While adding such details might be useful for some fraction of sitters, it’s unlikely that THS will add such requirements and is likely leave it to hosts’ discretion. That’s because THS wants make it as easy as possible for hosts to create listings.
Bigger picture, THS prioritizes hosts. That’s because it figures that without hosts creating sits in the first place, there’d be nothing to offer sitters, no business to run. You can disagree, but THS has previously spelled that out.
And for hosts, being flexible probably works in their interests. Because even if they prefer X, they might be willing to negotiate if they can’t get such applicants.
I’m an owner and have had 7 sits so far. Ive never thought about a sitter not wanting to come in a day early to meet the pets and go over everything in the house. Your points make sense. We’ve had experience with sitters who came in a day early and some who arrived a few hours before our departure. We have never had a sit where the sitter arrived after we left. I’m not sure how comfortable I am with worrying about whether they will get there or not.
It is a bit awkward for both sides really. Other than one phone call and some texts back and forth, we really don’t know each other. My friends ask do you mind a stranger in your home? I always say that it is no different than letting a pet sitting service send someone you may or may not have met into your home. They are going into your home as a stranger too. We’ve had excellent sitters from THS and it’s so much better for the pets!
Anyway, I’d love to hear sitters thoughts about their preferences in meeting in advance? Do you care about going over the house in person? Do you usually meet the owners in person before they leave?
Hi @Trudzie - we have done 30+ sits and a variety of approaches for the handover.
We always have a video call before confirming the sit so feel that we have got to know the host and pets a little before the sit even starts.
We also insist on having a welcome guide ( in whatever form ) before the start of the sit - so we are familiar with the pets usual routine for feeding , exercise and sleep etc .
For some sits ( mostly with dogs ) we’ve met in person on the morning of the sit , met the pets, had a tour of the house and handover with the host leaving an hour or two later .
There have been a couple of sits for families where due to their very early departure , we have had a video tour of the house and arrived after they left . This worked well for them and us . One host with lots of 5 star reviews said she had never met any of her sitters in person . This was a sit with cats so perhaps that makes a difference?
With dogs, I have always arrived the day before the owners’ departure. With cats, sometimes I have arrived the day before; sometimes a little before and in just three cases I have got all the information on video and arrived after the owners have left.
I do enjoy an overlapping handover because it adds to the experience, especially when it is an international sit.
I do wonder if the cat vs. dog thing makes a difference. I’ve taken care of hundreds of cats over the decades, and they’re all pretty simple unless they need medications. Food, litter, water, love. I do remember one time I agreed to care for a neighbor’s pets, that included a dog. And the dog FREAKED OUT when I entered the house. Would the dog have been more calm if she had met me with her “parents”? Maybe. At any rate, I’ve noticed some listings recently where pet parents are more clear on the listing about arrival and departure dates, so that’s welcome. When I sit internationally, I always plan to arrive a few days early and stay a few days late, at my own expense, in case something happens, but if I’ve already planned to stay two days extra beyond the posted dates AND the parents have planned two days extra WITHIN the posted dates - well that gets to be a bit much.
It is a good point about worrying that a sitter will get there, which is why I always emphasize in my application for a sit that I am arriving in their area early and staying in a bed and breakfast or similar. If I were a homeowner I wouldn’t want to depend on someone who was arriving same day, and I always text owners when I enter their house.
My favorite handovers are those where I arrive just as the homeowner is leaving for the airport and I can give them a ride. No need for the homeowner to feel like they have to make small talk when they’re desperately trying to pack, no need for the sitter to feel awkward hanging around, etc. This isn’t possible in some locations, and I don’t give rides at midnight etc. And then if their flights arrive at a reasonable hour I pick them up, too, and continue on my merry way once I see their key has turned in the lock and they’ve gotten their luggage inside. No homeowner has ever asked for this but once they offer up their flight times I will typically offer an airport run, and most accept and are grateful. That amount of small talk I can handle!
With local sits I insist on meeting pets before the actual sit. Secret : It gives me mega-bonus points in the eyes of the HO without fail…I can just tell.
That way the owner doesn’t have another stressor on the day of travel and the hand-off can be blind if need be.
With distant sits, I really do not like staying the night before or spending time with the owners - shyness, awkwardness, etc. on my part make it very challenging. That said, I’m willing to bend to a point : Arriving the day before is ok as it gives the owner reassurance and comfort when they see how I am with their beloved pets. Anything beyond that time-wise would only be acceptable in a VERY coveted sit !
I’d suggest that you prioritize what your pet(s) needs, over what any sitter prefers. Like I don’t do in-person meetings ahead of sits, so I expect hosts to skip me if they need such.
I usually fly in for sits at least a day ahead. I do only video chats ahead of sits, even for local ones within an hour away.
My 20+ hosts have been easygoing. That’s one of the qualities I look for. I avoid nervous or anxious hosts, because I don’t want to handhold. I also don’t want to sit dogs who need significant time acclimating to sitters.
