Hello, new to THS and would appreciate some help/advice, please.
We had sitters agreed for a 12-day sit at the end of September and beginning of October. Unfortunately they have had to cancel due to family illness which will still be ongoing at that time.
I have re-listed our dates, and have reached out to around 10 other sitters (using the sitter search) as well as the other couple who had originally applied for our sit - unfortunately none are available.
I realise that we are still 4 weeks away, but I’m getting very stressed at the thought of not being able to find a suitable sitter in time - it’s not possible to change our travel dates as we are travelling to participate in a sporting event (for which we’ve been training for the last 9 months).
We took out the Premium Pet Parent membership as this offers the Sit Cancellation insurance option. However, having contacted THS Customer Services to enquire about how this works - in case we are unable to find another sitter - they have advised that as the sitters cancelled more than 14 days in advance the insurance coverage does not apply!
Can anyone please advise of what else we can do to find a new sitter?
(Please, no comments of ‘you should have had a backup plan in place’ - yes I realise that now but as mentioned we are new to THS and housesitting in general).
Very sorry your sitter has cancelled @Sal1980. As your listing is labelled Low Applications despite re-listing it, make sure you remove the dates briefly then re-list them. This will make it New again.
I would make it very clear whether your partner’s dog will be part of this sit. If not, don’t mention it.
Loki is a young dog. As a sitter, I would want to know about how well trained he is; his recall if off lead; how well he interacts with other dogs (not Blue); where he sleeps; how long he can be left alone etc.
I have sat in rural Denbighshire twice with both owners emphasising there was no public transport so sitters needed a car should there be an emergency vet visit; and yes, I did need to take one of the cats to the vet. Are you in a similar, rural location and have you thought about this situation? Could you provide a car (depending on your insurance policy) to make your listing more attractive? Just something to think about.
I provide pretty extensive instructions on this thread about how to increase the chances of success when inviting a sitter. You would of course have to modify it for your location; for example, if I were you I would prioritize searching for sitters from Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham (far enough away for visiting you to be an adventure but close enough that travel isn’t a burden).
As it is unclear what numbers of pets is in the sit, I would make that clear.
Include the specifics of what the routine. Does the dogs only go out one time? Is an hour the total walk time of the day? Doesn’t seem much for an active breed. Being clear is best as otherwise members might assume worst case scenario and move on.
Seems like two persons for the sit might be best if all the pets mentioned are there at the sit. Then the actual bed size would matter to some. Is it one bedroom available as in photos, or possibly a second bedroom (would open for a couple sleeping separately or friends).
Please mention where pets sleep at night.
To sum up: Some things that sitters look for and that many hosts don’t mention: 1. Why should I want to go to your destination? 2. How do I get there? What is the possibilities of public transport? Maybe something on how to get from airport? 3. Beds: What bedrooms can we use? What sort of beds and how large? (Please use measurements and not full/ double/ queen and such, as the meaning differ). Some couples prefer separate bedrooms - so mention if possible. 4. where does the pets sleep? Many avoid pets in beds/ bedrooms How long can the pets be left for outings. (4+ hours? 6+ hours?)
@Sal1980 Some hosts maintain their dogs’ usual routines with walkers or daycare during housesits. Not sure if you already use such services, but if not, there’s still time to set something up and mention it in your listing. Four animals can be a handfull, especially with one being a puppy, so highlighting this could boost your chances of finding the right match.
Might be worth expanding the search area as well. You’ll likely have a better chance of finding someone from farther away who’s excited to explore your area, rather than locals. Good luck
