Starting costRelatively low
ATLAS professional guide
How to Start a Pet Sitting Business
Turn your love for animals into a trusted local business. Learn how to choose your services, set your prices, find clients and build a professional reputation from the start.
14 min readBeginner guideUpdated July 2026
Time to launchOften a few weeks
Best growth sourceReviews and referrals
Experience levelBeginner-friendly
Quick answer
To start a pet sitting business, choose the services you can provide confidently, gain practical experience, arrange suitable insurance, decide your prices and create a professional way for owners to discover and contact you. Start small, communicate clearly and focus on earning trust and positive reviews.
01
Is a pet sitting business right for you?
Pet sitting can be flexible, rewarding and relatively affordable to start. However, enjoying animals is only one part of the job. Owners are trusting you with a loved member of their family, their home and sometimes their keys.
A successful pet sitter needs to be dependable, calm, organised and comfortable communicating with different people. You may also need to work early mornings, evenings, weekends and busy holiday periods.
It may suit you if you are:
- Patient and confident around animals
- Reliable and punctual
- Comfortable working independently
- A clear and friendly communicator
You should also be prepared for:
- Last-minute changes and emergencies
- Cleaning accidents and unpleasant mess
- Working during popular holiday periods
- Caring for pets with different behaviours
02
Choose the services you will offer
You do not need to offer everything immediately. Starting with a smaller, clearly defined service list makes it easier to set expectations and provide consistently good care.
Pet sitting visits
Visit pets in their own home to provide food, water, companionship, playtime and routine care.
Dog walking
Offer regular or occasional walks for owners who are working, travelling or unable to exercise their dog.
Overnight stays
Stay in the pet owner’s home overnight so their pets can remain in familiar surroundings.
Puppy visits
Provide feeding, toilet breaks, playtime and short visits for young dogs that cannot be left for long periods.
Cat visits
Feed cats, clean litter trays, provide playtime and check that everything is normal while owners are away.
Pet taxi
Transport pets safely to vet appointments, groomers, day care or other local destinations.
ATLAS tip
Only advertise services you can deliver safely and confidently. It is better to become known for two excellent services than six inconsistent ones.
03
Build practical experience
You may already have years of experience caring for your own pets, but working professionally is different. You will need to follow another owner’s routines, recognise changes in behaviour and respond calmly when something unexpected happens.
Good ways to build experience include caring for pets belonging to friends or family, volunteering with an animal organisation, shadowing another professional or helping owners in your local community.
Useful training to consider
- 01Pet first aid
Learn how to recognise emergencies and respond while professional veterinary help is arranged.
- 02Animal behaviour
Understand body language, stress signals, safe handling and the warning signs that a pet is uncomfortable.
- 03Species-specific care
Build deeper knowledge if you plan to care for cats, puppies, senior pets, rabbits, birds or reptiles.
04
Set up the business properly
Treat your pet sitting work like a real business from the beginning. Keeping clear records and professional boundaries will save you time and confusion as your client list grows.
Choose a business name
Use a name that is easy to remember, easy to spell and suitable if you later expand your services.
Choose how you will operate
Decide how you will register, manage income, record expenses and separate personal and business activity.
Create clear terms
Explain payment, cancellations, emergencies, access to the property and what happens when a booking changes.
Protect client information
Store addresses, access instructions, contact details and pet information securely and responsibly.
Check the rules for your exact service
Requirements can differ depending on whether you visit pets in their own homes, transport animals or care for them at your own property. Check current local and national requirements before launching.
05
Arrange suitable insurance
Insurance helps protect you, the animals in your care and your clients. The cheapest policy is not always the right policy, so check the cover carefully before buying.
Public liability
May help if your business activity causes injury or property damage and a claim is made against you.
Care, custody and control
Designed for incidents involving animals while they are under your professional care.
Key cover
May provide protection if a client’s keys are lost, stolen or need replacing.
Personal accident
May help if you are injured while carrying out your work and cannot continue as normal.
06
Set prices that support your business
Your rate should reflect more than the time spent beside the pet. It may also need to cover travel, fuel, insurance, administration, communication, preparation and taxes.
