Leaving your cat or dog with someone new is one of those small but stressful decisions Denver pet owners face constantly because of work trips, late-night shifts, out-of-state family visits, and other reasons. Fortunately, the city has thousands of people offering pet sitting services, from solo sitters on booking apps to established local agencies. However, the quality gap between solo sitters and agencies is enormous, and the only way to find the best pet sitters in Denver is to ask the right questions upfront.
In today’s guide, we’ll take you through the top 18 questions you should ask when hiring pet sitters in Denver. Along with the questions, we have tried to provide you with every bit of information that will help you give your pet the best care and, hopefully, a new best friend. We have included questions from different perspectives, like experience, credentials, first aid, communication, etc., so when you leave your dog with your new dog sitter, you have peace of mind. So, let’s dive into it:
A pet sitter isn’t just a service provider; they will be someone who will be in your home alone and will be responsible for your one-of-a-kind family members who can’t advocate for themselves. Colorado doesn’t require pet sitters to hold a special license simply to visit and care for pets in a client’s home, though different rules apply if a sitter boards animals at their own property. In practice, this means “pet sitter” can describe anyone from a background-checked, insured professional to someone who signed up on an app last week.
Good sitters expect these questions and answer them without hesitation or defensiveness. Sitters who dodge specifics, give vague answers, or rush you to book their service are the biggest red flags, and you should avoid them.
Treat this list as a working checklist; you don’t need to ask all 20 in one sitting, but you should get satisfying answers to each before you leave your pet in someone’s care.
These questions apply to all types of pet sitters, no matter whether you’re hiring a solo sitter, an agency, or an app-based provider. Don’t miss any of the following questions.
Pet-sitting experience and experience with pets similar to yours are different things. So don’t just ask for their experience because someone who has experience with calm cat sitting can mess up with your young Pit Bull or Rottweiler. Ask specifically about experience with your pet’s breed, age, and habits.
This is one of the most important questions in this section, and many pet owners skip it. Ask specifically if they carry pet sitting insurance, and what the policy covers- general liability, property damage, care, custody, and coverage for your pet. A reliable pet-sitter business in Denver will provide you with a certificate of insurance. At Pet and People, for example, every booking is backed by a $2,000,000 general liability policy underwritten by Travelers, and clients can review the policy declaration before booking.
A sitter with real experience as a pet sitter in Denver will easily tell you about their recent clients. If they’ve delivered the level of service their clients expected or promised, they will even connect you with them. Don’t fall for someone who can only provide you with a reference from years ago.
Pet-sitting experience is great, but ask about any specific pet training or certification so they can provide primary care in case of a mishap. Many well-established pet-sitting companies provide their sitters with fear-free handling and first-aid training to handle any unexpected situations.
Denver basically issues a city pet license for every pet over 6 months and a breed-restricted permit for Pit Bulls. Every local Denver-based pet sitter will know this, and if you own a pit bull or pit mix, this is one of the most important questions for you to ask. This will help you find out whether the solo pet sitter or agency you’re hiring has real Denver experience or is just running a copy-paste service.
Pet CPR and first aid certification means a sitter knows how to respond to choking, bleeding, seizures, or heatstroke in the minutes before you or a vet can be reached, often the most critical window in a real emergency.
Ask them whether they are comfortable with pills, injections, and other medication for your pet. Ask upfront whether this is included in the same sitting service or if you’ll be charged extra, so you don’t get a surprise invoice at the end of the day. This question helps ensure your dog is safe in any situation, and you’ll know what you’ll pay for the service.
Pets can get anxious or behave strangely when you leave them with some random person. Ask your pet sitter/service provider how they manage the behavioral challenges. Listen for specific strategies, positive reinforcement, and other patterns in the answer rather than a vague “I am good with dogs or cats”. A sitter who can’t describe this answer is most likely to be a novice.
