Nervous newbie

Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat
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Hi everyone,

I’m in a bit of a situation I never thought I’d be in and I’m hoping to get some guidance.

I’ve never been away from my pets before, and to be honest I’m not used to having strangers in my home, so this is a big step for me. My daughter has recently gotten engaged and is planning to have her wedding overseas in Indonesia, where her partner is from. I completely understand why they want to do it there, so I’m trying to work through everything on my end so I can be there for her.

I have nine cats that I’ve taken in over the years. They’ve all been with me for about seven years now, all desexed and vaccinated, and they’re a big part of my life. They are indoor cats and cannot be let outside under any circumstances. They do have a secure cat run, but they’re not used to roaming and I wouldn’t want to risk them getting out, especially as we live near a very busy junction.

Because they’re only used to me and my daughter, I do worry about how they’ll react to someone new in the home. They’re generally well behaved, although occasionally one might have an accident outside the litter tray, which would just need to be cleaned up.

Alongside the cats, I also have an aquarium and a pond out the back, so there are fish that would need feeding as well.

At this stage I don’t have exact dates, but I’m expecting the trip would be around a week, possibly before the end of the year.

I know I probably sound a bit anxious, but this is all very new to me and I just want to make sure I find someone reliable and respectful who understands how important my pets are to me and will take good care of them and my home.

I’d really appreciate any advice, reassurance, or an idea of what I should expect in terms of cost for pet sitting. I’m open to different arrangements and just trying to figure out what would work best.

Thank you so much in advance.

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Welcome to the forum @StarKatz Tour cats are beautiful.
It’s understandable that you are nervous about this trip .

With Trusted House Sitters you pay an annual fee to advertise your house sit on the platform.

Sitters who are interested in visiting your location apply and they don’t get paid . They do this for a mutual exchange - most often for a travel experience . You will be able to read reviews of sits they have done previously and have a video call with them to chat things over. There are many sitters experienced in looking after indoor cats .

So if your home and location has something to offer a travelling sitter THS may work for you. Consider what are the main attractions of your location , how long can your pets be left alone for ? What would attract a sitter to your location ? Generally Sitters on THS will need sufficient notice if they are travelling internationally they will need to book flights at their own expense.

If however you are looking for someone local to build up a relationship with, you may choose to look for a paid sitter locally . Depending on where you live there are often pet sitting platforms where sitters advertise . With a paid local sitter - you could arrange some drop ins or short stays before this trip for your peace of mind .

3

Since the wedding is at the end of the year, you have plenty of time to warm up to the idea of having a stranger in your home and, more importantly, to introduce your cats to a sitter. I would suggest starting with a weekend away and welcoming a sitter to take care of them, and then take it from there.

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Thank you I’m going to be honest. My home isn’t necessarily what I would say in the location to really offer much benefit and it’s not equipped for people to stay and to be honest I’m a little uncomfortable about people being in my bedroom. So I wouldn’t be looking for somebody to stay in my home just stopping in once a day to make sure that the cat litter is clean and the cats are fed and they’ve got freshwater and also the fish are fed. Maybe if they could spend maybe an hour for those cats that are quite friendly. Just so they’re not freaking out and becoming distressed, or feeling they’ve been abandoned. Because originally apart from 2 they were strays, we’ve taken them in and had given them care and everything they needed.

I’ll give you an example with one of them. She has never been out of the house from the day she was born. She was actually born here because the mother was thrown heavily pregnant in our yard and of course I couldn’t not take her in. She gave birth to 5 and three died so her two girls have been raised with her. They’re very healthy very loved and when my daughter went away, one of them tried to actually run out the front door. I was able to grab her in time because she’s got no road sense and no knowledge about surviving outside and being the location where we are we are situated near very busy roads. And I don’t know what she would be like if I’m not here as well. So as you can imagine it’s quite overwhelming but I don’t want to let my daughter down on her special day either.

I went on Airtasker and made an inquiry personally. I would prefer a female because there are no males here so they’re not used to males and I think they would feel more comfortable with a female. The most important thing is that none of them get out onto the road, that they are fed, that their cat litter is clean, and if one happens to have an accident outside the cat litter that the person takes the time to get a bucket and mop it up.

Fortunately the whole place is floorboards so that shouldn’t be a big drama and of course just feed the fish once a day..

I am happy to pay a membership, however it wouldn’t be a ongoing thing because this would be my first ever time away from home myself, I haven’t even got a passport yet.

So I’m wondering, like how does this work if the person is just visiting to feed the pets but not staying the whole week?

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THS would not be your answer as it is not set up for “popping in”. It it a platform for sitters to stay overnight at the host’s home. Please therefore do not pay for a membership but take up the suggestions by @Silversitters

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THS is for home stays only .
So a local paid sitter would be your solution . There are many pet sitting platforms and FB groups where sitters offer pop ins for a fee.

7

It might work if someone was travelling in a Motorhome and could park up at your place, but this would make the number of sitters a very small pool of people. I don’t think THS is for you, as sitter people definitely are looking to stay overnight, that’s what makes it an equal exchange ‘accommodation for pet/house care’.

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As others have said, THS is not the right platform for you. Have a look at Rover where you’ll find lots of sitters near you. It lists their experience and prices. With 9 cats and fish you will be looking at high costs

9

Would this HO be better paying for a THS sitter’s accommodation nearby or paying a Rover person to drop in twice a day?

10

It’s okay I went on Airtasker and got a quote from a lady who actually lives nearby. Who does this for a living.

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Thanks for the update.
Enjoy your trip.

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Never heard of Airtasker but will check it out….
Just realised it’s an Aussie thing
Glad you’re sorted

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Huh, never realised airtasker was Aussie, thought American :rofl: you learn something new everyday.

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Just discovered that it has expanded internationally into the UK, NZ and US.