I used a pet sitter that came to my house 2 times a day while I was away. ( I also had my sister-in-law come twice a day to let my dogs out in addition to the sitter) The sitter fed my 3 dogs and 3 cats. They eat morning and evening. She let them out and also scooped the cat litter and made sure that they all had fresh water.
I checked her references, which were all good. The one problem was that I live in a quite rural area in Illinois and did not have many pet sitters to choose from. She ended up doing an ok job, even though she confused some of the instructions even though I had everything written out as plainly as possible. She was pretty cheap, at about $35 a day if I remember correctly.
I also have a friend that is in the business back in NJ. Her business had grown to the point that she has hired people to work with her. She is always running somewhere to take care of pets. She leaves on holidays to do it because that is one of the times she is extremely busy. She is bonded and has also been certified by going to some courses.
I guess you can detemine how busy you will be, but to me she is too busy. But I have to say that she loves it. She has had to deal with problem clients, nonpayment and other things that come along with a operating a business. She is in a good area for the business and decides how far she will travel. I think location is something that is important, so you don't have to travel too far, especially with gas prices. Good luck if you decide to do it! |