No, I do not think withdrawing an application reflects poorly on a Sitter. In fact, I think the exact opposite. For whatever reason, the Sitter decided that they no longer wanted to apply for a particular Sit, and they did the responsible thing: withdrew their application.
With the 5 applicant rule, I think that many Sitters apply for Sits without really thinking it through thoroughly before applying. And so…
I think your strategy might depend on your location. I live in a location where I am likely to get a lot more than five applicants. If I see an application and read the profile and it doesn’t match my needs, I decline right away, and unpause for more applicants. This could be someone with no cat or little cat experience for instance, or someone who seems to be very far away applying for a short sit with no explanation or plan for getting to me in their application note. If I am then left with sitters who look suitable I reach out to set up video chats. I reach out initially through the platform email but if there is another method – like WhatsApp – I’ll leave a message on WhatsApp that I’ve left a message on the email. I’ll check back often so if I can set up a video with one out of up to three people I will.
It might look like this: I get five applications. I decline three immediately. I get three more. Of those five, there are two people I reach out to. Then I get three more applications. Of those three new applications, there is one person I reach out to. The first person who gets back to me gets the chat which I try to set up for as soon as possible. If that person seems to be putting off the chat, telling me they are “busy” etc then no matter how enthusiastic they seem, I’ve learned from experience, to just set up the chat for when they want it, but meantime if someone else gets back to me to set up a chat sooner, I have that chat. If that works out, I won’t wait for the person I’m supposed to speak to three days later or the person who never got back to me.
Usually, the person who is putting off the chat in my experience is acting strategically and hoping that their more favored sit will come through. The reason it is favored is not personal, but may have to do with dates, length of sit, etc.
You can also try to do some pre-chat vetting, by sending a message that shows you read their application and ask them a question or two to clarify something before reaching out for a chat. If they don’t answer back, that’s a sign right there.
My experience as a homeowner is that usually if someone isn’t getting back to me, it’s best to move on. If someone is eager for the sit, they’ll respond.