What is a pet sitting "Go" bag and what to keep in it
This is what I did. Maybe it will help other pet sitters as well!
Since pet sitters are people on the go and daily driving to various houses to provide stellar pet care, they have to be prepared for unexpected things. They can't keep running home to get something if a situation arises, so it is best to have what they need in their cars.
Early on in pet sitting, I learned from other sitters that it was important to have a "Go" bag in my car with necessary supplies and materials "just in case".
Quite often, depending on the house and services I needed to provide, I would bring the "Go" bag into the house with me so I'd have everything at the ready. Sometimes I left it in my car, but most of the time it came into the house with me.
I'm going to share with you what I'd keep in my Go bag. Perhaps you already have most or all of these items or perhaps you might have something else in your bag that I did not have. If that is the case, please e-mail me about it!
IN NO SPECIFIC ORDER:
Pet First Aid kit.
Small human First Aid kit.
Extra pet sitting forms like log and mileage.
Pet sitting client files for that day (individual files always went in the house with me even if the bag stayed in the car).
Pooper scooper for litter box - just in case you can't locate the one in the home.
Poopie bags / plastic grocery bags.
Cat / Dog / Bird First Aid books - not the little booklets, but some good hardcover books.
Leash and collar.
Paper towels.
Can opener.
1-gallon water ( not in the bag, but in the car).
Scissors.
Duct tape.
Notebook.
Pens and a sharpie marker.
A couple of towels to wipe off dogs after a dog walk in the rain in case the owner didn't have one. Bath-sized and hand-sized.
Rain poncho (human).
A little catnip / dog treats / cat treats
Special toys for specific pets.
Extra gloves/sweatshirt (seasonal).
Foldable water bowl.
Screwdriver.
Wipes and anti-bacterial.
Pet brush.
Dog water bottle - filled and ready to go.
Flashlights - usually a small one and a big one for at night.
Small pet crate - stored in my car - "just in case".
This list might seem cumbersome, but many of the items are small and don't take up much space in a bag.
Some of you might assume that pet owners have most of this stuff and they do, but every once in a while you come across a "situation" and you'll be glad you have all of this.
Example: It was a hot summer day and I went to a home with five cats, dumped all their water bowls to refresh with nice cool water, and discovered that the owner's water faucet wasn't working. Luckily, I had the extra gallon of fresh water in my car. For me, it was a lesson learned and after that, I never dumped the water bowl without double-checking that the tap water was working first! These are the strange things that happen when pet sitters are on duty!
As my pet sitting business developed, I'd keep the bigger "Go" items in my car like a gallon of water and an extra carry crate. Then I'd have a smaller bag that I'd take in the houses with me, and then a bag with smaller items that I only needed occasionally but which I could run back out to my car and get something if need be.
A sitter's car can quickly become a "pet mobile" with all these supplies. If kept in tote bags then the car can stay relatively organized. When I would have a day free of pet sitting and had time to myself, I could easily take the "Go" bag, gallon of water, and small carry crate out of the car, and then the car was free for personal use.
At the very least, I'd take the client's file and my cell phone into the home (keys are a given). I'd always bring the "Go" bag into the house on the first visit, but if it turned out I didn't need anything in the bag, then the next visit I'd leave it in the car. It just depends on the house situation, how many pets, what the needs are ..... you get my drift!
I hope you found this helpful.
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Blessings,
Linda