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Updated May 2025

When you work with pets all day, sustaining a bite or a scratch from one of your furry clients is not out of the realm of possibility—but it’s definitely not desirable.

Even a pet with no history of aggression can display unexpected behavior in certain circumstances or when facing new people or pets, but there are some simple precautions you can take to help prevent bites, scratches and attacks.

Avoiding dog bites

About 4.5 million dog bites occur in the United States alone each year, with about 800,000 requiring medical attention, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports.

As a business owner, you should have policies in place to help keep yourself, the pets in your care and others you encounter safe. The possible liability issues and financial implications that could result from a dog bite are also concerns.

So how can you avoid dog bites from occurring while you are pet sitting or dog walking?

PSI offers a few tips:

1. Get information about the history of each dog. Be sure to include questions on your pet profile sheet that allow you to collect behavioral information about each dog during a meet and greet with potential clients. You need to know about any aggressive tendencies the dog has shown before, anything that stresses or freaks out the dog, and any other relevant information.

If a dog has a history of aggression, you need to know, and it is totally okay—in fact, advisable—to turn down an assignment if you do not feel comfortable with the pet.

2. Learn to "speak dog." As a professional pet sitter, it’s important to take advantage of opportunities to learn more about animal behavior. A good understanding of dog body language can help keep you and the pets and people you encounter while interacting with clients’ dogs safe. In many cases, the ability to recognize and understand subtle signals dogs may send when anxious can help you prevent being bitten. Organizations such as Doggone Safe™ provide a variety of online resources regarding dog behavior, and pet sitters can also reach out to local animal behaviorists or their veterinarians for suggestions on additional resources.

3. Do not allow people to interact with a client’s dog. Many dog lovers think it is okay to pet any dog they encounter, but as a pet sitter, you should avoid such interactions from strangers. Anything could happen, and you do not want someone—yourself, your client’s dog, or another person or pet—to get hurt on your watch. Some pet sitters avoid highly-populated areas when walking a dog or change direction to avoid other people and pets headed their way.

4. Keep your canine client on a leash and stay alert. If you are walking your client’s dog or out in public with the dog, keep your canine client on a leash. Even where off-leash walking is permitted, it can be dangerous.

It is important to be alert at all times when out in public with a client’s dog and to not be distracted by your phone or loud music. It is possible that other dogs will be off leash, which can present a danger to not only the dog in your care, but you as a pet sitter.

A costly encounter

If a dog in your care bites another pet or person. If a dog in your care bites another dog or person the financial implications can be devastating, particularly if you are not adequately insured. 

While dog-bite claims can vary depending on the specific situation and jurisdiction, David Pearsall, vice president of Business Insurers of the Carolinas, PSI’s preferred provider for pet-sitter insurance in the U.S., shared that “since 2003, claim costs for dog bite incidents have soared by 237%, and for the last two consecutive years, the total value of these claims has exceeded $1 billion dollars (just over $1.11 billion in 2023, and $1.13 billion in 2022).—compared to $324m in 2003.” He further shared that, according to the Insurance Information Institute’s latest release, the average cost of a dog-bite claim was $19,162 back in 2003, but has increased to $58,545 in 2023, which dropped from $66,555 in 2022 (the largest on record over the last 20 years). The average is typically higher in litigious states like New York and California.

If a dog in your care bites you. Being bitten by a dog can also be financially devastating to you as a professional pet sitter. If you sustain a serious bite and are unable to pet sit, your medical bills combined with your lost wages can quickly add up.

It’s extremely important that pet sitters understand that general liability insurance/pet-sitter liability insurance does not cover personal injury for you (or your staff sitters), and relying on business insurance in these types of situations is not an option. David Pearsall cautions pet sitters to not make this mistake:

“Another mistake I often encounter from newer sitters (and some more experienced ones as well) is having a false assumption that general liability insurance covers injuries they sustain while pet sitting, such as being bitten by a client’s dog. Unfortunately, the only way to cover injuries you or your employees or independent contractors sustain while on the job is workers compensation insurance.”

As a professional pet sitter, it’s important to give thought to how you would handle a pet bite or attack. If you expect the client to pay any associated costs, you will need to make sure your state law(s) allow this and that this is clearly explained in your pet-sitting service contract.

The Pet Sitting Service Contract available on petsit.com gives pet sitters a couple of different options and examples of legal language to include, depending upon how they plan to handle these injuries. This decision is a very important one, and one that may be affected by state laws where a pet-sitting business is located. PSI advises pet sitters to consult with an attorney and insurance professional before making the decision.

Remember, if you are bitten by a dog, don’t take chances with your health. The seriousness of a dog bite often depends on a variety of factors, including if the skin is broken, if there is one or multiple bites, and if the dog is current on its rabies vaccination. After accessing the injury, contact your physician to determine if a doctor’s visit or trip the emergency room or urgent care is warranted. If a bite does not puncture or break the skin, watching for signs of infection such as redness or swelling before seeking medical care may suffice, but always seek medical advice to be sure of the best course of action.

Avoiding cat bites and scratches

When pet sitting a feisty feline, you have to be on guard against cat bites and scratches. No one wants to suffer from Cat Scratch Fever or other infections.

A three-year study conducted by the Mayo Clinic found that middle-aged women are the most common cat-bite victims, and 1 in 3 patients bitten on the hand by a cat had to be hospitalized.

According to the CDC, a mild infection can occur around the cut or bite about 3-14 days after it occurs. The infected area may be red, appear swollen and feel warm or painful. Initial symptoms may also include fever, swollen lymph nodes, and headache, among other symptoms. If you display any of these symptoms after a cat bite or scratch (or after a cat licking your open wound), you should contact your doctor immediately.

So how do you prevent negative encounters with a cat client?

Dr. Jane Brunt, executive director of the CATalyst Council, was quoted in a previous PSI blog post and explained that cats “are both predators and prey, and people are often perceived as the predator.”

Brunt said: “This could be especially important to cat sitters to understand and learn how to both read body language and approach cats on their own terms…Fear is the Number One cause of feline aggression, so understanding that (and responding appropriately) will help those who wish to help cats. As you know, for many of us, it’s all about the cat!”

As when you pet sit dogs or other animals, you need to get accurate behavioral information about any cat you plan to cat sit. During the meet and greet, ask clients to describe the cat’s likes and dislikes, her behavior around strangers and animals, and any other relevant information. Observing how the cat acts around her owners and around you during a meet and greet is not enough to go on, as many cats will behave differently when their owners are not around.

If a cat does bite or scratch you during an assignment, you need to know how to separate the cat from you and other animals—and how to avoid future attacks. For tips and resources, read this post on The PSI Blog: “Dealing with a Bad ‘Cat-itude.’”

While you have just read some tips for avoiding bites from cats and dogs, you should also be knowledgeable about the history of any other types of pets in your care—and the best practices for handling those types of pets. PSI members, log in to the Members area of petsit.com and browse through the many resources available for pet sitters.

Pet sitters, what tips have you found helpful in avoiding bites or scratches from cats, dogs or other pets in your care? Share in the comments section below.