Seems like you’ve just answered your own question there - why this isn’t suitable for you.
The tuxedo bit was just a reference and lighthearted comment, in case the meetup felt overly formal. Sometimes a bit of humor helps easy tensions, especially when motives seem more emotional than practical.
Anyway, it was just a suggestion based on a similar experience I had recently, nothing more. And yeah, this is totally off-topic from the original post, subject and thread. So, hope you find a good solution. Cheers
I saw the post and thought it was funny. It put a smile on my face. We live in a world today where so many jokes are considered offensive to some. It never use to be this way. There is a famous comedian that was interviewed. He is now a senior citizen. He said he will no longer do standup because so many people take a joke literally. It’s no fun to be serious all the time.
Interesting fact: I had a boyfriend from Sri Lanka who told me that in SL they give dogs English names. That is because during the Raj [when India and Ceylon were ruled by the British], there were signs on administration buildings saying “No Dogs or Indians Allowed”. His dog growing up was named Robin and I’m reading a book set in Sri Lanka in which a character’s dog is named Henry.
Personally I would try not to do too much pre-judging on this; if it’s not too inconvenient for you to do the meeting, that would be the best place to gauge if she’s just being safety-conscious — or if she’s flaky or potentially trying to avoid disclosing something unpalatable (messy house, less-than-ideal location, etc).
I’m a female who usually travels alone; I recognize the potential for bad actors & try to take reasonable precautions without being overly paranoid. But I’m lucky in that I traveled internationally for work for over 30 years — often by myself — & never really ran into any serious issues. Not everyone can say that, & I can’t blame anyone for being reasonably cautious for a first meet.
I know it’s called Trusted Housesitters — but I’ll never ding someone for taking common-sense precautions to keep themselves, their home & their pet(s) safe.
I have also traveled by myself, extensively, for business, remember having my pouch under my dress in Sao Paulo. But it all worked out. Saw the home. It is lovely. And I can stay on one floor. Which I love for cleaning. The house is less than half the size of the house I am in now, but I do not need that much space. And it has a lovely backyard, BBQ, gas fire pit. Really nice to hang out. Overlooks the golf course I see from the opposite side when I walk the dogs I am currently sitting. So all is good. And being new, I understand their reluctance to bring people to the house first. Though they will have to get used to that if they continue to travel and an applicant is not around the corner like I was on a current sit.
Yes, there’s a leap of faith you have to be willing to take at some point with every sit, and it can take some practice before some folks feel comfortable trusting their intuition from just a phone or video interview. None of that is going to circumvent a truly determined villain, but with proper precautions,none of us will ever have to contend with that.
considering the horror stories that HOs post about seeing sitters not doing their responsibilities, based on ring cameras, you can understand. And recently an HO posted about the lack of interaction the sitter had with her dogs as she sat outside. Some people said, maybe she needed her space. But to me, if a dog I was sitting came up to me outside, which frequently happens on this sit, I definitely put my hand out for a scratch, a pet, a few words of “good dog”. We are all different on site. What we are willing to do, how we interact with pets. There was an argument on one topic how often you actually have to walk a pet. There are those of us who will walk them more frequently. Who don’t give a s—t if they call their pets furbabies or children or dogs or whatever. I don’t care. I care if the responsibilities fit and the house is clean and works. And I think HOs are being more careful.
I have fun with the animals I care for. I have fun in all sorts of ways elsewhere. I don’t really need to grope for fun by calling the dogs and cats I look after “Furbabies”. Or even “doggos” or… what? “Kitties”.
I don’t “judge” or “hate” people who use those terms. I just wouldn’t use them, myself. Because it wouldn’t reflect the spirit in which I go into animal care..
@GotYourBack I don’t let word choice preference impact my interest in a sit. I actually find that the use of “fur baby” and “pet parent” is used very often on this site and within the pet community, especially within the most few years. I believe that with less people having children, you notice more people with pets and treating them like children. Also, coming from the country were it’s common to see pets sleep in the backyard, eat scraps, and not regularly check in with a vet, that demographic would never use “fur babies” or “pet parents” in their daily vernacular. I also find that the average host on THS wants their pet cared for as though the pet was an extension of their family, so if the pet owner refers to themselves as a “pet parent”, I definitely would continue with their word choice preference.
People use terms of endearment for their pets. They have done so throughout the centuries (Search Roman dog tombs for more information). The terms change but I believe the sentiment remains the same. People love their pets. The words someone use whether it’s “waddle puddy, fur babies, the girls, or Sweetheart” Don’t really matter, I find it very weird that some people consider particular terms of endearment offensive or a red flag.
I do understand what is meant by helicopter parenting the pets, but I think that is best sussed out in a video call or in the responsibility section of the listing. It’s been my experience that many people who refer to their pets as furbabies are neither unreasonable or overbearing. I think less word-picking and more nuance is needed.
I don’t like “furbabies” either. Or people who refer to their pets as “son” or “daughter” (I actually find that a bit creepy). Do I call my cats"baby" and “sweet pea” and “furry furface”? Yes I do.
I’m also not a fan of “rainbow bridge.” I don’t even use the phrase “passed away.”
I have (at present) one cat and 4 chickens (pet chickens, not farm products). As a HO, if an applicant refers to them as my “furbabies”, I would dismiss the application, because it shows that they dont know what they are applying for. As a HS, if the owner mention her pets as furbabies, I probably would’nt apply because I feel uncomfortable with anthropocentrism and sentimentality. I’m not keen on rainbow bridges and pet parents either. I like cats, dogs, birds etc for what they are : another species I love to share space with.
My hens have Napoleonic names : Joséphine, Hortense, Loulou (Marie-Louise) and Léa (Eléonore). But I often call my cat “mon canard”… Don’t ask me why !!!
I’m also from CA and that term has been around for decades. It doesn’t bother me that people use terms of endearment.
In my family I’m the only sibling that didn’t have children but they all know how I love my dogs. On Mother’s Day they always give me a shout out too, as a Dog Mom, which I think is sweet.
The only slight red flag I can think of is whether or not a term means that the pet is over-spoiled and untrained. When people say their pet is their “baby”, I require a little more info. Otherwise, who cares.
none of us will ever have to contend with that.