“I lived in Florida and of course had other jobs when I started pet sitting,” Ratliff said. “I had a background in pet nutrition and in medical assisting and worked with the elderly out of high school but I always liked working with pets.”
Ratliff returned home to Dayton in 2011 and started her pet sitting business by herself, including building her own website and marketing. “I worked with local veterinarians and other pet sitting services and just put my name out there,” she said. “I started with dogs and cats but I take care of just about every kind of animal out there, from rabbits to guinea pigs, to gerbils and fish.”
Signing up with Rover.com last year, Ratliff has watched her relatively “small” business explode, giver her more new clients than she ever dreamed she’d have.
“I noticed Rover.com had a television commercial,” she said. “And at that point I wanted to expand my business a little but I didn’t think it would blow up this much. They are reaching people all over Ohio.”
According to Brandie Gonzales, the director of communications for Rover.com, Ratliff has consistently received five-star reviews from her clients and her knowledge of nutrition has been a big plus.
“Every dog and pet parent is unique, so Rover is designed to help them find the perfect sitter who matches their needs,” Gonzales said. “Aspects like Michelle’s knowledge of pet nutrition, a home environment with a large lawn or experience caring for older dogs can all be great differentiators for sitters and qualities pet parents will value as they search for the perfect match for their dog.”
Ratliff said she takes the time to meet with new clients and find out what they are feeding their pets because with so many choices in today’s marketplace, many people are confused.
“I give them options and if I see there are issues, I let them know they may be caused by bad food,” Ratliff said. “A lot of people just don’t know about food and if it’s good or bad. They don’t know how to read ingredients on their own food so they certainly don’t know how to feed their dogs good food.”
Ratliff was trained as a pet nutrition specialist and knows how to educate her clients about artificial ingredients and what items may be highly allergenic to dogs and cats. “I worked for an all-natural pet food company and I was trained while working there,” she said.
She also advises her clients about environmental allergies and said Ohio is “bad” for seasonal allergies in dogs.
“Dogs will get itchy in Ohio,” she said. “It doesn’t mean it’s from food. It can be a lot of outside stuff.”
Ratliff offers day care, boarding and also offers walking services but sometimes encounters dogs that have had no training.
“I try to work with the dogs as much as I can,” Ratliff said. “But I have so much going on that I can’t focus a lot of time on them so I usually refer them to an actual trainer, which all puppies need.”
What started as a part-time venture has grown to a more than full-time business for Ratliff who said that she rarely gets days off and almost never gets to take off on holidays. “You have to plan ahead if you want to take time off,” she said.
But she chooses the business because she has a passion for the animals and understands well the bond humans and animals share. Pets are family.
“Every pet has its own schedule and its own file,” Ratliff said. “I’m very detailed in the care I give. I want people to know that their pets are well cared for with me.”
For more information, log on to Rover.com and search for a pet sitter near you.
About the Author