There is a special connection that so many of you have built with pets and owners over the years. There have been stories shared on the Forum about repeat sits, friendships made, and a few occasions where there was a bit of friction between sitter and owner.
I’m curious to know what makes you connect with an owner? Do you know by instinct the first time you meet them, or does it take longer to build up a rapport? Have you ever initially struggled to connect but then found common ground? Does having a housesitter checklist help pave the way to a better understanding?
Please share your experiences with us in the replies!
If you’d like to share any tips on how to connect with a sitter, please head over here and let us know
My wife calls me a “social sl@t” so we never seem to have an issue. .
In all seriousness most HOs who select us are roughly the same age, similar life experiences and socioeconomic backgrounds so it’s fairly easy to make a connection.
I usually apply for sits to older people around my age. I love gardens and history among other things, so we often have common ground. Some of my repeat sits have been going 6 years. I get Christmas cards, email updates about pets and family. In Covid lots of people kept in touch. When I go they ask specifically that I go the night before so we can have dinner and a catch up. People make cakes, leave food in the fridge and nice little treats like wine and chocolate. If I am passing on the way to somewhere else I stop for coffee. More like a friend than a house sitter.
If people treat me well and I enjoy the home and pets I would go back. I have bookings until July 2026
I think we appeal to HOs who see us as people they might choose as friends as a similar age and retired etc, or when HOs are younger that we could be their parents…..
If I don’t connect instantly then I don’t worry about building a rapport. I’m there for the pets and would want the owners to leave so I can build a rapport with them. I generally do get on with the owners though and have made friends with a fair few.
I tend to end up in nicer homes owned by older folks, but that has nothing to do with connecting. I’ve sat for people in their 30s to those in their 60s. We’ve all connected and have been friendly.
I’ve never had friction or other trouble with my hosts, or struggled to make conversation, even if I arrive a couple of days early or stay extra, at their invitation.
With sitting, to me it’s easy to talk about pets, each other’s travels, what to do, see or eat locally, books, movies, history, culture, their hobbies, food and such. Maybe their careers and their kids. The time we overlap is limited anyway. Then we’re onto doing pet and home updates and maybe chatting about their current travels or what I’m up to locally. For me, that’s easy as well.
I’m very selective about friends vs. being friendly, though. If someone wouldn’t be at the top of my list in a life emergency, and vice versa, then we are friendly, not friends.
I usually sit for only a week or two at a time and rarely repeat sit, for variety’s sake.
One area of connection is love of pets. I’m also a pet owner (and use THS as a host and sitter) so there is that connection as well. I also love to travel and if homeowners share their travel plan details, I truly love to hear about it.
I think if there is friction or something seems “off” I’d know by the chat and wouldn’t accept the sit.
Thanks for sharing your experiences so far! It sounds like everyone’s got their own way of sussing things out, and as @Marion mentions, the love of pets is an area of connection!
I was surprised, after securing a sit successfully, that the Home Owner, whom I hadn’t met yet in person, had recommended me to a friend of hers. She then asked me if I minded.. I don’t really like this as the new person wasn’t on THS so the sit wouldn’t end in a review. I like the security of the THS framework and support system. I feel I’m being asked to go out on a limb for very little gain. In the end the second sit didn’t materialize. I may have dodged a bullet. The WhatsApp chat quickly evaporated and although I’m now in the area of the second sit the second Home Owner has made no effort to meet me or follow up in any way.
In retrospect I’m glad it never materialized .. I was already feeling used as a cheap option.
What do other sitters think of this treatment?
I’m with you — I wouldn’t sit for strangers, even referred ones, off the THS platform. And I’d want to do a video chat, get a welcome guide (in whatever form or format), etc., even if I’d been recommended. Just because they’re friends or family of a current or former host doesn’t mean they’d be good hosts.
I’ve been recommended by one THS host to a friend (also a host on THS). That host contacted me directly, but I wasn’t interested in the location, so did no exploring of their sit.
Separately, I have sat for first-time THS hosts who heard of THS through a friend or such, who was already a member. In all three cases (separate pairs of hosts), those sits went very well, but I vetted them as normal from the outset.
Thanks Maggie that’s really helpful advice. I need to remember I can and should pick and choose.. my first thought is oh I think I could make that work for you!
Saying no is just as important as being ready to say yes!
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