All those questions will be asked when you are with the animals. My last 2 sits animals are completely different than what told. The only question I have , before they leave, I would love to spend a full day with the animals and owners , watch and ask. Than I am prepared to all their habits.
@KerstinAndFrank surely itās the āpeople doing it as a kind of lifestyleā or full time sitters who are looking for free accommodation if they have no home of their own. Also, arenāt some HOās looking for free pet care rather than paying for it? Works both ways!!
Personally, I apply for sits in regions I would like to visit and have accepted invites in regions I hadnāt considered before. The joy is in helping each other out
Aw come on @Colin
You know you want to travel 3000miles at your expense just to cuddle that sweet doggoā¦
Oh myā¦ unfortunately ppl think of themselves first - just like you are right now. However, normal ppl wouldnāt sign up for this unless they loved animals first. I meanā¦ look at their photos- are THEIR furbabies in photos?? If they are, its a good indication that they love animals - that should be your first clue. When I look for a place - I look for location because I have very little time to share - and its a win winā¦ They get me - AND I get to exploreā¦ So, to me, it makes sense.
Being somebody with 40 + reviews.
At this moment in my hand I have a dog described very docile. I came and in couple hours H O was gone.
Second day , I was walking her, a lady approached me and advise not to walk this dog when other dogs are around.
To my surprise , I learned she attacks.
If I would have done couple walks before the owner left, you can observe from her looks around.
It is written or specified anywhere. Than Neighbour across the street cam and explained this dog attitude .
And not the first time.
I understand you but there is more than questions.
It hadnāt occurred to me that people would ignore the wants and need of the pets of the household; or, if not actually ignore, then do the absolute minimum. But I do believe that this was what happened recently for me. I knew about the sitterās personal situation and why they were seeking a summer of sits, but I supposed that this site would only attract people who actively sought out the company of animals. When I returned, it was evident that the care had been competent. But treats remained untouched, and toys and grooming tools had apparently been disregarded. So I concluded that the attentive loving engagement other sitters have shown my pets had been absent. (The pets were fine, by the way, this isnāt a complaint, just an observation. They were probably just more pleased to see me return than usual!)
House and pet sitting wouldnāt seem like a holiday to me if the boot was on the other foot; the huge responsibility would be like looking after someone elseās vulnerable family members. And when I go away, if Iām brutally honest, it is also a holiday from having to get up early without fail to perform the expected routines!
@Geiriadur Sadly, we had a sitter who clearly had neglected our pets and home. Because of this, we do believe there ARE sitters who are on THS for a free ride. 
Thankfully, however, they are in the minority! Other sitters have been GREAT and true to the THS standards of being caring, respectful sitters!! 
Yes, I think some of those questions can wait until you arrive to the sitābut many of them are questions I ask in order to determine whether a sit is the right fit. I want to keep the petsā routines as normal as possible, so I ask about meal times and sleep times to gauge whether their schedules are compatible with mine. If not, Iām not the best sitter for them.
I hope the situation you describe (āā¦animals are completely different than what toldā) is the exception, not the rule! Some listings are so sparse that they might only say their dog is the best ever; thatās why I like to ask questions about quirks and habits during the video chat. Thatās when they explain how their dog is so sweet EXCEPT when ----, and she hates ----, etc.
One defense I can think of for sitters who donāt ask about the pets during the interview is anxiety and nervousness about doing the interview. I am a sitter and I absolutely hate the video interviews. So awkward. I do understand why HOs want to do them though.
So now what I do prior to the interview is read the listing carefully, write down the names of the pets and HOs and prepare an outline so I donāt forget to discuss something important.
If you absolutely hate doing video interviews then donāt put yourself through the stress.
I think that many HOs are just following THS suggestions and ask for a video call. When my potential HOs suggest a video call then I ask if I can have an old fashioned phone call and they have all agreed. It has not caused any problems at all.
Thanks! I will try thatā¦
Yes weāve had that several times. We can normally spot this and donāt consider them further. Once, we missed the clues and ended up with sick animals, unhappy pets and a totally miserable experience altogether. (For example, they contacted us as soon as we landed half a world away, 24h after leaving home and asked us to arrange to remove the animals for the duration of their sit. There was plenty moreā¦.). As a result of that one, we only consider sitters with a particular profile. Tough on excellent sitters with other profiles, but that experience nearly put us off offering any signs at all, and we have made good friends subsequently through this site.
I do love traveling and a free place to stay is fantastic. But the best part of the whole thing is the pets for us! My boyfriend and I spent 3 months bouncing around Airbnbās in Costa Rica before I learned about THS. There were 2 places that had pets around and those were by far our favorites! People would ask how the house at the beach was and the first thing out of our mouths was āomg there was the cutest kitty on the porch every morning! We bought it tuna!ā We love hanging out with pets on our trips. Weād be super lonely and bored without them.
Hello, new member here, and this is my first post, so please be kind! When I joined, we had three elderly dogs in the family, two of our own Vizslas and a 15-year old Maltese that we took in for an elderly aunt who then passed away. Both Vizslas passed away before we could accomplish any of our planned travels, but the Maltese is hanging in there. I searched the FAQās and understand that the site is allowed to be used by non-pet households too, which we will probably become before too long. But is that not really in the spirit of the site? Should non-pet households be indicated in a way beyond within the description? Reading this thread it sounds like non-pet houses are frowned upon. Thoughts?
Hello @PhoenixTravelers and welcome to the forum. Non-pet houses are definitely NOT frowned upon! There are just very few listings where there are no pets. And remember the name of this organisation does not mention pets, just trusted house sitters! The security of oneās home and the maintenance of the garden are very important for peace of mind when we go away so having a sitter/s makes sense. Your time will come when you can enjoy your planned travels and Iām sure you will have no difficulty securing wonderful sitters.
Hi @PhoenixTravelers Ditto everything Ms. @temba says.
Lots of love to your seniors there.
Thank you!
Now itās about what the house has and hasnāt got, where it is situated, car loan
+1. Had a sitter apply earlier this year who was just starting out with THS. At the end of our phone interview she said sheād be in my city in a few days and if she liked it sheād let me know if she wanted to do the sit. Umm, thatās not how it works. I think I did tell her something to that effect.
@Crosswords_and_puzzles Cameras are explicitly forbidden on the part of HOs. There is no similar proscription for sitters, so if thatās a concern the HO may want to call it out in the Welcome Guide.
Hello @PhoenixTravelers and welcome to TrustedHousesitters and the forum. Firstly really hope that your Maltese hangs on and you get more precious moments together, but just also wanted to reassure you that pet-free sits are just as welcome on the site as those with pets. Itās just that the much higher percentage of members do have pets and the value exchange provided is perfect for giving pets the best care while pet owners are away.
As long time sitters whoāve looked after many elderly pets, weāve found ourselves being asked back to care for homes after the pets have passed, because this might be a temporary phase, or because owners have also realized the benefit of having someone look after the home, especially on longer trips. We have a sit booked for 6 weeks next February in the UK while the owners visit family in Australia, no pets, but a quirky old English home that will benefit from having someone in place during the winter months, while they are away.
Of course, pet sitting is at the core of the business as a very important service, but Iām sure there will always be a small percentage of pet-free sits and sitters who will happily take a break from pet care especially if they are full-timers or remote workers. Take care, Vanessa