If you have a sit that is a few months out, how often are you in contact with the sitter?
This is my first time using Trusted House Sitters and although I have found the sitter and they seem amazing, without contact I feel like it isn’t real, if that makes sese since I don’t personally know them like my past pet sitters.
I’m sure they are going to do the sit, but how do you make yourself feel more comfortable by keeping in contact, especially as the date gets closer? I of course don’t want to bother them when it isn’t necessary though.
I suppose it is a lot about trusting the process.
Thanks.
I suggest you contact them through WhatsApp or another way off the platform . They may not see inbox messages unless they are logging in to the platform regularly .
Send a friendly message along the lines of - 1 month to go - Just checking in is there anything you need to know from us re your stay ?
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Hi @FantasticJourney, welcome to the forum.
I am sure the sitter will keep their agreement, you don’t need to worry.
Have you completed and shared a Welcome Guide of some sort? If not, that’s a great opportunity to get in touch with them. If you have already shared the guide, you can send a message to see if they have any questions.
It’s important to establish an alternative means of communication. WhatsApp is very convenient. THS app has some delay and not everyone check that often.
Good luck with your first sit. Don’t worry. Most sits are great experiences for both parties.
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First of all you should have exchanged contact details (in my case usually whatsapp), that is a backup for THS channels and most people read it faster. Secondly as a petsitter, after both sided have confirmed the sit agreement, I usually follow up a bit later with a (re)confirmation of my travel plans (flight, train, or other times and details). A few days before the sit a pop up again to say let them know that “i have packed & looking forward to the sit”. The content is not so important it is the actual messaging a few days before. Usually via whatsapp. If it is a sit in the far future (5-6 months or more) i might be creative and only ask for the welcome guide 1-2 months before the sit. It also helps to be responsive, i.e. reply to any message as soon as possible because that creates confidence.
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As a sitter I will send the odd message or photo of what I’m up to just to say hi, they sometimes send me a photo of the pet. One time the pet photo text said ‘still alive, how are you?’ I replied ‘also still alive 
’
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When I book a few month out, I send an email through THS every month to check in. I want them to feel comfortable that I will show up and also that I have not died, ha. At the age.
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If you’ve shared the welcome guide, including pertinent details like a street address or at a minimum a zip code, then after that not much.
We confirmed our current sitters last November for an April sit. Once confirmed and welcome guide reviewed, we didn’t communicate again until December (we booked our flights and notified them of the details) and then not at all until closer to the sit. They reached out early March to touch base on their travel details. We reached out to them mod-March with some minor updates to the welcome guide. They reached out a few days later to to confirm they arrived in US with no issues, then again a few days later with the train that they would be arriving for. The last 2 weeks comms were more frequent, with an exchange of dietary preferences/restrictions (we cook them a welcome meal) and any allergies (none in this case). That’s it.
So really after confirming, send a good welcome guide (ok to make minor changes later) and that’s that until you get closer to the sit (except for confirming when travel is booked and details).
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I tend not to set up sits “months out”. And sits are generally under two weeks. If the sitter is sitting for me for the first time especially, I’ll stay in touch before the sit sending videos and documents on pet care. I’ll check in to make sure they were able to open the documents and ask if there are any questions. This is partly because I want to make sure that they are still responding and haven’t forgotten about me. And partly as a way of checking that they are okay and this is going to happen. I’ll also sometimes check in if there are weather issues or even world events that might impact.
Sometimes issues have come during this period. In one particularly bad scenario, we’d discussed having an advanced handover since the sitter had another sit in my city and I was planning to leave super early to catch a flight, so it made sense and she had agreed to come by some time several days before at her convenience. She kept putting me off and finally I realized she was having some kind of personal crisis and really not doing well. She confessed to not feeling like she could do the sit but not wanting to cancel, so I wound up making it my decision. So since then I’m especially careful to check in. Possibly some sitters think I’m neurotic. I don’t really care.
I think it’s super important to have a way of communicating other than the THS apps/messages, and to be in touch with each other and resolve anything that can be resolved in advance.
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Thank you, this was a perfect reply to answer my question.
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Thank you for the detailed reply