Hi, I’m Kelsey from Phoenix, Arizona, US. I am a small animal veterinarian who has had many personal pets ranging from dogs and cats to reptiles and birds over the years. I travel intermittently for work and would love to be able to stay in a place that feels like home - one with animals! Excited to meet some of you and for the adventures to come!
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Hi @kelsey.bradley!
Welcome to the forum. I live close to Asheville, NC if you ever have interest in visiting the area. 
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A warm welcome @kelsey.bradley to the forum and to TrustedHouseSitters! You will fit right in here and once you get settled we’d love to hear more from you with all your animal knowledge in our “all about pets” category! But I have a question for you in the meantime… What’s the smallest creature you’ve encountered as a small animal vet?
Enjoy connecting and getting to know the community! Best wishes, Vanessa
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Haha great question! Smallest by weight is probably a parakeet. Other small guys would be baby reptiles (bearded dragon, leopard gecko) and hamsters.
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@kelsey.bradley , Welcome! You are a pet owner’s dream! I hope you have wonderful experiences as a Trusted Housesitter.
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Welome Kelsey
I’ve been house and pet sitting for almost 7yr (and had my own sitter as a host for 6yr before then). I can say that you’re about to create some unforgetable memories in all sorts of wonderful locations.
My tip to you is to be discerning about the sits you take. In the early stages I was in a hurry to take every sit for the dates I had available - not always in my best interests once I got there! Since then (as I work virtually with a laptop and phone), I ensure that my basic needs are met - a well lit desk space/ dining table area, fast unlimited Internet, that the house is in good repair and if there are any ‘unusual requirements’ during the sit. All are important for me to function well for my work but most importantly, you don’t want to be caught out with odd situations. The most extreme example for me was that the cat was ‘not to leave the master bedroom - ever’, and the dogs had to stay upstairs always (no walks or external toileting!)… this meant cleaning their mess in the kitchen every day. High bundles of towels, disenfectant and a bucket were supplied. Strangely, this was the norm for those poor distressed pets and very upsetting for me. Most sits of course are wonderful with caring and responsible pet owners. Just be confident that you have a sound understanding of what to expect and don’ t feel uncomfortable about asking for photos before you accept.
I wish you well because it really is a terrific way of giving back while enjoying yourself too. Kind regards, Lisa
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