Tag: Trusted Housesitters

Pet Sit Prep for Trusted Housesitters

On By Travels with MelindaIn pet sitting, Travel, travel hacks, travel tips, travelling, Trusted Housesitter, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Congratulations! You’ve been accepted for your first pet sit by applying online with Trusted Housesitters. Now what? It’s very important to clearly communicate with your pet sit hosts prior to and during the visit while they are away. For our international sit, we arrived the day before starting, stayed in a local hotel at our own expense, and let our hosts know when we landed so they would be able to relax knowing their pet sitters were in the country. We met the hosts several hours before they departed for their flight the next day, so we could get a house walk-through, meet the pet, and ask any questions. Be sure to have your hosts fill out the Trusted Housesitters online guide in advance so you have time to read it and prepare questions for them. Even for domestic sits, we followed this plan and all has gone well so far. While you are at your pet sit, send pictures of the pet to their owner so they know all is going well. Follow my tips below for a great pet-sitting experience!

And if you haven’t already joined Trusted Housesitters, use this link to get 25% off and start your pet-sitting adventures today!

IMPORTANT TIPS-BEFORE THE PET OWNER LEAVES YOU IN CHARGE!

  • Have the hosts physically show you how to operate all appliances. We have learned how to use unique microwave/oven combos, a very fancy coffee espresso machine, a gas hob aka stove with electric oven, radiator heat, etc. Ask the owner where they keep instructions on how to use everything or, better yet, get online links to them. In France on our girl’s trip, we had to watch a YouTube video on how to work the washer/dryer because all the labels on the panel were in French. We eventually found out in London that their dryer didn’t vent outside but rather had a water collection tube that needed to be emptied so that it could dry the clothes. After several hours of clothes tumbling without drying, we investigated further and figured it out. We have learned to just ask the hosts to show us how to work all their appliances before they leave us in charge.
  • Have owners show you how to lock up their house, which seems uncomplicated until you stay at an old house with multiple door locks. Try it yourself before they leave. Ask the host if there is a door key hidden outside the house in case you forget your key on an auto locking door. You do not want to have to take out the window screen and crawl through a window like we had to at our first pet sit when the door key code stopped working. The hosts were mortified because it was their fault that the guest key code setting expired. Who else has keys in case you lock yourself out? Housekeeper? Neighbor? Is there a relative close by? Stuff happens. Be prepared.
  • Ask for neighbor names, contact info, neighborhood groups on WhatsApp or Facebook, etc. You never know when you might need local help.
  • It’s very important to follow your hosts’ instructions as every pet is different with their sleep/eating/medication/walk schedules. You might be used to giving your own pet a treat after every walk, but you should respect the owners wishes. For one sit, the pup got their food weighed for each meal and put into an eating dish that had several compartments to help the pet eat more slowly to aid digestion and no pet “treats” were allowed.
  • Whether or not the pet is allowed on furniture is another topic to discuss. One pet owner lost that battle a long time ago they said so their dog would run from couch to couch to look out the window at birds and passerby’s. This pup was not one to bark but another good question to ask pet owners is if the animal you are watching barks a lot, especially important in apartments where neighbors might be bothered by it. Does the pet sleep in a crate or expect to cuddle up with you? Important to ask this question before you accept the sit just in case you don’t want four lively dogs sharing your bed. That happened to us!
  • When walking dogs, there may be rain and thus mud, so be ready to use a towel to wipe down the pup after every walk. While the owners might feel comfortable allowing their dog off leash, we don’t feel comfortable with that, and we tell pet owners that we will keep their dog(s) leashed for all outside walks. You never know if a random dog might get aggressive and bite your dog (it has happened to our pets!) so we want to have some control to keep everyone safe.
  • Another local hazard we were advised of on one of our pet sits was to watch out for foxes both in the backyard (they climbed over the home back-office structure roof to gain entry) and when out walking the dog in the neighborhood. We don’t have that problem back home as really only squirrels are running around our local area.
  • Make sure to ask the hosts how much time their pet should be left alone. In the initial interview before you are chosen, be prepared to share if you are planning any day trips or want to do a lot of sightseeing when you pet sit. If you are thinking that you might try to slip away and the owners won’t find out, I would advise against that as most places have security cameras (check with hosts on this so you know in advance) and neighbors who will be watching your movements for the hosts. We did have one sit with an interior camera which we turned to the wall, but the outside cameras are fine and good for security reasons.
  • Speaking of security, be sure to get all the information on how their systems work, passcodes and #’s to call for the security company if you have a problem. Most pet owners will leave you with phone #’s of any person we might need locally for help with the alarm system.
  • For the month-long London sit we did, they had a house cleaner, window washer, and a gardener come every week. Yeah! Ask your pet owners if any service people are allowed in the house while they are gone. If you don’t have cleaning help, be sure to leave the house in pristine condition when you leave. We try to wash the towels and sheets prior to leaving, take out the garbage, do floors and light cleaning of entire house. This type of attention to detail will result in 5-star reviews and being chosen for future pet sits.

