@Sandis311 , Welcome back! What a sweet note.! As a sitter, it’s so nice to feel appreciated.
In my experience, what I like is a clean place, room in the fridge and freezer, a place to open my suitcase or if I’m staying longer, some drawer and/or closet space.
I have had a few owners leave gifts, e.g. wine, chocolates, pastries, bread and sometimes leftover food from dinner they may have cooked or from a restaurant they may have taken me on arrival. I recently had a sit where they hadn’t had time to eat a full Indian takeout dinner and left it for us and it was fab!
You can ask your sitters if they want you to pick up a few items to get them started, e.g. milk, bread, cereal, etc., nothing elaborate or extensive, the sitters will provide their own food. Something really nice was when a pet owner lived a distance from the food market and I had no car, so she stopped at the market so I could do my shopping. I would never expect an owner to pay for my food.
Really, the best thanks you can give is a prompt review that is hopefully a good one for a job well done.
You’re so kind!
Take a look at this topic: As an owner, do you give any type of gift to sitters