Needing a regular lady sitter for cat

Owner Questions, Advice & Chat
1

Hi all

I’m an author and actress living alone in a flat. I have a cat with some health issues. He’s got a cat flap so goes outside a lot into gardens. I rescued him a couple of years ago so he had a bad childhood lol. He’s now 10 years old. My problem is that I need to go to London or abroad a lot for my work and don’t want to leave him on his own even for one night. He gets stressed. He only likes women, not men. I don’t have specific dates in mind but a lady who is flexible to cat and homesit.

How do I go about advertising for this? Again, it needs to be a lady who is flexible with dates.

2

@Roxana1, welcome to THS Forum. There seem three attributes of note in OP … pet health issues … housesitter criteria … repeat housesits … flexibility.

The THS housesitter community seems extremely diverse in terms of personal situation, listing preferences and housesit objectives.

It’s certainly possible that you may find a perfect person that fulfils your needs. Suggest state your requirements in listing and see what happens. Good luck!

Concurrently, consider exploring paid housesitter options. In sheer pragmatic terms then increased complexity in pet care, sitter profile, frequency and flexibility suggest that a paid, local service provider may well better fit your needs.

3

Welcome to the forum, @Roxana1.

In order to publish your listing, you need first to sign in and pay your membership fee. I think you have some sort of money back guarantee if you don’t get applications but I’m not sure how it works.

Where are you based?

4

Hi. Thank you. I did suggest my requirements in a post here but admin didn’t approve my post because it didn’t fit their rules . Is there any other way I can seek a house sitter with my specific requirements?

Thanks

Roxana

5

Yes, suggest two tactics.

First, consider basic membership and related cost as experiment. For most people, related cost is immaterial relative to alternative pet care costs. Give it a go, perhaps it’ll work wonderfully. Can always consider upgrade if works out. We took a similar experimental mindset this three years ago.

Secondly, as @Newpetlover suggested then THS has a Money Back Promise. Terms in url below - eligibility includes “do not receive any sitter applications within 14 days of posting your first listing” . After join, you could create listing that very clearly states your situation and requirements - this should ensure that any housesitter applicants are likely to have self-vetted their eligibility.

Good luck.

https://support.trustedhousesitters.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360001697837-What-is-the-Money-Back-Promise

(Post edited by the Forum Team to comply with the Community Rules).

6

How far in advance will you know the dates you need a sitter? A month before is alright, a week before might leave you without a sitter. Are you ok with it being a different person every time? Sometimes there are companionships between hosts and sitters, but more often not, as THS is advertised as traveling for the sitter.

With a lady requirement you will not have an issue. You can write that in your profile (and you should, to save time from both parties), and most users on THS women (second most common is couples including a woman), so you will not be limiting your application pool too much.

In your situation it could be more fitting to pay for a local sitter, to have the same sitter and to have the flexibility and last minute change.

7

Alternatively outside of THS you find a local student or retired lady looking for an occasional change of scene. If you want the same person all the time THS is probably not able to provide that. Realistically even the same paid sitter will not always be available.

8

@Roxana1 THS is about mutual exchange so think about what opportunities your home offers the sitter .

For example what are the local attractions that your sitter can enjoy when they house sit (museums , parks, theatres, beaches , areas of natural beauty , buildings with historical interest ? ) or are you in a rural spot where a sitter from the city can came to enjoy peace and quiet?

Whatever makes your home special advertise that and any sitters looking for that type of sit will apply .

We do repeat sits on THS , however we are not always available when the hosts need us . Some hosts connect with several sitters through THS so they build up a pool of sitters that they can call on when they need a sitter .

9

@Roxana1 Your requirement for a single Lady sitter is fine. And with your cats special needs you just been to be clear and upfront so there are no ‘surprises’. Where you may struggle finding a sitter is with your requirement for flexibility and (it sounds like) wanting the same sitter regularly.

To attract a regular, female sitter who is also flexible on dates, you need to consider what’s in it for the sitter? What makes your sit attractive? Why should they sit for you regularly for free?

Your needs may be better served by a local paid sitter or you could advertise locally for someone looking for a change of scenery e.g someone in a flat/home share who wants some more private space occasionally, or a local who loves cats but can’t have their own etc.,

THS is a global platform and most sitters using it will not be looking for a short regular sit unless they happen too prefer staying very local. That’s not the typical THS sitter! Most sitters use it for travelling. E.g my hubby and I housesit all around the world and rarely do repeats because we want new experiences. However we do have 3 particular sits we’ve done 3 times each, basically once a year when we’re back in their areas and dates fitted.

