The interview:

Jennifer Siegmann of Nashville, Tenn., has hired seven pet sitters in seven different cities that she's lived in, so she's something of an expert on the subject. These are some of the questions she asks when interviewing pet sitters:

If a pet sitter doesn't appear to be professional or can't supply references, or if her pets don't like the person, Siegmann moves on to the next candidate. She also trusts her instincts; if she's not comfortable with the person, she looks for someone else.

The two Doberman pinschers race to the gate, jumping up and down in a frenzy as a woman approaches the backyard of a pristine home nestled in an otherwise quiet neighborhood. As she walks through the gate, the dogs leap at the woman, taking turns nuzzling her and licking her face.

The pet sitter has arrived; let the good times roll.

"This is the best part about the job. There's no frowning when I get here," pet sitter Patti Lunsford of Nashville, Tenn., says as she blows bubbles that the Dobermans eagerly chase around the yard.

Pet sitters do more than just feed your animals and look in on them when you travel. They give pets their medications, take them to the vet or groomer, bring in the mail, turn lights on at night and off in the morning and water the plants.

But perhaps most importantly of all, they try to keep life as normal as possible for pets while their owners are away on business or getting a change of scenery.

"The whole goal is to keep the pets in the same routine as when the owners are at home," says Lunsford, who left her job as a catering manager at the Gaylord Entertainment Center to start her pet sitting service.

Lunsford meets with new clients before starting a job so she can obtain their pet's medical history, veterinarian information and get a feel for their routine and preferences.

"It's really important that we find out exactly what your needs are and exactly how we're going to make you and your pet happy," she says.

While rates vary, pet sitters usually charge about $15 for each half-hour visit, while kennels usually charge between $20 and $25 to board a pet overnight. Of course, kennels charge by the animal while pet sitters charge by the visit, so hiring a pet sitter might end up being cheaper for a family with more than one pet.

For Debbie Colvin, employing a pet sitter had more to do with peace of mind than anything else. Colvin started using a service three years ago to look after her elderly cat, Butterscotch.

"I don't have to worry. If we're gone four days or two weeks, there's that sense of security that Carrie (Newgarden-Gaudioso of Nashville) is taking care of her. If she needs to take Butterscotch to the vet, I know that she knows what to do," Colvin says.

Newgarden-Gaudioso also does an initial interview with clients, which impressed Colvin.

"She took a complete history of Butterscotch," Colvin says. "She asked about medication, food preferences, what toys she likes to play with. She had all her ducks in a row."

Lunsford has several clients who want to make sure their dogs have some fun and human interaction during the day while they're stuck at work.

"You've got to be flexible in this business," Lunsford said. Flexible and willing to work while the rest of the world is playing. Weekends and holidays are heavy workdays for pet sitters. Christmas dinner is usually a quick bite between appointments, and Fourth of July fireworks cascade only across the imagination of a pet sitter with a successful business.

"We play all day," Lunsford says. "We have fun, but it's also a lot of work."