What is the best way to find a long term (2-3 month) sitter? Has anyone ever had to split the sit between 2 sitters? How did that go?
Hello @JudyY
That is a great question and has been asked a few times before. I am sure that there will be many helpful members on here that have either split sits or maybe been on a split sit as a sitter. There are also members on here that do long-term sits so they can also advise you about that as well.
In the meantime here are some topic links that have asked similar questions:
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Hi Judy,
Depending on the time of year you’ll likely have no trouble finding a sitter for that length of time. We’re currently sitting in London for 5 months, and we’d love to find one big sit to take up a lot of that time!
I’d say take your time vetting sitters and be sure to have a back up in case of emergency.
Good luck!
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Thank you! We live in a nice area, but are hoping to get out of here for at least part of the LOOONG cold Winter. Hopefully some polar bears will want to come here then!
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Hi @JudyY. My husband and I love long sits, especially in winter. We’ve locked in a 3-week sit in New Zealand in July (their winter), a 6-week sit in Melbourne in Aug-Sept (again, their winter) and a 13-week cat sit in northeastern West Virginia starting in early January. Two of the three of these are in places we wouldn’t visit except for the sits. If it’s a long sit in a warm, inviting home with well-behaved pets, we’re in. There are lots of us full-time travelers who love long sits, regardless of the time of year and whether or not they’re in the most popular locations.
And no, we prefer not to split sits with other sitters. We’d only do that in an emergency or a super-fabulous home in a drool-worthy location. 
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Thanks so much for this encouraging reply. I would also prefer not to split a sit, but wasn’t sure I’d be able to find someone willing to stay 8-12 weeks. Once we nail down our dates, I’ll post it!
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I’m sure you’ll have no problem getting a sitter to sit for 2-3 months, especially where you live. I’ve had a quick look at your profile and your dog is 17 years old so that could be a problem…
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@JudyY Hi with my full time sitter’s hat on, before the Pandemic we “sat” for 6 years without a home base, we much prefer long term sits. The longest we did was 8 months in Spain, 3 month sits have been common too. Cold winters never deterred us either coming from Canada we’re used to them and I work from home. I agree with @Karen_E …
For personal preference we would not choose a sit that was split with other sitters unless we knew their sitter’s background and had an existing relationship as ultimately the responsibilities for pets and homes is shared and that sharing needs to be equal so that when handovers are done there are no “surprises” and pet parents/owners need to be 100% satisfied with everyone who has been in their home.
As for the Kiwi’s age, that would not deter me either. With every sit no matter what the length, every aspect of a pet’s needs should be fully discussed before confirming, to ensure PP & sitters expectations are met and mutually agreed. There are additional considerations for some pets including seniors like Kiwi, or those with special needs or medical issues, all of which must be fully acknowledged and discussed.
Before leaving pet parents/owners should advise their veterinarian about their absence. if possible introduce the sitter. In the unlikely event of an emergency leave written instructions for their furry family member’s care, placing the responsibility with the professional.
Another consideration/need is to make provisions for payment of any veterinary care, routine or otherwise. Some PP’s I’ve sat for have been able to leave CC details with their surgery which has made things work extremely smoothly.
There’s much to consider but when the right sitter and the right sit come together there is no better place or care for pets 
… home is best … your home will get the best care also, peace of mind all round 
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As sitters, we love a long sit. We enjoy being on the move, but sometimes it’s really nice to just unpack all our stuff, relax down for a while, really get to know the animals and the area. I’m sure we’re not alone in this!
We’re going to do a 6 month sit next year for someone we did a short sit for this year. They’re very organised, and are already thinking about what extra info we’ll need, things that are likely to crop up/need doing etc.
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Hi @Sunshine_G six months sounds wonderful. Whereabouts will your sit be? 
Wales 
We loved it this year, so very happy!
@Sunshine_G how fabulous! 
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Hello @JudyY
I had confirmed sitters for a 16 day sit. They were later invited to a destination wedding and asked if we could split the sit and find someone to sit for the last 7 days. They offered not to go to the wedding if we didn’t want to do that, as they had committed to the sit and would honour that.
I didn’t want them to miss the wedding so I found another sitter that was willing to take over from them. It was not a good experience from my perspective.
Without going into great detail the 2nd sitter was a big disappointment.
(Friends staying over, dog not walked as much, advising me the day before our arrival they had to leave earlier than agreed, house not clean).
I did have a pre sit visit with each of the sitters and on reflection a red flag was the 2nd sitters lack of questions about taking over from another sitter.
If it can be avoided, I would not split a sit
Thank you all so much. Knowing that there are people who actually prefer the long sit very much puts my mind at ease. I was very uncomfortable with the idea of a hand-off without my being there.
As for my dog’s age, we are very aware of the possibilities. She’s in excellent health, but she is old. Such a good idea to introduce sitter to our vet and leave payment instructions. A dear, dog-loving friend of ours, who knows us and Kiwi very well
has “medical power of attorney” for Kiwi in case a hard decision has to be made. I would never want to put a sitter in the position of having to make that ultimate decision.
Thanks everyone for responding! Such a help!
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When we have our dates nailed down, I’ll reach out and see if you’re available!!
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Hi @JudyY, you have everything in place should dear Kiwi’s health situation change for the worse. Something to consider though is what would you do should Kiwi pass before the sit and you have already booked your sitters for that lengthy sit? They have committed to it in advance and no doubt made their plans. This is something to think about and discuss with your prospective sitters prior to confirming the sit.
Such a good point. I would not want my house sitting empty for that long, so of course, I would be glad to let the sitters stay the amount of time we’d agreed on. After all, this is called Trusted HOUSE sitters.
It would be so traumatic for us to be away in that terrible event - I’ve thought about it, but I don’t want to think about it!!
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I do understand exactly how you feel @JudyY as I was in a similar situation with my elderly cat. My sitters had to take her to the vet the day before I was due home. The vet looked after her until I got home and I held her as she was put to sleep. So very sad and I was grateful to my sitters for their care.
As a sitter, I was entrusted to receive the ashes of a dear cat I had looked after several times as she had been put to sleep the week before I was due. The sit went ahead because they also have a dog. Again, a very emotional experience.
As you say, it is TrustedHOUSESitters but there are very few house only sits worldwide so your sitters would need to think about this as it’s usually the pets that are the reason we sit. It’s great you are seeking advice and thinking carefully before advertising your listing.
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Thank you for your insights. You sound like an incredibly caring person.
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A lot of HouseSitters out there who only do long-term sits. We are one of them! We travel all over the world for sits between 1-6 months+. Shouldn’t be an issue at all finding the right fit. 
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