Consider these factors before choosing a price:
- The length and type of service
- Travel time and distance
- The number and type of pets
- Your training and experience
- Holiday or unsociable-hour demand
- Any additional care requirements
Being the cheapest may win attention, but being reliable, professional and trusted is what creates repeat clients.
07
Create a profile that builds trust
Before contacting you, owners want to understand who you are, what you offer and whether you seem suitable for their pet. A complete professional profile can answer many of those questions immediately.
A clear and friendly profile photo
A natural introduction about you
Your experience with different animals
The services you provide
Your areas and travel radius
Your availability and usual response time
Relevant training or qualifications
Genuine reviews from previous clients
Start building your reputation
Create your professional profile on Zupet
Showcase your services and connect directly with local pet owners looking for help.
08
Find your first pet sitting clients
Your first few clients are especially important because they help you build experience, confidence, photos, testimonials and referrals.
Let friends, relatives, neighbours and colleagues know exactly which services you are offering.
Use community groups, local noticeboards and social media to introduce yourself without sounding overly sales-led.
Introduce your business to groomers, trainers, pet shops and other professionals who may receive relevant enquiries.
A complete Zupet profile helps local owners discover your services and contact you directly.
09
Create a professional booking process
A simple process makes owners feel confident and helps you avoid missing important information.
Initial enquiry
Ask about the pet, dates, location, routine, behaviour and any medical or access requirements.
Meet and greet
Meet the owner and pet before the booking whenever possible. Confirm expectations and check that everyone feels comfortable.
Written information
Keep feeding instructions, emergency contacts, vet details, medication and access information in one secure place.
Booking updates
Agree how often the owner would like messages or photos and contact them quickly if anything changes.
Follow-up
Thank the owner, confirm everything is complete and ask for feedback after a successful booking.
10
Grow without losing quality
Growth should not mean accepting every booking. Protect the quality of your care, leave enough travel time and avoid becoming so busy that communication suffers.
As demand grows, you could:
- Introduce additional services
- Offer regular weekly packages
- Increase your prices gradually
- Expand into nearby areas
- Build relationships with other trusted professionals
- Create a waiting list during busy periods
11
Your pet sitting business launch checklist
Use this checklist to make sure the foundations are in place before actively promoting your services.
Step 01
Choose the services you feel confident providing
Step 02
Decide which areas you will cover
Step 03
Research other local pet professionals
Step 04
Choose your starting prices
Step 05
Arrange suitable insurance
Step 06
Complete a pet first aid course
Step 07
Create a clear cancellation policy
Step 08
Prepare an owner information form
Step 09
Create a professional Zupet profile
Step 10
Ask your first clients for honest reviews
12
Frequently asked questions
Can I start a pet sitting business with no experience?
Yes, but you should build practical experience before accepting complex bookings. Start by caring for pets belonging to friends or family, volunteering locally or assisting an experienced professional. Be honest about your experience and only accept animals and situations you are confident handling.
Can I run a pet sitting business from home?
You can manage the administration, marketing and client communication from home. Many pet sitters then travel to the pet owner’s property to provide care. Looking after animals inside your own home may involve additional permissions, insurance or licensing depending on the service and local requirements.
Do I need qualifications to become a pet sitter?
Formal qualifications are not always required for general pet sitting, but training can make you more confident and trustworthy. Pet first aid, animal behaviour and species-specific care courses are particularly useful.
Do pet sitters need insurance?
Suitable insurance is strongly recommended. It can help protect you if a pet is injured, property is damaged, keys are lost or someone makes a claim against your business. Always check exactly what a policy includes and excludes.
How do pet sitters find clients?
Many pet sitters find clients through referrals, local community groups, social media, partnerships with other pet businesses and professional platforms such as Zupet. A complete profile, clear photos, reliable communication and genuine reviews all help build trust.
Can pet sitting become a full-time business?
Yes. Many professionals begin part-time and gradually grow through repeat bookings, referrals and a wider range of services. A reliable client base, sensible pricing and good scheduling are essential before relying on pet sitting as your main income.
Your next step
Ready to start your pet sitting business?
Create your professional Zupet profile, showcase your services and start connecting with pet owners looking for trusted local help.
Create your free professional profile