I was recommended to THS by a friend who said she left a $100 gift certificate for the sitter when she left for 2 weeks. Is there a protocol? What is acceptable and/or expected?
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No money exchanges hands and nothing at all is expected either way.
Iām sure others will leave really long replies but essentially will back up what i have sumarised.
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Nothing is expected, everything is appreciated.
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Iād love a tip like that 
how generous.
Iām not sure what country you are in, but here in the UK its never happened to me.
Treats like wine and chocolates seem to be what I get left.
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Great you came to the forum to ask this @jblack4. Itās a mutual free exchange and there is no protocol for leaving a tip. Money does not change hands and sitters cannot ask for payment of any kind. You can show your appreciation by leaving your home very clean and tidy, having space for sittersā belongings in bedroom and kitchen, having well-trained pets, realising that sitters like to have at least 4 hours āpet-freeā time to enjoy your area. You might instead leave some chocolates or a bottle of wine. What would be your feelings if you did leave a $100 gift certificate and your sitter did not meet all your expectations? Afterall, tips are given after a service is performed, not before.
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@jblack4 a tip is not expected but would be appreciated
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As many have said, tips are not necessary or expected. However, it can be helpful for a sitter if you leave a little petty cash incase a sitter needs to stock up on any house or pet supplies during the sit. Thatās also not necessary, just an idea, and itās completely up to you what you choose to do. Thereās a whole thread about this, which you can find here:
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As a sitter and a HO, I have been left a gift certificate to a local grocery store and since I thought that was a good idea, I also left one for a sitter at our home.
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I think I would be uncomfortable with a tip. Would make it feel like I am an employee or working in the service industry. Choccies or wine is nice and gives the option to reciprocate.
Supposed to be an equitable exchange. So would someone consider leaving money for the HO?
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That is a lot of money for a sit with just a cat.
Now, maybe your new cat is not quite used to the litter box yet. In a case like that, I would understand why you would leave a tip. Or maybe there is something else that you might want to āapologizeā for, like for example building noise at the neighbours.
But at an ordinary cat sit, I would never expect that. After my latest cat sit (indoor/outdoor cat in a lovely home in Bath, the only āworkā I did was giving food) I left fresh flowers to thank them. The owners had left me a welcoming gift of a few local beers and a jar with delicious handcrafted chocolate cookies which already is above and beyond any āprotocolā.
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I can understand why someone in the US would have a reflex to leave a gift certificate for the sitter and call it a ātipā because tipping seems to have exploded into every area of life there since I left 30+ years ago. As a HO I try to make the sitter feel welcome in every way I (and the forum!) can think of but giving them a gift certificate for $100 seems uncomfortably close to a bribe to me.
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There are no expectations as a sitter other than a clean home and clear instructions. Not to say receiving things isnāt nice.
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As others have said, a clean and tidy house, with space in the (clean) fridge is all we hope for. But, we have also on occasion been left a basket of goodies, or local produce, or wine, or treated to a meal on arrival (sometimes home made, sometimes restaurant). Some PPs have left us a āthank youā card, which is a lovely gesture, and some have included Ā£100 in the cards, with notes left suggesting local restaurants etc. Some PPs have not left so much as a drop of milk for a cuppa.
There is no protocol and everybody is different, so my advice would be to do what you feel is appropriate. As has already been said:
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I agree with some comments that being left a ātipā makes the sitter feel like an employee not a mutual exchange. In the UK we tend not to be left anything. Most recent sit left home baking which was very thoughtful. I personally wouldnāt feel comfortable with money or vouchers, itās not appropriate or necessary, we all pay a subscription so itās a moneyless exchange.
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Iāve never left a tip. I do usually ask the sitter before they arrive if there are any grocery staples they like to have on hand that I can start them off with. I usually get a request for 5-10 items. I think it makes my sitters feel really welcome, and it never takes a lot of time or money to pick up cereal, milk, etc.
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Great idea, thank you!
I disagree. we view it as a thoughtful gesture and it in no way denotes a power imbalance. We leave some homemade soup, milk and bread for the pet parents to return to, in the same vein.
Again, thatās not been our experience.
It just goes to show that weāre all different, view things from different perspectives and have different experiences. Thereās no right and wrong way to do things.
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In Europe (including UK) I have only once been left cash, and the owners were Americans. I felt it was diminishing.
Of course, I have been left lots of other stuff to eat or drink. Very nice!
When left in a card - noticed as addressed to us and opened after the PPs have left - with comments like āwith our thanks - have a meal on us!ā and similar, why would such a thoughtful and generous act leave you feel diminished?
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One reason was that the amount of money was what one might give a hairdresser in the US if one was feeling generous. It was also just cash: no note, no card, not a gift card. The whole thing was awkward.
I only used the money when I ran out of pet food.
In Dutch, the word for tip is fooi, but the connotations are more like āa pittanceā.