A work trip lands on your calendar, or a surprise vacation does, and the first question is always the same: who looks after the animals? Handing your dog, cat or bird to a stranger from the internet feels like a big ask. The right website makes it smaller, but only if you know what each one checks and what it leaves to you.
Pet sitting websites come in two kinds. On marketplaces like Rover, Wag! and Care.com, you find a local sitter and pay them per visit, walk or night. On house sitting websites like TrustedHousesitters, a sitter lives in your home for free in exchange for a place to stay, but you, the owner, pay the site a membership. So "free pet sitting" means no nightly fee, not no cost.
We checked the eight sites below on their own pages on November 2, 2026. The safety features listed are what each site states; we haven't booked sitters through them. After the list: how to vet a sitter, and what to leave them.
The best pet sitting websites at a glance
Website | How it works | Who you pay | Vetting the site states | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Rover | Local sitters and walkers, dogs and cats only | The sitter, per service | Background check for every provider | Dogs and cats, with a meet-and-greet first |
Wag! | App-based walks, drop-ins, sitting, boarding | The caregiver, per booking | Background check for every caregiver | Walks and drop-ins you follow in the app |
Care.com | Large marketplace, incl. cat and bird sitters | The caregiver directly | Background check for individuals, renewed yearly | Wide search, birds and other pets |
Fetch! Pet Care | Local franchise teams, in-home visits and walks | Your local Fetch! team | "Fully vetted" caregivers | Any kind of pet, updates every visit |
PSI locator | Professional pet-sitting businesses by ZIP code | The business you hire | None: PSI doesn't inspect members | An insured, established local business |
TrustedHousesitters | House-sit exchange, no nightly fee | The site: annual membership (+ booking fee on Basic and Standard) | ID checks for all; background checks for US sitters | Long trips, multi-pet homes |
HouseSitMatch | House-sit exchange, UK-based, family-run | The site: membership to post a sit | Three-factor ID check; police checks optional | UK and Europe sits |
MindMyHouse | Low-cost house-sit listings since 2005 | The site: a one-time owner fee | No ID or background checks described | Owners who vet sitters themselves |
Pet sitter, house sitter or boarding: which do you need?
Start with your pet, then pick the website. There are four common setups:
- Drop-in visits: a sitter comes by once or a few times a day to feed, walk, clean the litter box and check on things. Good for independent cats and short trips.
- Overnight pet sitting: a paid sitter stays in your home, so your pet keeps its routine.
- House-sit exchange: a vetted traveler lives in your home for the whole trip, unpaid, in return for the stay. Good for longer trips and several pets.
- Boarding: your pet goes to a facility or a sitter's home, often alongside other animals.
A social dog that loves other dogs may enjoy boarding; a shy cat or an older dog usually copes better at home. Keep health in mind too: the Merck Veterinary Manual notes that kennel cough spreads rapidly among susceptible dogs in close confinement, including boarding facilities and doggy daycare, so ask which vaccines a facility requires. With three or four animals, one sitter in your home is often simpler than boarding everyone.
An at-home sitter keeps a nervous pet's routine the same, which helps. A dog with true separation anxiety needs a plan from your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist, though; a sitter alone won't fix it. If your pet has a medical condition, ask your vet which setup fits before you book.
Pet sitting websites where you pay the sitter
These are the marketplaces most people mean by a pet sitting website. You browse local sitters, message them, meet, and pay per service.
Rover
Rover connects you with local sitters and walkers for dogs and cats: boarding, house sitting, drop-ins, walks, day care and training. Rover says every provider must pass a background check to join. Bookings come with 24/7 support and the Rover Guarantee, which can reimburse eligible vet care, and Rover recommends a free Meet & Greet before you book.
It's dogs and cats only, and every sitter is an individual who sets their own rates, so reviews and the meet-and-greet matter more than the badge.
Wag!
Wag! is app-first: you book walks, drop-ins, sitting or boarding, follow walks by GPS and get photo updates. Wag! says every caregiver passes a third-party background check, and a live emergency team is reachable in the app during a service.
Keep in mind that a background check screens records, not pet-handling skill. For anything longer than a walk, meet the caregiver first.
Care.com
Care.com lists pet sitters, dog walkers, boarding, trainers and groomers, with dedicated cat and bird sitter searches. Individual caregivers pass a required background check, renewed every year they stay active. Its own safety page adds that checks are "not always 100% accurate" and that employees of listed businesses may not be checked.
You hire directly here, so the interview, references and written agreement are on you.
Fetch! Pet Care
Fetch! Pet Care works through local franchise teams offering in-home pet sitting and dog walking for "dogs, cats, and every other kind of pet", with photos and updates every visit.
It only works if there's a Fetch! location near you.
Pet Sitters International locator
Pet Sitters International (PSI), an association for professional pet sitters, runs a free locator of member businesses by ZIP code. It's the route to an established local company rather than an individual on an app.
PSI says it does not inspect or police member businesses and does not endorse anyone listed, so run its interview questions (below) on every candidate.
House sitting websites: no nightly fee, but not free
House sitting sites match homeowners with sitters who care for the home and pets in exchange for a free place to stay. You post your dates, pets and home; sitters apply; you read profiles and reviews, talk, and confirm. Your sitter may travel in from another city or country. Plans and fees change, so check each site's current pricing before you join.
