How to Be a Pet Sitter: Getting Started With No Experience
How to be a pet sitter or get into pet sitting
In this article
To become a pet sitter, get experience with animals (your own pets, friends' pets, shelter volunteering), take a pet first aid course, then start on pet sitting apps or with neighbours. No license or degree is needed. Add insurance and a simple website when you start taking regular clients.
What pet sitters do
- Feed pets and give fresh water
- Walk dogs and take them out to go potty
- Clean litter boxes and cages
- Give medication
- Play, give attention and send updates with photos
- Watch for illness and handle emergencies
- Look after the home: mail, plants, lights
Cat sitters focus on feeding, litter and companionship; cats usually stay home while owners travel.
Qualifications
There's no required license. Helpful extras:
- Pet first aid and CPR certification
- Professional pet sitter certification courses
- Experience with dogs, cats and other animals
- A background check (many clients and apps ask for one)
How to get started with no experience
- Pet sit for friends, family and neighbours (free or cheap) and ask for reviews
- Volunteer at a shelter or rescue
- Create a profile on pet sitting apps
- Take a pet first aid course
- Get insurance once you take paying clients
Skills that matter
Reliability, trustworthiness, comfort with dogs of all sizes, calm in emergencies, and good communication with owners.
Turn it into a business
When you have regular clients, register a business, get insured and bonded, and build a website so clients can book directly.
Next: How to start a pet sitting business and How much can a pet sitter make?.
Frequently asked questions
How do I become a pet sitter?
Get experience with animals, take a pet first aid course and start with neighbours or apps.
What qualifications do I need to look after dogs?
None are required in most places, but pet first aid and experience help.
How do I get into pet sitting with no experience?
Sit for friends and family, volunteer at a shelter, and collect reviews.
What does a cat sitter do?
Feeds cats, cleans litter boxes, gives medication and keeps them company.
Do I need insurance to be a pet sitter?
It's strongly recommended once you take paying clients.
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Start a conversationWritten by Sachin Rawat
AI & automation engineer · websites, apps and motion design
I build AI agents, automations, websites, apps and motion design for businesses. These guides answer the questions people actually search, written from hands-on experience building them.
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