sitters.
Cleaning Supplies – Accidents happen and your clients may run out of paper towels, and disinfectant. Don’t get stuck with a mess on your hands without the basic clean up supplies. Be careful what products you use on clients floors and furniture though as some cleaners may not be suitable. It’s always best to check with clients in the initial interview to find out what cleaners they use on wood floors, tile, or carpets.
Spare collars and leashes – If you need to transport pets it’s always a good idea to carry backup collars and leashes just in case you can find the clients or the clients are damaged.
Towels and large blanket – Towels always come in handy to clean up, and can also be soaked and used to cool pets suffering from heat stress. A large blanket will help you to transport a large pet if injured pet and unable to walk.
Portable pet carrier – Just in case you need to transport a cat or small dog it’s always best to have a back up in case the clients is missing or damaged.
Poop Bags – Make sure you keep a professional image and keep the environment safe by picking up after your client’s pets when walking
Dog Treats and Toys – One way to make friends with a nervous dog is to bring food or toys. Check with your clients before feeding treats to pets as some pets may have allergies. Make sure toys are sterilized to avoid cross infection.
Bottled Water – Drinking water for you or the pets is never a waste of space. Especially in hot weather always carry some an emergency supply.
Mileage Log – As so much time is spent on the road, it’s important to keep a log handy and document all business miles as these can be claimed for taxes
Pet Sitting Business Forms – To leave client reports at each visit or leave invoices for clients.
Notepad and Pen – To ensure you can take phone messages and new client information if you receive a new booking or enquiry while you are out on the road.
Business Cards – You just never know when you’ll run into a pet lover while out on duty. Networking isn’t restricted to planned meetings – make sure that when you meet people out walking their dog, doing the grocery shopping, or anyplace where you strike up a conversation with people about their pets you have cards to give them so that you can introduce your business.
Camera or smart phone – These days capturing snaps of the pets playing is quick and easy and photos and videos of happy pets is a great way to update clients via text message and email and with client permission to share on your social media pages and website client photo album.
Pet sitters told us on Facebook what they consider to be the essential supplies that every pet sitter needs:
Essentials I have (not pet first aid related): Dog Poop Bags, Baby Wipes, Anti Bac. Gel, Various lengths and types of leashes, Easy Walk Harnesses, Doggie Seatbelts, my DOOG, band aids (for me), Notepad, Pens, Business Cards, Deodorant, Dog Toys, Dog Dish, Dog Treats, Carrier that can fit cats and small dogs (for safe travel), Tie outs, Tie out take, Towels, Oil (for the car), Water (both for the dogs and my car), Fuel Canister (for the car).
That’s what I came up with off the top of my head. I call these essentials as I have used these items quite a few times and/or in the case of oil, fuel, etc for my car so I’m not stuck (as I don’t always have the time to wait around for RACQ to give me my roadside assistance).
Some of the things I have are: a long strip of fabric to use as a muzzle, half of an old credit card to use for removing bee stingers, bandages, gauze pads, band-aids (me), ace bandages, scissors, larges pieces of corrugated cardboard to cut for use of immobilizers, Hydrogen Peroxide, disposable gloves, tweezers, instant cold pack, hand sanitizer, empty water bottle to fill with water in case flushing out of wound is needed, portable pet carrier for small dogs and cats. Red Cross Pet First Aid book, extra blanket, towels and wash clothes, leashes and on the front of the container phone# and address for 24 hr emergency vets, Animal Poison Control ph# and the local Animal Control ph# (in case injured animal is a stray).
I am sure that I will be repeating some of the things that have already been listed. Hydrogen Peroxide & Turkey Baster, gauze pads(stretchable & non-stretchable, telfa pads, bandages, adhesive tape, ace bandages, plastic wrap to seal wounds,tweezers, knife, scissors, eye wash/flush, neosporin, ear wash, pet thermometer, plastic gloves, cotton swabs, towels, blanket, antibacterial soap, shampoo, eye,ear & tail wipes, socks (good for don’t chew foot, muzzles of all sizes, leashes and harness’s of all sizes, collars of all sizes, zip lock bags, duct tape, list of all local vets including emergency vet, flashlight with extra batteries, pet first aid book “The First Aid Companion for Dogs & Cats” by Amy D. Shojai, pepcid, Pepto, cans of Pumpkin, honey (for dogs in shock), benadryl (1 mg/ib.), Massengill Disposable Douch for skunk spray, epsom salt, lge. needleless syringe to give medications, cold & hot packs, buffered asprin & Styptic power (Kwik-Stop) for minor bleeding. Quite a list but I have a large plastic container and have things separated according to category. I also would not give any medications to a pet without proper approval from their owners.
What Pet Sitting Business Supplies Do You Carry?
Think of any other essentials that we’ve missed? Leave us you other suggestions in the comment section below.
I have a pet-sitting business with my sister and I am not sure what supplies I need for pet-sitting like: dog treats, etc. I am also wondering how I advertise for pet-sitting because I have already posted some flyers, I was wondering if there was other ways for me to advertise for pet-sitting.