It would be a very special cat that liked going to another area and be around pets they don’t know. Cats are generally tied to their homes and routines more than dogs. Even with dogs, you really have to know that your dog is flexible enough for the experience. Fortunately my little dog is fine with it all—I feel very lucky that way.
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my 12 year old grand daughter owes that cat! She has a Maine Coon which is convinced it is a dog. It walks on a lead/harness when she walks the actual dogs, it lines up with them for a treat (as does one of the chickens!) It loves paddle-boarding with her and travels happily in the car and settles into new places. I’m not actually convinced that it is actually a cat……….
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I agree. I like it when I get local people because they usually are accustomed to the area and the lifestyle.
We’re doing local sits right now because we’re trying to sell our house, and sits allow us to leave our home clean and staged for showings. It’s also our way of building our reputation, since we plan to travel more after the house sells.
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You said earlier you didn’t want to ‘get rid of her yet.’ Strange choice of words from a supposed animal lover. Your cat deserves better.
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@Silversitters hello and thanks for asking! 
I’ve been supporting the team for a few days and Jenny will be back next week 
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You do realize that a cat isn’t an old car or a worn-out coat that you can ‘just get rid of’ and pass on to others when it no longer fits you
Homeowners may be concerned that if you are local, you know the area well enough to have friends, family, and stolen property fencers at-hand. I can see that. So understanding your ‘why’ may be important for their peace of mind. However, one thing more HOs fail to consider is that the later they post their need for sitters, the more likely they will only be attractive to local sitters. For those traveling into a town to sit, a 2 week minimum is required leadway for decent flight fares and overall planning. I recently saw a sit in Central America posted 1 week before the sitter was needed. I had just left a few days earlier from that country and would have loved the sit. I was right there. I asked if their start date was flexible. They said no because they’d already booked their flights for their month away. It was cost prohibiting as a sitter to book an international flight at a reasonable fare to take that sit on. So maybe only a local sitter could accept it due to the short ‘runway’.
Like a staycation
Another very valid reason.
Thanks for the honesty about being suspicious. It’s also good to see people can be enlightened by these discussion topics rather than double down in their assumptions.
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I am both a HO and sitter on THS, though I haven’t done a sit yet. I chose the option to do both mainly for reason #1 you mentioned. I have two cats (which are usually more independent than dogs) and no dogs, but I absolutely LOVE dogs.
I hadn’t considered reason #2 before, but it’s such a smart idea! I adore all pets, so having that comfort when I’m out of my home for a renovation would be amazing.
I agree that the reason a sitter seeks a sit shouldn’t be judged based on location—or judged at all, really. Like you said, it’s not the HO’s business. That said, as a HO, I usually do ask what brought someone to the platform out of curiosity and to start a conversation. I’ve had sitters from other countries, traveling across the country, moving for work and in between jobs, remote workers who enjoy traveling and meeting new pets, etc. At the end of the day, I don’t value one response more than another, I just want someone to take excellent care of my pets and respect my home.
As a HO, I try to make my home as comfortable as possible so sitters can relax and feel safe, have fun, and enjoy a beautiful place to stay. I definitely don’t feel like I’m doing more for the sitter than they are for me. I feel like I get the better end of the deal because my pets and home mean the world to me and their care is priceless!
Thank you for starting this discussion and encouraging mutual respect on the platform. I’m looking forward to doing a sit soon because I want to experience both sides of THS.
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Wow, that’s so sad- I literally would NOT have thought about that 
I interviewed a young married couple who attended the college nearby and lived at home with their parents, but enjoyed doing house sitting jobs locally so they can live outside the home, but still be local to attend their schooling and their jobs. I thought it was a great idea if I was in their shoes and applauded their creativity and resourcefulness.
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Rudeness, or being unkind, should never happen, whether you are the sitter or the HO. I find so many different stories in this forum, and I think it is critical to report bad behavior to TrustedHomesitters no matter which side of the fence you reside.
When I joined this fantastic platform, it was recommended to do local sits as this helps to build a portfolio of trust. This makes a lot of sense! Traveling abroad when just starting out can be stressful, especially when you are not fully informed about how things work. I think the fact that TrustedHousesitters encourages this is plain common sense.
For me, as my business is fully remote, I love exploring different places locally, in other states in the US, and eventually abroad. I have the freedom to do so. I live in the greater Treasure Valley area in Idaho in a subdivision. This home is actually our rental - and I am not crazy about staying here consistently - not really a subdivision person with homes very close together - and a change of pace and new scenery is incredible for my state of mind and my creativity, not to mention the performance my clients receive. Where we live is flat, and I love the mountains - as well as all types of animals, including being a horse lover.
