That’s a good thread. Thank u
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We look for local sits as our own home is now let out, so we return to our home town once per month to collect post and usually have a cuppa with the family before starting a sit, as we return to the same sits, so they know they can rely on us and vice versa a lot of the time.
Like @HappyDeb, when I’m back in the UK (March next year) I’ll likely look for some sits local to my home in Cheltenham & the Cotswolds as my home is rented out. I’ll have some GP and dental visits to do. However, generally I wouldn’t look for sits close to home, in fact the first sits I did weren’t close to home as I’d rented it out when I started.
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As a HO we like local sitters because it gives us more opportunity to show the sitter what needs doing and how things work so the sitter is never left in doubt or confused.
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The local ones are great once they know you’re good, because I know I can contact them anytime to say, I’m popping back on such and such a date, if you happen to need a sitter let me know within the next week or so before I ask others.
Also, the ones that are slightly further out are amazing, ie not local-local, but say within an hour or two drive are amazing, I thought I knew these places, but you see them in entirely different light, when you’re living in someones home.
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I work remotely and see it as a great way to have a change of scenery, plus I don’t have my own pet yet so this is a great way for to bond and care for pets.
I also love staying in new areas, even if they are local!
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I like doing local-ish sits as I love Scotland and it’s a great way of getting to know areas that I wouldn’t stay in otherwise. Some local sits can be a great base for exploring further afield without having to return home to the city after a day oot.
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That’s a really good point to reach out to say you’ll be in the area.
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that’s a good idea, I guess when we returned home we would stay at my dad’s but I can see how some sitters either want their own space or don’t want to intrude on their family
Actually adding this on to the topic. A friend of mine for who(m) I sit a number of times a year has actually tried a number of times to find an alternative “local” sitter. When I been going away or I have another sit lined up. She’s contacted numerous sitters who were local and had marked her sit as a favorite. Everytime she gets a negative answer that they are not available. OK one or twice I can accept but everytime?
So maybe there should be a possiblity to tick a box for WILL DO local sits ? Shes had this happen about 4 or 5 times now incl. approaching multiple sitters each time.
She’s now actually back to the point while paying for TH that she puts her cat & hamster into other paid care facilities while she’s away
@Maggie Just because a sitter is not currently available for a particular set of dates does not mean they are not interested especially if they’ve favourited the listing. Does your friend just send out a mass invitation? Or does she approach each sitter with a personalised invitation? I’d highly recommend the latter- she’d be more likely to get a reply rather than just a decline. Does she follow up with sitters who decline to ask if they might be interested in future?
I do also think that if she prefers a regular local sitter- especially for short sits- it might be better to go for a paid service.
We have only a done repeat sit once- when back in area by chance. Otherwise we like to visit new places and have new experiences. Many sitters use THS this way.
Is that really so strange? Best chance is maybe to ask at relatively short notice for a short sit (a few days). If they would ask with a nice reason and if I had no other plans I might accept. But the chance is not that high. And I would probably decline to make commitments further ahead.
I would not be interested in longer sits in my own town. A week in towns or countryside of about 100 km away might be nice though.
It would be much easier to just list the sit and hope that sitters would have the area in a saved search. (Why oh why does THS limit those to 3 on the web interface??? It is 10 in the app but I am not usually using the app.)
@iamplankton I can understand you being concerned as to why you can’t secure a “new” sitter in your location, but I can think of a couple of reasons why they may be hesitant,
First, three dogs, three cats and gerbils can be a bit daunting for a new sitter to try to take care of, especially if they are sitting alone. Most of us have the experience to handle but maybe a new sitter not so much.
Also, many may feel that the “wonkiness” is a little too much for them and they may shy away from trying to care for “special needs” pets. I personally don’t see these as issues but I have taken care of all types of pets so this doesn’t affect me.
Good luck with your searches!
So far, the sits I’ve done and ones I’ve booked involve flying. But I’m going to start pursuing local sits, because:
• The region where I live (Washington, D.C.) is diverse lifestyle wise and neighborhood wise.
• I can avoid snow-related flight delays during the winter by doing local sits.
• The chance to meet more pets and people. Our dog is reactive, so I get my fix for other animals by sitting. My husband doesn’t like to travel much, so he works from home and stays with our dog.
• I can do shorter stays locally in between holiday events and other things I want to be home for.
• As a telecommuter, I spend a lot of time in homes, and having access to a bunch of different restaurants (including via DoorDash) is enjoyable in places with good food. Like there’s an area about an hour from me with a lot of good Chinese restaurants, but I wouldn’t drive two hours round trip frequently just for a restaurant.
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Precisely what she did but each time she has got negative reaction or no reaction to asking.
And yes she does ask nicely (rather strange remark) but as I said she has asked multiple people who have favorited her sit/ saved searches but each time to no avail. So if not maybe aren’t really willing to do local sits I would say don’t tag it as a sit you would be willing to do, if each time you get asked you say no.
And not everyone can leave a sit until the last minute to get a sitter when you have to go abroad for work etc. That is why she has gone back to paid care facilities and is actually thinking of stopping with TH
I wrote “with a nice reason” because I might take it just to help them out. For example if they had had a last-minute cancellation. Or because they had some emergency.
I would have no interest in spending time at their place. So it would have to be altruism, or getting acquainted with other people in my town, or a vague expectation that they might help me in some way sometime in the future.
As fulltime nomad petsitters, we have a different approach to ‘local’ sits. Our family is mostly located in New England, and it’s where we raised our children. For the summer months, we chose to apply for sits near family. We always advise the pet owner that we have family in the area. They are pleased that we will have time with family, and that we are very familiar with the area. We’ve also had referrals from family friends, to sit nearby. It’s perfect for us to be able to spend time with grandchildren during summer break. We only sit with kitties, and never are gone for extended periods of time. Our son and grandsons are in Chicago, so we follow a similar search for extended sits in that area. Additionally, we lived in FL for 20 years, so searching for sits, where friends still live, is an added bonus for us. It’s a win-win to combine ‘local’ petsitting with family and friends experiences.
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This is how I started. I thought it was a great idea to sit near my daughter in Boston so that I could spend time with her organically over a longer period of time rather than stay with her for a short period. We all like our space!
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I do this now with my brother and my in-laws. It’s made everyone so much more relaxed for visits, and we don’t feel pulled in a million different directions.
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It truly is the best of both worlds! Spending time with family and friends without living under the same roof.
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