Pet sitter costs in US

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Sgboyd

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Going on vacation/ holiday for 10-12 days (10 days there two for travel). With 4 guinea pigs and a cat, boarding is going to be way to expensive and I haven't found cavie boarders.

If I hire a pet sitter, what is reasonable to pay? Can I expect them to cage clean and litter box clean?
 
Hopefully a US member may be able to answer this for you
 
Hi! My mom normally charges $20 a day for dog and cat pet sitting and that is what the local pet sitters charge too. My mom normally cleans the litter box for the cats and lets the dogs out four times a day. Have you tried looking on NextDoor for a pet sitter? You could ask them for references and if they have experience caring for piggies.

I haven't gone on vacation while owning piggies yet. I plan on calling our exotic vet and local piggy rescue to see if they know of any piggy sitters when we do. I would recommend using disposable bedding while you have a pet sitter as it may be easier for them to clean the cage unless they are fine with washing fleece.

Best of luck finding a pet sitter!
 
I dont have a washer so I already use disposablebedding. I also line the cage to make cleaning easier with tablecloths from the dollar store. I figured I could double or triple up so they just had to remove one layer and lat down new bedding.
 
My pet sitter cleans cages, litter boxes (for our rabbits), does all food and water, plus chops up daily fresh veg for everyone.
I use fleece and don't expect her to do laundry, so just make sure I leave a spare set of everything for her.

A pet sitter can really make the start and end of the holiday a lot less stressful as there is no last minute animal drop off to manage and you know your home is being checked while you are away.
I won't tell you what we pay though - European prices seem to be MUCH higher than in the US!
 
If possible, I would have a friend/family member come over and look after the piggies. We usually have a friend who comes over and stays at our house. :)
I show her how to clean everything and leave detailed instructions behind. Make sure that you show the pet sitter everything that you want to be done. The more specific, the better.
For example, instead of writing directions saying:
Please clean out the litter boxes-
Write something along the lines of-
I usually clean the litter boxes twice a day. Please empty the shavings in a garbage bag and spray the litter boxes with vinegar. Then add a 2-inch layer of shavings and three large handfuls of hay on top. Place the litter boxes back in the enclosure and throw the trash bag in the bin in the driveway.
Also-
Make sure the pet sitter adds tons of hay. Think about how many times each day you replace their hay. The pet sitter will probably come twice a day, right? If they come at 6:00 p.m., the amount of hay they put in has to last about fourteen hours. I usually ensure that enough hay is added by making bags of hay. Each bag has the same portion of hay. That way, I can say, "add four bags of hay," rather than leaving how much they add up to chance.
I hope this helps!
 
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