Driving an hour to three to house and pet sit is divine! I get to care for animals I currently do not own myself, enjoy and explore different areas of Idaho, Washingtion and more - and it is far more convenient and cost effective than always going very long distances. I am extremely detailed, love caring for other homes and pets and I get different perspectives. These are all things I graciously share with those who would like me to stay in their home and care for their pets. I find it strange in this context to hear that homeowners feel they are doing folks like me a favor; I have not yet felt that way. Housesitting and petsitting without paying someone is not doing them a favor. The HO is providing a change of scenery or vacation spot for folks, in exchange for having their home and pets cared for, saving everyone money. I think personally, for me, this is a privilege, and it is also a privilege for the HO, too. How wonderful to have someone there who will clean the home a bit, care for the yard, and pets too - and this can be quite an endeavor, depending on the circumstances. All in all, it is the HO’s right to know why. It is their home. And both the sitter and HO deserve respect and kindness, no matter the situation, and to be trusted with full disclosure given. Sitters are vetted, and if they are being watched via whatever that means they must be informed. And if a sitter is not okay with that, they can say no. Personally, I have no problem with that and really do love the idea of a neighbor being close by, that I can ask for help, too.
What I think is not okay is a homeowner not telling you that a neighbor may be keeping an eye out, and out of the blue receiving a text from the homeowner about something, making one wonder if there are cameras watching them. It scared me the first time, and I felt horribly disrespected. I care very deeply, and I think as a part of that care and concern as long as I know I am partially being watched, that is okay with me. If the tables were turned, I might just ask a neighbor to keep an eye out. However, I would make sure introductions were made and full disclosure was in place.
I am a good, decent, honest hard-working person. I am worthy, and I know in my heart a HO is very fortunate to have me should I accept their invitation. And I communicate very well! If I were the homeowner, I would love to have me.
I agree that judgement of any kind is not appropriate. Instead, politely say no, thank you. Love and kindness go a long way! Life is hard enough in the world we are in, not to show that love and kindness every single chance we can. TrustedHousesitters, or just out there in the world in general.
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A Balanced Perspective on Local vs. Traveling Sitters
All of the OP’s points are excellent and completely valid. There truly are many good reasons someone might want a local sit, and I agree that it’s not anyone’s business why a sitter applies as long as pets and home are well cared for.
That said, I wanted to gently add a counter-balancing perspective from the homeowner side, based on lived experience.
When I was new to Trusted Housesitters, after several great sits as a homeowner, I intentionally sought out local sitters. I liked the idea of building relationships nearby in case I ever needed short-notice help. I live in a resort beach town and get plenty of applicants, so filtering applicants is easy—and at that time I had no preconceived concerns at all.
Over many sits, however, I eventually noticed a pattern: my only truly bad experiences were with local sitters. By contrast, my very best sitters have almost always been people who deliberately traveled to be here—retirees, remote professionals, vacationers, digital nomads. They actively wanted to be in this place, treated the sit as a mutual exchange, loved the animals, and were respectful of boundaries. That, to me, really does reflect the spirit of THS.
My worst experience with a local sitter began seemingly normally. The interview felt a bit awkward, but I assumed nerves. Over time, it became clear that she was actually unhoused, had no car, very limited income, and personal instability that wasn’t evident upfront.
Out of goodwill, I allowed her to arrive early and stay briefly in my guest house before and after the sit. What followed was a gradual escalation of dependency—constant ride requests, late-night pickups, pressure to borrow my car, requests to bring multiple friends and dogs onto my property, and anger when I tried to set limits. What began as kindness slowly turned into entitlement. The situation ultimately became uncomfortable and difficult to end.
Since then, I’ve also become aware—through unrelated women-only camping and nomad Facebook groups—that a growing number of women who are unhoused not by choice (often fleeing domestic violence or financial crises) openly share that they plan to use THS specifically as a source of free shelter. In some cases, the stated animal experience is extremely minimal (e.g., “I had a cat once as a kid”). I share this with genuine empathy for their situations—but it does underscore why homeowners must screen for true animal competence, stability, and transparency, especially when considering local applicants.
That experience fundamentally changed how I evaluate “local” applications—not because all local sitters are a problem (they absolutely are not), but because desperation without transparency is a real red flag.
Since then, I’ve chosen sitters with:
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A clear vocational identity or stable livelihood
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A demonstrated lifestyle of travel or intentional sitting
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A consistent, long-term history with animals
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A specific reason for wanting my location
Those choices have resulted in many wonderful, drama-free sits.
So yes—locals can be fantastic sitters, and the OP’s reasons are strong and valid. I would absolutely still consider a local applicant with a clear, grounded reason (remodel, fumigation, caregiving near home, etc.). But I will likely never again accept someone whose only visible motivation is simply needing a place to land.
I share this not to judge, but to offer balance for homeowners navigating the same decision.
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Wonderful town…I used to live there as well, and have bookmarked several listings for possible future sits. And great reason for sitting “locally” also 
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