Hello happy people! I am sure this topic has already been discussed recently but I would welcome any suggestions/comments: where have all the catsitters gone???
We advertised our request for catsitting 24h ago and have received 1 application only! We have been using this platform in the past and had so many applicants, so quickly….
Any idea? Do we need to improve the way we present our profile?
Have a peaceful day 
Nadine
Hi @PUECH
A warm welcome back to the forum.
I see you still have a New button on your listing, so it will still be fairly high up on the website.
I am sure you will have some more applicants, but if you need assistance, always reach out to support@trustedhousesitters.com so they can help boost your listing, so you can find your perfect sitter.
It does look like a nice sit but I think there’s still a relative shortage of sitters (compared to before 2020) + some people might not be able to afford to travel and rent a car right now. Just sit and wait, 24 hours isn’t a long time at all.
Your cats look absolutely adorable @PUECH. I can see your last sitters did not leave feedback for you but you gave them a lovely review. It might be a good idea to request feedback from them. Also I’m not sure whether you are aware of the automatic pausing of applications once 5 have been received. You will find more information about this if you click on the spyglass in the top right corner. This will impact the many applications you are so used to receiving. I see you have 2 applicants already so I’m sure more will follow.
Thank you! You are absolutely right, not sure why our previous cat sitters never wrote a review because we requested it already, but I guess people are busy and forget… I will reach out to them.
Take care
N.
Thank u Therese, will do! I remembered that u suggested to paste the listing link to my profile on the community forum, correct?
Your sit looks great to this cat person, and since it is 2 months away, you will probably get good applicants.
You say “sitters need a car” - is it really essential or just desirable? That designation might deter a lot of sitters who are happy staying local or using public transportation/rideshare.
Hi Nadine,
Beautiful cats and a wonderful area you live in. Visited Brittany a lot as a child many decades ago.
I guess for sitters like me that don’t drive then needing a car is an issue. Also the number of days that one can stay in the Schengen area means your longer stay may rule out some sitters.
Lassie, thanks for your feedback. The issue of the car is very important. We live in the countryside with very limited access to public transportation. A car is needed for shopping, to go to the sea, for visits, etc. We have everything nearby but with a car. In addition, the sitters would need a car to take our cats to the vet if something happens (God forbid). We could let the cat sitters use our car but it’s something I am not really comfortable with (we have only one car!). What’s your view on letting the cat sitters use our own car?
Take good care
N.
Bonjour Puech.
Transportation is a big “think about” for many of us.
Personally, I excluded everything that needs to drive on the left side of the road or request me to rent a car. There could be an exception for renting if there was a good deal or an exceptional sit.
After covering the cost of the flight, I want to keep it low expenses in order to have a long life petsitting.
So I either drive from home, take public transportation or UBER while on the petsit location. If the car is included, it is a bonus for me.
Hello and thanks for your feedback. The car is a big issue because we live in the countryside, with limited public transportation. What is the number of days you can stay in the Schengen area, just out of curiosity?
Hi Nadine,
Your cats and home look lovely and your sit is one we would be likely to favourite if we end up buying a car on our return to Europe this summer. As it is, we wouldn’t apply because of the car situation.
As for your listing, I would suggest adding a photo of the sitters bathroom.
I’m sure your chats will find a lovely sitter!
We’ve done lots of sits in Europe (we’re British and Turkish respectively both with European licences) & have used the HO’s cars on nearly every sit. We sometimes sign a private agreement that we are liable if there is an accident. We have done this in Italy, Switzerland, Spain & Portugal so far. It’s so expensive to hire cars now that we would rule it out entirely if this wasn’t an option.
Good evening, thank u for your comment. Please keep in touch once u have bought the car as we will need catsitting again before the end of the year!
Thank u for the suggestion as regards the sitters bathroom.
In addition, we need to do more pictures for our profile in spring when it’s sunny and we can see the flowers in the garden!
Good evening and thank u for your feedback. We already thought about letting the sitters use our car (it’s an automatic car). It could be an option but, I guess, only for people who have done it before and are comfortable using the HO’s car…. and used to driving in France (small roads, reckless drivers etc.).
We are aware that renting cars are very expensive these days.
What do other people on this forum think about it?
I have been allowed to use the HO’s car, and have allowed one sitter to use my car (the only time I wasn’t using my car for my trip). I was initially nervous offering my car, but then realized that it is just hunk of metal that I didn’t need to be precious about! It is a luxury model but 9 years old with existing minor scratches and dents. If I had a new Maserati, it would be different 
You could ask sitters to just use the car for short local trips, if you are uncomfortable giving free rein. Offering the car will greatly expand the pool of available sitters.
Hello,
As a sitter, when I see listings for cat sits, I always check to see if the cats are allowed to go outside. If they are, I move on. It is so stressful when you read, “the cats must be in by dark” or similar, because, if the cats decide they don’t want to show up on time, or they get hit by a car, eaten, taken in by someone else, end up impounded, etc. what is the sitter to do? Stay up all night canvassing the neighborhood? I understand that this is how many people’s cats live, but the fear of an absent cat who isn’t your own is pretty stressful.
This could be another reason people aren’t as keen to apply to sit for you in addition to the car requirement. I don’t know what you can change as I know your kitties would likely be unhappy and feel locked up if kept inside, but it is just something that immediately stood out for me personally when I saw your listing.
Non-EU passport holders can only stay in the Schengen countries for 90 out of 180 days. Violations result in being excluded from the Schengen area for a longer period. A 10 day sit would only cause problems for non-EU based sitters.
I can see you have 4 applicants now- that’s great! Hopefully you’ll soon be confirming your perfect sitter!
Re loaning your car to sitters- we have on a few occasions used a hosts car -usally when the host needs driving to and from the airport, or when a car is needed for taking dogs out walking etc Considering you are already entrusting your precious cats & your home to sitters, then remember that your car is just a hunk of metal & has less value than your cats & home! However I do understand your anxiety about it- so I would suggest-if its ever needed- just look at the individual situation. Does the sitter have experience driving on the right, driving on French roads, do they have a long track record of safe driving, no accidents or convictions etc. You could also draw up a contract with them.
Hopefully though you’ll end up with a sitter who is already in France with their own car then no problem!
Thank you Lassie, I guess it’s all about building trust with the sitters… the priority is that they take good care of our cats & home, so the car is really a minor thing in comparison, with less value!