Hi fellow house sitters! Just wondering what the faddiest diet your pets have ever had having watched a programme where an owner was flash frying fillet steak and the chewing it before giving it to the dog.
We’ve had to go to Waitrose for fresh spit-roasted chicken in the past and had to flash fry liver for the dog’s breakfast. Has anyone else had any weird or wonderful requests?
Flash frying liver first thing in the morning (actually anytime) would be a no from this vegetarian , yuk!
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I had a sit a few years ago in England where the dog had raw meat which I had to defrost and weigh every day and tinned reindeer meat, which was very expensive!
Hi @Jane I’m crying at the image of someone lovingly searing fillet steak, then chewing it like a mother bird before presenting it to their dog. Peak devotion. Peak madness. Peak THS.
Our “faddiest” was a spaniel who required his meals to be served warm, not hot, not cold — “Goldilocks temperature,” according to the owner. I stood there more than once, waving a fork around in the air like a lunatic, waiting for the thermometer of destiny to align.
Then there was Basil — our favourite little white fluffy — who would only eat in one exact spot outside. Rain, hail or sideways sleet, that was his sacred dining location. And he absolutely refused to eat if anyone was watching. Turning around wasn’t enough… oh no. We had to physically leave the room and pretend we weren’t monitoring his Michelin-star patio experience from behind a wall.
Another winner: a terrier who would only eat if you pretended it was your dinner first. I had to sit at the table, plate in front of me, theatrically “tucking in,” while he hovered underneath like an art critic judging my performance. Then — and only then — would he eat. I’ve never been so aware of my acting skills being evaluated by a dog.
Honestly, nothing surprises me anymore. If a homeowner told me their poodle only ate artisanal quinoa slow-cooked under a waxing moon, I’d probably just nod and ask for the recipe.
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@Jane, spit-roasted chicken and liver certainly seems like a heck of a breakfast!
We’ve encountered plenty of odd pet diets. And seemingly complicated pet feeding routines.
Several BARF diets, that vary from pre-packaged to homemade.
One dog had a diet of boiled chicken breasts and grated cheese.
We have come to applaud pet parents that feed pets with kibble. Easy.
Perhaps biggest surprise for us in terms of doggy diets has been “dishwasher prewashing” … dog encouraged to lick leftovers on human plates, cutlery, pots, etc after placed in dishwasher. Never crossed our imaginations that this was even a thing - but we’ve faced this several times - we smile politely, ignore instructions and add more kibble to the dog bowl to compensate for equivalent calories 
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@GotYourBack Ohhh we sooo agree. When an HO says “It’s just kibble,” we both nod politely… then immediately ask them to repeat it, just in case there’s a hidden five-step marinading ritual we’ve somehow missed 
Because let’s be honest — “just kibble” is the plot twist we never fully trust anymore.
Never heard of reindeer meat! That’s a new one!
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