By Ouiza Bouheddi
Published on
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It is sometimes complicated to take your dog or cat when you are away for a weekend or for the holidays. Installed in a house away from the city center of Jouy-sur-Morin (Seine-et-Marne), Adrien Ferrant is a pet sitterpet sitting, in French, diploma, that is to say that he has been trained to take care of the dogs and cats entrusted to him. A job he chose because he is above all an animal lover.
“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life,” Confucius is said to have said. Adrien Ferrant, 34, is a perfect illustration of this maxim. Lover of dogs and cats, he has just set up as a pet sitter in his house located between La Ferté-Gaucher and Jouy-sur-Morin. “My company has been in effect since September 5, 2022”, explains this Columérien of origin living in Jouy-sur-Morin since 2017, “because I wanted to do a job that I am passionate about and animals have always been my passion”.
A conversion
After going through mass distribution as head cashier, he wanted to change career direction. He therefore incorporated training on animal professions, at the European training center and obtaining the first attempt at the Knowledge certificate for Pets of Domestic Species (ACACED) through intense training, which allowed him to work at the refuge of 30 Million Friends in Saint-Hilliers, a town located not far from Provins and Chenoise. It was following this experience that Adrien Ferrant decided to start his own business, To the guardian of the 4 legs, a human-sized boarding house with less than 10 dogs. Placed between the woods and the river, his house only reinforces his love of nature: “When I get up in the morning, I see nature and a deer passing by, it’s very beautiful! “. It is the perfect setting for its activity. » All conditions are met. I am more than 20 meters from a water point, more than 100 meters from the first dwelling “, and his house has direct access to departmental road 66.
Pet sitter, késako?
Pet sitting in the family or at home has existed for several years in France, but it is still unknown to pet owners and the animal world in general. Pet sitters, literally translated as “animal guardians”, today represent a real alternative to traditional care solutions such as boarding or kennels. As its name suggests, the term pet sitter comes straight from Anglo-Saxon countries and is very close to “baby sitter”. Instead of babysitting, the pet sitter’s goal is to babysit pets. A pet sitter can therefore be compared to an animal nanny. As part of his guards, the pet sitter manages the animals he agrees to keep as well as the care services he wishes to perform. This entails great responsibilities towards pet owners. Indeed, the pet sitter’s main role will be to ensure the well-being of the animals he will have in his care and therefore under his responsibility. In addition to the care service, the role of the pet sitter will also be to reassure the owner of the animal before and during care.
Care at his home or at the home of the owners
Adrien Ferrant offers two types of custody, either at the home of the owners, or at his home. Guards he accepts after getting to know the owners and their requirements, and after meeting his future residents. In the first case, we fix a first appointment in order to realize the context of the dog’s life, its character, its habits. For a guard at my home, I organize a first visit during which we make a first walk. Its objective is to de-stress the dog and for me to read the dog, to understand his behavior. She gives me time to explain my professional background to the owner.” Then, he presents the facilities in which the dog will be kept, before presenting his two dogs. It is a very affable female Bernese mountain dog of 3 years old and, at first sight, a very enigmatic Czechoslovakian wolfdog of 8 years old, who has the appearance of a wolf, but who is a very nice doggie. The purpose of this contact is to know if the dog or dogs to be kept get along well with mine, in this case, the dogs to be kept sleep at home, if not, in the evening, the dogs sleep in a kennel. and spend the whole day with me in the fenced garden.”
“Up to six dogs for quality work”
If his diplomas authorize Adrien to keep up to 10 dogs to remain within the framework of a boarding house, not counting his own, he chose to limit the number to six: “To do quality work with the dogs on guard, and for my peace of mind, I apply this restriction”. He wants to stay in touch with the animals, and not create an imposing structure.
Swimming in the Morin and videos
For the moment, the reception part of Adrien’s house is under construction. Whether two kennels are already existing, two others are currently being completed. This equipment is therefore exclusively for the night. “The rest of the time, the dogs are with me, out for a walk, and if the owners agree, the dogs will bathe in the Grand Morin which is right next to the house”. During these moments of relaxation, he takes the opportunity to take photos and videos, which he then sends to the owners. “It reassures them”, insists Adrien, “and they can thus realize the life that their dogs lead when they are with me, that they are not locked up all day”.
Let’s talk prices
Keeping your dog at a cost. A question that the pet sitter does not evade: » For a medium or large dog (Shepherd, Malinois, Golden Retriever, Labrador, etc.), I am at 15 euros per day and per dog. For a small dog (Westi, Yorkshire) it is 12 euros. For a cat at my home, it’s 8 euros “. The dog’s usual food should be provided by the owner.
For an owner, the question of price is often incidental when what matters is the care given to his pet(s).
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