Just finished a 6 week dog/cat sit (2nd one for the same family, 1st was before christmas for 2 weeks)
One of the best places we have stayed, but now dealing with the come down from it, seeing the dog run off to his daddy as soon as they pulled into the driveway gave me such happy vibes but also made me feel so sad its over.
We’ve dealt with doggy illness (nail torn off during play time and got infected), house issues (all the heating breaking down in the coldest week of January), burglaries (not the one we was in) and multiple other small things.
Now its over, what do we do?
How will we ever find another dog/cat as awesome??
Oh, I so understand. The love is real, and the grief of letting go, equally so. I send you a wave of loving comfort to wrap around you during this very real transition.
I am glad you had such a rich experience, and that these beautiful animals had your caring, and sincerity to ease their separation from their family.
@adobbins I can see why you have the “downers”. Both are quite cute and those lab pics and your titles are awesome!
When we had sitters all the time we heard the same thing. When they stayed a while they developed a bond that really hurts to have broken when leaving…animals touch us in so many ways!
I understand too. I think to be an animal sitter you need to form a bond with the animals you care for. I have an ever increasing picture wall with all the animals I’ve sat for and the place as well as names. Makes me smile when not sitting!
I know exactly what you mean and some tug at the heartstrings more than others. It sounds like you’re fairly new to housesitting and I apologise if that’s not the case. It’s something you get used to and you always have the pictures to look back on. I get very sad when I hear that animals I’ve cared for have since died but, that’s life. Just think there will be so many more animals to care for and bond with……no, that probably doesn’t help!
Well, that is a wonderful idea and way to stay connected to all that shared LOVE! When, I have a home, I must do that. Thank you for the great + comforting idea.
It sounds like you had a wonderful experience with this pet family, and it’s understandable that you’re feeling a bit down now that it’s over. It’s natural to form strong bonds with animals we care for, and it can be hard to say goodbye.
It’s important to give yourself time to process your feelings and memories from the experience. It might be helpful to journal or talk to a friend about your experience and the emotions you’re feeling. It’s also important to remember that each pet and family is unique, and while you may not find another exactly like the ones you just cared for, there are many other wonderful animals and families out there who could benefit from your care.
Take some time to rest and recharge, and when you’re ready, start looking for your next pet sitting opportunity. You never know what amazing experiences and furry friends are waiting for you. And in the meantime, you can always visit local animal shelters or volunteer to spend time with pets in need of love and attention.
@adobbins I can completely understand where you are coming from. We just finished a sit yesterday and while the little brother cat instantly warmed to us, his little sitter was shyer. For the last couple of days, she was actively seeking our company out and giving cute little chirps. we wish that we had more time with them.
I would like to say that it gets easier, but at least in our experience every pet we care for leaves very fond memories and are hard to leave. We are just grateful to be part of their journey and it has given us some great insights into potential breeds/mixes that we could welcome into our lives when we stop sitting.
Such adorable photos and would love to hear about your next sit.
I’m glad the photos bought joy to you as it did to us, Barney was a great boy when i was dressing him up in his apron and chefs hat, although i couldn’t get him to hold the spoon
This isn’t our first time, we’ve done quite a few now but each one hurts when you leave, especially after 6 weeks!
Fortunatley the house owners want us back next time and have said we can pop over and walk Barney whenever we want, fortunatley its not far away.
We are now resting for a few months before doing some more. <3
Those pets are beautiful - it can be hard to cut the cord. I empathise as I’ve just left a five-week sit where, yet again, I fell in love, this time with two fabulous cats.
Normally the pets at the next sit take care of those sad feelings but my new sit is the first without animals, and my lap feels desolately empty. I’m focusing on the beauty of the home and the area, as well as free time to catch up on the to-do list.
This is so relatable, @adobbins I have often felt bereft after looking after particularly lovable pets, and saying goodbye to houses more luxurious than my own brings its challenges too. My solution is not realisable for everyone but it’s certainly helped us because now we have our own little dog which we take on house-sits with us. The come down is a lot less because although we say goodbye to the pets we cared for, we still have our own little four-footer. I hadn’t realised it would make such a difference, and not recommending you do it because in many ways having our own pet on house-sits limits our options but till now absolutely no regrets. It’s also satisfying to see her socialisation grow with each house-sit, getting to know the other pets and her new environment.
Thank you for posting this, I have experienced it many times. I always seem to get attached pretty quickly to the pets. When possible, it’s great to keep in touch with the owners and get photos every now and again. Sometimes repeat sits are an option. Right now I am with an adorable little doggie for the second time and will mind her again in July!
We’ve just spent another 2 weeks with these pair and it was heart warming to see the moment we got in the house the Barney ran straight over to us and demanded his belly rubs.
Tarzan (the cat) was seldom seen as it was very warm but he popped by every now and then for us to allow him to walk through the house.
Yes… so very relatable… it doesn’t take long to form a connection.
We have several repeat sits, and our regular dog friends give us mournful looks when we’re packing, which is always touching. One cat always manages to get in the car with the luggage, and we have to winkle her out! But it helps to know it’s ‘not goodbye, but au revoir’, and that they’ll soon be ecstatically greeting their usual humans and forget all about us, which is as it should be - though I like to think they dream about us sometimes!
It’s always particularly hard saying goodbye to this fella…
