Novice from Wiltshire, England

Welcome & Getting Started
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Introduced to this community by friends living in Southern Spain, we are gingerly building the confidence to invite a stranger/strangers to look after our two cats in our home. We enjoy travelling, but hate putting our cats into the cattery. The cattery is beautifully located, very well managed, and the cats are healthy when collected. But being caged compared with exploring the woods behind our home, or hunting in the hedges or fields - let alone being pampered - feels cruel to us. We would welcome tips from others who are recent participants in this community.

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We have booked our first sit and onto a second,on the advice of others who have used THS. One of our rescue dogs does not respond well to kennels,so this is our main reason. We feel very confident with the sitters we have chosen and I feel sure you will too. We emailed,texted and finally a long chat on zoom! Good luck.

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Thank you very much for such a prompt informative and encouraging response.

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Hi @Wiltshirefolk and welcome to the forum, and to TrustedHousesitters. I’ll share three basic ‘Snowbird’ rules: :slightly_smiling_face:

  1. You know that real estate mantra, ‘location, location, location’? The equivalent for this lifestyle - for both owner and sitter - is ‘communication, communication, communication’.
  2. My personal preference (but not everyone agrees) is to enjoy a video call with the prospective sitters. Notice I said enjoy? Don’t panic. Instead, chat away and touch on all that’s important to you both. That will lead you to my next point …
  3. Don’t ignore your gut feelings, the red flags (search those key words with the magnifying glass and you’ll find related posts) - they are key. Don’t settle if you’re uncertain; your cats deserve better.

If you are THS members, add your listing to your forum profile so that other members can give you constructive feedback on your listing.

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Hi @Wiltshirefolk. Welcome to TrustedHousesitters, the community forum, and the wonderful world of having your pets cared for in your home. As @Snowbird said, communication and trusting your gut feelings are key to finding the right pet sitter for your needs.

If you’re nervous about having someone stay in your home whilst you’re away you might start with a short sit. Taking a weekend to get away from home and “dip your toes into” pet sitting is one way many new pet owner members get started.

Happy travels.
KarenE

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Thank you Karen. We will take your advice.

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Excellent clear helpful advice - Thank you.

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