How to make money pet sitting
Are you missing the family pet now you're at uni? Getting paid to cuddle cute, furry animals with pet sitting jobs could be the answer.
Credit: asia.marangio – Shutterstock
Our National Student Money Survey showed that 66% of students have a part-time job to get by at university. But, unfortunately, some student jobs just don't fit with uni schedules, and employers aren't always the most flexible.
Pet sitting lets you set your own hours and your own pay, meaning you could end up earning £40+ each day. Not to mention, there's the nice little bonus of earning money to spend time with your favourite animals...
Interested? We thought so. This guide has everything you need to know about becoming a pet sitter. Plus, it includes some pictures of our pets that you won't want to miss.
What's in this guide?
What is pet sitting?
When they ask who's a good boy, and you know it's you
Pet sitting is a lot like working as a babysitter – except you're looking after someone’s pet, and not their child. Makes sense.
Some pet owners prefer to have someone look after their furry bundle of joy instead of using a cattery or kennel. This could be for a number of reasons – perhaps paying someone to sit is cheaper, or their pet gets stressed being away from home.
Depending on the job, you could find yourself looking after the animal at either the owner's house or your own place.
If you've only got a few hours spare and can't commit to several days of care, there are other options. You could become a dog walker, start a doggy daycare centre at your house or just keep pets company during the day while their owner is working.
In a nutshell, you need to feed them, play with them and keep them safe – just like your own animal.
5 best and worst parts of pet sitting
If you're interested in making money as a pet sitter, it's important to know these pros and cons:
Pros
Jess' cats, Nuschka and Shiva, looking adorable (those eyes!)
- You get to look after animals and get paid for it.
- If you want to work with animals in the future, pet sitting will look brilliant on your CV – especially if you can get references from happy customers.
- Pets may need to be fed at a certain time, so you need to get there on time – a great way to encourage time management and organisation.
- You can work whenever you want and choose your hourly pay.
- Spending time with animals can boost your mood and academic performance.
Cons
It'd been a long day at the office for Harry
- Work may be sparse – it depends on where you are, and if anyone else is offering a similar service.
- You may be expected to give pets medication if required (which, in case you didn't already know, is something they don't tend to enjoy).
- Pet owners may be fussy. Understandable, yes, but does Fido really need to be fed boiled chicken, hand-cut into one-inch pieces, and for you to make whale noises to get him to sleep?
- You may need a car to pick up and drop off animals if you are pet sitting in your own home.
- If you use a website to find pet sitting jobs near you, expect them to take a fee for advertising.
Do you need a licence to be a pet sitter?
Bonnie the vizsla's favourite things are sleep, food and selfies
Technically, you don't necessarily need a licence to be a pet sitter. But, if you're going to be caring for other people's pets in your own home, you will need an animal boarding establishment licence.
While the rules on this licence vary from council to council, you'll almost always need one if you're keeping animals in your home overnight, and sometimes for daytime care, too.
The cost of an animal boarding establishment licence also varies depending on the council, usually costing anywhere between £50 – £400. While that may seem expensive, being caught without a licence can result in a fine of an unlimited amount or imprisonment for up to 6 months.
In short, it's definitely worth getting an animal boarding establishment licence, or at least checking if you need one. Check the criteria for your area (including prices) and apply for a licence here.
You may also need a basic DBS check – especially if you will be staying in another person's house. You can apply for a DBS check here.
Other than that, there are no official qualifications needed to be a pet sitter in the UK – so in theory, anyone can do it. That said, there's no harm in having some relevant experience or qualifications to help set yourself apart from the crowd.
While we're not expecting you all to be vet students (although if you are, that'll stand you in good stead), make sure your pet sitting profile mentions the experience that you do have. So if you've had pets from a young age, learned to ride horses or regularly walk the neighbour's dog, mention it – it all shows that you're good with animals.
Do you need insurance to be a pet sitter?
Oh, can't you walk on fences, too?
