Pet food deficit

Has anyone been on a sit and there hasn’t been enough pet food for the duration? What did you do? Thanks.

Yes, but on that occasion the owner left money to get more. Some owners have left cash to pay for anything that might be needed and I think it’s a good idea.

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Yes @Reliablesitter. I let the owner know it was getting low, bought more of what the pet ate, kept the receipt and owner reimbursed me on their arrival back.

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What are you going to do?
I would message the owners and tell them, suggest you’ll pay for extra food and ask them to send the money to your bank if you’re not going to be there on their return

I think that’s the best suggestion. I just feel really awkward about it but it is going to be a couple of weeks worth so I will ask. Thank you for replying. It’s good to hear what other sitters think! :blush:

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I think it might be worth us as sitters suggesting to the owner they might leave some cash in case of eventualities. For instance, there are people who haven’t got a car or don’t drive. If they should have to take a pet to the vets they might have to use a taxi/Uber.

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There is no reason to feel awkward my friend. Why should you?
Let them know, they may even arrange to have it delivered and is probably just an oversight.
It has happened to me on more than one occasion and has never been a problem.
Pet food is not an option :wink:

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That’s a good point that they may have it delivered. I always forget that many people do this! I know it’s a bit silly to feel awkward but I guess I feel I’m bothering them. Thank you for replying :+1::blush:

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You won’t be bothering them at all. Remember you’re looking after their beloved pet(s). They’ll be pleased that you care and they may well be embarrassed that they didn’t leave enough food which will remind them for next time

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We’ve had to notify one homeowner and he just ordered more on Amazon. It was delivered the next day, so no food interruption for the dog.

I’ve had HOs leave cash for various needs.
Currently in Melbourne and they couldn’t find the soft muzzle in case I want to take the pup on the train with me (dogs allowed on trains but must be muzzled, but not allowed on buses and trams). The HOs had seen a picture of me taking a pup in London with me to a meetup and even checked Sunny out on for his first train trip. Anyhow they left some cash for me to buy a muzzle should we decide to take a trip.
Actually having a meetup with other sitters on Friday but the location requires train and tram so Sunny won’t be coming!

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There’s absolutely no need to feel awkward! And you won’t be bothering the hosts by informing there is not enough food for their beloved pets!- Its part of your ‘job’ to feed them! They’ll be thankful that you are on the ball and maybe even a little embarrassed that they didn’t top up supplies enough. So don’t worry- just inform them :blush:
We find that on shorter sits most hosts will provide enough of everything. Sometimes on longer sits we do run out of food & either the host has left money or they’ve told us to send a pic of the receipt & they’ve reimbursed us by bank transfer. On our current sit- 3 weeks- the dogs eat cooked chicken & veg (yummy!:yum:) & the host has cooked, and frozen, enough supplies for the duration. But they forgot to buy poo bags! So have instructed us to buy more & they’ll reimburse. Sometimes even the most organised people don’t think of everything! :rofl:

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What a shame you can’t take Sunny, but enjoy the meet-up!

Sure, it has happened. Usually during longs sits or when the HO was a bit disorganized (just being honest). We asked the HO where they usually buy their pet food and went there and bought it. After the sit we got reimbursed. PS: For some sits it was clear from the start that we would have to buy fresh food (e.g. home made ice cream and veggie snacks for a dog).

I have been on sits where there is not a lot of cupboard space and they use a specialized subscription service that delivers automatically every three weeks. Or maybe it’s a case that the owner orders online but ‘as and when’. Just ask, it shows that you’re responsible and diligent. :slight_smile:

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I have not had this problem. So far the longest sit I did was 5 weeks. In 2023 I will do a sit that lasts 3.5 months. The owner tells me that they will leave sufficient pet food for the duration of the sit. Fingers crossed!

@Reliablesitter I can understand the frustration but I would suggest you advise the pet parent asap and maybe suggest they get it shipped from a supplier or distributor. I’m not sure where you are located, but in the US, they could order from Chewy.com, petsmart, etc and just pay with THEIR credit card and ship direct to the home.

Thanks to all for your helpful comments and shared experiences. I’ve contacted the owners and it’s in hand. Sort of :blush::joy: