I’m Lolly and I’m brand new here. I haven’t purchased a membership yet because I need to know if only cats and dogs are allowed, or can I request pet sitters for my Valais Blacknose sheep, (known as the “world’s cutest sheep!” No, really! Google it! ) Nigerian Dwarf goats and livestock guardian dogs? I have a small hobby farm (10 sheep, 6 goats, 2 dogs and 1 cat) and occasionally need sitters for them. Please let me know if it’s allowed and if there are any sitters with experience in farm sitting. Thanks so much!
I don’t think it’s against the rules, and if you are honest in the listing and it’s desirable to some then people would apply. Be mindful that many house sitters prefer easier house sits with 2-3 pets max. So you might end up with less applications.
Yes it is, we’ve sat a pig, and lots of chickens. It’s totally allowed.
@HouseSittersGuide is right in that you’ll get less applications than other sits, so make sure your listing looks good… which hopefully it will with the worlds cutest sheep etc. If your dogs and cat are child friendly then open yourself up to families if you are able because it will mean you will get much more applicants, because it’s a fantastic experience for them, and you can always have a rule whereby the kids don’t go near the sheep and goats if need be.
We’ve happily looked after sheep and chickens, miniature donkeys, hamsters, guinea pigs and bunnies, in addition to cats and dogs. Whilst you may receive fewer applications, there’s a good likelihood some sitters will be interested in caring for your animal family.
Absolutely. We’ve looked after sheep, donkeys, hedgehogs, pigs, peacocks, cows, horses and a few lizards/snakes. Our sits have included a few hobby farms, and they were great fun. I would recommend putting ‘family friendly’ (if that’s possible for your place) and I’m sure it would really appeal to some sitters. Good luck
Welcome, Lolly! Your hobby farm sounds wonderful, and I have a feeling those Valais Blacknose sheep will attract plenty of attention!
Farm sits are definitely part of the platform, although they usually appeal to a smaller group of sitters than a typical cat or dog sit. For the right people, though, it can be an absolute dream sit. I’d recommend being really clear in your listing about the daily routine, feeding, fencing checks and any experience you’d prefer sitters to have. The more detail and great photos you include, the more likely you’ll attract applicants who genuinely enjoy caring for hobby farms.
Wishing you every success, and yes… we’d all love to see photos of the world’s cutest sheep!
Peacocks are really noisy and constantly!! We had guinea fowl and wild boar as kids and both are entertaining to look after in entirely different ways. #peacockpoo
They’re absolutely buggggggers for abandoning their own trees and deciding they want to roost in the neighbours instead We spent hours catching them and bringing them back. Stupid but pretty birds. #guineachallenge
The sit was in Hampshire, S. England. Sorry, couldn’t find any snaps of the peacocks, but here’s me and a new buddy, and my daughter mucking out the cows!
We have 3 dogs, a lot of birds, chickens, a tortoise, fish, a squirl that roams around free and a wild bird we rescued after it was found with a broken wing and now still visits twice a day. And we live very remote and for western eyes pretty basic. Nevertheless we always manage to find sitters. Maybe most sitters will not like so many animals or prefer a sit in or nearby a town, but there are also sitters that really look for places like ours. So I would surely give it a chance. Be clear in your profile about what people can expect. Tell them it may be more work than an average sit for just a cat or a dog, but that what they get in return is an unforgettable experience.
I’ve sat animals other than dogs and cats, but only a few times with warm-bloodeds - a pair of miniature horses. They lived in a gravel covered urban back yard and I did have to collect their ‘droppings’ from the back yard and from the small shed where they spent the night. I wasn’t too onerous a task. 1 full-size horse but he lived outside so nothing to collect. A few rabbits and smaller rodents - and cleaning out the bedding wasn’t too bad.
I think goats, sheep might be interesting but I’ve no interest in mucking out a barn so they would have to be outdoor dwellers.
I’ve done 2 ‘big’ sits -
the most populous was 2 dogs, their 7 2-month old puppies, 4 rabbits who lived in a large pen in the garage, a crested gecko and a bearded dragon (the family included 8 yo twins and I think they each had their own dragon ) , and a few dozen assorted poultry - hens, roosters, ducks, and a turkey. The puppies were a lot of fun and the HO had a really great arrangement - 2 pens each with a washable rug under the puppy pads so I could put the puppies in 1 pen while the rug for the other was washing. I guess I did well as I’ve been invited back twice but have already been booked for the dates. And only 2 of the puppies are still around and they’ve been house-trained now.
the other was 2 dogs, an indoor cat, and 2 outdoor cats, a veiled chamaleon, and 4 red-eared slider turtles. The turtles were easy and fun to watch. They were different sizes - platter, dinner plate, salad plate - and would stack themselves up - and then I’d a ‘crash’ as the stack would topple. I’ve been invited back for that one as well.
30°C in Costa Rica. Chickens, cockerels, ducks… and every single one seems to come with its own instruction manual.
There’s a blind hen and a partially blind cockerel. Every morning and around midday, we gently pick them up and carry them out of their boxes so they can roam freely outside the pen. Inside the pen they’re simply too vulnerable to cope with the stronger, noisier birds.
At 6 p.m. almost everyone heads back to their sleeping quarters. Only a few ducks like to take their time. By exactly 6:10 p.m. they’re all safely inside, and we close every gate to protect them from predators such as snakes - and the occasional wandering puma.
A farm of our own would probably be a step too far at the moment. Then again, I’ve learned never to say never.
For me, what really matters when choosing a house sit is the amount of work involved, whether the care has to be done at fixed times - like our feathered alarm clock that expects us no later than 5:20 a.m. - and, above all, what the homeowner expects if something goes wrong.
The more animals there are, the greater the chance that one of them will become ill or injured. It’s important to know in advance where the sitter’s responsibility ends.
Taking a cat to the vet is one thing. Staying with a mare for hours while she gives birth is quite another.
The clearer you are about your expectations, and the earlier you publish your listing, the easier it is for both you and potential sitters to make a well-informed decision. That way, you’ll know in good time whether you’re likely to find a sitter through this platform or whether you’ll need to arrange a paid pet sitter instead.
) Nigerian Dwarf goats and livestock guardian dogs? I have a small hobby farm (10 sheep, 6 goats, 2 dogs and 1 cat) and occasionally need sitters for them. Please let me know if it’s allowed and if there are any sitters with experience in farm sitting. Thanks so much! 
to my sitters bucket list …
constantly!! We had guinea fowl and wild boar as kids and both are entertaining to look after in entirely different ways. 
)
We spent hours catching them and bringing them back. Stupid but pretty birds. 
) , and a few dozen assorted poultry - hens, roosters, ducks, and a turkey. The puppies were a lot of fun and the HO had a really great arrangement - 2 pens each with a washable rug under the puppy pads so I could put the puppies in 1 pen while the rug for the other was washing. I guess I did well as I’ve been invited back twice but have already been booked for the dates. And only 2 of the puppies are still around and they’ve been house-trained now.