@Itchyfeet that is SO cool! mind you I don’t know if I would want to watch the bumfight of seven tortoise trying to get to the pen!!!
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@Itchyfeet a very nice story…you were certainly ready for a change of direction…we are lucky to be in the company of these beautiful animals…happy travels
@anon36831737 …hello Hoppy RIP
Hi @anon49809275 I lost my friend, Otis a few years ago and I miss him every day. I think that it’s normal to be emotional when housesitting, visiting other pets that remind you of your beloved bestie. We go through this with all of our loved ones. You have lost a family member and his memory will always stay with you. I see your misty-eyed moments as tokens of love for him. Embrace those moments…it’s good for you.
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Every single time and I think the owners get attached to us too. I now have some owners plan their holidays around when I’m available or give me advance notice when they are about to post a sit.
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Oh YES! Its all about the animals for me…and if I am honest…the apple pie the very thoughtful HO left behind! I hope HOs are reading this!
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Oh yes! We just got back from a cat sit. We lost our two 18 year old cats 4 years ago and, because we moved to Europe and currently don’t want to be tied down, we aren’t going to get any more for the foreseeable future.
We fell head over heals in love with little Sydney, a Bengal baby. I cried when I had to say goodbye and still look at photos and videos we took.
It’s one if the many privileges of caring for someone’s home and pet family though - even if it hurts.
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Oh bless, yes we do, especially when we do further sits or pop in for a visit (if we are in the local area) It’s worth it though as we build our own special relationship with them and they remember us as soo as we arrive.
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I always find it hard to say goodbye. I guess I’m just a "bonder.”
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Hi @Edith I don’t think you are alone there, I’m sure many of us feel exactly the same, I nearly always shed a tear and if we’ve been together for a while, it’s even harder.
Animal lovers with big hearts the main reason we do what we do … thank you for sharing 
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Before finding THS we did borrowmydoggy in the UK and cared for a little chihuahua on-and-off for around a year. Her owner would travel for work and we’d often care for her at our home for weeks at a time. When we eventually moved out of London and cared for her the last time we both cried and when I gave her back to her owner I cried a lot. I think he was quite taken aback at how much we loved her but we really felt like she was a part of our family after a year. We still talk about her often 5 years on 
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I bond with some pets more than others for various reasons, but I definitely have pets that I’ve become totally attached to. I watched a dog named Mr Pickles in Edinburgh on my first sit and I still think of him and was sorely tempted on my last trip to the city to pop by and leave a note on their door to see if I could say hi. And there was a dog named Floh a few years ago that I really wanted to take with me when I left. She was basically perfect in every way. And lovely Lucille of the fat warm belly who regards me with suspicion for the first couple days I’m there and then won’t leave my side.
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We just recently did our first sit with 4 wonderful cats. Our cat passed away in 2018 and left a big whole in our hearts. I am amazed at how quickly you can become attached, and in a short period of time. I miss them! Thanks for sharing.
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Hi @Jeanne congratulations on your first sit caring for 4 wonderful cats.
There are many sitters who have lost beloved pets and found joy again through pet sitting. I am one, it really helped heal my heart but it does have an occupational hazard, getting attached and having to say goodbye but as the saying goes …
Or a cat, horse, llama in fact for animal lovers, any creature great or small … and there is another new furry friend waiting at the next sit, make sure you have plenty of tissues though. 
Thank you for sharing your story.
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Almost all of the dogs! Finished this morning with Gilligan in Houston, a 12 yo mix who was really a great dog to sit with.
He would bring me his Bullwinkle (I think) a few times a day. Not to play or anything, just to show it to me.
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We feel head over heals in love with a kitty we sat for over
August in France. He was so sweet and presious, purring and loving. We still talk about him.
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I have found that animals have an innate sense of which human in the room, will greet them with a loving touch. They are more than happy to reciprocate, with the unconditional love we’ve all encountered, from most pets we’ve interacted with in our lifetime. I can’t imagine not falling in love with each pet we meet…it’s the joy of the pet sitting experience for us.
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Ha! I find the opposite. Especially with cats. They’re so contrary. If I (who will cuddle pretty much anything) am in a room with someone who doesn’t like animals, 8/10 times the cat makes a beeline for the other person and ignores me. Guess I’m putting out a desperation vibe. 
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I agree. I feed the cats, deal with their litter trays. They jump onto my lap, walk over me till they reach Mr Itchy feet then sit on his lap!!
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Today I finish a 3 week sit and I can hardly bring myself to leave for the train station. I’m sitting here teary-eyed and wondering if other sitters go through this. This dog and I have spent hundreds of hours together and really bonded. 
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