Just curious really, and also having a bit of a gripe: - Do other (primarily cat) sitters see much of the following? “Sitter not allowed to leave the cat alone for more than a couple of hours?” I was interested in the sit, until I saw that little caveat slipped in at the end. I appreciate that HOs can make any request, they see fit, and that sitters are free to scroll on by - which I did. However, it does astonish me that there appears to be no awareness into the mutual exchange aspect here - the fact that sitters largely do not want to pay to fly to a destination, that they have been attracted to, only to be all but held hostage in the home, petting a random HO’s cat for a few weeks. Incidentally, I sit cats, primarily, and have all 5-star reviews. I love them - but I would still appreciate the option, at least, to leave my post and enjoy the area for a reasonable period of time . . . . Alas, the HO also has external cameras monitoring the property - lest the sitter makes good their escape for more than “a couple of hours”. Also, this kind of thing makes me wonder how the HO manages to live their life, given that their cat cannot be left alone for more than “a couple of hours” at a time. 
Personally I would never apply for such a sit. Most cats are pretty independent. My own were so independent they were quite content if we left them alone for as long as a week at home as long as they were being fed. They were quite happy to visit neighbours if they felt like some company. Having recently sat more companionable cats, I would say I prefer cats that enjoy a cuddle but two free hours a day is not fair exchange to me.
I have no patience for the people who think cats can be pretty much neglected, beyond bunging down food for them once a day… “Hey, it’s not like they’re dogs!”
But this is absurd. Crikey, not many dogs need company 22 hours a day!
There are a few possibilities here, it seems to me:
- The HO genuinely believes their cat can’t be left alone for longer than two hours. In which case, what you have there is a smothered cat who would probably be very glad of several hours’ peace and quiet.
- The HO just happens to be there 22 hours a day and has drawn, from false logic, the conclusion that because the cat hasn’t actually marched them off the property, the cat needs someone there 22 hours a day.
- The HO is a control freak, who’s using the cat as an excuse to keep you a sorta prisoner, monitored by those pesky cameras.
Whatever the motivation, it’s abormal. And I’ve been cat-sitting, via THS and professionally before that, for nine years.
That said, I do feel a tad uneasy at your line about “making good your escape”. Yup, I know it was a joke, but THS isn’t a home-swap site or a free Air BnB, however much the latest advertising campaign suggests otherwise. Of course, we’re all keen to visit certain places, but we’re there, first and foremost, to look after the animals and the home.
I have just sit a cat sit saying the same. Cat can’t be left for me than 2 hours. I didn’t apply.
I got out of a cat sit where you had to put the cat on a leash and put it in the backyard, while you stay there, some hours in the morning and some in the afternoon. And I had back to back sits and had to leave around noon for the next sit and she went nuts on me. It was a cat. And I had another sit where she complained I left early, I fed the cat, medicated the cat. Cleaned, laundered and left. If I had any idea she was going to complain, I would have left, but not told her and returned at 4 pm to return the key. I was only 3 miles away.
i saw a sit like that today. On one hand, it is no more onerous than the dog-owners who don’t want their dog left alone for more than a couple of hours. However, it seems silly to think that a cat needs that much attention. They sleep for about 18 hours a day, so they aren’t going to know whether you are there or not most of the time.
Having said that, I do have some kittens now that can’t be left for more than a couple of hours. But that is because they are under a week old and need to be fed every 2-3 hours!
Maybe after more than 2 hours alone the cat trashes the house. (I’ve been watching too many video compilations of cats wreaking havoc in every room.)
That’s crazy. Are you going to stare at it when it sleeps most of the day. Does the cat have a medical condition of some kind that
she “ forgot” to mention. I agree with @ Diefledermaus that either she is a control freak or she is at home many hours a day and thinks the cat is now use to it. ( even when it is sleeping.) I’m also thinking she just wants her house watched and not left alone. If she has reviews it would be interesting to see what others said.
Frankly, I think that some people get so emeshed with their pets that when there is an issue especially around anxiety with toiletting issues or destructive behavior, people wind up “resolving” those issues by constant attention and wind up inadvertantely encouraging and hard wiring troubling behaviors.
The owners develop tunnel vision and likely don’t leave the house much and devote themselves to their pets. Asking if those owners understand the mutual exhange, is asking the wrong question. They are living a nightmare existance and aren’t fully awake.
As a sitter of course you shouldn’t take the sit. You would be enabling a pattern of behavior that’s bad for both the sitter and the pet. You can’t save them. Even if you are a skilled trainer that would take time and effort and dealing with both the pet and the person.
All I will say is that at least the owner states she doesn’t want the cat left for more than 2 hours. I think we all assume we can leave cats all day, but 2 hours is ridiculous. Imagine if you had applied only to be told on arrival that you couldn’t leave the house for more than two hours…..No idea why this owner thinks that might be reasonable.
@Starlinggal, external cameras are acceptable within THS related policy. But we never accept housesits where pets cannot be left for less than four hours. We have also started reframing video call question to ask how long pet parents typically leave their pets rather than how long housesitter can leave pets … ditto for exercise, human food, pet sleeping location. We observed that a subset of pet parents apply do-as-i-say not do-as-i-do mindset to some topics. In some cases, this seems accidental. In others, we withdraw application. For housesitting to work successfully, there has to be a fair trade.
I agree and good idea. I will start asking the question that way
Hi Smiley, Yes, only two hours for cats is ridiculous. I recently saw a house sit for a dog and had considered applying for it until reading the bit, that said thier dog could never be left longer than 30mins. That isn’t even long enough to go to the nearest supermarket and buy some food etc. Stated that if you went out you would need to always take the dog with you.. I do frequently take dogs on all day walks but do not want the pressure, that I either have to stay in, or always take the dog with me. Hence I did not apply.
So smart to ask, how long do you usually leave the dog alone instead of what I ask, how long can the dog be left alone while I am there. I will definitely start framing the question the way you do. Thanks for your wisdom!
Hi, I am new this year to THS. I used THS over the summer while on vacation and had a great experience with my sitter. I just returned home Thursday from my first sit and really enjoyed it. My HO gave me a fantastic 5 Star review - yay!!
I think it’s a great idea to frame the question asking pet parents how they do certain things rather than how they want the sitter to do them. That being said, I didn’t see any comments where they tried broaching the subject with the HO to find out why the HO had such a short time limit and if they were flexible at all with this. As a newbie here I’m wondering, is it worth trying to have a discussion or better just to scroll on by? Thanks!
@Seniorsitter, kind comments. Alas experiential wisdom … we learn from both positive and negative experiences. Especially food & exercise. understate food + overstate exercise = calorie deficit for pet. Avoidable.