What is more nerve wracking than arranging your travel tickets, finding a hotel and rental car for your trip, and packing your bags? Today, internet travel sites make all that simple and fairly stress free. The most nerve wracking part of the trip happens well before you leave: trying to figure out who will care for your pets!

Among the choices available to you are commercial cat and dog kennels. A clean, well run facility is indeed an option. But the average pet would prefer not to be caged in a noisy environment, far from home, and packed with strange animals. Wouldn't it be nicer if they could just stay home? Of course it would. Perhaps the neighbor kid would be willing to let the dogs out, feed them, and clean the litter box. Sounds great right?

But what happens when that neighbor kid is asked out on a date, breaks up with his girlfriend, or must stay after school? What happens is your pets might not receive the scrupulous care and attention you would give them.

The simple answer to these problems is to know your community's professional Pet Sitter. What separates a professional from the random person who watches pets? The keys are: integrity, attention to detail, commitment and a deep love for animals. The best pet sitters are also bonded and insured by professional associations such as Pet Sitters International. This group provides educational resources and insurance to pet sitters to make sure that you and your animals receive the best care...as good as they would get from you!

If you hire a pet sitter who is not insured and bonded, you'll have no way of knowing whether you have just turned your house and beloved pets over to an honest person. Bonding protects you against loss and theft from unsavory characters. Professional pet sitters want to offer you the best reassurance that they will treat your home and your pets just like you would.

The best pet sitters also study pet health and safety. I operate a pet sitting business in my own community, and I have studied with the Red Cross by taking their Pet First Aid course, and by taking the Red Cross certification. If something should happen, professionals like me would know how to best help your pet, and when to call for veterinary assistance. Will the child next door be equipped to handle an emergency?

Moreover, pet sitter do more that just feed and walk your animals! We also make sure they have quality human time, whether it be cuddling, playing fetch in the yard, or a long walk around the block. You don't even need to go on vacation to hire a pet sitter. If you work long hours, we can make a mid afternoon visit to be sure he get's a walk and a potty break.

Along with all that, while you're away from home, a good pet sitting business will also bring in your mail and your newspapers, water your houseplants, and turn your lights on and off. You're not only getting pet sitting...you also get a vacation security service as well.

All in all, it pays to know the professional pet sitters in your community. Use the internet to find bonded and insured professionals. Then invite them over for a brief interview and introduction. The next time you need to leave home, you can leave your pets behind with no worries.

Remaining home, comfortable in their own environment is healthier for your animals, and gives you greater piece of mind. When strange animals are grouped together, the chances for communicable diseases increase. So, too, does the stress level increase on your pets when they are housed in a noisy environment, in close proximity to animals they have never met before.