Hello! I’m new here and I’d like to ask pet owners a question.
I noticed that most listings mention an average limit of around 6 hours that pets can be left alone. I imagine this may be a standard setting on the platform or simply a common preference among homeowners.
As a traveler, I hope to enjoy the best of both worlds: exploring new places while also spending time with a furry companion.
However, from time to time, I may want to visit a local attraction, take a longer tour, or participate in an activity that could require being away for more than 6 hours. Because of that, I’d love to better understand how homeowners usually handle these situations.
Is this generally a strict rule, or are most homeowners flexible as long as the pets are well cared for and all responsibilities are completed before leaving?
Thank you in advance for your honesty and insights!
If I see 6 hours away it’s usually for a cat. Dogs need to be let out or walked to relieve themselves. I see a lot of 4 hours and have even seen two. If I see 4 hours and I am at a festival, I will return to the dog and spend two hours with the dog walking and in play. Then I may go back to the festival for another three hours. Personally I am a homebody so usually don’t need more than four hours a day. If they find out you are away more than the time requested they will mark you low and other hosts will look at the review. Today people have outdoor cameras or the neighbors complain the dog is barking because it is left alone. The pets come first.
Homeowners fill out a form that offers choices. The longest choice they can choose is 6+ hours.
Homeowners or hosts are choosing sitters but not (usually) micromanaging them when they are away. Many private homes (especially in the US) have ring cameras, others may have “neighbors.” If a homeowner states that pets can’t be left for more than 4 hours, this may based on their own experience with pets that get anxious and destructive or annoyingly (for neighbors) barky when left alone. In the case of dogs it might mean that the dogs pee in the house when left alone. This is why the sits present with the amount of time. If you see that amount in the listing, and think it might be negotiable or you know there is one day when you absolutely want that full day tour, then you should discuss this with the homeowner during the chat.
I am a combined member. My sit for example has cats. We don’t use automatic feeders or free feed, so sitters really need to feed the cats in the morning and then again preferrably within 10 hours ideally a little less, and again before the go to sleep. If a sitter has a long day out as we sometimes do, it won’t harm my cats, though they are more likely to spit up a little. But I probably wouldn’t want a sitter who was REGULARLY going to be gone for more than 10 hours at a time.
As a sitter, we take sits that allow us to enjoy the location. That may mean cat sits where we can be gone a long chunk of the day although we usually aren’t. It my night mean the occassional dog sit where we might stay around or the dog might be able to accompany us on adventures.
The thing is this is based or should be on what the pet actually needs, so it might not be something the homeowner can compromise on. If it is a long term sit, there might be someone the homeowner uses as a dogwalker for instance when they have the need, and this might be available to you.
This isn’t a “job” it’s a “match” and that means you can have a discussion to figure out what will work for both parties before agreeing to anything.
It’s more common to find 4 hours on a lot of sits these days. Cat sits are the exception with 6 hours. If they’re short sits then it’s easier if you do the tourist stuff before or after the sit and make it work that way. If they’re longer sits (3 weeks+) then some hosts will offer a neighbour or dog walker once a week for a full day excursion. TBH 4 hours has always been flexible enough for us to have 60+ brilliant sits that balance pet care, living like a local and some mooching the neighbourhood. #mutualexchange
Hi nomadedigtal, This is a terrific topic because I too navigated this! Here’s what I learned…Typically 4 hours for a canine is my max, and 6 for a feline. If you want to be away for an extended time I’d suggest asking the home owners in the initial meet and greet if that is a possibility. My recent home owners shared that they have a trusted neighbor that could assist if prearranged. This was all discussed VERY early on. I think that is key! However I discovered the homeowner does not always have a trusted friends/neighbor therefore it may not be the best match. BUT if it is feasible I arrive early/stay late and do the long day exploring without the TH commitment.
Our house is in a rural area, and sometimes the sitters needs to be away an extended time to run errands or sightsee. We make this clear up front in our initial interview; our dog can handle being inside for six hours max; less time is preferable. However, if they want a full day away, we provide the sitters with the phone number of friends who can come walk the dog (at the sitters’ expense).
We have a fenced property, and have installed a dog door with a weatherproof flap. The dog can go in and out whenever he wants and therefore can be left home alone more than 6 hours. I wonder why more homeowners with compatible properties don’t do this.
For our two cats we choose 6 hours as it is the upper limit allowed in the form but when talking with our sitters we make it clear that they can be left for longer as they are independent and they have an automatic feeder. Once in a while we visit friends and stay overnight and so they are alone for about 36 hours. Then the litter boxes become what controls how long they can be alone. 
Purely observational, most sits with dogs list 4 hours. I’ve seen several recently that have stated that the dog(s) can’t be left alone. That seems a big ask with a small # of potential sitters.
I’m not a culture vulture, anyone who has read my posts will attest to this. I prefer sits where dogs like to be taken on long walks/hikes and there are plenty that fit that bill. In the UK and Europe I have own wheels, in other countries I look for those with a car provided.
Good luck in finding what you want.
You’ve nicked the word I use when I’m having a WhatsApp chat (it’s never an interview for me), mooching. 
As a HO, I tell sitters that they can be gone as long as they like, and I even offer longer sitters the option to stay away overnight if they want to visit someone. I can be flexible because I have a cat that is very easy and free feeds on dry food if wet food isn’t available. He doesn’t need feeding at specific times.
As a sitter, I choose cat sits if I know that I might be gone for 6-8 hours. In Colorado, for example, I could be gone all day hiking. In New York, I could be spending the day in Manhattan. If I am sitting a dog in Queens, that won’t work. I choose what works for me.
I think lots of dogs don’t want to go out by themselves, they need human company.
Interesting… and how much do you charge sitters - paying members like yourself - for the privilege of this arrangement?
@gchampagne I think the options for length of time were updated to also include 6+ hours as an option. It’s wasn’t originally an option but feedback from the forum was taken into consideration.
Agree but I meant the dogs being able to leave the house if they’re housebroken, in order to relief themselves during longer periods where they are left alone.
Buttercup, WE do not charge sitters for the privilege of this arrangement. Like I said, if the sitters want to go away from the house for longer than six hours, then it’s their choice to find someone to feed and walk the dog. This is all discussed up front.
@naalehuretiree My apologies, let me correct myself; you provide them with the phone number of a third-party who charges.
If it’s listed than assume it’s a strict rule, especially if the pet is a dog.
If you really like a listing otherwise, you can offer to cover the cost of a drop in dog walker on the day you want an outing, but as a HO I wouldn’t entertain a sitter who would do this more than once every 2 weeks. The exchange is pet care for accomodations - most HO are hosting sitters so their pets maintain a routine at home so if you’re constantly or often gone all day then that defeats the purpose of you being there.
You can always sightsee for longer times before or after the HO returns - you can always ask if you can stay an extra day.
As a HUMAN, I cannot last 6 hours without going to the toilet, so I wouldn’t expect a dog to do so.
I would do my touristy bits day before and day after. Cats, livestock, a different matter altogether.
As a sitter I agree with you 100%. It could be the new marketing of THS that makes it sound like you can travel the world for free. As an older sitter I take this seriously and the pet comes first! This type of platform may not be for everyone. I would never leave a dog or cat home alone for 6 hours every day. They need companionship not just food and water.