Oh @Samox24 I am so sorry to hear this. My heart breaks for you, and so pleased you did manage to see him recently. It’s so hard to bear, though.
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So sorry to hear that @Samox24 xx
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Sam I am so sorry. The pain of loss can be hard to bear but one comfort is knowing that your shared love for this beloved furry family member will help you understand, comfort and support one another.
Pet loss and grief can be one of the loneliest places to be … sometimes you just want to talk about the life and the loss and often there is no one to listen or who knew the shared unconditional love and bond, you have that between you.
My thoughts are with you and his pet parents at this very sad time.
Sending love and hugs : 
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I agree about getting attached as part and parcel. I sit a couple of times per year so one thing that helps for me, is making a refrigerator magnet of the pets. I usually make one for the homeowner and one for me. I love seeing the furry friends I’ve made along the way.
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@ShulasMom what a lovely idea and I am sure the pet parent’s/homeowners absolutely love them 
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Oh yes. The pet parents love them and they can see that their pet had a great staycation while they were on vacation.
We arrived at a repeat sit today and one of the sweet rescue horses passed away yesterday. We found out when we arrived and shared embraces, tears and kind words about the life he had lived since his rescue (If I was a horse I would definitely want to live here!). It made it so very special that we got to meet him last time with fond memories of all the carrots and the joy of watching him and his buddy romp freely in the fields from the window. 
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Carla I am so very sorry to hear this terribly sad news but it is nice that you got to spend special time with him and you have such fond memories to cherish.
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Uh-oh, @tlubkin…
We absolutely, totally 
percent love our Luna, but we still put her in the cat category rather than a fur baby. We share with our sitters that they may choose to cater to her every meow, let her sleep with them, and stay seated, reading much longer than they prefer because she has you “cat-trapped” (what we call it when she’s on our lap and our spouse has to bring us something), but she is so people-centric, loving attention from any port in the storm, and I refuse to spend my every waking hour carrying her around over my shoulder as she would probably prefer. She is incredibly adaptable, easy-going, not requiring any kind of schedule, and it’s part of her charm!
I hope sitters don’t take it the wrong way when we explain that to us she is “just a cat”, thinking we don’t adore her, because we do!! That said, I bet she might get more attention when we are away… after all, she is such an easy cat to love, AND an attention hog😹!!
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Wow. What a great topic! I didn’t know many sitters feel this way, and wonder about ours… (Is there anything us homeowners can do to ease the pain? I made our last sitter a card, but we spent more time with him before, after, and during the sit than typical.)
I always hope they enjoyed their time at our home and area, were completely comfortable, and had fun with our sweet and funny cat. I so love the THS concept of shared appreciation of filling a need and the trust we hold, and the friendships we develop as each sitter plays a big role for a brief time, but never realized the loss many might feel upon leaving.
(Perhaps sitters don’t realize, however, that us homeowners also feel a loss after we’ve become attached to YOU through those fun message, , photos, and glimpses into your lives! You sweep into our lives one day accepting big responsibilities and agreeing to share of yourself, and then POOF!, you move on. While it may not be so for every homeowner nor after every sitter, it is real for me!)
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So sorry and sad to hear. Big hugs and condolences to all 
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I totally understand what you’re going through. I go through this every time, but in hindsight thats what makes us valuable sitters. Our compassion and empathy is what makes us stand out. I’m currently with a kitty I’m totally in love with and I know it will be hard leaving. It’s a repeat sit as well 
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@AmyNJoe This is a great point and one that struck a chord with me too!
As sitters we always form a unique bond with each pet we care for, its a joy getting to know their characters, likes, dislikes and basically they are your little companion for the length of the sit. We have felt very blessed to be caring for each and every one of them and yes there have been tears after we left. (My husband got very attached to his first ever dog sit with Alfie a 1-year-old Chihuahua - he was not allowed dogs growing up so it was quite an experience for him)
But as you mentioned we have too got quite attached and enjoyed our chats and back-and-forth messages with pet parents (we had tea with Alfie’s parents when they moved house as we were nearby).
We enjoy meeting them and especially if we live far away, as most sits are, it is sad to say goodbye. We stay in touch with many of our pet parents.
We have found so much inspiration from who we meet, over handover chats or dinner. Making great memories as we go! It’s nice to read from your perspective that its reciprocated 
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I’m definitely good with people who think cats are pets and don’t cater to their every meow.
It’s medical neglect and putting them outside that are my concerns.
I did a sit for an acquaintance and the older cat had new medication need which wasn’t a problem for me. A few months later she asked me to sit again, she said the medication was getting annoying for her to do everyday- so I could just do it if I wanted. I was busy and declined the sit. Found out later she had trouble finding a sitter so she just had the cat euthanized!
I was so shocked, but even more so when 6 months later she asked me to sit for her 2 new kittens.
No thanks!
Makes sense!!
Amy R
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Yes I totally relate. I think part of my attachement for the dog is worry that she is not getting enough attention from her owner. Sigh
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OMG. so glad to read this. I too just completed my first sit. On the first morning back home I work up with a strong image of the dog I was sitting. She was such a cutie. We had fun times - walk and play , tumbling together. I too really miss her. Its so hard! Glad to be able to share with a community that will understand. And I have dog at home that I really love …
sigh
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I am the same. It’s hard to leave all these wonderful animals. The unconditional love, the cuteness, the cuddles 
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It does get easier, and some sits are easier to leave than others. I only do cat sitting so with some cats there isn’t a particularly strong bond if the cat is a bit aloof. However, there have been times when I have fallen head over heels in love with a cat where there has been a strong bond and, yes, there are tears at the end. And then there are tears when you hear that a cat has died. However, it’s all part of the process and no way would I give it up.
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