Hi I’m new here and yet to do my first sit. Just wondered if anyone can give me advice on how it works with food. Will the host normally leave food for sitter? Is it ok to use kitchen basics, oil etc? Will I be expected to bring everything myself?
thanks in advance
Welcome @Small .
There’s no obligation for pet parents to leave any food for the sitter or to allow use of kitchen basics, though this varies tremendously and some will leave a bottle of wine whereas some will leave a fridge full of food and some will leave nothing at all. Go to a sit expecting nothing, then you’ll sometimes be pleasantly surprised.
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You should assume you will have access to nothing. Then see what the HO says. If they say nothing, ask them if you can use any staples like oil, S&P, condiments, etc. If you finish something replace it, within reason.
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Welcome @Small
There is no standard regarding food left for a sitter. The HO has no obligation to leave anything.
I’ve had a HO leave post it notes on everything including salt and pepper saying ‘do not touch’ to HO’s leaving some or even a full fridge for me!
Best to check with HO’s what you can use especially in terms of condiments. But expect nothing and anything more is a bonus.
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I would definitely expect basics. If I was not allowed to use oil etc I would deduct stars for hospitality.
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Welcome @Small! Hope you land your first sit soon! I have yet to experience a sit where we were not welcomed to use what we find in the kitchen. This has been an enjoyable experience for me in that I get to try different spices and condiments at each home. And if I am able to, I bring kitchen staples that I favor to prevent me from having to buy them at each sit, which can get costly. However, like others are saying, experiences can vary from Pawrents who will leave us with an empty fridge, a welcome basket full of food, or even a gift certificate to a grocery store.
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The question has been asked many times before and the consensus is that it varies so much from sit to sit.
Like many have said, it really depends. In my experience, hosts will usually offer the use of condiments, oil and the like at the very least.
I have had many say to help ourselves to anything in the house, and we may take them up on the offer, but always within reason.
I don’t think a sitter should ever take that statement to mean it is okay to finish off everything in the fridge and pantry–I think most sitters are reasonable about this, but I have seen some posts here that suggest some are not.
Whether or not I replace something I used really depends on the item. If the host pointed out a dozen boxes of pasta, and said to help myself, and I used a single box, I probably wouldn’t replace it. But if they only had two boxes and I used one, I would replace it.
If I finished off something like an already opened carton of ice cream, I would want to replace something like that if that was the only carton they had.
If there is an item that I would feel I should replace if I finished it, and it is of the more expensive variety, I wouldn’t use it at all since I wouldn’t want to pay for it. I would just buy my own cheaper version if it was something I normally eat.
Hosts are not expected to provide any sort of food. If there is no mention of what you can use specifically–which I find there usually is at some point, whether in the guide or mentioned when we get there–then it can be a good idea to ask.
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Oh I agree @pietkuip but I’ve had a sit where the HO put post it notes on condiments (as well as everything else) saying ‘do not touch’
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That is one grouchy HO 
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11 sits and never a one where you couldn’t use basics. In some invited to “round out a meal” and others “Make yourself at home and feel free to eat anything in the pantry or in the fridge.” A couple where there wasn’t much in the pantry, the fridge was empty on arrival. Generally, we have been careful about food and replaced anything other than very small amounts of cooking oil, salt etc if we used anything at all… You should be able to use the kitchen freely including pots and pans, glasses etc. Hosts are told to leave room in the fridge for you stuff and if that’s a dealbreaker for you, it’s okay to politely remind them before the sit starts, maybe in conversational way as in discussing the nearest supermarket, your love of cooking, and you just want to check that they’ll be room in the fridge.
While some people have written about generous hosts who asked about your favorite foods and left packed fridges, I’m sure that’s pretty rare although one lovely host left us some store bought but deliscious muffins, lots of coffee pods, etc.
We have always been told to “help ourselves to anything in the fridge and pantry.”
Apparently THS tells Owners to clean out their fridge of all perishables before the Sitter arrives, so I proactively let Owners know that we are happy to use up decent produce, eggs, and dairy products while we are there, so “please don’t feel that you have to throw away perfectly good food.”
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One of the problems if you are flying to a sit or crossing a border that does not allow you to transport food, is that you can transport next to nothing regarding food. And it does not make sense to buy certain basics on the sit location for a 1-2 week sit. So I do expect to use basics, like salt, spices, etc. And i will use anything in the fridge that expires during my stay (hosts usually mention that, they are not crazy). It does not make sense to let vegetables or so rot in the fridge, the HO will also not appreciate that. MIlk, butter, etc I use but replace with exactly the same. Not allowing to use the basics would mean I downgrade my review, but it has never happened. I do bring my own teabags, sugar (a lot of people do not use sugar). The host has expectations about me regarding their pets and house, but I do expect some also some basic hospitality in return.
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Did you mention it in your review? Was it before the categories for owners? I don’t think they deserve 5 stars in hospitality. Even though I only use small amounts of salt, having post it every where would make me feel really unwelcome.
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This was a few years ago @Newpetlover on my second sit I did! It was a sign of things to come on that sit.
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Just curious, @richten1: How have their sitter reviews been since?
The HO from that sit hasn’t used any sitters this year so it will be interesting to see reviews IF they do with the newer blind reviews.
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