My grandmother always said that she was happier to give than to receive. She was right. Being able to give is a selfish pleasure though but one I also enjoy. The worol is composed of two types, givers and takers. I am so much happier to be a giver.
I totally agree with you.
I’m a new HO and I’m glad I’m reading this as I was planning on emptying out my fridge before we leave. Of course, we’ll leave all spices and sauces but I wouldn’t leave produce. For one, I’m very picky about the brand of milk, egg, etc. I would think everybody has their own preference.
I am not picky. I will use the milk, cheese, produce that owners left in the fridge. I cannot imagine anybody travelling insisting on their local brands.
But at the present sit in Geneva I found a jar of Swedish pepparrot sås in the fridge, horseradish sauce. The HOs are not even Swedish. Explanation: IKEA.
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I like to give them gift cards to our favorite nearby coffee shop (5-minute walk) or our favorite neighborhood restaurant (which has been around for a long time and is considered one of the best in the city).
We also like to leave wine, snacks, and all the essentials in the kitchen for cooking meals and making breakfast.
I had a great connection with one of my sitters last year, and we’ve kept in touch, actually. I brought her a gift from our trip, which I already knew she would like. When I met her and gave her our walk-through, we became fast friends. I normally pack very light and I’m always conscious that people might not like what I bring them back, so that is why I would rather just give them gifts that they will enjoy at my place or in the neighborhood.
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I love a snack gift basket. Only one HO has done this out of the 20+ I’ve sat for, and it really stood out to me. A few have brought back gifts, but i’d rather have something to enjoy while sitting.
This thread is so interesting to me! I’m a sitter and no HO has ever gifted me anything, but I always gift them (or at least their pet) something. I feel left out. 
Poor you! Most of my HOs have been very generous with dinners, loads of wine, etc. And with days before without pet responsibilities. Now for Christmas I was invited for a stay without pets because they knew that I had relatives there! (but I will be on a sit in Stockholm instead). I once had a gift card for an upscale delicatessen, that was nice.
I am not good at thinking of things to reciprocate with. There may be some food or drink that I bought that I did not finish. Sometimes there are things that I forget to take with me (for example my charger). I have had to buy cat food. And I bought a power strip that I have left behind because the plugs there are different.
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@Pnurse for me the best ‘gift’ is simply being a great host:
- a pickup from train/bus/airport,
- hospitality (most often dinner or takeaway),
- … and arriving to an immaculate house that looks like the photos.
Those are the ingredients of a super gift.
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We ask about some basic provisions to have on hand and just a bit of cash for a sitter to spend as they wish.
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Re: empty vs stocked fridge:
Right before my first (month long) sit, the opinions on this forum were overwhelmingly that a clean, EMPTY fridge was the preferred way to prepare. I always ask my sitters if they will use up things like milk and cheese (and if they have allergies), but my goal is to use up as much as possible, and not leave anything that would expire while I’m gone unless it’s been specifically cleared with the sitter as something they’d welcome. My last sit was a week, so I left more than prior sits because I knew it would still be good upon return if the sitter didn’t want it - but the sitter also told me they would not be using the kitchen much and only needed room for breakfast things.
I leave a welcome card and wine, a transit card for use while they are here, a gift card to some local cafe or bistro, and some cash for emergencies. For the holidays, I’ll be leaving some holiday foods as well.
So far, I have not crossed paths with sitters on my way back - if I did, I’d bring something small from my travels. I don’t expect anything but a happy cat and a relatively clean place, although one sitter left me a card and bought me a box of tea that she’d seen that I like. Thoughtful and appreciated! But I’d be uncomfortable if a sitter spent a ton of time or more than $10 on something for me.
We always left a meal in the fridge and took them out for meal before or after sit to show our gratitude
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I don’t expect a gift as a sitter, but I’m always grateful and happy for any gift, even if it’s cheap or small. Sometimes I give the owner a gift too, especially if I had a good time with them before. Similarly, as an owner, I also reward the sitter with a gift if they did a good job before.
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As a house sitter many owners have left us a gift of sorts - a few beers, a restaurant voucher, a coffee card, use of public transport card etc. It’s not necessary, but it is appreciated. In turn, as a house sitter, we like to buy the home owner a small gift in appreciation.
HO Here and my sitters are free to use everything that i have in the kitchen and house.
If they come in on a saturday i usually fill up the fridge with basics for brekkie to get over the weekend (as supermarkets are closed here on Sundays).
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It will be interesting to watch this thread to see if anything changes once the new Pet Parent Review categories go live, with Hospitality being one of the five.
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@Pnurse I had a HO prepare a nice meal the night before they left and they brought me back a lovely hand blown glass Christmas decoration when they returned. It was a lovely gesture. I did a small shop for them before they returned.
There are many ways to make a sitter feel welcome and appreciated.
That was very kind of them, @anon42826925 ! I agree that there are many ways to show appreciation to a sitter, even simple gestures make a difference.
As a sitter, we much prefer a home with a fridge that doesn’t contain any open perishable products. Even better if the HO clears out a couple of shelves we can use in the fridge. We typically cook at home often during sits and it is really difficult when a HO leaves us a very full fridge.
Most of our HO’s have purchased a meal for us, left us some snacks or wine, and some have even left a gift card. We really appreciate it when this happens, although of course we don’t expect it.
You don’t want any milk, butter, jam? No condiments either?
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