Hello everyone. I am new to the site I have applied for 2 sits but been declined without any feedback. I can see from the forum that I am not alone in this but it is very dispiriting. It would be so helpful to be given a clue about a rejection. It is especially hard when , as a newbie, you have no reviews to bolster your application. Any ideas why feedback is not required by TH?
Edited to comply with posting guidelines
Hello & welcome. If you add your profile to the link on your post then other sitters can help with advice 
How to add a listing or profile link to your FORUM profile.
This should show you how to do it
Don’t take it personally , my understanding is that when a HO accepts a sitter all the other applicants are automatically declined without any comment.
Have you added references to your profile ? These can be from friends or family whose pets and or home you have looked after . This will give HO more confidence in choosing you .
We are new to THS this year and with only our references to go on we were selected for 4 house- sits .
Another suggestion is to start with a local sit -that way you can offer to meet up with the HO to meet them and their pets before the sit . This will also give them confidence to choose you . Then when you’ve completed the sit they can give you a review which will help you on the road to getting accepted for future sits further afield.
Most importantly Don’t give up , keep applying .
Try and be tactical - see what they are asking for and make yourself fit! You don’t need to be untruthful - for instance, our latest sit is for a beautiful white dog. We have a white cat so I told the owners not to worry because our house is also covered in white fur but we don’t care! Good luck. This will only be our second sit so we are learning too! All the best, Sarah
Thank you for your help. I have followed the instructions to add my profile although I amnot sure that it has worked!
Hi @Chester23 and welcome to the world of pet sitting. Your experience will stand you in good stead.
I had a look at your profile and in my humble opinion is has all the necessary information but I would re-arrange the photographs if at all possible. The one of you with the cat or chickens hold more interest.
You appear to not consider caring for dogs so that will limit your opportunities but on the other hand you have experience with livestock which a lot of sitters don’t have.
I agree, definitely start local. Consider last minute short sits close to home and hopefully you can meet the homeowners and pets first. Once you receive a few reviews you can spread your wings. You should receive a review whether the sit is for a couple of nights or a couple of weeks.
Good Luck
Hi @Chester23 and welcome! I’m a UK homeowner with cats, and for what it’s worth, your profile looks fine to me, definitely worth a chat if you’d applied for a sit. Maybe some people have five 5-star applicants, but I guess that depends on location.
I don’t think it’s about this site, but more about life in general - I’ve found that people tend to let things happen automatically and don’t think about the human being on the other side. Personally I have engaged with every single application I’ve had through this site, and wouldn’t reject someone without a personal message. My own experience is that I’ve had a sitter I’ve just clicked with, rather than anything that was wrong with any applicant.
I’ve got lovely sitters for my upcoming sits, but keep in touch if you fancy rural Perthshire in the future!
Thank you so much for your reply Scottish-cat-posse. So good to know that you communicate with your applicants. You mention having a chat with prospect sitters. No-one so far has taken me up on that so I assumed that chatting did not take place unless your application was successful. In your experience is this not the case? I wondered whether I am just too old, of course in my head I am nothing like I look! I shall definitely look out for rural Perthshire, thank you for letting me know that you might be in the market for a sitter in the future.
Thanks for your reply SarahKD, I realise that my first application was too spearse so tried to do what you suggest for my second one to no avail but I think it is a good tactic and I shall try again. I wondered whether my age is against me and/or being a solo sitter. It is so hard to know…
Thank you Twitcher for your reply. I am happy to care for a dog. The question asked me to state which groups of animals I am experienced with rather than which groups I would consider sitting me. I’ll look at that question again and see if I have mis-interpreted it.
On my profile preview the cat photo is first and the hens photos second. It is strange that it does mot appear this way when you look at the photos. How odd.
Thanks for the tip about a local sit.
Thanks Silversitters. I think being selected for 4 house sits is marvellous, well done! I have added references and have just sent a link to someone local whose cats I have looked after so fingers crossed that may help. I wondered whether my age and/or being a solo sitter doesn’t help, who knows?! Anyway thank you for your encouragement, I shall stick with it and also see what there is locally.
Thank you for your help Cattlefish. Hopefully that is now visible.
Hi @Chester23 I think it’s entirely up to the homeowner, but for me, I couldn’t commit to offering a sit without talking to the person first.
I’d say age is not a factor. In fact, I have a retired couple and a retired woman coming to sit for me over the next few months, and I’m very happy with that. I found younger sitters were less keen on our rural location and lack of buses!
I’m sure you’ll get a good match soon, and start building up those reviews!
Very welcome and best of luck! There’s always chat on here about it being harder for single solo males than other sitter types, I think try and show your softer side would be the best bit of advice 
Excellent suggestions.
@Chester23 I have seen many sits listings that specify solo sitter only . With age comes experience which you clearly have with the variety of animals you have cared for . I’m confident that if you keep applying you will be invited to sit soon .
Thank you so much for your encouraging words!
Hello, @Chester23 Belated welcome to the community forum.
Here is a previous topic that may help give you insights and inspiration as other members had similar questions and experiences when getting started. It helps to know that you are not alone and what others did to get started and went on to find success 
You can use the spyglass to search for a wide range of previous topics as there is lots of helpful information when getting started. Good luck!
