Rest assured, this is not a representation of UK sits on the whole! I have experienced a similar situation once in about 30 UK sits. Others have accommodating and kind. In my current sit (NW England), the home owners have been getting weather alerts and keeping in touch as there has been a pretty violent storm here. They’ve encouraged me to stay warm and adapt the temperature to suit, and even told me yesterday not to take the dog for a walk as it was far too windy and cold, and more important that I stay safe and warm indoors.
@Cathy12121 You mentioned that the HO is a first timer and you don’t want to put them off, but that is not your responsibility. As a host, you have a responsibility to provide a habitable and comfortable environment for sitters, which they failed to do, despite you addressing how cold and uncomfortable you were. I think the review by @Cuttlefish is spot on. It gets the point across in a gentle, factual way, without being accusatory.
HI Cathy, fellow Scot here. I sympathise. I am an Asthmatic.
I recently won a pick of selected online gifts in Peoples Postcode Lottery. Who knew you could win anything other than cash? Anyway, whilst browsing my choices I saw a “rechargeable electric hot water bottle”.
I had never heard of such a thing, but I chose it, over designer chocolates and candles etc, and it is absolutely fabulous!! Not something I would have bought, ordinarily.
Made by Carmen, the heated rollers people. I now use it at home every night whilst watching tv. They cost only around £15 and can be bought from Amazon, some Tescos and some Argos.
Whilst it wont solve your problems, I highly recommend it to you, and to anyone really. It even has a wee pouch so you can wear it as a hand m u f f. edit, wouldn’t allow that word. lol
I quite agree.this has never happened in the UK to us before. Once in france but that was listed as a big house . No pets. but we were put in a converted (sort of) old stable. Now THAT was cold. So…we walked.
There are homes with the temperature set via app, which the host controls. They can decide to grant you access or not, and if not, you won’t be able to adjust the temperature on your own.
I did a sit like that, but it was at a time of year when the temp was fine.
If I encountered a sit where the hosts expected me to freeze or swelter, I’d give 24 hours written notice, so they could arrange alternative care, and I’d leave. Such people don’t deserve sitters.
Sitters have to have boundaries and backup plans, or they’re set up to potentially be stranded or trapped into terrible sits. Personally, I’d never let that happen.
It isn’t regular in the UK. I have sat in a couple of really cold houses where I’ve had to wrap up in a blanket, but in most houses I have to go round turning unused radiators off and turning the thermostat down when it’s over 20 deg. I have mine at 19.5 at home so anything above that in a well insulated house has me sweltering.
I agree. I always have the house at a temperature I feel comfortable with.
In the one sit I had where the HO specified I was only to have the heating on for one hour in the morning and one in the evening (in Scotland, in the depths of winter), I tried it out for a time but was absolutely freezing, so ended up putting the heating on to suit. The HO was in Italy so it seemed pretty mean of her to make such requests, especially as she was used to boarding her dog at a high cost before she found THS. I don’t do sits where there are such tight restrictions on heating anymore. I think it says a lot about the HO’s attitude when they are uncompromising in this way.
I totally agree, and would add that it’s constructive criticism for the HOs too. To @Cathy12121 please do include that the hosts controlled the heating and insisted on it being set at 15 degrees for the duration of the sit and that it was programmed for just one hour in the morning and the same in the evening. It’s vital for potential future sitters to be aware of this so they can make an informed choice about whether to apply. I suspect that few sitters would be as accommodating as you, so better for applicants to be aware of what they’re letting themselves in for, rather than for the hosts to experience a disgruntled sitter leaving a sit early.
I know you’ve finished the sit now, but MS got back to me over the weekend, after I shared all the details of what happened to you and asked how this situation was covered in our terms.
They’ve let me know that you can file a complaint as the home is considered unlivable.
As others mentioned, because you tried to get help from the owner and they did not provide a solution, THS would have supported you if you made the decision to leave the sit.
Our code of conduct states that pet parents need to provide a livable home to the sitters. Failure to do this is a breach of the code of conduct. Here’s the relevant clause:
We did not accept them but we had a helpless cat to care for. Owners abroad and their elderley patrents unable to travel in a risk to life storm lasting 3days. 2 days of power cuts.
We would never just walk out from responsibilities wed taken on. Ie a hapless cat. Once we realised we could buy a fire,buy more logs and heated throws,we did so. If had not been a cat ,…wed have gone. We dpoke to THS who advised us to make arrangements for the cat THEN LEAVE. THERE WAS NOBODY TO CARE FOR THE CAT.
Were not idiots. Were not doormats. We decided to stay for the cats sake .
We will take it all up with the owners when were home. Were travelling there at the moment.
The whole thing made me quite ill… BUT being told were doormats and should be considering future sitters right now isnt helping.
We did what we thought we should do. It’s not always necessary to put yourself first in some things. Were in our 70s. We have had great sits and hsndled a coiple of iffy ones Now we have handled this one. To the best of our ability. The cat was well and happy when we left.
We didnt try to get help from the owners after being told that our leaving the heating on at 17 for 6 hrs or so had sent out an alert and had cost them £62 . We just nudged up the heat one degree as requested and then dealt with our own solutions.
Twice we boosted the heating for one hour. And once the hot water. Which was never hot.
I’ve had to moderate some of the replies on this discussion, just because it was starting to get a little off topic, and I’m going to close the discussion to new replies now that OP’s left the sit and now that I’ve been able to share the recommendations I got from MS.
Thanks to everyone who came to give support and advice at what must have been a difficult time for OP, and thanks to Cathy12121 for taking the time to keep us updated.
