I am new to the site but plan on joining as a sitter. I imagine people who sit also wanna do some sightseeing and activities in their sitting area. Is it challenging to spend enough time with the pets and plan day trips?
Each sit is uniquely different. Your priority should be the pet care and home care and you should only select sits that you feel will give you the freedom you need for that particular area. In our case we have never had a sit that didn’t allow us enough time to explore an area.
3 Likes
Welcome @pettravellover
We usually have 4 hours in the afternoons free, depends on the dogs and what the owner says they are used to.
We tend to sit in rural areas with a car, so for us it’s enough time to visit an historic site, or meet up with a friend.
As @Oztravels said, part of your process to select a sit should look at transport options, proximity to activities you want to do, opening hours of activities (some things shut on Mondays for example) and how long the pets can be left alone.
Once you get started you learn very quickly what works for you and what doesn’t although in my opinion the absolutely most important thing is to follow your gut. If it doesn’t feel right, move on! If you do schedule calls with owners make sure you ask about their expectations as not everyone is upfront about those initially if they aren’t prompted. Also, there are lots of tips on the forum about how to land those first few sits so make sure to manage your expectations initially.
1 Like
I have done that on cat sits. And on a sit without pets.
With dogs that is more difficult. If the dog is well-behaved, one can take it along. I have also been on a sit where I could go on a day trip once a week when the cleaner took the dog out.
2 Likes
Hello @pettravellover and welcome!
We are thsitters and home hosts and our intention is to vacation within this shared community.
We are planning a UK trip in the Fall, I am saving listings that would have a balance of pet/ home care and flexibility to sight-see.
Read the responsibilities closely and when chatting with a home host be sure to discuss your intentions to ensure compatibility.
Check out the “who’s on a pet sit now” thread; a good match is a good thing!
1 Like
Depends on the pet and their humans’ expectations, which you should carefully consider in their listing, as well as ask for more specifics, as needed (if you get to chatting stage).
Cats tend to need less attention, but few hosts are just wanting a feeder and scooper. They join THS so their kitties will get human interaction, too. They deserve love and playtime.
Personally, I telecommute from all of my sits and still manage to get out a bit, but I spend more time with sit pets than most sitters. (Hosts often give telecommuters preference because of that.) On top of that, I take my sit dogs everywhere possible when I sightsee.
Some of my sits, for instance:
In Seattle, I took my sit dog all over town in a rental car, as well as walked her. She was an excellent rider. I’d belt her leash into the backseat and she’d perched between the two front seats, onto the console, and loved looking about. She never lost interest as we did driving tours and we got out on foot at a bunch of parks and neighborhoods, as well as Pike Place Market and the waterfront.
In Glasgow, I took my sit pup all over, including on hop on, hop off tour buses; walking all about town; taking black cabs and Ubers to various neighborhoods and attractions, which we explored on foot. Like we walked all over the Necropolis together.
In Stratford-upon-Avon in the U.K., my sit dog and I walked all about all the time, especially by the River Avon. We ended up seeing dragon boat racing festivities and an Indian new year’s celebration in the park, for example. I took him on a river cruise, as well as a short ferry ride across the river. He kept me company at restaurants with outdoor seating and joined me at pubs that allowed dogs for meals. He got loved on a lot by other diners and pub staff.
On a sit outside of Cambridge, my sit dog and I explored the village and she did great in pubs. (The U.K. is more accommodating with dogs than say U.S. bars and restaurants, but even in the U.S., my husband and I take our pooch to many dog-friendly restaurants when the weather allows. And our dog has been all over the U.S. with us on road trips. Some national parks allow them and some don’t, so check their websites. Our dog has been allowed on tour boats and trolleys, as well as onto a giant sightseeing indoor Ferris wheel, similar to the London Eye.)
2 Likes
@pettravellover if you read carefully the responsibilities section of a listing you will get an indication of how much time the pets can be left alone for .
It varies , so don’t assume e.g some cats have an automatic feeder and a litter tray and are used to being left alone during the day . Others are fed three times a day by their owner who stays mostly at home with them ( retired or remote working ) and lets them in and out of the garden whenever they want to go and expects the sitter to be mostly at home to do the same.
Also check and research the exact location of the sit and transport links .
For example a sit that comes up in a search for “London” can in reality be over an hour’s journey away and train fares are expensive during the morning and evening rush hours .
So if you hadn’t researched and had assumed that you were in central London and planning to pop out to a museum and back by lunchtime you would be in for an expensive surprise!
If it’s not clear from the listing and you have questions you can message the owner those questions by applying .
I suppose it depends on the sitter. We spend a ton of time with the pets and therefore don’t get to see areas as much as we’d sometimes like to. That said, we now try to find sits with dogs that can join us on outings. We like to hike/walk, so to have a dog join us is very enjoyable…that is if they are good walkers 
1 Like
Ask lots of questions!
Personally, I enjoy sits that will allow me to go out and about exploring the countryside with a dog for company, so I like to find out what the dog is used to in terms of exercise, whether they enjoy travelling by car to get to a walk, what their recall is like, whether they’re friendly with other people and dogs etc. Of course, you are still relying upon the HO being transparent in their answers, and at the end of the day you will need to prioritise the pets’ needs above your own, but asking those sorts of questions is definitely a good starting point.
You could also give the HO an indication of what you’re hoping to do whilst you’re on the house-sit in your introductory message, eg. whether you’ll be working remotely and therefore at home most of the time, or whether you’re hoping to go and visit x, y, z (local sights/attractions), and ask how best to fit this around the routine the dog is used to. What time are they usually walked? Do they settle once they’ve had a morning walk? Once they’ve been for a walk are they ok being left home alone for a couple of hours? etc.
Each sit is different, but the more information you have about what the animals are used to, and likewise the more information the HO has about what you’re expecting from the sit, the easier it will be for both of you to decide whether it’s likely to work out well.
1 Like
I am on my seventh set having started in March and I’m already finding that I going to look at criteria differently. The one I just finished was a cat, but it was in a suburb in New Zealand where I don’t drive and nothing was close by so out of the week I only ended up going someplace one day, so I’ve decided suburbs without my car don’t work. I am currently at a beach location with two dogs that need walking twice a day and the owner has requested they not be left alone more than half a day. But this place is totally relaxing to me and I have no problem just hanging out and listening to the waves. I also work while I’m sitting.
1 Like