TrustedHousesitters
TrustedHousesitters is a worldwide membership community. Owners choose an annual Basic, Standard or Premium plan, and Basic and Standard members also pay a booking fee for each confirmed sit. It says every sitter completes an identity check before applying, and US sitters also pass a background check. Sitters can call a 24/7 vet advice line during a sit; owners get vet calls and a Home & Contents Plan on certain plans.
Your sitter may be flying in, so you'll likely meet by video first. TrustedHousesitters suggests the sitter arrive a few hours or a day early to meet you and your pets.
HouseSitMatch
HouseSitMatch is a family-run, UK-based platform. Registration is free, but posting a sit and messaging sitters needs a paid membership; there are no transaction fees. It describes three-factor identity verification, optional police checks and human support, with a 24/7 Vet Advice Line on the Choice and Premium plans.
Police checks are optional, so ask each sitter whether they've done one. The newest listings on its homepage were all in the UK when we checked.
MindMyHouse
MindMyHouse has run house sitting listings since 2005. Owners pay a one-time fee for lifetime access, with no booking fees, and get an editable house sitting agreement template.
We found no ID or background checks described on its owner pages, so check references and meet the sitter yourself.
Trust My Pet Sitter was on the list before. It no longer has a working website.
How to choose a pet sitter safely
A site's checks are a starting point. These steps come from Pet Sitters International's interview checklist, the ASPCA and veterinary guidance, and they work on any platform:
- Start early and ask your vet team. Good sitters book up around holidays, and your clinic may know someone reliable.
- Read the profile and reviews, and see which verifications the site shows for that sitter.
- Meet before you book, in person if you can, by video if not. Watch how they handle your pet.
- Ask PSI's questions (interview checklist): Are you insured and bonded, and can I see proof? Can you show a recent background check? Client references? A written services agreement? Training such as pet first aid? For a business: the license your city or state requires?
- Confirm who's coming. The person you interview should be the one making the visits.
- Ask about care skills. If your pet takes a prescribed medication, ask whether the sitter can give it.
- Get it in writing: dates, visit length, duties, payment and what happens in an emergency.
- Try a short sit first, one or two visits while you're out for the day.
- Agree on updates, and ask for a message after the first visit. If it doesn't come within a few hours, call.
What to leave your pet sitter
The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center's pet sitter safety checklist and veterinary advice cover the essentials:
- How to reach you, plus your itinerary.
- A local emergency contact who knows your pets and can make decisions if you can't be reached.
- A pet info sheet for each animal: age, weight, health issues, diet and mealtimes, routine, hiding spots and microchip number.
- Medications written down exactly as your vet prescribed them, with the times. Go through them in person, and keep pills in a pet-resistant container (flavored tablets can look like treats).
- Your regular vet and the nearest emergency clinic, with addresses and phone numbers, plus the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: 888-426-4435.
- A signed authorization letter at your vet's office saying the sitter may seek treatment while you're away and you'll cover the fees. Tell the clinic your travel dates and who can make decisions.
- An agreed emergency plan: what the sitter does, in what order, if your pet is sick or hurt.
- Where things are: food, leash, carrier, litter and cleaning supplies, and your pet first aid kit.
On a house sitting site, put the basics in the listing too (pets, quirks, health needs, routine, recent photos), so the right sitters apply.
Can I find a sitter for a bird, rabbit or guinea pig?
Yes, but not on every site. Rover covers dogs and cats only. Care.com has bird sitter searches, Fetch! Pet Care says it cares for every kind of pet, and house sitting listings let you list every animal in the home. Ask candidates about their experience with your species, and for references from owners of similar pets.
For vet techs: pet sitting as a side gig
If you work in a clinic, you've probably been asked to watch a client's pet. When Veterinary Practice News columnist Rhonda Bell asked manager and vet tech groups about side jobs, most respondents said they had one, and pet sitting topped the list. Pet Sitters International profiles a licensed vet tech in Pennsylvania whose pet sitting business includes special-needs care, such as fluids for a cat in kidney failure.
Your training is a real selling point. Two cautions: follow the pet's own vet's written instructions rather than adjusting care yourself, and check your clinic's policy on outside work before you sit for its clients. Still deciding on the career? Here's what being a vet tech involves.
Pet sitting website FAQs
Is there a free pet sitting website?
Not one with built-in vetting that costs the owner nothing. House sitting sites remove the nightly fee, but owners pay a membership. A trusted friend or neighbor is the only truly free option.
Is it safe to use a pet sitter from a website?
Safer when you add your own checks to the site's: meet the sitter, check references and leave your vet details and authorization in place.
How far ahead should I book a pet sitter?
As early as you can, especially around holidays. If your pet needs medication, leave extra time to find a sitter who can give it and to try a short sit first.
Sources
- ASPCA: Pet Sitter Safety: What to Know Before You Go
- Pet Sitters International: Tips for Conducting a Professional Pet Sitter Interview
- Pet Sitters International: Pet Sitter Locator
- Vetstreet: Getting a Pet Sitter
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Kennel Cough
- Rover: Pet care services, background checks and the Rover Guarantee
- Wag!: Trust and Safety
- Care.com: Safety Center and background checks
- Fetch! Pet Care: In-home pet care
- TrustedHousesitters: How to Connect With Reliable House and Pet Sitters
- TrustedHousesitters: Trust and Safety
- HouseSitMatch: Homeowner Membership Plans
- HouseSitMatch: Trust and Safety
- MindMyHouse: Home page
- Veterinary Practice News: Why do veterinary professionals feel the need to take on side gigs?
- Pet Sitters International: Vet tech turned pet sitter
This article is for general information and is not a substitute for advice from your veterinarian.
