For those Sitters who choose to offer a service to stay at the Pet Owners home (House Sitting)

• Always fully inspect a house before taking a job on - including the bedroom where you will sleep. Does it smell fresh? Or mouldy? Is the home clean in general? Have the bins been emptied? If its a mess at the meet and greet, there are no guarantees it won't be a mess when you stay.
  
• Ensure you always ask for prior permission for a friend or partner to stay, and ask the Owner first if you can bring them to the Meet & Greet. Be prepared that the Owner can say no.
• Do your research on crime stats of the Owners suburb before taking a job on if you will be staying alone: https://data.police.qld.gov.au/CrimeStatsMobile/#/map
  
• Think through all the tasks, daily walks, waiting time, transport, extra pet food involved in the job and charge accordingly. Don't feel pressured to decrease your prices. 
• Ask who else will have access to the home while you're staying there?
  
• Ask if there is any Remote Video Surveillance, and if so, where the cameras are.
• Be warm and friendly but also be assertive or - let us know to decline the job if you lack confidence in saying you dont think its a good match.
• At the Meet & Greet ask what enrichment toys the Pet Owner will be leaving behind for the pet. eg meaty bones, kongs, treat balls 
• Ask at the Meet & Greet if the Owner can please ensure they purchase and leave you enough wet and dry food to feed their pets for the period of the stay + meaty bones.
• Understand the breeds and types of pets and ages of the pets and their daily exercise needs (eg 1 walk per day, 2 walks per day)
• Ask at the Meet and Greet what the Pet Owner wants done in the event of a pet needing medical attention.

Here's some Don'ts...

• Don't proceed with a booking enquiry or apply for house sitting job if it doesn't align with your work schedule - it will only cause restless pets and a messy smelly house.
• Don't accept jobs because you feel sorry for the pets
  
• Don't take the job on if you aren't going to stay the night.
  
• Don't take the job on if you are too scared to stay by yourself / or haven't asked prior permission for a friend or partner to stay.
• Ensure the Owner is aware that with House Sitting - it doesn't mean you will
• Don't be pressured to do a job if you don't want to by Pet Owners who left planning and Meets & Greets until the last minute who say they have no other options - they got their pets in the first place, its part of responsible Pet Ownership.
• If you don't want to do the job after a meet and greet. Never feel 'obliged' because you've had a meet and greet.  Just make sure you are professionally assertive in giving them an answer.
• If you think something is cruel, it probably is (eg if you are instructed by an Owner to put a pet in a cage all day and it has to sit in its faeces)

Attached are some helpful forms you can print out at Officeworks to guide you in your House Sitting discussions.