I am curious how sitters feel when vaccination is a requirement. It’s not often I see this requirement and I am honestly trying to understand how I feel about it for myself. I want to be clear in the onset that I respect each person’s personal choices for themselves.
I got vaccinated early on, but no longer.
When I see listings now that require vaccination, I just skip them. No hard feelings. It’s not my business how people decide to take care of themselves and their loved ones.
I have no particular opinion about that requirement. I don’t think that by itself is a sign of anything. I haven’t applied to any list with that requirement but just because they otherwise didn’t tick my boxes.
I understand that in some countries COVID vaccine was a divisive issue. I really do not participate in this controversy unless it comes in the pack of flat-earthers and such.
I do believe every owner is entitled to set their standards for people they invite into their homes and I don’t feel offended if I don’t fit into these standards.
I do agree… please community, recognize that dogs need a potty break at least 3x, and IMHO 4-5x a day.
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THS doesn’t give a lot of guidelines period. I once tried reporting a sit that was very clearly an illegal shelter (at the least) and not clearly suitable for human habitation. The reply I got back was that it was a “ranch” and some people looked for “ranch sits” and there was no limit on “pets.” The listing disappeared shortly thereafter however.
There isn’t much people can do when owners don’t disclose conditions. Did you write a review of the sit or complain to THS?
@Pawzzle I did read what you wrote, including
As you have not linked your listing, I could not ascertain whether your requirement was included or not. I merely recommended that it “should” be. You are clearly proud of how your listing is put together, so maybe you could consider sharing it on here as an example for new hosts?
My entire comment was intended as helpful advice on how to avoid putting sitters on the spot in your video call. Your posts had given the impression that you preferred to bring up some requirements during your video call rather than mention them in your listing.
It is sometimes easy for people gain false impressions from comments on this forum and elsewhere. For example you say
This is your impression, but not your experience. It is not my experience either, and I do not believe it to be true. When THS works at its best, it is a partnership where host, sitter and pets all benefit.
I didn’t say that you had breached any rules, having not seen your listing, I could not comment on that. The decision to deduct marks from a review category is the opinion of the individual host or sitter and can be subjective. Different people have different expectations and standards. In general (not specific to your sit or any other specific sit), I personally would consider deducting marks from the accuracy of listing category if significant information came to light at the video call stage, or later, that was not included in the listing, if it would materially affect my enjoyment of the sit. Especially if I would have not applied if that information had been in the listing.
Again, not relating to your sit specifically, but if I arrived at a sit and found a fridge or freezer in the bedroom that was not shown in the listing photos, and it impacted on my sleep, I would definitely deduct stars. It would not matter one bit whether or not anyone could “prove” whether it belonged there!
I think it’s great that you are now considering additional options for provision or storage of cat food, and not just the 3 options you presented your previous sitters. Being flexible is important for both sitters and hosts and we all need creative problem solving skills at times.
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Excuse me, but I’ll clean as and how I see fit. If I want to leave it all to the last day, that’s my prerogative, as long as everything’s clean and tidy when you return. I find that comment incredibly patronising.
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Cleaning a toilet properly does not require one to be a “cleaning service.”
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The comment may be patronizing, but it is probably based on some experience the host had that wasn’t great. If this were a sit I applied for, it would be something I’d ask a question about. Last year the spouse and I had a great stay in one of my favorite cities. The hosts had as one of the responsibilities to vacuum the apartment every day. When I first read that it seemed eccentric. I didn’t ask why. I could see from photos that the apartment – a one bedroom – was smaller than my one bedroom. My main concern was the rechargable vacuum and if I’d even know how to use it. So I asked about that and they did a video as it would be a cold handover. The cat duties were super easy. The fountains were filled so I didn’t have to do it. The cats had automatic feeders. Responsibilities: Scoop box twice a day. Vacuum. Treats once or twice a day. A couple of houseplants.
I was able to suss out that probably the daily vacuuming was owing to someone’s allergies and to the fact they were very neat people. Their home. Their rules. The “work” overall was minimal. Vacuuming was 10 minutes a day. So yes. I vacummed every day.
In my house, we have certain rules about kitchen cleanliness owing to being in NYC and not wanting any stray roach who hitchhikes in to think this is a great place to raise a family. So the idea of someone staying here and not dealing with messes for a week or more is kinda gross.
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Exactly.
We are avid hikers and the dogs are part of our “sightseeing”. We always ask if they travel well in the car and how is their recall. There’s a lot of research before we even apply for a sit about the area, climate etc.
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My second sit, I had to take the dogs to the dog run in my car every day. But I am traveling to LA, I have a bunch of stuff in my car for my daughter and no room. I can manage the walk to the trails, it is in the 40s so the dogs are OK. It is a 90 minute walk, good for me, gets their exercise in, so all good. It shouldn’t be done if hot since the dogs would suffer. But in the 40s, they are OK. What upsets me is the daughter did the handoff, the yard was full of dog poop and the cat litter had not been emptied. That is not nice. But she has strict rules on vacuming and cleaning up after the pets.
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Not nice at all! Did you photograph and let the host know?
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That’s exactly how I see it too.
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Aww, thanks for the appreciation @Pawzzle !
I make a point of never assuming anything.
And of course I forgive you for assuming that I assumed xx
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The key thing with THS being a matching platform: Find good matches for you and you’re good, whether as a host or sitter.
Don’t worry about anyone else trying to be prescriptive about how to take care about X pets, because they’re individuals, not robots. Likewise with hosts and expectations.
If you’re getting sits you want, enjoying them, the pets bond with you and are happy, and your hosts end up content, then you’re golden. And if they invite you back, even better — that’s a great sign, even if you don’t favor repeats.
Personally, we left our special-needs rescue dog with amazing sitters. We’re paying a fortune, because leaving him with strangers wouldn’t be fair to him or them.
We know our dog better than anyone else will. Pet parents should, which is why I take guidance from them when I sit, not from strangers who know nothing about the pets’ particular circumstances. Likewise with homes and the hosts’ expectations.
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I haven’t sat in suburbs of large cities, but I’ve sat in rural areas and small town settings mostly in homes with gardens where the gardening responsibilities ranged from “water if doesn’t rain” to harvest the cucucumbers, rasberries, and zucchini and eat as much as you want" to a fairly complex system of watering involving 3 hoses. We were warned and got a video to help us navigate that last one. Based on those experiences if a host with a house and yard didn’t bring up the gardening responsibilities on a listing or in the chat, I would ask. I wouldn’t risk getting a bad review because I let the tomatoes rot or the azalias die of thirst.
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If you saw that the plants looked thirsty, would you just water them anyway because its the right thing, logical thing, to do?
I know a lot about cat and dog care. Not so much about plants. Just like I know a lot about how to clean my home and what products to use, but I read guides carefully on a sit to see what the homeowner wants. This is why I would bring it up and ask for instructions. If it’s warm handover, I’d go out to the garden to discuss what might need doing in the next few days specifically. I know my limits.
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very wise words.
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I’d ask if I thought needed, but I can tell by what hosts explicitly ask me to do vs. not when it comes to home care. Like if they ask me to water X indoor or outdoor plants and don’t mention otherwise, I’m good.
I typically do sits of a week or two. No one’s going to die if their grass doesn’t get mowed during that time. I avoid all sits with mentions or photos of gardens. I also don’t do rural sits.
Context matters, which is why sweeping declarations by various folks for countless sits don’t make sense.