Most of my sits have included overlaps and friendly, enjoyable meals with hosts. I have high comfort socializing (or not), so I’ve never had an awkward meal or overnight (or even a couple of days overlap). I sleep easily at hosts’ homes, even during overlaps. The only overnights I’ve avoided have been when hosts have had a small apartment or flat.
I don’t expect hosts to entertain me, so I’m fine fending for myself, including at mealtime. I sit only in urban areas, so there’s always meal delivery available or I can go out.
I’ve done a couple of sits where I arrived after the hosts left and I departed before their return. Those were cat sits. They worked out well. I wouldn’t do such a sit with a dog(s).
I’ve done a repeat sit where the hosts and I overlapped for an hour or two and they headed off to an airport hotel for the night, because of early flights. Or a couple of sits where the hosts had flights leaving a few hours after I arrived.
With hosts who loan cars, I’m fine with giving airport rides, if timing and distance are reasonable. I’m fine with chatting or absolute silence during rides.
Hi @Trudzie
I have been sitting now for 15 years and am still learning!
Unless we are going abroad we would prefer to arrive on the day that the host leaves. This can be either an hour before they leave or after they leave (both dogs and cats). We discuss all the timings before we agree the sitting.
As others have said, we ensure we receive the Welcome Guide or house instructions very soon after confirmation.
In all sittings, we want to leave before the HOs return. This prevents us hanging around and we have found that the owners just want their house back without the sitters being in the way.
As this thread has gotten longer and longer, it seems that the original point of the post has gotten lost. That point is that the homeowners were not clear in the listing of the dates that they ACTUALLY needed a sitter, making a 10 day sit appear to be 14 days (2 days padding on either side). A key request, which seems to have gotten lost in lots of back-and-forth, is a request that homeowners be clear about the REAL sit dates IN THE POSTING so that potential sitters can make an informed choice before applying.
If they make it clear that you’ll be hanging out with them an extra week, wining and dining and chatting, and you WANT that? Go ahead and apply! But they should not make appear as though the house will be empty for two weeks when it will not.
Asking THS to make communication of such preferences more clear (such as with fields to list host departure and arrival dates in addition to sit dates) does other sitters zero harm and would be immensely helpful to the sitters for whom this matters.
Thanks for the clarification. I had initially wondered if that is what you meant but not when you mentioned not having met the dog. But off course of your original topic as you’ve pointed out
Fortunately this has never happened to us. Though I certainly don’t mind the idea of padding, it absolutely needs to be made clear in the original post. I currently have a six week sit booked and at the video call stage our hosts invited us to stay with them for one night before they departed. We happily accepted their offer, but were also grateful that they offered us the choice rather than building it in. The THS ‘overlapping sits’ rule would restrict flexibility in this circumstance otherwise.
You’re saying if I have to leave for the airport at 5am, I should not have the sitter come the night before and stay the night? That’s ridiculous. I have a dog that needs to meet the sitter. This is often the case for us. Same as getting in very late in the evening and needing to stay the night.
This doesn’t worry me. The majority of cases I arrive the day before. It is less stress for the home owner, as not worrying if you will arrive on time on the day and they are able to show you things and take you around then area, showing you their favourite places and doggy walks etc. I have once been asked to arrive two days early and perfectly fine. i did not need to stay with them all the time and could disappear and do my own thing. Frequently pet owners can arrive back late, so it is perfect to ask you to stay over rather than drive long distances home late at night in the dark. And once I did have to stay on an exztra couple of days, as a flight from America was cancelled at the last minute due to some issue. They were unable to get on another flight for two days. These things happen. But if you are so comcerned and prefer to spend as little time as possible with the owners, then you could make this clear in your profile and with chatting to them prior to accepting a sit. Just don’t accept it and then complain. It does waste peoples time if you should then cancel, as not happy with spending extra time getting to know the pets and their owners.
What people are saying is that if that’s what you want, you need to make it clear in your listing. Personally, I always arrive in the area a day before a sit starts and generally leave a day after, but I don’t stay with the HO. I definitely make those reservations for dog sits for exactly the reason you’ve expressed and also because flights can be delayed. I also don’t accept sits for sits where there isn’t an emergency backup should further delays occur.
I have often had a session where I meet a pet prior to a sit actually beginning. There’s nothing “ridiculous” about it. Some people don’t want to share housing and it’s clearly stated in the TH rules that the sitter should not be expected to share housing. People come from all sorts of backgrounds and potential traumas. Those experiences should be respected.
I’d think so, too, because in the hosts’ place, I would like the home to myself after a trip. But a bunch of times, I’ve been invited to stay extra, and they invited me during their trip, while we were confirming details of their return.
I think that’s because we develop rapport during updates. I enjoy sending fun ones and we get friendly, with the hosts often expressing appreciation and sharing their travel photos. That’s happened for U.S. and U.K. sits. I was especially surprised by the latter, because I had expected the Brits to be more reserved.