What does it mean when a sitter’s dates are highlighted?
Hi there, this is what a sitter’s calendar means.
However, sitters calendars are highly unusable for sitters, as they cannot input their own personal dates of availability. If you are looking at a sitter’s calendar to try to invite them, then this is usually a big time waster. Invites are rarely successful because of inaccurate calendars and because most sitters in your local area are not interested in sitting in their own area in the first place. Instead you will need an attractive listing that gains applicants.
If you want help with your listing, you can link it to your forum bio to for feedback. Here’s how: How to add a listing or profile link to your FORUM profile
Hope that helps! 
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It would be very helpful if there was a key/legend to explain what the colours mean. We have been asking for this for as long as I can remember. @Carla @Jenny
On most availability calendars white means available but not in THS world apparently.
I often receive invitations to sit where they mention your calendar indicates you are available. No it doesn’t as I have blocked out my calendar for the year.
I always respond politely as I am not surprised they are confused 
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Indeed. But I am really wondering what kind of information HOs are getting from THS.
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Ask - what would you like to know? If I can answer, I will…
When new owners sign up, what does THS tell them to do?
It is my impression that very many think they should press the “Find a pet sitter” button and start sending invitations.
Is that just because that is what they are used to do on Rover etc? Or is it something that THS tells them them explicitly as a good way to find a sitter?
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Alright, I might very well be the wrong one to ask 
When I moved here (Tenerife) last year, I created a second (the current) account because of the overlap (you can only list one home). The welcome mail does not tell you to go search for sitters, but to create your listing; it has…
- a button (in html) to “Create my listing”
- a text that asks you to “What’s next? Create your listing now to get started.”
The only bit that might confuse people who take this for a commercial-sitters thingy is a blurb of text like this:
“Congratulations on your new pet parent membership! With a pet parent
membership, you can travel with unlimited access to thousands of pet-loving
sitters from both near and far.”
I suppose then it’s more of a routine ingrained by other sites.
HTH a bit,
Elmar.
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Thank you, I think I understand it now
If highlighted they are available
If white unavailable
Crossed off, they are booked 
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Thanks for that, it is a bit confusing 
Unfortunately I didn’t get any instructions, so I’m winging it
Just to re-iterate: The calendar is completely useless, except for the crossed-out dates.
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I’m fast realising that
Well, that is quite misleading. As a sitter, I did not think that I had given HOs access to myself or to my time. Certainly not “unlimited access”.
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Do you need help with your listing at all? If so, definitely link it so we can give helpful feedback - I am always happy to help! There is also a blog you can read to make sure your listing is on track and gains applicants. Hope that helps!
Yeah, I can also think of at least five better ways to say it off the top of my head. But remember, all this kind of stuff is written by the marketing department.
@elmi4711
I would like to know what options does an owners dashboard /Home Screen on the app show ?
Does it have “Find a sitter ? “ option .
If possible ( without showing personal data ) can you attach a screenshot ?
This for example is what a sitter’s home page on the app looks like
I need to bounce this question to HOs who are using the app, which I am not.
The web version of course is the standard homepage plus the dropdown menu for logged in users.
On the app, “Me” page looks like this:
When you click “search” it takes you to this:
And on the webpage we see this:
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As a HO i understood this to mean that we can book sitters as many times as we want during the year. We are not limited to a maximum number of trips.
Firstly, I believe “book” is inappropriate on this platform.
Secondly, to me it sounded like “there are many people around the world that might want to take care of your cats while you’re away, and you can contact them all and see if they’d like to”…