We all know anything can happen at any time, and no matter how good a pet sitter you hire, an emergency can arise. And as we always say, precaution is better than cure. Ask your pet sitter how they will handle any emergency in your absence. A confident answer should include knowing a specific vet’s location and contact info, and, if they hold a vet training certificate, they can even guide you through first-aid steps. If they can’t walk you through this situation, you should let them walk away.
Denver’s climate swings hard: hot pavement burning paws in July, sudden hailstorms and thunderstorms, black ice in January, and wildfires during summer. All this can make pets anxious, and your sitter should have ways to handle it. A genuine, experienced Denver pet sitter should have answers, such as an alternate route when there is black ice, indoor activities when summer air quality is poor, and shorter walks to protect paws. These are the answers or practices that you know when you work for years in Denver.
Your sitter will be the only one who will be visiting your house when you’re not there. Ask how they’ll keep your house secure: their door-locking process, alarm arming, and garage security. Ask whether they use a lockbox, smart lock, or physical key.
Most pet sitters are comfortable with providing live updates with photos or over text messages. However, if you request it, many will also agree to video calls once or twice so you can see your property and pet. Ask upfront whether they are comfortable with video calls for quick checks of the pet and property.
Get clarity on what duties they will follow under that particular service. Many pet sitters in Denver will provide a contract that includes everything in the service. Most of the pet sitters include feeding, walking, medication, litter box cleanup, and mail collection under one service.
With so much of Denver living in dense multifamily buildings in LoDo, Capitol Hill, and Cherry Creek, key fobs, buzz-in systems, and HOA guest policies add a layer most generic pet-sitting advice ignores. Ask how they’ve handled building access before, and whether they’re comfortable coordinating with a concierge or property manager if your building requires it.
Every professional pet sitter in Denver will agree to an in-house meeting or, at minimum, a video call introduction before you leave your pet with them. If any sitter is refusing to do a meet-and-greet, treat it as a big red flag.
Don’t miss this question. A solo sitter might not have a replacement, and you could end up in an unwanted situation if they get sick or something goes wrong. Agencies typically provide a replacement sitter if they get sick or can’t make it to your location. Ask about this situation so your pet doesn’t end up staying alone without food or anything else.
Get this in writing, or if they provide a contract, review the cancellation policy. Many pet sitter Denver service providers offer a complete refund if you cancel at least 14 days before the service delivery date.
This is one of the most important questions; still, most pet owners forget to ask until it’s too late. Clarify whether the sitter’s insurance will cover the emergency vet visit or if it will be charged directly to you. This one question can save you from a sudden financial shock.
These are the most important questions to ask your pet sitters before hiring them or leaving your pet or house in their care. Now let’s guide you through a few red flags and green flags to identify the right fit as a pet sitter.
Both models can work well, but they trade off differently. An independent solo sitter often costs less and can offer a very personal relationship with your pet, but if they get sick, have a family emergency, or simply book up, no one can step in; your pet’s care depends entirely on one person’s availability.
A pet sitting agency, on the other hand, typically vets and trains a team of sitters and carries commercial insurance as a business rather than an individual policy. They also provide proper backup so your pet always has the care they need.
If you travel regularly, have a pet with medical needs, or simply want the redundancy of a real backup plan, an agency is generally the safer structural choice.
Pet & People Sitters has cared for Denver-area pets since 2011 with a background-checked, trained team, not a rotating cast of gig workers, backed by a $2,000,000 insurance policy and real backup coverage if your assigned sitter is ever unavailable. If you’re weighing your options for an upcoming trip, we’d love to start with a meet-and-greet and show you what that looks like in person.
Finding a pet sitter you trust in Denver comes down to doing the homework most people skip: asking specific questions, checking real proof of insurance and experience, and paying attention to how a sitter responds when asked something they weren’t expecting. The right sitter won’t flinch at any of the questions above; they’ll welcome them, because they know exactly what they’re doing and have nothing to hide. Take your time, trust your pet’s reaction during the meet-and-greet, and don’t settle for vague reassurances when your pet’s safety is on the line.
Elevating the standard of in-home pet care and estate management in the Denver Metro area since 2011.
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