You leave town knowing the food is stocked, the sitter has the schedule, and your pet is all set at home.
But there’s always that little “what if?” in the back of your mind.
What if your dog gets sick? What if your cat isn’t acting like herself? What if the power goes out, the sitter can’t get into the house, or your flight home gets canceled?
Most pet sitting visits are pretty uneventful—and that’s exactly how we like them. Feed everyone, head outside, scoop the litter box, give medications if needed, spend some time together, and send you an update.
Still, pets don’t always follow the plan. Neither does life.
Part of hiring a professional pet sitter is knowing there’s a plan in place if a pet sitting emergency comes up while you’re away.
Your Pet Sitter Is Paying Attention
One of the benefits of having someone visit your pet while you’re gone is that we’re not just filling bowls and heading back out the door.
We’re paying attention.
Did your dog eat breakfast? Did they go potty? Is the cat who normally meets us in the kitchen nowhere to be found? Is there vomit on the floor? Is someone limping? Does your pet just seem a little off?
Sometimes it’s nothing.
A dog might decide breakfast isn’t nearly as interesting without their person standing nearby. A cat may spend the first visit hiding because there’s a stranger in the house.
But when we’re seeing your pets regularly, we start to get a feel for what’s normal for them during our pet visits. If something catches our attention, we don’t simply ignore it.
What If My Pet Gets Sick While I’m Away?
Pets have terrible timing.
They can be perfectly healthy when you leave and decide that your vacation is the ideal time for an upset stomach or some other unexpected problem.
If we notice something unusual during a visit, we’ll assess what’s happening and follow the care and emergency information you’ve provided.
If there’s reason to believe a pet may have gotten into something toxic, resources such as the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center are available for poison-related emergencies.
Depending on the situation, that may mean keeping an eye on something during upcoming visits and letting you know what we’re seeing. If there’s a more immediate concern, we’ll try to reach you and determine what needs to happen next.
If veterinary care becomes necessary and we’re unable to reach you, the emergency information and veterinary authorization you provide before your trip help us take the appropriate next steps.
That’s one reason we ask for those details before you leave. When something unexpected happens, nobody wants to be scrambling to find the name of the veterinarian or an emergency contact.
What If It’s an Actual Emergency?
There is a big difference between a dog skipping breakfast and a pet that clearly needs immediate help.
Pet owners should also know the basic signs of a pet emergency before leaving their pet in someone else’s care.
If a pet sitting emergency requires immediate veterinary care, getting your pet the help they need becomes the priority.
We’ll attempt to contact you and use the veterinary and emergency information we have on file. When circumstances allow, we’ll contact your preferred veterinary clinic first. Depending on what’s happening and when it occurs, emergency veterinary care may be necessary instead.
This is also why having current information on file matters.
If you’ve changed veterinarians, gotten a new phone number, changed your emergency contact, or your pet’s medical needs have changed, let us know before your next trip.
Hopefully, we never need any of it.
But if we do, we’ll be glad we have it.
What If My Pet Won’t Eat?
This one comes up more often than a dramatic emergency.
Some pets aren’t particularly impressed when their family disappears, and a pet sitter suddenly starts serving dinner.
If your pet doesn’t eat, we’ll take note of it.
One missed meal may not automatically mean something is wrong, especially if we know your pet sometimes skips meals or is a little hesitant when you’re away. What matters is knowing your pet’s normal habits and paying attention to anything else that’s going on.
A pet refusing several meals, refusing water, acting unusually, vomiting, or showing other changes is a different situation than a picky dog turning up their nose at breakfast.
We’ll keep you informed about what we’re seeing so you aren’t left wondering what’s happening at home.
What About Medications?
If your pet takes medication during our visits, we’ll follow the instructions you’ve provided.
This is another area where details matter.
We need to know what medication your pet takes, when it’s given, how it’s normally given, and anything we should know about getting your pet to take it.
Because anyone who has ever hidden a pill inside cheese only to find the pill sitting perfectly clean on the kitchen floor knows pets can be surprisingly talented at this.
If we’re unable to give a medication as instructed or something doesn’t seem right, we’ll communicate with you rather than guessing about what you would want us to do.
What If the Pet Sitter Can’t Get Into My House?
Not every problem involves the pet.
Sometimes the problem is the door.
Locks malfunction. Garage doors stop working. Keypads have dead batteries. A key that worked perfectly yesterday suddenly doesn’t want to cooperate.
Making sure we have reliable access to your home before you leave helps prevent a small inconvenience from turning into a bigger problem.
