You should definitely write that in your bio. I don’t know why you would be a petsitter if you didn’t think animals should sleep on the bed / sit on the sofa. That would be like someone looking after my child and saying ‘Just so you know, I can’t hug / give the child any comfort as I don’t believe they have emotions.’ I would say dogs / cats in bed is a given, and the sitter has to specify if they are going to not allow this.
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I’m used to having my cat sleeping on my bed, so I don’t mind if a pet comes to sleep with me, on the contrary, I like it. Once I had two Jack Russels who slept in bed and it was funny!
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If a pet is used to sleeping on their owners bed, fantastic. That’s what they do but pets don’t sleep on MY bed therefore I do not apply for sits that need them to sleep on the bed. To imply someone doesn’t love animals and is not a good pet sitter is harsh. I think putting a dog in a crate at night is wrong but that is what the pet owner does and the dog is used to it so I accept it.
Part of caring for the pets is to follow the instructions and try to keep the pet in its usual routine. If I find it impossible to do so I don’t apply. Does that make me someone who doesn’t love animals?
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@eddy Firstly, welcome to the forum as there is a message that says ‘this is your first time posting’. Before responding to a post, it is helpful that you read the entire thread before responding. It is also helpful that you put the person’s name who you are responding to. Why? Because it is simple courtesy, you read what each person has said, things don’t get misunderstood and who you may be responding to has already given an explanation of why they do or do not do something. Loving and caring for a pet brings joy to us pet sitters, but there are boundaries that we all have. Many of us mentioned (if you go back and read) that we will not apply for sits that require animals to sleep in the same bed with us as not to disturb the animals’ routines. On the other hand, many sitters don’t mind animals sleeping in the same bed with them and that is their choice. What this comes down to is each person’s choice and what he/she is comfortable with. It does not negate the love he/she feels for taking care of / spending time with animals.
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Hi @eddy welcome to our community forum, thank you for joining.
I’m sure you have experienced that every sit is different, members manage pet’s needs, their expectations and sit arrangements with their chosen sitters in a way which works for everyone involved, especially the pets.
Knowing what those expectations are before a sit is confirmed is what is so important, like pets sleeping on the bed or pets on furrniture, which is not for every pet, every owner or every sitter … communication is so important to ensure a successful experience for everyone involved.
Enjoy the conversations and connecting with other members.
Angela and the Team
We love animals being allowed in the bed! Especially with cats I find it surprising that any “cat person” would have objections, except when they start hunting for your feet in the morning :). Ouch! Dogs of course also eat poo and might not be as immaculate, but it also depends.
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I’m a restless sleeper so any pets that want to sleep with me eventually give up and sleep elsewhere. Although I had a cute small dog who was glued to my side all night.great little hot water bottle she kept me warm all night.
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This has happened to us. I didn’t think to ask the question, on receiving the welcome guide the pets are expected to sleep with us on the bed.
I am not at all happy about that, but this was a last minute sit which starts in a few days so too late now, also we are full time travelling. Another lesson
Cats on work surfaces? That’s nothing to one I looked after. The owner actively fed it on the kitchen table, while I was sat at the table having breakfast. She simply put its food bowl on the table in front of mine. Then pulled a chair out for her cat to jump onto the chair and onto the table. Apparently it used to be able to jump straight up but had over indulged and was far too overwieight now. I was even told I may have to help and lift him up. So there is me attempting to eat breakfast with a cat’s tail continually brushing across my food. Needless to say when owner departed the cat was fed from kitchen floor or out on the balcony. Just glad the cat could not tell tales. : -)
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Funny! That’s one crowded bedroom full of restless sleepers! The next day … 
(Big daytime yawn)
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My two cats simply curl up one next to my feet and the other next to my pillow. When I go to bed (in Winter) they join me and most of the time they are still there when I wake up. In Summer they stay outside longer and come in when I am already asleep, but they don’t wake me up when they do. They don’t run around and play at night, not in the bedroom. What they do outside I don’t know.
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Same thing at home with my cat. He is discreet
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We had three cats that slept in bed with us for years. They each had their favorite spots, one at the foot of the bed, one under the covers…yup, every night he’d wait until I was in bed… he’d sit next to me and patiently wait for me to settle, then I’d lift the cover for him to crawl under and he’d find a spot to snuggle up next to me. The third would sleep on my pillow, snuggled around my head. I never thought anything of this strange sleeping arrangement, just accepted that they were gonna snuggle in with us each night. We did buy a king size bed, which gave us each a little more space 
It should be noted that none of them were in bed when we woke up…they were too busy talking in the kitchen, about who was gonna wake me to get up to serve them their breakfast 
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At home I have a 200 lb Mastiff that sleeps with me. Just did a pet sit for a client that added a Doberman Pincher in our bed for 19 days. Luckily the Shar Pei slept on the floor. I only have a queen sized bed. I did a pet sit in Virginia where I slept with 2 Bulldogs and an Old English Sheep dog in a king bed. I have sat for dogs that sleep under the covers and on top. The recent Dobie even wears PJs. to bed. I sort of enjoy the surprise.
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Unfortunately this is us too, but I know it’s not for everyone. Ours used to sleep in a crate at night, so may have to buy one for the future.
It took me a while to get used to having a cat in my bed but it is so much better than having them scratching at the door and howling to get in. We have a cat, that we regularly sit for, who snores loudly and, although she starts out at the end of the bed, is often lying beside me with her head on my pillow when I wake up. She is such a lovely pet that we don’t mind. I don’t think that I could handle more than one on the bed though.
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I have it marked very clearly in my intro pararagh in my listing that my dog (pug) needs to sleep with the sitter. Its not always a good nights sleep due to snorts and snores. This way those sitters that will not sleep with the pet (s) can scroll past the listing. As this can be such deal breaker it should be mentioned in the listing to save time all around.
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I totally agree with not having any pets in my bed or in the bedroom with me. They should have their own beds to sleep in and should be downstairs. This is not just because of disturbed sleep it’s also because I don’t think it’s very hygienic as the pet isn’t mine. I state this in my profile and also ask the HO about the sleeping habits of the pets before I agree to the sit. Always a good idea to look at photos and see if the pets are on the beds and if that’s the case then I don’t apply for the sit and will turn down a sit if requested and this is the case.
The same goes for any large pets that are allowed on the furniture, that’s something that I don’t agree with either. Probably not bad for small pets.
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Hello @Beetherapy and welcome to TrustedHousesitters and the community forum. Thanks for jumping into the conversations.