No matter if you’re planning in advance for the next holidays or are faced with the dilemma of leaving your home spontaneously, pet sitting services are the ideal solution for your pet anywhere in Australia.

Pet sitting in your own home

The first option is to book a pet sitter who will take care of your pet in your home. This service allows your pet to stay home in a safe and familiar environment where it doesn’t have to change it’s habits our routines. Pet sitting in your home is especially recommended for cats who, by nature, are animals that don’t support changes very well.

For more in depth information about all aspects of pet sitting and the various possibilities, please check our complete pet sitting guide.

Ask around

Before consulting a special pet sitting service consider asking friends and family for help. You certainly don’t want to leave your pet in the care of someone you don’t know or trust, so this option offers a lot of benefits. Besides being cheaper than booking a professional pet sitter, it is likely your pet is already acquainted with your friend and will better support your absence.

Unfortunately, this option isn’t always available. However, before you start thinking about kennels, consider other pet sitting services that might just offer exactly what you need.

How much do pet sitters charge?

The average price for pet sitting in the Australia is 11 dollars per day. This price however can vary greatly from region to region, the type of animal and the experience of the pet sitter, amongst others.

Guarding small pets such as rabbits is much cheaper than keeping a cat or a dog: usually about 6 dollars Conversely, for animals with very high maintenance requirements, such as horses, fees can be as high as 200 dollars per day.

Please note that prices for pet sitting in big cities are generally higher than in other parts of the country. Last but not least, the most important thing to remember: always choose a person you trust to look after your pet. If a price seems too low to you, it's probably too good to be true. Don't forget that your pet's health and well-being depend on your choice!

Pet sitting insurance

Dedicated services like Holidog can offer insurances upon booking a pet sitter. It is, however, always a good idea to look into insurance coverage before finalising the contract. Make sure that your own insurance covers pets or consider looking into pet insurances. At the same time, make sure that the pet sitter is covered by third-party liability insurance.

There are insurances available to cover your pet’s veterinarian costs in the case of an accident or unforeseen injuries. Holidog offers Holivet that covers all veterinary fees that can be booked separately with each assignment. The price will vary according to the number of pets.

Holivet covers everything from surgical interventions, prescriptions, diagnoses and even pet ambulance costs up to 1000 dollars during the period of the contract. Please note that accidents caused by previous illnesses, reckless behaviour such as walking a pet without a leash in dangerous areas and purposeful injuries are not included.

Why book a pet sitting service?

Here at Holidog, we guarantee pet sitting services adapted to your and your pet’s individual needs. You might have considered a kennel and cattery for your pet, however, they are not always the perfect solution for all animals. If your pet prefers a calm environment or doesn’t like to leave home at all, pet sitting is less disruptive than kennel boarding.

Find the perfect match

Holidog offers some of the best pet sitting services near you for every occasion to attend to your every need. at affordable rates. You just need to enter your Australian postcode to see all the people looking for pets to take care of near you. Enter the dates to see all the people who are available at that time.

Once you have the results, you can go on comparing the rates and read the reviews left by other pet owners. As a rule of thumb, always get in touch with your potential pet sitter before booking. You need to be 100% sure that you’re happy to leave your pet in the care of this person.

If all is fine, then place your booking. You can arrange for them to come and meet your pet before you leave. The first meet and greet is a good way to turn a complete stranger into a more familiar face.

Prepare your booking

Don’t wait until the last minute to find someone to look after your pet. Some times of year in Australia are busier than others and you don’t want to end up having to leave your dog with someone you don’t fully trust. Start looking for a pet sitter at least two to three weeks before your departure date.