Meet and Greets: Why so many questions?

Before scheduling pet care with Equipaws Pet Services, we require a Meet and Greet with the pet parent and their fur babies. A Meet and Greet is where an Equipaws pet professional comes to your home to introduce themselves to your pets, and learns your pet’s routine including feeding schedules, medical history, behaviors, favorite toys, activities, and treats.

We want to know everything about your pet’s habits and history so we can prepare to care for your pet the way you would while you travel. This information is logged into our pet database in a program called Power Pet Sitter. Pet parents have full access to their pets’ profiles and the ability to update this information at any time.

Furthermore, we ask what seems like hundreds of questions on your home or apartment. Questions include:

• where is the trash located,
• where do you keep the cleaning supplies,
• or do you have an active alarm?

Then we get into questions such as, where is the breaker box and thermostat located? Or where do you keep a flashlight and do you have toilet plunger?

So many questions…for a pet?

When a pet parent hears this, typically we see a funny look come across their face. People seem a touch skeptical and don’t understand why our sitters need to know where the water shut-off valve is and what day of  the week the garbage must go out. Sometimes clients even feel uncomfortable giving us specific information. The staff at Equipaws understands the client is letting a new person enter their home and it can be very intimidating.

Our pet sitters are trained to be observant of anything going askew in the house or with your pets- their outward demeanor can signify internal issues. Remember, not only are we taking care of your pet, but we are your eyes and ears in your home while you are away, providing safety and security on your travels. The more we understand the quirks of your home and the nature of your pet, the better off all parties will be.

Here are a few scenarios we have encountered while on the field pet sitting or dog walking. This may give you a better understanding of why we ask these thorough household questions.

Recently, a client left for a fun weekend away. We were all set with our instructions on pet profile and ready for a few fun visits with the senior pup. One morning, our pet sitter went in for a routine pet sit only to find an inch of water covering the floor! Fortunately, the client’s profile provided information on the location of the water shut off valve and how to turn it off. Although, the house was flooded, she was at least able to clean up and stop further damage to the home.

Another incident occurred when a pet parent had instructed us to flush the kitty litter down the toilet when performing our daily clean out of the box. Although the pet sitter flushed a few clumps at a time, the toilet still managed to get clogged. Luckily, the pet parent provided a plunger, which was handy and solved the problem.

Our pet sitters are trained to be observant of anything going askew in the house or with your pet’s demeanor. Another issue we have experienced is temperature control. A sitter was caring for a bulldog and noticed the apartment was a bit warm, plus the pup was acting quite lethargic and lazy (more than usual for this type of breed). She checked the air conditioning, and it had some how turned off. In the South Florida heat, being exposed to high temperatures for an extended period of time can be dangerous for dogs and cats. A quick look at the profile we have on Power Pet Sitter and she turned the AC back on to the preferred temperature.

Recently, we have began asking clients for Wi-Fi codes and passwords. Even in our tech-driven world there are still dead zones throughout our neighborhoods that do not have cell service. Most homes are without landlines, so if an emergency did occur how could our pet sitter call the office or 911? We now collect the Wi-Fi information for your home and pets’ safety.

We hope this gives you a better perception of the importance of details throughout our Meet and Greets. Before the Meet and Greet, we ask the pet parents to fill out the profile completely. This also shows you all the list of questions we are going to inquire about. Do not be alarmed when we ask the questions that may seem out of the ordinary. We are a professional pet sitting company whose main concern is your pet’s safety and and peace of mind while absent from the household.

Frankie Berti

A founding member of the Equipaws family, Frankie can mostly be found working behind the scenes, helping co-create online branding, managing several social media accounts, designing brand collateral, writing copy, and managing events. She also fills in for pet sitters and dog walkers when needed in Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, and South Miami. Her own small pack consists of Boots the Shih Tzu mix and Nutmeg the Chiweenie.