Choose a pet sitter the way you would choose anyone you are giving a house key to: check that they take your kind of animal and can do what it needs, meet them before the job, and ask what happens when something goes wrong. In Louisiana nearly all sitters come to your home, so the differences are in what they will take on, such as overnight stays, medication and unusual pets, and in how they run their business.
What tells one sitter from another
These are the differences recorded on our listings.
| Difference | What it means | How common it is here |
|---|---|---|
| Cats | Takes cats as well as dogs | Nearly all |
| Bonded & insured | States that it is both bonded and insured | Most |
| Gives medication | Gives pills or injections such as insulin | Some |
| Overnight stays | Stays the night in your home | Only some |
| Birds & exotics | Cares for birds, reptiles or other exotic pets | Only some |
| Horses & farm animals | Cares for horses, chickens or other farm animals | A few |
Start with the row that applies to you. If your cat needs insulin twice a day, or you keep a parrot, or you want someone in the house at night, that single need cuts the list down before anything else does.
Visit types. Sitters sell time. The usual menu is a short potty break or a 15-minute stop, a standard 30-minute visit, and extended visits of 45 minutes or an hour, with separate visits for cats and small pets and a late-evening break before bed. Some offer overnight care, and a few offer it from someone with veterinary training.
One person or a team. Some sitters work alone, so you always get the person you met, but there is no automatic cover if they fall ill. Others are small companies with several sitters, which gives cover but may mean a different face. Neither is better; you should just know which you are hiring.
Bonded and insured. Insurance is there in case a pet is hurt or something in your home is damaged while it is in the sitter's care. A bond is protection against theft. Most sitters listed here state that they have both. It is reasonable to ask to see proof.
For a sense of price, pet sitting on this site starts from $18 per visit, with $25 a typical starting price and $35 at the higher end, as of October 2026.
Questions to ask before you book
About the care
- Do you take my kind of pet, and have you cared for one with these needs before?
- What exactly happens during a visit of the length I am booking?
- Will you give medication? Describe exactly what and how: a pill in food is very different from an injection.
- How many visits a day do you recommend for my pet, and at what times?
- Will you send an update after every visit, with a photo?
About who comes
- Who will be doing the visits: you, or someone who works for you?
- If it is someone else, can I meet them first?
- What is your backup if you are sick or your car breaks down?
About emergencies
- What do you do if my pet seems ill or is hurt? The answer should include contacting you and taking the pet to your vet or an emergency clinic.
- What do you do if my pet gets out?
- What is your plan if a hurricane or flood threatens while I am away? In Louisiana this is not a far-fetched question. Agree in advance who decides, where your pets would go, and who you both call.
About your home
- How is my key or door code stored, and what happens to it afterwards?
- Will anyone else come into my home with you?
- Are you bonded and insured?
About the booking
- What is the price for my visits and my pets, and are holidays different?
- How far ahead should I book, and what is your cancellation policy?
- Can you give me references from regular clients?
What a first visit looks like
A good sitter will want to meet you and your pet at home before the job. Some call it a meet-and-greet or a consultation. Some do it free and some charge. Treat it as a two-way interview.
The sitter should meet every animal and watch how each one reacts. Walk them through the routine: where the food is and how much, feeding times, where the leash and litter are kept, which doors stay shut, where your dog is allowed, what it does when it is nervous. Show them anything about the house they will need: the alarm, a sticky lock, the breaker box, where the carrier is.
Expect to fill in a form or have the sitter take notes. It should cover your vet's name and number, an emergency contact who is not travelling with you, your pet's medication and health conditions, and what you authorize if the vet can't reach you. Hand over a key or code and test it while you are both there.
Watch how the sitter is with your pet. Do they get down to its level, let it come to them, ask about its quirks? Does your pet settle? You are choosing a person as much as a service, and it is fine to say you would like to think about it.
Before a long trip, book a trial: one or two visits while you are out for the day. It shows you how the updates work and lets your pet get used to the sitter while you are still close by.
Leave things ready before you go: more food and medication than the trip needs, written instructions on the counter, the carrier where it can be found, and a note for your vet's office saying who is caring for your pet.
How often
"How often" means two things with a sitter: how many visits a day, and how regularly you use one.
Visits per day. It depends on the animal. Many adult cats are fine with one visit a day, though a daily check is the least a pet left alone should have. Dogs need more, since they have to go out: several visits spread through the day, or daytime visits plus an overnight stay. Puppies, old dogs and pets on medication need visits timed to their schedule. If your pet has a health condition, ask your vet how long it can safely be left between visits, and tell the sitter what the vet said.
How regularly. Some people use a sitter only for trips. Others have a standing arrangement, such as a midday visit on workdays. If you only travel now and then, keep the relationship warm: book the same sitter each time, and book early for holidays, which fill up first.
Where to compare sitters
Pet sitters are listed side by side, with the visits they sell and their prices, on Pet sitting in Louisiana. You can also look by place: New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, River Ridge, Mandeville, Baton Rouge, Shreveport and Bossier City.
This is general information, not professional, legal or veterinary advice, and it can be out of date or wrong. Check anything that matters with the business, and ask your vet about your pet’s health. Our terms have the details.