Finally, have fun staying in a new location and getting to know your new furry friends. Enjoy the journey!

Annapolis Pet Sit

On By Travels with MelindaIn Annapolis, pet sitting, Trusted HousesitterLeave a comment

We came to pet sit a dog, a cat, and a bird in Annapolis. A surprise bonus was Momma Dove giving birth in her back porch nest during our stay. Indoor AND outdoor animals to watch on this sit! If you’ve never tried pet sitting, I would highly recommend it. You get to meet new furry (and feathered) friends, visit new places, and all through a reliable service, Trusted Housesitters, that we have used for years!

The birds flying through the forest we overlooked were very entertaining. The aggressive bluebird attacked the squirrels who dared trying to get to their birdfeeders. Also, I spied a movement on the forest floor, and it turned out to be a large, quite fast turtle. Thom even saw a fox lurking in the back yard. Quite different from our urban home and that is why we love to pet sit. New experiences! I’m sure the dove family was glad when we left so they could enjoy their new baby in peace. You just never know what you’ll encounter when you pet sit!

From a charming Seattle neighborhood to a farm in Idaho to a month in the London burbs, we have pet sit chickens, a canary, horses/donkeys, all kinds of dogs, and always aloof cats. While it is bittersweet to leave after you have bonded with the pets, it’s satisfying to know you kept someone’s beloved furry/feathered family safe and happy while they were away. Plus, you get to experience a new place. Even though we had stayed in Annapolis before, on this stay we had time to check out some new places like the most awesome vinyl store, Third Eye, and an Irish pub with live music, Galway Bay. We even saw a double rainbow when we went on a sunset cruise from the downtown Annapolis harbor. It poured as we were getting onto the boat but, as they say in Hawaii, “no rain, no rainbows”!

Every time we travel home from a sit, we have a new list of what we should have brought with us. We have been lucky to only have good experiences in homes but no home can have everything you are used to having so we have learned to pack accordingly and purchase after arriving if necessary. Here’s just a few items to add to your basic packing list so you are ready to pet sit:

  1. Bug spray and anti-itch cream-we live in an urban home, but we so enjoyed sitting on the back deck of our latest sit and watching the birds and forest animals. However, the mosquitos were loving my husband’s blood way too much.
  2. Food/condiments/spices-most pet sit owners will tell you to help yourself to what they have in the kitchen pantry, but, if you want things other than the basic salt/pepper/sugar, bring it if you can. Otherwise, we typically hit the local grocery the first day of a sit to fill in after we check out their kitchen.
  3. Power strip-on pet sits, you are usually given their guest room to stay in. As with most bedrooms that aren’t used heavily, sometimes they aren’t outfitted with outlets by each nightstand that you might need for your electronics. So, we bring a power strip with a long cord to use. Nothing worse than having to get out of bed in a new environment to get your phone to see the time in the middle of the night.
  4. Nightlight-you’re in a new place, you may want a night light in your bedroom or bathroom so you can get around safely.
  5. Shampoo/body wash/etc.-I typically don’t use the owner’s products and bring my own.
  6. Pillows/throws-when we drive to a sit, we can bring more stuff. We are picky about our pillows, so we bring one each with us. It makes for more comfortable sleeping. We also bring our travel blankets as we like to lounge on the coach with a throw while we watch tv and not everyone has them in their house.

