The holidays are a high-demand time for pet sitting, and cat and dog sitters tend to book up fast. Scheduling early can help you get your first-choice sitter—but how early is early? How soon do you really need to book holiday pet sitting?
In most areas, booking 4 to 6 weeks ahead of your care date should give you great options. But you might consider scheduling extra early for the winter holidays, which tend to be especially busy.
In this article, we’ll review which holidays are busiest, how much time to give yourself for peace of mind, and what to do if you end up needing last-minute holiday pet care.
High-Demand Holidays for Pet Sitting
Not all holidays are alike. Some seasons of celebration are especially busy for pet sitters, while others offer late comers a little more wiggle room. With high-demand holidays, you may also be more likely to encounter elevated holiday rates.
To get the pet sitter you want, consider booking extra early for the following.
| Holiday | Demand |
| Thanksgiving | High |
| Christmas | High |
| New Year’s Day | High |
| 4th of July | High |
| Martin Luther King Day | Moderate |
| President’s Day | Moderate |
| Memorial Day | Moderate |
| Juneteenth Weekend | Moderate |
| Labor Day | Moderate |
And, while the following days aren’t technically holidays and might not come with holiday rates, they can still be in high demand due to school vacation schedules. Consider booking four to six weeks out for these dates.
| Other Busy Seasons | Time |
| Midwinter Break | Third Week of February |
| Spring Break | Late March to Early April |
| Summer Break | June to August |
Pro tip: To see sitters with holiday availability, enter your dates into Rover’s search field and look for the “confirmed availability” tag on sitter profiles.
When To Book Extra Early
Some factors can make it especially important to book pet care early for holidays. In the following situations, some pet parents book eight or more weeks ahead for peace of mind.
- High-needs pets. Some cats and dogs require a little extra care, and finding the right sitting situation might take extra time. That might be the case if your pet is elderly, needs medications or special diets, has specific exercise needs, has anxiety, or doesn’t play well with other pets.
- Multiple pets. If you have multiple pets who will need care (including a mix of dog-cat accommodations), consider getting started early. Some services can accommodate both cats and dogs together, while others will take one or the other.
- Maximizing options. Booking early can help give you the widest possible range of care options. You can even try out a short stay and get your pet used to their sitter before your trip.
- You want your pet to be the only client. Booking earlier increases your chances of finding solo care. Tip: Select “Accepts only one client at a time,” “doesn’t own a dog,” and “doesn’t own a cat” in the filters on the Rover search page.
What If You Need Last-Minute Holiday Pet Sitting?
Even the best planners can get surprised with last-minute changes. If you need a last-minute holiday pet sitter, take a deep breath and decide where you can be flexible and where you can’t. Here are some helpful tips for finding pet care pronto.
- Reach out to multiple sitters. You may not have time to wait to hear back from one sitter before contacting another. If this is the case, be clear up front when you reach out. Let the potential sitter know that you are contacting multiple sitters due to the short time frame but are particularly interested in their service.
- Consider prioritizing star sitters. Star sitters are famously speedy—reach out to these candidates first to give yourself the best chance of scheduling.
- Broaden your search radius. If this is an emergency, consider widening your search radius to include more options. Or if you can travel part way with your pet, consider options along the route or even at your destination.
- Be ready to schedule a meet and greet. Try to keep a clear schedule so you can fit in a meet and greet, whether virtual or in person, and have your list of questions ready to go.
- Consider a different kind of care. If you’re looking for house sitting but can’t find a sitter on short notice, could you make pet boarding work, or vice versa? Would your cat be comfortable with drop-ins instead of a house sitter?