It may take a bit of experimenting but eventually you’ll find what works for you. Good luck!

10

Hello @Roxana1 and welcome, I think you’ve perhaps reached the forum by mistake instead of the platform. But if you’ve published your listing on the platform, you’re able to attach it in here, for people to review it and give input.

It’s a marketplace for traveler matchmaking; Departures and arrivals. If your requirements align with what you’re offering, you may have a chance of finding a good match.

However, the chance of actually matching with a voluntary who is planning to return and stay for the exact same period you’re traveling next time is extremely limited.

Good luck!

11

This is a bit confusing. Frankly, I don’t think Trusted Housesitters will work for your needs. People seek sits for specific dates. It is not impossible to get repeat sitters but as most sitters are travelling and/or are booked way in advance, getting repeat sitters who are the same person whenever you want them is unlikely.

The forum is used to solve problems people are having with the site, but not to find sitters in general. You really can’t “find” a sitter without posting a listing or inviting a sitter to specific dates.

12

Try looking at some Facebook groups. Lots of local paid, sitters advertise on there.

13

I think it very much depends on your location which you haven’t shared in general terms.
There are similar situations eg FIFO sits in Perth Australia (fly in fly out on a regular cycle). I’ve also spotted sits where the home/pet owners want sitters for their local football team’s away games :winking_face_with_tongue:. Yours is another specific type of sit, that might suit a sitter with family in your location eg I do frequent sits in Jersey in order to visit an elderly relative there.
THS is all about it being a matching service so you could really work at it over time find a favourite sitter and arrange dates etc to suit you both in advance.
You won’t be able to advertise here until you’ve paid for membership then you’ll be able to put a link to your listings attached to your forum profile.

14

Actually in our case that’s not really quite right as my goal in joining THS was to find HOs who wanted repeat sitters who we’d then build a relationship with for frequent trips to locations where we have family, a few other sitters do this too.

15

The only way to know if this MIGHT work for you is to actually sign up for a membership. Sign up for either the Standard or Premium level membership because: the Standard and Premium homeowner (Pet Parent) memberships allow you to search for sitters in their database, view their profiles, and see which sitters have “favorited” (bookmarked) your listing. You can try inviting sitters you find in your search but I have read here from other sitters they don’t respond usually. But you never know until you try.

If you decide to sign up, take time to make a really nice listing. This means SO MANY THINGS. I kept tweaking my Housesit listing as I learned more and more about using it to the best of my abilities. I found so much great advice here so you’ve come to the right place for some direction. In addition to whats already been suggested, I suggest the following:

Clean your house like its going to go on the market for sale. (This is what it should look like when a sitters arrives too.)

Put away the clutter on tables, countertops, sinks, dressers, etc.

Take AMAZING pictures of your home. Front of house, back yard or patio space also. Include a pic of every room the sitter can/will use. Sitters want to see a clean home, a place to work (desk, table), a nice bed to sleep on (not a futon/fold out couch). Also take several good close up pictures of your kitty. Talk about his good traits also, not just his negative ones.

Making a great Housesit profile takes A LOT of time and effort. If you put in the time and effort up front you will have a much better chance and finding what you seek.

I wish you luck in your search for a good fit. And thank you for rescuing a street kitty and caring so much about him. :heart_eyes:

Write your profile in a pleasant manner of your expectations, not “barking out” orders making it only look like a one side is benefitting from this sit. List the responsibilities you expect the sitter to do. Make it clear if you want ONLY a female or if a couple which includes a female will work. If you are in a remote place or an area that requires a car to get around, consider letting the sitter use your care during the sit. (you can ask if the have a current valid drivers license and ask to see it if you like).

(Post edited by the Forum Team to comply with the Community Rules).

16

@Roxana1 are you in a University town ? You may find a female student who would appreciate being able to have more space to study or just to chill from time to time .

20

Bristol. I am happy to pay membership fees, but as I don’t have specific dates in mind and need a general flexible person, i am not sure if this website would suit my needs

21

Yes, I did read the terms and conditions. However I might need someone for one night, then the following week i might need them for 3 days, then the next month i might need them for one month. I never know. Is that how this website works? I feel it only works if you are going away for weeks or a month and know your dates, whereas mine is so random.

22

But how can I know if I like them or if my cat would be comfortable with them? I need to interview them and feel I can trust them with my pet and my home

23

what if it is only for one night or two nights? How will they have time to explore the city? i am only looking for a person to look after my cat, at random time. sometimes one night, sometimes one week. i never know the dates