Hi @kathycalderbank and welcome to the Community Forum. I know it can be very difficult to get that first sit…especially when you want to go outside your home area. Since you are having difficulties and have received requests near your home, you might want to do just a couple of them to get the references needed for homeowners to feel comfortable with you traveling to their home, possibly in a different Country. I would also just suggest putting a few more pictures on your profile showing you with pets. Owners love to know that you are comfortable with different pets, even if your profile states so.
I would also suggest you link your profile to the forum by clicking How to add a listing or profile link to your FORUM profile). This will give you an extra layer of exposure for homeowners to see and possibly reach out to you for that first sit.
Please do re-consider not leaving TrustedHousesitters, as I am sure you will be happy once you have found the perfect sit. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our of our team to assist.
Debbie and the Forum Team