I would like to hear from sitters who are taking their own pet(s) along to house sits, as well as from home owners on what they think about this idea.
The background for this question: I started my fully nomadic life together with a CAT as my travel companion. We travelled in my campervan to housesits and some home owners accepted both of us, while others rejected my application due to that very fact. Sadly I lost my cat to an accident two months ago. However, I feel ready to adopt a new travel companion now and wonder which one would be most compatible with doing house sits. One of the main factors why I have chosen certain sits in the last few months was to gain experience with various types of dogs, so I could choose the right breed for myself. My next long-term travel companion could therefore be (1) a DOG, probably a small one like a chihuahua or miniature pinscher who would be with me all the time, or (2) a pet RAT who would reside in my pocket wherever I go but sometimes be left in her cage, or (3) a Syrian HAMSTER who is a solitary creature and can be left alone for a few days in my van. I have rejected the idea to have another cat as a travel companion, as most cats like to have a firm longterm safe territory and don’t enjoy travelling. My late Anubis was a rare exception to this rule. However, I have been looking into a new species I have never had before, not even as a sitter, which is (4) a CHINCHILLA - who would get a proper cage in my van but requires a lot of attention and care - and, last not least, as being a previous snake breeder, I might really enjoy having a (5) cool big PYTHON around, which has similarly high demands as a chinchilla. I would love to read your thoughts on all these “own pet” options from fellow sitters as well as from home owners alike!
Hi @Romana this is a common question and one that has been discussed on the forum, use the spyglass search function and key words to find this and any conversations of interest.
There is a wonderful member story on the website blog about a couple who travel full time, house and pet sitting with their rescue dog … I met them in San Diego on two occasions and they were sitting the most gorgeous Newfie dog. (There are pictures )
@Romana here are two. I find if I click the ‘more’ at the bottom of my search (I’m on a laptop) I find it easier to quickly scroll through the search results and I’m more successful that way. Perhaps give that a try next time. I’m mentioning it to help others too. @Angela_L
