What questions should I ask a pet sitter?
Ask who will actually visit, whether they are registered with your locality and insured, how they handle medication, escapes and emergencies, which vet they use and who pays, how they will update you, and what the quote includes. Ask for two recent references and a meet-and-greet before you book.
Free to ask. Local shops send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.
By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished
Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.
Step by step
Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.
Step 1: Ask about the sitter
Ask about experience with your kind of animal, who covers if they are ill, and whether they are insured.
Step 2: Check local registration
Ask whether the sitter is registered with your locality.[1]
Step 3: Ask for references
Speak to two recent clients.
Step 4: Ask about your pet
Describe habits, fears, health and medication and ask how they would handle each.
Step 5: Ask about emergencies
Agree which vet to use, who authorises care and how much they may spend before calling you.[3]
Step 6: Ask about the visit
Confirm visit length, what is included, how they update you and how keys are handled.
Step 7: Get it in writing
Ask for a written quote with prices, extra charges, cancellation terms and payment timing.
Step 8: Meet first
Hold a paid or free meet-and-greet before the first booking.
Ask who will actually be in your home, how they handle emergencies, and how they will keep you informed. A good sitter answers all of it in writing and plainly, and shows you how they care for your animal before you hand over a key.
About the sitter
- How long have you been caring for pets, and for animals like mine?
- Will you personally do every visit, or will someone else cover for you? If so, who and how are they vetted?
- Are you registered with my locality? Virginia counties, cities and towns may impose local license taxes and fees,[1] so a sitter running a business should be able to say yes or explain.
- Do you carry insurance, and what does it cover if a pet is injured or something in my home is damaged?
- Can I speak to two recent clients?
About my pet
- What do you want to know about my pet's habits, fears and health before we start?
- How do you handle a dog that pulls, a cat that hides, or an animal that does not eat?
- Are you comfortable giving medication, including injections, if my pet needs it?
- What do you do if the pet gets out of the house? Under Virginia's local leash-law provision, a dog is deemed to run at large while it is roaming or running off the property of its owner or custodian and not under its owner's or custodian's immediate control,[2] so ask how the sitter manages doors, gates and leashes.
About emergencies
Ask which vet the sitter will use and whether they are willing to use yours. Ask how quickly they can reach an emergency clinic, and how much they may spend before they call you. Virginia law lists adequate feed, adequate water, adequate shelter that is properly cleaned, adequate exercise and veterinary care when needed to prevent suffering or disease transmission among what an owner must provide for each companion animal,[3] so settle in writing who authorises care when you cannot be reached.
Also ask what happens if the sitter falls ill, the car breaks down or a storm blocks the road. A sitter with a back-up plan is a sitter you can rely on.
About the visit itself
- How long is each visit, and what is included: feeding, play, walks, litter, mail, plants?
- How will you update me, and how often?
- How do you handle keys and alarm codes, and what happens to them afterwards?
- Do you do a meet-and-greet before the first booking, and is it paid?
About price and paperwork
Ask for a written quote with the price per visit or night, holiday and extra-pet charges, the cancellation terms and when you pay. For what drives those numbers, read what pet sitting costs in Virginia.
Ask the sitter to see proof of the paperwork they will rely on, and be ready with yours. Virginia law requires the owner or custodian of a dog or cat four months of age and older to keep the animal currently vaccinated for rabies, and the supervising veterinarian gives the owner a rabies vaccination certificate.[4] Some sitters and boarding facilities ask for a copy. For a dog, Virginia law makes it unlawful to own a dog four months old or older unless it is licensed,[5] so have the licence ready too.
What a good answer sounds like
A good sitter is specific. They ask about your pet before they quote, describe how a typical visit runs, name their vet and back-up, and put the plan in writing. Be cautious about a sitter who will not meet first, will not say who covers for them, or cannot explain what happens in an emergency.
Stop and call a pro if
You do not need a licence to hire a pet sitter, but some animals need more than a sitter. Ask your vet first if your pet is elderly, ill or on medication that is hard to give. If your dog has bitten or is aggressive with strangers, ask a certified behaviour professional for advice before you leave it with someone new.
Before the first visit, work through how to prepare your house for a pet sitter. Browse more pet services answers or pet services on Loclis.
When you have your questions ready, describe what you need and local sitters will respond.
Common questions
- What is the most important question to ask a pet sitter?
- Who will actually be in your home, and what do they do in an emergency. Ask for the answer in writing, along with the vet and back-up plan.
- Do pet sitters need to be licensed in Virginia?
- Virginia counties, cities and towns may impose local license taxes and fees, so ask whether the sitter is registered with their locality.
- Should I ask for references?
- Yes. Speak to two recent clients about reliability, communication and how the sitter handled their pet.
- Should I ask about insurance?
- Yes. Ask what it covers if a pet is injured or something at your home is damaged, and ask to see proof.
- Do I need to give the sitter a rabies certificate?
- Virginia law has the supervising veterinarian give the owner a rabies vaccination certificate. Leave a copy with the sitter in case a clinic or boarding facility asks for it.
Sources
- [1] Va. Code § 58.1-3703, Counties, cities and towns may impose local license taxes and fees; limitation of authority, Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [2] Va. Code § 3.2-6538, Governing body of any locality may prohibit dogs from running at large; civil penalty, Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [3] Va. Code § 3.2-6503, Care of companion animals by owner; penalty, Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [4] Va. Code § 3.2-6521, Rabies inoculation of companion animals; availability of certificate; rabies clinics, Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [5] Va. Code § 3.2-6524, Unlicensed dogs prohibited; ordinances for licensing cats, Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
Want a pro to handle it?
Describe the job once. Licensed local businesses send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.
Get a quote from a local pro