Some of our favourite little sit quirks and irritations:
The “spare” lightbulbs hidden in some cryptic cupboard, behind three doors, under a pile of linens — sometimes you need a torch to find.
Random single socks left in the dryer… not ours, of course, but somehow they multiply on sits.
The HO’s “emergency snacks” that expired three months ago. You see the date, you hesitate… but then you eat it anyway because you’re polite.
Wi-Fi password on a sticky note that’s vanished, cue frantic router scavenger hunt.
That one mysterious Tupperware container in the fridge that smells questionable… opening it is Russian roulette.
Shoes in “obvious” places that are invisible until you trip over them.
The pet toys… oh, the pet toys. That one squeaky mouse under the couch that you’ve stepped on three times in 24 hours.
The “hidden” cleaning products in a cupboard labeled in German (or Spanish… or Klingon), so you’re just guessing which spray is safe for the floor.
That weird faucet trick where you have to twist, lift, push, and whisper a secret code to get water to come out.
The mysterious single coffee cup that’s clearly meant for the HO’s morning ritual, but you accidentally use it and feel guilty for the rest of the sit.
Shoes lining the hallway like a tiny army… one goes missing and it’s a full-scale hunt.
And of course, the toilet paper economy — a half-roll hidden behind the loo, as if it’s a treasure map puzzle.
Trivial? Absolutely. Annoying? Sometimes. But somehow it all comes with the territory, mixed in with cute pets, cosy homes, and that weird sense of responsibility that makes us say: “Ok, I’ll deal with it… again.”
This is so much more fun! I feel like we could make a “sits quirks” hall of fame!
A first for me - this home has electric gates which are operated by calling a phone number and then pressing a digit to open / shut or open and then shut the gates .
Very useful for the home owners if they are out and a delivery comes they can open the gate remotely - great . My host also said that if she’s gone to bed and forgotten to shut the gate she can do it without getting up from bed by using her phone - fantastic!
The irritation, I just went to put the bins out and there’s no way to simply press a button and open the gate , I had to go back into the house get my phone , call the number and press the appropriate digit … what a faff just to open a gate !
Aside from that minor irritation it’s a stunningly modern home with a beautiful and friendly cat .
@DieFledermaus Oh I resonate with that one! I honestly do not understand this fascination with multiple decorative pillows! Its so inconvenient! The first thing I do is remove all the excess ones and Stick them in a wardrobe, if space, although we’ve had your situation too and had to pile them up on the floor. We actually travel with our own pillows so usually don’t use the HO pillows at all, except for one I’ll use behind my own as a prop when reading in bed.
I (usually!) tell the HO later what bedding/pillows we have not used so they don’t have to do unnecessary washing.
However, once, shortly after leaving a sit, we got a frantic message from HO asking where the pillows and the “extremely expensive” cushions from our bed were! Whoops! I’d forgotten to tell her they were all in the wardrobe. She was so relieved- said she’d searched everywhere (except the wardrobe!) and worried we might have taken them, although she did not think we were the types!!! But apparantly some previous sitters/guests (not THS) HAD actually run off with their pillows!
If there are lots of cushions and nowhere clean and convenient to put them during an extended stay, maybe get a clean sheet or garbage bag to store them away meanwhile.
Personally, I hate too many cushions. Makes me wish for a catapult.
I am not a sitter but we visit family and I swear the ‘guest room’ is tiny with so much clutter in it. And on top of all the clutter (no where for our bags) there are all these effing ‘cute’ cushions. Makes me homicidal…and these are family visits, yikes.
When we redid our guest room a couple of years ago I made my hubby swear we weren’t going to clutter it up (which for me includes ridiculous cushions). So far we have kept it up.
I throw them on the floor. And then throw them back on at the end of the sit. I washed the linens, made the bed, that should be good enough. How the 5-10 decorative pillows are arranged after, not my problem.
I visit a good friend and her guest bed has these gigantic stuffed animals. Like your children are in their 40s, your grandchildren are almost out of high school, why?
I somehow just can’t bring myself to throw cushions on the floor. I know it’s illogical and it’s not like they were pillows.. But I just can’t. Same with towels. Also, in that last bedroom, there wasn’t space. Covering the carpet with discarded cushions would have turned moving round the room into some kind of The Floor is Lava game. Pfuh!
We have definitely done the “frantic router scavenger hunt”, although it is usually the teens who are frantic while I helpfully suggest places to look!
I would also like to know which ancient goblin has flown round the world and stolen all the radios.
Every kitchen used to have one. It was fab. You could play merry music or (here in the UK) listen to a depressing documentary or talk-show, while you searched for the spray cleaner, poop bags, spare TP, alleged wellie boots, spare lightbulbs, ringing landline phone, gate-opening gizmo, a textbook on food bacteria or the other cat. Now, no-one has radios.
An era has passed. Along with any chance that the chopping-board won’t be in a hidey-hole so cleverly hidied that the dog can’t find it. And he’s a beagle.
I like to leave a radio on for the cats I take care of. I have taken my own radio to leave tuned to classical music, or NPR (National Public Radio), for my non-TH jobs, especially if there is just one cat. With permission, of course.
I’m very glad the ancient goblin radio thief hasn’t found me yet @DieFledermaus From time to time I’m still using the radio that my parents gave me, which belonged to my grandparents before them! Sadly, our local station was bought out and closed down, so I do find myself using my Alexa more often.
Oh, puh-lees! Alexa sees me coming and scuttles out on her short, stout legs.. To hide in the Entry-Banned main bedroom. Or, she sings a short, passionate aria and dies. OR, she denies all knowledge of any of the stations I might want to listen to. OR, it’s
“Log in, link your app, give us your fingerprints, have your hair cut and win a marathon - then I might consider giving you a short burst of Radio Thoughtful.”
These sound like they’re veering in the direction of ‘special requirements, lol. If it’s REALLY that important for the HO to have these things for you to use, perhaps during the zoom/phone call you’d consider asking for them?
But apparantly some previous sitters/guests (not THS) HAD actually run off with their pillows!
From time to time I’m still using the radio that my parents gave me, which belonged to my grandparents before them! Sadly, our local station was bought out and closed down, so I do find myself using my Alexa more often.