While you don't necessarily need to have insurance to be a pet sitter, a lot of owners will appreciate it if you do.
Aside from showing potential customers that you're a conscientious and responsible pet sitter, it will also protect you if anything goes wrong.
Depending on the package you go for, you could be covered for a range of things. This includes if the animal falls ill or passes away in your care, if the animal damages a third party or their property, and even if you lose the keys to the owner's house (if you're given them in the first place).
Packages can start from as little as £5 a month, and given how much you can earn from pet sitting (and the potential cost to you if something bad happens), we'd definitely recommend taking out some cover!
How much do pet sitters make?
You're doing amazing, sweetie
If you're wondering how much demand there is for pet sitting where you live, have a look at what other people are charging. Here are some benchmark figures of how much you can earn as a pet sitter:
| Type of work | Typical pay |
|---|---|
| Pet sitting while the owner is away or at work | £10 per hour |
| Dog walking | £10 per walk (with extra charges for more than one dog) |
| Dog sitting at your house for a few hours | From £15 |
| Pet sitting overnight at the owner's house | From £25 |
Remember that these are just ballpark figures, and depending on where you live and what the pets are, you could get more or less than this.
If you go the extra mile, you can potentially charge more and even get yourself some regular business.
You could also offer to water the garden or pick up their post, and you should always make a genuine effort to help animals feel at ease around you. This could mean giving them treats, or sending the owner regular texts or pictures to let them know their pets are okay.
How to get pet sitting jobs
Dusty was VERY dapper at Lauren's graduation
Start off by asking family and friends if they know anyone who needs a pet sitter. Alternatively, you could post on local Facebook pages or Gumtree. Or, if you're feeling super old school, you could even put up some posters or flyers in the local area.
If you're after something a little more structured, there are a few pet sitting websites which will introduce you to owners. What's more, if you work through these companies, there's a good chance you'll be covered by their insurance (always check the specifics though, just in case).
Best pet sitting job websites
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Care.com
Unlike most other pet sitting websites, Care.com caters for pretty much any type of animal.
Of course, as cats and dogs are the most popular pets, they'll also be the subject of a good proportion of the listed jobs. But don't worry if you're after some variety, as all animals are welcome here!
You won't be charged to use the booking services on the site, but you'll likely need to pay for a background check. There is also the option to upgrade to a Premium account to increase your visibility to pet owners.
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Tailster
If you're hoping to become a dog sitter, we definitely recommend trying Tailster.
As you might be able to guess from the logo, the site exclusively deals with dogs – namely, the walking and boarding of them.
Access to the platform is free, and you'll get to keep 80% of your earnings, with Tailster taking the remaining 20% as a service fee.
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Cat in a Flat
Cat in a Flat is solely for cat sitting, and you can offer to cat sit for a few hours or overnight.
You (and the cat) will be fully insured by the website, and you'll be expected to send the owner a picture of their kitty every day.
Again, it's free to join the site but Cat in a Flat charge a 19% fee to cover insurance and commission.
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Rover
Rover (previously DogBuddy) is specifically for dog owners.
As a dog sitter, you can offer dog walking, home visits and doggy daycare.
Rover's fees are a bit lower than some of the other sites – they'll take a 15% cut when you make bookings.
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Pawshake
Don't want to commit to caring for just one type of animal? On Pawshake, you could find yourself looking after anything from dogs to mice!
Services you can offer include dog walking, doggy daycare and overnight stays.
There's a fee of 19% when you make bookings through Pawshake.
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Trusted Housesitters
If you're not bothered about money but want to do a bit of travelling, Trusted Housesitters matches up global trekkers to homeowners all over the world who need a pet sitter in exchange for free accommodation.
You need to pay a fee of £99 a year to advertise, but depending on where you're travelling to, you could be making that back in as little as one or two night's worth of free accommodation!
If you'd rather have a more reliable source of income, why not look into getting one of the best-paid student jobs?
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