So you’ve returned from your trip. Everything looks as clean as the day you left, and your cats are calm and relaxed, having spent time with a wonderful pet sitter. You may be wondering if you should ask for the keys back, or let your pet sitter hang onto them until the next visit. What do you do?
Save time with a spare set of keys
Having a spare set of keys saves you and your pet sitter time. Not only will coordinating key pick ups and drop offs no longer be a concern, but last minute trips become more efficient. If you suddenly need to travel, a spare set of keys for the sitter to keep means that you can focus on your trip with one less thing to worry about.
What about concierge buildings?
Some buildings have a front desk with a key checkout system. At first, this may sound very convenient. However, issues with the front desk check out system arise more often than you might imagine. The building can have an improperly recorded permission to enter. If you are on an airplane or are otherwise unavailable when the front desk calls to verify, then your pet sitter is denied access. Having a spare set of keys for the sitter to hold onto takes this out of the equation.
What about security concerns?
Furthermore, if you have more than one person with access to your front desk keys such as a housekeeper or a friend, having them pass between so many hands increases the security risk. Especially on holidays, when the regular front desk staff isn’t available, the keys may be improperly checked out, misplaced by the staff, or not returned at all. This is why a spare set of keys for the pet sitter is crucial. You never want your pet sitter to be unable to visit your cats because of a lock out.
What about for emergencies?
While we like to prepare for virtually everything, the unexpected can happen. You should give an additional copy of keys to a friend who is in town as a backup. A lock box or a key cafe are also good options. As a part of your emergency contacts list, you should also provide the building super’s name in case there is a problem.
Looking for a trustworthy pet sitter while you’re out of town? Our pet sitters guard your keys like the precious pieces of metal that they are. Give us a call today!
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Candace Elise Hoes is a pet sitter and blogger at Katie’s Kitty. She is a graduate of the MFA Writing Program at California College of the Arts.
Photo by Pexels on pixabay.