When they start treating the sitter like servants instead of an equal. It’s a personal thing and everyone has their limits.
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I don’t think number of animals should be restricted as I haven’t found that much correlation between that and the amount of work/time taken. It’s more about the type of animals and their individual traits. Mucking out stables and care for 2 horses is going to be more work than feed/water 6 cats.
The most time-consuming pet ‘work’ I’ve done was two dogs. More than the sits I’ve done for 7 animals, and another one for 11 animals.
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It wasn’t disclosed upfront, I was taken unawares.
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I agree, but would also include that the pet parents level of organization and planning makes a huge difference in the amount of work involved with any animal care. The amount of work involved with one domestic dog/cat vs a small farm, is hugely dependent on how well the homeowner has organized and prepared the scenario for the sitter
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I hear what you’re saying, but sometimes I have a hard time believing some of the descriptions that hosts share in the forum about how it takes them next to no time or effort to do X for their menagerie.
I mean, maybe they’re super efficient or they’re misrepresenting things so they can land a sitter. And even if they’re efficient, that’s their routine and experience.
By contrast, a sitter(s) coming into a new situation wouldn’t typically have the routine down, so it would take more time or effort. Plus, animals might react differently to a stranger and/or their regular humans being gone suddenly.
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I have just arrived at a large 4-bed house for a dog and a cat. There is a huge back garden, front garden and many indoor plants they would like me to keep watered! This always bugs me when they leave the poor plants dry as a bean. My bedroom looks nice and big but they have not left one draw or cupboard space for me - yep, live out of my suitcase for 10 days! I’m tempted to chuck some of their stuff into other draws just to make myself room. I’m administering medication to both pets - one of the meds is so over-complicated - it’s in a dropper so why not tell me how many drops rather than 0.04 into a syringe which is so easy to get wrong? Arrival - she’s on her phone and I’m standing there looking wondering when she’ll bother to look up. They’re so invested in their own packing too. I find nothing in the fridge or provisions for even just that evening so I have to step out to Sainsbury’s - 15 min walk there and then back with a rucksack. Hardly a welcome. I should have been warned - there were signs. The woman was always saying ‘sorry’ hmmm, that’s a sign. The welcome pack never got to me but I got a few typed pages on arrival. It’s been good to read other sitters’ experience. Some PPs are great and others are just selfish. As she was bringing me to the house, she said ‘I couldn’t do what you do’ - she probably finds it all too demeaning and yet I was the only one to apply for the sit. Problem is when doing the review - you want to be honest about it and fair without taking it to extremes. Sharing knowledge is a good call. Happy sitting folks!
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Make sure you write an honest review. Your pp sounds entitled….
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Wow!!! That’s not an exchange, that’s exploitation.
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Dodo, was that not in the listing… the meds, the watering of plants, etc?
Did they not tell you about your responsibilities so that you could decline? I hope they were up front!
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I think that listing should be removed tbh, I wish I had reported it. I took a screenshot to show my wife how ridiculous it was
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If they’re being transparent and not violating THS terms, why not allow the listing? You never know why a sitter might apply. And if the sit is undesirable, then no one applies, which is a self-correcting problem.
I can already imagine one potential reason why someone might apply: Let’s say they aspire to own such a household / menagerie themselves and want to see how hard or manageable (or not) it is, it could be worthwhile. (I say that, because I’ve previously read that some folks new to that type of lifestyle spent years working toward it and then regret it once they’ve achieved their own small holding. That’s apparently a lifestyle daydream not related to THS.)
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I agree some folks want the farm experience but there really should be a way to make sure sitters don’t fall prey to predatory listings…
If someone was to take the sit I posted a pic of just to figure out if they liked that experience and let’s say broke an electric fence they could easily be on the books not only with a bad review but also having to pony up for repais which could’ve been avoided if they hired a farmhand to do the electric maintenance while the sitter forcuses on the animals… same with the horse feed delivery… a slipped disc would be no joke as an outcome.
There’s a fine line between exchange and exploitation. I think ths needs a guideline to keep it even and fair.
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@Ckone2541 I just found that sit again. Its in Weisser, ID, US. A 6 month sit.. Still open but 4 applicants now. Can’t believe anyone would willingly take on so much responsibility without compensation!
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Maybe because that region has undergone growth as people from nearby states have moved there — they sell in pricier areas and buy in Idaho. That squeezes out some locals price wise when it comes to housing.
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The trouble is, there are plenty of sitters who will take on these kind of demands. It angers me not just because it’s unfair, but because I’m also a professional animal-sitter - and when there are people willing to act as unpaid farm-hands, it deprives people like me of jobs.
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That’s actually super sad because it opens even more room for exploitation…
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That’s the whole thing, there are house sit exchanges and then situations like this athat are supposed to be paid labor.
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I interpret this as a Livery yard business…. where the horse owners do 6 days and the home owner does the 7th day this would explain why it’s only a requirement to groom/muck out once a week or maybe there’s a stable hand employed 6 days a week. Collecting grain reinforces my livery yard theory, tossing hay for x8 horses is actually not too bad depending how you’re expected to transport the hay and the distance involved. Regarding electric fencing anyone sitting horses would need to be able to do this, horsey people wouldn’t think twice tbh. Yes to me it sounds like a livery business at the homeowner’s place.
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They themselves say it’s a full time job. It shouldn’t be allowed
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Yep, I’m super picky now.
I once had a sit that flagged up heritage sites and tourist attractions in their profile that are an half an hours drive away, then ssai that there are time constraints -the dogs can only be left for 2 hours max, as they walk out of the door.
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