If we run into an access issue, we’ll use the contact and backup information we have to reach you as quickly as possible.
It’s also important that we know about any changes to your home’s access before your trip. New alarm system? Different door code? Changed the lock?
Please tell us.
Your dog probably isn’t going to remember to mention it.
What Happens During Bad Weather?
Kansas City weather doesn’t always care that you’re on vacation.
Thunderstorms, ice, snow, extreme temperatures, and power outages can all affect what happens during a pet sitting visit.
It’s also a good idea for pet owners to include their pets when making a household emergency plan, especially during severe-weather season.
Our first concern is making sure pets are cared for while also keeping our sitters safe enough to continue reaching the animals who depend on them.
That can mean adjusting a walk because it’s dangerously hot, changing travel plans during severe weather, or handling a visit a little differently. After all, outdoor conditions aren’t always safe.
If weather affects your pet’s normal care routine, we’ll use good judgment and communicate with you when necessary.
What If My Pet Sitter Has an Emergency?
Pet sitters are people, too.
Someone can wake up sick, have car trouble, or experience their own emergency.
One advantage of working with an established professional pet sitting company rather than relying on one individual is having a team behind your pet’s care.
If your scheduled Latchkey Pets sitter can’t complete a visit, another qualified sitter can step in so your pet isn’t simply left waiting for someone who can’t get there.
That backup matters when you’re several states away and can’t exactly run home to let the dog outside.
What If My Trip Home Is Delayed?
Flights get canceled. Roads close. Cars break down. Meetings run late.
If you realize you aren’t going to make it home when expected, contact us as soon as you can.
Don’t assume your pet will be okay until the next morning because you were originally supposed to be home for dinner. We would much rather know that plans changed and help arrange additional care than have your pet unexpectedly spend extra time alone.
This is particularly important if your pet needs medication, has specific feeding times, or needs regular potty breaks.
Why We Ask for So Much Information Before You Leave
When everything goes according to plan, some of the information we collect may seem unnecessary.
Then something unexpected happens.
Your veterinarian’s name matters.
The emergency contact matters.
Medication instructions matter.
Knowing where the carrier is matters.
Knowing your dog’s normal behavior matters.
Even little details about your home can matter.
The information you give us helps us make better decisions if we need to handle something while you’re away.
You Shouldn’t Spend Your Vacation Wondering What’s Happening at Home
Leaving your pets is hard enough without spending the entire trip checking your phone and imagining everything that could possibly go wrong.
Professional pet sitting isn’t about promising that nothing unexpected will ever happen. Nobody can make that promise.
It’s about having someone show up, pay attention, communicate with you, and know what to do when the day doesn’t go exactly as planned.
Most of the time, the biggest news from a Latchkey Pets visit will be that everyone ate, went outside, got some attention, and is doing just fine.
That’s our favorite kind of update.
And if something isn’t quite right, you’ll know we’re there to notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if my pet gets sick while I’m away?
If we notice that your pet is sick or behaving unusually, we’ll evaluate what’s happening, follow the care information you’ve provided, and communicate with you. If your pet needs veterinary attention, we’ll use the emergency and veterinary information you have on file.
Will my pet sitter take my pet to the veterinarian in an emergency?
If your pet needs veterinary care, Latchkey Pets will attempt to contact you and follow the veterinary authorization and emergency information provided before your trip. When circumstances allow, we’ll use your preferred veterinarian.
What happens during a pet sitting emergency if you can’t reach me?
Sometimes you just can’t get to your phone, especially when you’re traveling. Before you leave, we’ll make sure we have your veterinarian’s information, your emergency authorization, and a local contact we can reach if needed. That way, we’re not starting from scratch if something comes up and we can’t get ahold of you right away.
What if my dog or cat won’t eat while I’m gone?
We’ll watch your pet’s eating habits and let you know if we notice a change. A pet skipping one meal isn’t necessarily the same situation as a pet repeatedly refusing food or showing other unusual symptoms, so we’ll consider what we’re seeing along with what we know about your pet’s normal routine.
What happens if my sitter gets sick?
Because Latchkey Pets operates as a professional pet care company with multiple sitters, another qualified sitter can provide care when a scheduled sitter is unable to complete a visit.
What if bad weather prevents a normal dog walk?
Safety comes first during extreme heat, storms, snow, ice, or other unsafe conditions. We may adjust outdoor time, change the activity, or modify the visit based on the conditions while making sure your pet still receives appropriate care and attention.
What should I do if my return trip is delayed?
Contact Latchkey Pets as soon as you know your plans have changed. We can determine what additional visits your pet may need until you can get home.