Hey,
I’ve traveled for almost half a year last year while pet sitting. In result I have 5 5* reviews on my profile. However this year wherever I apply I get declines without any message, so I’m curious if that’s my message or my profile?
My message is quite long where I tell about myself, logistics, experience, so I’m curious - HOs which messages you like to respond and which not? What you like included in the message and not? What are the green and red flags on the profile?
Yeah. Then one does not know what happened. They may have chosen another applicant. Or solved it with the help of friends. Or they may just cancelled their travel.
My applications tend to be short. And then they are not about myself (that is in my profile) but about why I applied to this sit.
Have you changed something like going from travels in your own country to trying for international sits @vaisov? Or another new pattern say something in your profile? Seems odd 
Maybe I’m just using to generic message without personalizing it and tailored to the assignment. I’ll try shorter messages more personalized based on the assignments. However the strange thing is that I was using similar template last year and it worked pretty well
That could definitely be a problem. HOs really don’t like copy & paste, it’s good to reference the pets by name, any specifics on care, your availability and reviews and a bit more too in there. Have had at least four conversations with hosts who automatically deny applications that are generic! They see it as lazy. Try that out.
@Cuttlefish brings up a good point though…are you applying in more competitive areas now? Or something like that,.i.e., different animals? Longer stays?
Also, it is seems a thing to do is attach your profile to get feedback, as it may not just be your initial email.
Good luck.
I keep my sitter applications quite brief with a hello 1 would love to be considered for while you are away. I use the persons name and the pet names. If I have anything else to say related to their requirements that is not in my profile, I will add that in there too but I am not into repeating myself as I assume that they will go ahead and read my profile. I have completed my first sit and have 4 more booked. It would be interesting to hear from HO’s about what their preferences are; a long, thorough, complete application or a short Introduction.
Yeah, if I get a message that looks boilerplate and says nothing about why they chose my sit in particular, I’m likely to decline with about as much effort as the sitter gave - although I always do include a message.
I do like learning a bit about the sitter, though! So maybe keep part of your message as a template, and then customize?
@Cuttlefish I agree . I automatically decline copy and paste applications .
A good application for me is personalised . It references my name and my cats name . Why they want to petsit for me , relevant experience with animals .
If you link your profile to the forum you might get some useful feedback.
I have now saved my profile to my forum profile here
Also sharing with you couple of recent intro messages I was using:
This one I was using for the last couple of weeks:
Hi [name],
I hope you’re doing well! I’m Sebastian from Lithuania, and > I’m reaching out about your pet sitting opportunity for > [cat’s name]. Last year, I spent six fulfilling months pet sitting > across Europe, and now I’m excited to embark on another round > of adventures, caring for pets like yours.
My career in IT, where I’ve advanced to a CTO position, > remains an active part of my professional life. Alongside > this, I’ve cultivated a strong passion for pet sitting, > combining it with my enthusiasm for travel and animal care. > Over the past year, I’ve built a strong record with several > positive references. I’ve found that animals tend to bond with > me quickly, and I’ve enjoyed taking care of both dogs and > cats. Since my lifestyle is nomadic, pet sitting has become a > way for me to enjoy the company of pets like [cat’s name].
I pride myself on being tidy, reliable, and honest. Working > remotely means I’m home most of the day, ensuring [cat name] will > get all the care and attention he needs. I also pet sit two > cats in Montpellier and one of them was sick as well, so I had > to administer the gel into his throat every other day, just so > you know I have experience with that. I always treat the homes > and pets I care for with the utmost respect, as my Airbnb > reviews can attest.
As for logistics, I’m flexible with my start date and can > adapt to your schedule. Regarding parking, since I’ll be > traveling by car, could you please confirm if there’s an > available parking space near your home?
I’d be more than happy to schedule a call to discuss this > further and learn more about Nevzat and your needs. I’m > generally available throughout the day, so please suggest a > time that suits you best.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to > the possibility of caring for [cat name] and your home.
Warm regards,
Sebastian
This one I’ve started to use yesterday:
Hi [woman’s name] and [her husband’s name],
I’m Sebastian, a nature enthusiast and experienced pet sitter, especially fond of dogs like your adorable [dog’s name]. Your chalet, surrounded by nature yet close to town, sounds like an ideal place for both > relaxation and adventure.
I’m no stranger to the responsibilities of looking after a home, garden, and pool. I understand the importance of maintaining a pool and am familiar with that. Additionally, also watering the garden > during dry spells won’t be an issue at all.
Caring for [dog’s name] would be a pleasure. I love walking and would ensure she enjoys her two daily walks and the quick bedtime outing. Ensuring her happiness and well-being would be my priority.
Your chalet sounds like a dream, and I’m excited about the opportunity to keep it clean, maintain the terraces, and of course, take in the stunning views.
One quick question – is there parking available for my car?
Looking forward to the possibility of sitting for [dog’s name] and taking care of your lovely home. Please let me know a suitable time to discuss further details.
Warm regards,
Sebastian
The new shorter application was much better, I think. That last line - do you want to discuss before confirming this sit? If you are fine without that, I would phrase that more optional. What I do is that I just sign with my full name and phone number for Whatsapp etc.
Your profile pictures look very good, but I might not read all that text. The references are very nice.
Shorter message is better
I would shorten message slightly. I would highlight more about why you want to apply for this particular sit ( it reads a little too generic for me)?
Maybe it’s just me but however fabulous someone’s home is I would never ever be “excited about the prospect of keeping it clean”! That reads as fake to me. “I would take the responsibility of looking after it and keeping it clean very seriously” sounds more realistic. But maybe you are genuinely excited about cleaning, everybody’s different!
@vaisov
If you ever add the States…save my listing 
This might be specific to people who work in tech in the U.S.:
Someone who works in IT wouldn’t be a CTO. That would come across as suspect among tech folks, because the CTO usually is the highest-level tech person and IT is usually a lower-level team. Of course, that might be different where you’re from.
That’s interesting angle. At least in Europe IT is a broad term for everything related to computers. Since I was mostly working as DevOps I doubt that people which are far from IT would understand devops/sysadmin or “working with infra” terms better 
That’s my plan! To gather enough references here in Europe and then next year go to US for 3 months to travel while pet sitting 
Saved your listing to my favourites
In my case it’s not about cleaning, but I always leave the place in the same or better condition I’ve found. That means - vacuum all the floors, clean the dust from all tables, clean the kitchen. Basically leave it fresh for the owners to come.
Thanks for the insights, I’ll adapt my message!
