Hello my name is Heidi and I’m a returning pet owner. I was a member a few years ago. I didn’t continue my membership as I was let down last minute on two separate occasions with sits. I had to rely heavily on family and friends to cover both sits and felt so let down and stressed by the situations. …

Yes we do that too for shorter sits.

Timing when to list your sit can be tricky. Is it over a holiday? Is it Long? Short? Do you have a desirable area that is highly coveted? Do you have only a cat or two (also highly coveted?). Is the weather great in June? So many things!! Can you link your profile and tell us the length of the sit …

On our second sit the HO quizzed us carefully regarding how committed we were to the sit as they had been let down before. Personally we would only apply if we had full intent to follow through if we matched. It never occurred to us HO’s might cancel! I do wonder how many sits never get filled thoug…

I’ve been pondering this issue of cancelling. We know from govt stats that there’s an average 6% absenteeism from work due to illness so if 6% of HOs are ill they might cancel a sit (or a sitter might cancel if ill). If we look at GP appointments in the UK in the past 40% of people didn’t turn up an…

@Heididavis For June you have plenty of time to find another sitter . It does seems very unfortunate and not the norm to have had 3 confirmed sitters cancel . Did any of these sitters give a reason for cancelling? Did these sitters have lots of good reviews ( not just references) ? Did you have…

I’m afraid that’s just one opinion, not a fact. My commitment has nothing to do with money. Once I commit to something, only force majeure will prevent me from doing it. My word is more valuable to me than money.

Not everyone is like you. All other things being equal, a paid service is less likely to cancel than a volunteer.

There’s another way to look at this. If a service has been monetized, that means it is transferable, so I wouldn’t be so worried about cancelling, meaning, if I don’t get that money, another person will and the service will still be offered. Paid workers are more readily available than volunteers. I…

[1000002038] @Henry_R yes this has certainly proven to be a fact in the past for “some people” hasn’t it! Wink wink :wink: :face_with_monocle: I’m actually really surprised by your comment on such a topic!

Feeling worried

Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat

Henry_R 9 March 2026 21:11 11

You cannot expect the same level of commitment and reliability from an unpaid sitter versus a paid service, that’s just how it is unfortunately.

New Owner-1st time - terrible sitter

The host has threatened to file a complaint with THS about me

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Feeling worried

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