My cat, Bear, broke two legs a couple of weeks ago and had surgery to put pins in them.
I have to go away in December (working). He will only have been out of crate rest a couple of weeks before I leave so I’m leaving a house sitter needing to keep a close eye on him and crate him when they’re not around.
I’ve added a bit of info to my listing but not sure if there’s anything else I should add. I don’t want to put people off but equally I need the right sitter.
Some things are currently unknown as it’s early days. He might heal super-quick and get out of crate rest a few weeks early. He might still need the odd monitoring visit to the vet. We just don’t know at the moment.
@MamaSarah , these are my thoughts on your listing. You included a lot of useful information and there are certainly sitters who could take care of an injured cat. Since you mention that vet visits might be necessary, you may want to include information on transporting Bear to the vet. Is the vet within walking distance? If your sitter does not have a car, how would s/he take him to the vet? Do you have a friend or neighbor who could drive? Does your vet make house calls? You might also want to state how you will arrange payment so a sitter is not concerned that s/he will have to lay out money.
Prospective sitters consider reviews and feedback from past sitters. The app shows that your last sitter left no review. If the sit was canceled, you should ask Membership Services to remove the empty review as it can be construed as a red flag. If it did take place, it would be good to ask the sitter to leave you a review and for you to leave one for him if you are comfortable doing this.
In the review you left for the sitter before that (the one that shows on the website) you write that your cat got fleas while she was there. This is a situation sitters want to avoid, so If you are now treating your cats with monthly flea and tick medication that has eliminated the problem you should mention this. This sitter also said that Bear is very vocal at night. This would make me worry that I would get no sleep. How do you usually handle this? She also stated that your cats fight, you should probably address this too.
I hope you find a good sitter for your beautiful kitties.
@Smiley, I felt that my original post was getting some good advice but not on this issue. Instead, it was all about my location. Hence I started a post with a better title to get some more specific advice about the injured cat rather than whether my sit is showing and whether I’m actually in York or not.
@mars, thank you for such a detailed response. I will add in some more information regarding my credit card being lodged with the vet for payment and I will leave cash for the sitter to use for taxis where needed.
The missing sit review is, I know, an issue. I didn’t leave a review for the sitter because there were a lot of problems and I was worried that leaving them a less-than-wonderful review would lead to a retaliatory negative review, which would look even worse than a gap. It’s a difficult situation.
I will address the flea issue and the ‘vocal at night’ issue. Bear has calmed down exercising his voice now! I have a bit about the fighting issue in the home guide but I will transfer the basics to the listing.
Thank you so much for your help. I really hope to find a sitter soon.
My very first housesit with Trusted Housesitters was for a cat with a broken leg. I didn’t know it had a broken leg when I applied. And this was when you could be immediately booked after just making one query, which I was. No other contact before I was confirmed. I also never received a ‘Welcome Guide’. Didn’t actually know what it was then, so only had the address.
It was only later mentioned that the cat had a broken leg and I was given the option to back out. This was due to a previous sitter suddenly saying she could not cope and was leaving. The home owner had to desperately find an earlier flight to return from abroad somewhere. and the pet sitter had already left. I did not find it a problem, as the cat was in a crate. I did have to massage its paw each day and give medication. I also had to take to the vets, due to medication causing the cat to have the runs. A friend nearby was able to take me there in a car and I transferred the cat into a carry case. It was only for a few days and actually easier than some cats who roam free and you never know when they may return, and what gifts they may bring back for you to deal with.
@Visit that sounds like you turned an unexpectedly troublesome situation into a real positive. You sound like a wonderful sitter! I think maybe some of the issue is that so much is currently unknown so I’m having to tell people about all the things they might have to do until we are nearer the time and I wonder if that’s putting people off applying: too many possible responsibilities.
I actually wish I didn’t have to leave him and could do all his rehab period myself but it’s work that I have to travel for.
I can see me having to use a cattery but I’m not sure they would even take him
Hi @MamaSarah - I think it might be one of those occasions when you need a paid sitter. Then they can have a list of tasks and responsibilities and you won’t feel bad if they change. Someone like an ex. vet nurse or similar (my folks use someone in Herefordshire for their 5 labs simply because of volume). You could certainly explore it as plan b. Because THS is an exchange it may be too much of an ask as they’ll be little downtime with Bear if things haven’t healed well.
Hi @MamaSarah ,
As potential sitters can’t contact you to ask questions about your listing I am asking on behalf of any potential sitters who are thinking of applying .
You state that Bear may need to be taken to the vet during his recovery period - would the sitter need a car to do this ? If so do you have a car that you will be allowing the sitter to use ?
I think it would help to have this information included in your listing .
@Silversitters i thought I’d addressed that but obviously not clearly enough. Any thoughts on amending the info much appreciated. Sitters would need to use a taxi service for which I would be leaving cash.
@MamaSarah yes I can see that you have addressed that now - for some reason it wasn’t showing when I read your listing earlier.
Bear is super cute and I hope his recovery is speedy.
There are still three months to go before your trip and there are so many uncertainties in terms of the speed of Bear’s recovery and the care he might need . Therefore some sitters will not want to apply/commit until closer to the time of your trip . So I would not worry at this stage , keep your listing live , update it closer to the time and have a Plan B just in case you can’t find a sitter.
@Silversitters thank you. That gives me a bit more confidence to just have some patience. I’m seeing the vet again on Monday for Bear’s second post-op check and I intend to ask lots of questions about what to expect once Bear is out of the crate. I will keep the listing updated as things progress and hope someone does apply.
Hi @MamaSarah that’s wonderful news thank you for the update.
Animals can adapt & heal so much quicker than we sometimes imagine they will. We hope Bear goes on to make a full recovery by the time you need to travel leaving him in the capable hands of his chosen sitter.
@Angela_L he’s healing so much faster than we predicted. He’s having further x-rays next week and, if those look good, he will be able to have supervised time out of the crate. He could well be completely back to normal by the time of the booking. The sitters are happy either way.
I guess being young and healthy really pays off when it comes to healing time. I’m so relieved. When he fell from the window I genuinely thought he might have died from such a long drop. Still can’t believe he limped away with only two broken legs. A lucky cat!
