I have been a pet sitter, and it is fun too do. I would say to pick a friend who knows your animals and your animals are used to them, as in someone who you don't know could be a thief or just plan careless, as in pets running away or having an accident. I would go and stay at that persons house while they were on vacation. I took care of the house, as well as. the pets. That way they had no worries in mail in the box or newspapers on the lawn. I even pet sit some goats and sheep, on time and one of the sheep ate something poisenous and got colic and almost died. The owner was in Germany at the time and so I did the best I could with the animal and luckly it recovered.