@TreeandDoug I’m a year in sitting. The homeowners I’ve sat for want you to care for the pets as they would and for you to have a nice travel experience. Balance.
You may have to send a few applications out before you meet your first homeowner match. After that it get easier. It has been a wonderful experience for me.
Ann Marie
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I think you’ll be excluding a large portion of sitters if you insist they be employed and working remotely. There are a large number of us that retired early or just retired. So much just depends on the sitter. We aren’t the type to head out to Disneyland or to spend a full day seeing sights. Nor would we leave a pet alone more than 4 hours. But so much just depends on the sitter and your gut feeling about them.
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Definitely! We would fit your profile of “working remotely”, but even during our occasional 1-2 week breaks the animals always come first (and I think you’ll feel the attitude of the person once you talk to them).
I just realised you can actually see exactly how many applicants there are on the website, you just can´t see that on the app.
In any case though, we cannot see the all the sits that do get filled. And there are quite a lot that are filled within minutes of being posted. I´ve quite a few favourited sits and often find that by the time I have a moment to review them, the applications are paused or closed.
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So very true. My husband and I had always got our animal companionship from house sitting until 2020. Then my sister’s b*tch had a nest of puppies and now we have Tuppence our mini JRT whom we adore. She comes house sitting with us now but that means I have to take into account her needs too.
Next week we are flying with her in the cabin and I am quite anxious about it. (And excited) But the days when you assumed that flights were reliable and trustworthy are I’m afraid gone.
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Thanks Ann Marie!!
Check out the blog post below. This topic is also discussed quite a lot on the forum. You can search for topics like “getting your first sit” using the magnifying glass function.
Also, you can embed your THS sitter link into your forum profile and ask members for suggestions to improve it.
Good luck!
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Hi Javadee,
As a sitter, I looked at your profile and your house and lovely pets look wonderful. That being said, I would suggest posting a photo of the guest room and bath that they will be using. I will not accept a sit without those photos. Just a thought.
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@lake sits closing quickly is due to the new THS policy of only allowing a maximum of 5 sitters to apply for a sit. If you are not in the first 5 you don’t get a chance to apply. There is a very long thread of over 1000 entries about this
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Trying to get them on my profile but not having any luck
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There have been repeated references to sitters only wanting luxury homes. I am both a sitter and a home owner who books sitters. My home is not special at all. I posted this morning and had 5 applications in 3 hours. As a sitter, I have stayed in modest 1-bedroom apartments in big cities. I’ve stayed in the countryside if owners can loan me a car. Some homes have been gorgeous. Some have been modest. On the negative side, I’ve stayed in homes that needed a deep cleaning. I recently had a room that was so small I couldn’t walk around the bed. Yes, I want photos and I will look at them closely.
Some posts are giving me a sense that homeowners think sitters are entitled and demanding. Perhaps that is what is getting in the way?
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If you had 9 fantastic sitters and 1 bad one, I think fantastic is the norm. Perhaps consider why the unsatisfactory sitter didn’t work out, or what you missed, and correct for that. I am a sitter who brings my remote work with me, but I don’t think that guarantees you will have a wonderful sitter.
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If you’ve had several great sitters, could you ask one of them back directly? As a sitter, this is what I find happening. The owners contact me directly without posting the sit now. If I’m available, I take it.
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I just saw one with 16 cats 
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“Also, such statements can be off-putting for owners - those who are new, experienced, or are considering joining.”
For a new sitter too! For a moment it made me felt so discouraged like I am not good enough to land a sit even when there are only few sitters available.
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@SoloTraveler but the pet parent should still post that sit and then invite/confirm you. That way, everyone is covered.
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Hi Mary!
No I haven’t found it. Where did you send it?
I’ll keep looking! 
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Not yet! I’m still looking!
Could I respectfully ask when homeowners/hosts became pet parents? It seems to be the new buzz word.
As mentioned in my Pet Parent topic - not all homeowners have pets and it can be upsetting for those who have lost a beloved pet. Thank You