Here are just a few other tips to remember if you want to try pet sitting:

  1. Make sure to know where the cleaning supplies are in case there are pet “accidents”. You need to be ready to clean up as needed. Ditto with paper towels and garbage bags.
  2. The pet owner will tell you about the pet’s feeding times and food. Follow their guidelines even if you may think they are restrictive. Not every dog gets a treat after a walk even though our spoiled pup at home does! Do not introduce any new food into the pet’s diet while you are there. It may be tempting to sneak them a pretzel or treat but I wouldn’t recommend it. You don’t know how they will react and you don’t want a pet with a tummy ache.
  3. Know where you can walk the pet. In a managed neighborhood, there will be public areas where pets can relieve themselves and other areas which may be off limits. In general, anyone’s lawns other than your own will be off limits and you need to respect that so the owner doesn’t get complaints.
  4. Check to see if any outdoor or indoor plants need to be watered while the owner is away. You don’t want them to come home to sad or dead plants.
  5. Stay in contact with the owner. If there are any problems, loop them in for advice. Sending pics of their pets is nice too.
  6. Most hosts won’t ask you to wash your sheets and towels, but we do it every time. They are coming home with their own dirty laundry, and it is always a nice surprise if they don’t have all their pet sitter’s laundry to do too.

If you want to try pet sitting, use this link to get 25% off your membership at Trusted Housesitters, the company we’ve used for years, both to get sitters and to be sitters. To read about our other pet sits, read my other blog posts here: https://travelswithmelinda.com/category/pet-sitting/

Enjoy the journey!

Sunset cruise from Annapolis harbor!

Down on the farm pet sit!

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Boise, Dog, Idaho, pet sitting, Travel, travel apps, travel hacks, travel tips, travelling, Trusted Housesitter, Uncategorized1 Comment

After our successful pet sit in Seattle, we embarked on a totally different type of pet sit-down on the farm! Literally. As I shared previously, we have started a new adventure as pet sitters using the TrustedHousesitters app. We had a quick turnaround of almost two days home from the Seattle pet sit before we did our walkthrough with the home and pet owner in Idaho, about an hour away from our home in Boise. One of the first pieces of advice the owner shared: “If you see a cow in the yard, stay in the house and call neighbor XXX. They’ll come get it.” Good to know. Cows happen and you need to be ready!

Instead of walking a dog around an urban neighborhood and swinging by the coffee shop on the way home for an Americano, for this pet sit we checked in on the chickens, geese and horses while watching the four older dogs take their outdoor break wandering around the yard. The littlest pup could easily be a hawk snack, so we watched them closely and carefully while they were outside. No bird kidnapping on our watch!

The pups were all older (8-13 years old) and had an unparalleled capacity to sleep, preferably in a cushy pet bed or on the couch on top of fluffy blankets. What a life! Now, we have been dog owners forever so sitting a dog is in our wheelhouse. Chickens were a whole new experience for us! We collected the eggs every day and had a fresh farm to table (5-minute trip) breakfast every day. We learned that it is a thing to put golf balls into the laying bins to teach the chickens where to lay eggs. Who knew??? Well, now we all do. We just had to make sure they had feed and water and they existed quite well with the horses and geese who share their fenced-in pasture. The very loud geese let loose on us whenever we got close by vs. the horses who just grazed and chilled out. Another piece of advice the pet owner had-don’t get near the fence because the geese can stick their long necks through and nip you. Okay!

We enjoyed the beautiful views of the rolling hills and fields as well as spectacular sunsets and stars. The mosquitos that are almost big enough to carry the small pup away? Not so much but the owners left us several spray cans of repellent. While we love the urban lifestyle, it is refreshing to live in a way you would normally never get a chance to do. I think that is why pet sitting will be just wonderful for us. We get to see new places, love and care for new animals and explore different lifestyles. Next up, our London gig where we will be back walking only one dog (a breeze after caring for four dogs!) around an urban neighborhood. Hopefully, there will be a nice coffee shop close by and I’m sure there will be plenty of pubs. Enjoy the journey!

How does pet sitting through Trusted Housesitters work and how much does it cost? Well, first you have to be a paid member of Trusted Housesitters (join here and get 25% off-annual pricing membership varies from $189+). Membership includes a free background check. Post personal references, pictures and details about why you want to pet sit. When we were picking our pet sitters, we reviewed all the applicants and looked for people who had favorable recommendations from their previous pet sits. We would then narrow it down by connecting with the two best applicants by virtual chat (Zoom) or by phone to get to know them better before making a final decision. We would typically get multiple applicants depending on the location-we got a lot more interest from applicants when we lived in a beautiful apartment in Seattle than in our house in Boise. Both being the pet sitter and having a pet sitter come in to take care of your animals are free other than the annual membership fee. What a deal!