Anyone who loves animals, and want to spend more time around them, can work as an animal caretaker. The Australian Government’s Job Outlook Initiative further establishes this fact by stating a constant growth of this type of profession. So, how do you become a professional animal carer?
Being a professional animal attendant comes with a long list of requirements. Just like any other profession, you also need to gain expertise in this field. And for this, opting for online courses in animal care is a good solution. There are also some other criteria.
So, here’s what you need to know:
What Is an Animal Caretaker?
If you are interested in becoming a professional animal caretaker, you first need to understand what the job is. An animal caretaker, especially a nonfarm one, is an individual who provides primary care to animals in domestic settings. And this is much different from taking care of farm animals.
Caring for domestic animals, namely pets, involve grooming, feeding, bathing, and making them exercise. And due to the various scopes, a professional can even be included in the team at a veterinary clinic, zoo, kennel, circus, and pet supply stores.
What Are the Duties and Tasks of an Animal Caretaker?
As a professional animal caretaker, you will be responsible for various tasks, including maintaining a suitable living environment for the animals. Keeping them well-groomed and maintained is another part of the job.
The responsibilities of a professional animal caretaker depend vastly on their place of work too. However, the majority of basic tasks include the following:
- Cleaning and maintenance of the living space of the animals.
- Bathing, grooming, combing, blow-drying, styling, cutting claws, trimming fur and cleaning ears.
- Feeding the animals on time (this includes bottle feeding the younglings) and also keeping an eye on the food consumption.
Sometimes, animal caretakers can act as a trainer and attendants. In those cases, they have to perform some additional tasks, such as:
- Teaching the animals obedience, both verbally and non-verbally.
- Addressing various behavioural issues, if found any.
- Training animals for competitions.
- Conducting physical training sessions, along with regular physical examinations for injury detection.
Requirements for Becoming an Animal Caretaker
So, to be able to become a quality animal caretaker, you will need to possess some soft skills. Now some of these can be developed through training, but some have to be present in you.
1. Unconditional Love for Animals
As a professional, you must have immense love for animals to succeed in this profession. You need to be constantly on the lookout for the health and well-being of the animals, who will not be able to speak for themselves. Moreover, understanding them will require immense patience and flexibility, which you cannot provide without love for them.
2. Education and Training
Now, many caretaker positions may give you on-the-job training without needing any prior qualifications. Nowadays, you can even opt for online courses in animal care while continuing your day job or education. However, it is preferable to have a high school diploma at least, as a basic understanding of mathematics, elementary biology, and writing will be required.
3. Customer Service Skills
Lastly, having good customer service skills is needed as you will have to speak to the owners of the animals often. And if you work in a veterinary clinic, you will have to record the medical history and listen carefully to the owners. This requires a good amount of interpersonal skills with people as well.
In the end, being able to transform the passion for animals into a well-paying profession may be the dream of many. And once you understand the steps and requirements for the job, you can very well opt for a course online to fulfil your aspiration.
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