Kelli Church, of Critter Sitter, gives a bone to Tucker, a dog she visits at lunchtime for walks and playtime. Pet sitters are a comforting alternative for families who don't wish to put animals in kennels during vacation or even the workday.

There’s little doubt that Mack is one well-loved feline.

Mack, a 16-year-old orange tabby tended by Don and Linda Huffman, has received acupuncture treatments from a holistic veterinarian and gets a special blend of Chinese herbs added to his food to keep him healthy.

When the Lawrence couple have to go out of town, they wouldn’t think of boarding their “baby” at a kennel or just leaving him home alone for a couple of days.

They hire a professional pet sitter to come to their home and look after all of Mack’s needs, as well as check to make sure everything is OK around the house.

“Cats need to be in a familiar place that’s very quiet and peaceful. It’s difficult enough when their people are gone,” says Linda, who works at home as a distributor for a health-food business.

“Cats have such a heightened sense of territory, and when you take them out of their known surroundings it is extremely stressful. When you have an older animal like Mack, you want to eliminate as much stress as possible.”

Kelli Church and Tucker, a Labrador, take a walk on a hot August weekday. Ten percent of Church's pet-sitting profits go to the Lawrence Humane Society.

The Huffmans pay Kelli Church, owner of Critter Sitter, a Lawrence-based pet-sitting service, to visit their home daily whenever they are out of town.

“She makes sure that the house is secure, she checks on our pet, she plays with him and loves him, makes sure he has fresh, clean water and good food. She even does things like bring in the paper or the mail,” Linda says.

The Huffmans are among many Lawrence residents who have come to rely on professional pet-sitting services to take care of their animals when they leave town. Some dog owners who can’t come home from work at lunchtime even hire pet sitters to visit their homes and walk their dogs every weekday.

“Kennels are a wonderful place for some animals,” Church says, “but any time a pet can stay in the comforts of his own home, it’s less stressful.”

And her clients enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing someone is coming over to check on their homes, too, she adds.

Wilma Wake started her Lawrence business, Professional Sitters Unlimited, 13 years ago. Most of her time is spent caring for elderly clients or children, but she added pet sitting to her business as a way to diversify her services.

She now has about 150 clients who hire her to look after their animals.

“I think all pets do better in their own surroundings, whether it’s a dog or cat. Clients know without a doubt that their animal is going to feel more comfortable and less stressed. And the client knows that someone is going to be in and out of their home, making sure everything is OK,” Wake says.

“It’s a comfort level not only for the clients, but for the pets as well.”

Wide range of services

People who are willing to hire a pet sitter are typically those who view their animals – whether a dog, cat, fish, bird or hamster – as a full-fledged member of the family.

“They love them, they give them excellent care, and they expect them to continue to have excellent care when they’re gone (on vacation). They love their animals, and they are treated as well as kids,” says Kathleen Womack, owner of Wing And A Care, a Lawrence-based pet-sitting service.

“The clients I deal with appreciate the fact that their pets are going to be lonesome, and they want them to be as comfortable as they can.”

Womack, like other Lawrence pet sitters, tailors her services to the requests of her clients. During a visit to a client’s home, she will walk dogs, clean litter boxes, groom and play with pets, and fill water and food bowls. But she’s also happy to bring in the mail and newspapers, water plants, take out the trash and make the house look as though it were occupied by its owners.

Most Lawrence pet sitters are comfortable giving pets medication, too, such as pills or routine injections, such as insulin for diabetic animals.

Hiring a pet sitter doesn’t seem to cost that much money.

A survey of pet-sitting services in Lawrence revealed that most pet sitters charge $10-15 per daily visit. But these rates may vary; pet sitters usually add a charge for additional pets in the home, or for added services.

Lawrence pet sitters say that their busiest times of the year are spring break, summer vacation and the holidays.

More people entering field

Professional pet sitting appears to be a growing business in Lawrence.

Denise Van Sickel, whose background is in managing pediatric dental offices, launched her new business, Lawrence Pet Friends, July 1. Before setting up her service, Van Sickel did plenty of research on the Internet.

“I got onto the Web site for Pet Sitters International, and I got excited and motivated right away. They’ve got this great organization for networking, they offer education and accreditation. I’m going through that process (accreditation) right now,” she says.

She also consulted a book called “Pet Sitting for Profit,” which she says is considered “the pet sitter’s Bible.”

“Reading that book was really the catalyst for going forward. My goal is for this to become an established business that people in Lawrence will look to for taking care of their pets,” Van Sickel says.

Dave and Jane Henry hire Womack, owner of A Wing And A Care, to pet sit their toy poodles, Francie and Jolie, when the Lawrence couple go out of town.

“We don’t have any children, so Francie and Jolie are our kids. And so I want somebody who’s very trustworthy and who the pets can relate to. It was clear when Kathleen walked in that she was an animal person,” Jane says.

“We use her two to three times a year, and we have her come over twice a day. The dogs love her.”