If a sit is very rural / isolated and you arrive in the evening, is the sitter expected to provide all their own food. What, if any, food is provided by the H O ?
There is no requirement for a HO to provide any food at all- although some will provide a few staples - bread, milk, etc.
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I think it is a kindness for the homeowner to provide some items, but we definitely wouldn’t expect it. As long as I can make toast and maybe some tea the next morning, I’m fine. But I generally carry some teabags with me, and my backpack always has granola bars or fruit rollups.
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You will find homeowners who provide zero supplies to ‘eat the perishables in the fridge’ to ‘help yourself to everything in the larder’. As homeowners who loooooooove their sitters and want them to be happy in our rural location during the winter, we welcome them to an evening meal (which may be a big stew to last a couple of days), leave a couple of days supply of food: tea, coffee, juice, bread, muffins, bacon, eggs, soup, BBQ chicken, salad things. Anyways, that’s what we do because we loooooooove our sitters - did I already say that:)
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If I was the HO in that situation, or any situation for that matter, I would first have a chat with the Sitter and ask if there’s anything I could get in for them and I would also offer for them to join us for dinner or to leave the evening meal for them.
I would not make any assumptions or preparations without discussing with the Sitter as I would want to learn of any food allergies, intolerances, etc.
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Thankyou all for the important info / advice, that’s given me peace of mind. Xx Pearl
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It’s lovely when ho asks what type of food you eat I’m pescatarian so no meat please. A long journey and a meal if you have travelled the night before is so nice.just bread and cheese eggs milk.if you ask sitters what they like it’s super nice. I travel with my own tea bags and coffee.I have been taken for a big shop by ho also which is great. Mostly lucky .
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It is always pleasant when the HO asks about things to have. I appreciate some things for breakfast that first morning - I ask for crusty bread, some cheese, and coffee until I can go shopping myself. Or some folks will pick me up at the station/airport and we’ll stop at a grocery store.
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Wow, that sounds amazing, I’m a firm believer in …’ good in majority ’ of people. So I’m sure my sits, when they happen…Will be great. Thanks G
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@CritterWrangler You definitely sound like my kind of host!!
@Pearllesley We don’t have expectations of hosts regarding foodstuff, in general, but…If we are invited to arrive the night before (usually because the hosts are travelling early morning) we would usually expect to be invited to join them for an evening meal. Most hosts who’ve invited us to overnight with them do invite us and some even take us out to dinner.
If its not mentioned in the run up to the Sit we would always ask- whether they have dinner plans or if we should do our own thing.
To avoid any awkward moments!
Most hosts then immediately invite us to join them- usually they just haven’t thought about it.
Two exceptions were when my husband actually cooked dinner for us & our hosts on our arrival night! But these were special circumstances.
If I was a host I would do everything to make my sitters feel very welcome. Some sitters may have travelled all day (at their own expence) to reach my place and they are going to take care of my precious pets & home while I’m away. Having been a Sitter now for several years I would, if I were in the host shoes, really honour my sitters. Some hosts do seem to take sitters for granted but it is a big responsibility and we give our life- time to them!
Other than arrival evening we have no expectations of hosts regarding food. Its always lovely to be left a bottle of wine and we’ll happily use up perishables if invited to and some pantry stuff too, again- if invited to. Otherwise we always travel with supplies and will go out shopping next day once we’ve assessed fridge contents. And if we use anything of significance we’ll always replace it.
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Sits and HOs vary so much that it is probably best to go in without any expectations. I have started a sit where the HO made her dinner and I made my own. I’ve also had sits where they have ordered in groceries for me. I would say that, as long as there is mutual respect and good communication, the idiosyncrasies of sits can vary quite a lot.
We have never arrived for a sit without the HO either cooking a meal or taking us out. Do we expect it? Of course not but we have always been chosen by kind, thoughtful & well mannered hosts. Lucky us! They always say we are welcome to what’s in the kitchen too. We use fridge perishables and replace like for like where possible. Also if we need to use any dry goods we haven’t planned for, we replace them & never expect the HO to be sustaining us with their supplies.
We also leave basic fridge supplies ready for them upon return and, if possible, leave some kind of meal available for their first hours back home, although sometimes hand-overs mean this isn’t viable.
We have also had very special HO’s specifically leave us wine and treats AND a couple have sent us lovely gifts once we have left.
Gosh, as I write this I realise just how lucky we are 
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I have found it awkward sometimes arriving and have been travelling all day to get there. I don’t like to mention it but I’m tired and hungry.don’t like to make a fuss and don’t want to raid there fridge while they are there.or offered remains of Chinese meal from yesterday when I don’t eat meat.hasn’t happened often thankfully.but on the other hand have been treated to a lovely Cooked meal and wine.or taken for a shop.mostly very good house owners.the good always seems to outway the others thankfully.I love house sitting it’s made me go out of my comfort zone in my older years and travel on my own which is a great challenge for me.met lovely people and lots of different cute cats and dogs
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No requirement but it would be very impolite not to make some arrangement for a sitter arriving at any time. I would always offer, dinner, supper, whatever.
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