A few weeks ago I had a very sick cat – multiple meds, multiple times a day kind of sick. So when I had to leave town for a weekend, I couldn’t just ask a friend to watch her. This was a job for a pro.

But I’d never hired a cat sitter before, and neither had anyone I knew. So I started a blind search for someone I could trust to handle my fiesty feline’s medical needs. Luckily, my search led me to Amy Frankwick of Reigning Pets Northwest. The first thing Amy did when I met her was show me her American Red Cross Pet First Aid certification card (among a slew of other amazing accreditations).

I knew she was the one.

And I was right. I’ll spare you the gross details about ear goo and cat puke and just say that I had a worry-free weekend away, and we all lived happily ever after.

The moral of the story: If you’re hiring a pet sitter, ask to see their Pet First Aid certification. It’s a good indicator that they’ll be able to handle whatever emergencies happen while you’re away.

More info on my pet sitter here. Photo of their dog, Haily, courtesy Sean Morrison Photography.

P.S. If you want to take Pet First Aid yourself, you can register at OregonRedCross.org/dogs or OregonRedCross.org/cats.