Hi all, we decided to put a short list of features that we think will make everyones’ lives a lot easier. These are currently not available and we have to find out about them during the initial interview process. Often times the answers to these question make us rescind our application. It will be much better if these were already available on the initial sit informational page. Please vote, discuss or suggest other features we can add to the list.
Response Time for both sitters/house owners ( averaged in hours)
Sit Dates Flexibility ( Yes, No, TBD)
Sit Start/End approximate time ( e.g. 8 am or morning, noon, evening, flexible)
Smoking ( Yes, No, Only Outside)
Additional Pets ( Allowed, Not Allowed, TBD)
Garden/Plant Care ( Not Required, Minimal, Extensive)
Security Cameras and locations ( Indoors, Outdoors - description)
Parking (Garage, Driveway, Parking Spot, Street Parking, No parking etc.)
Public Transport ( Bus, Metro, N/A)
Sitter sleeping arrangements (Type of Bed - Twin, Queen, King) Suggested by Susan
Locale/Nearby - Supermarket, Restaurant, Pubs, Coffee shops Suggested by Kelownagirl
@ElsieDownie I mean this comment respectfully, but this is a perfect example of no matter what changes are put into effect by THS, and no matter how they shuffle the priorities of what’s most important, they’ll never please everyone and I’ll explain my comment next.
For me, three photos are ideal for each pet. One for cuteness, to pull at my heart strings. The others help me gauge if I’m a good fit for their size and/or breed (dogs, I’m thinking there, not horses ). I get frustrated with what seems like a photo album of pets, but little about where I will be living. I look for a realistic balance, again so that I can assess whether I’m a good fit for the sit.
Now, every time I see a listing with a ‘pet photo album’, I’ll think of you.
I deleted my comment by accident. Oops. I meant to see if I could edit because I saw a misspelling.
My two additions were:
What size is the guest bed (twin, double, Queen or King) realizing that countries have different sizes. We are a couple, so a twin would not work and would only want to stay in a double bed for short sits.
How long can your pet be left alone? I don’t know how to set the parameters for this one but we like to go to the gym and grocery shopping and I would like to know if we would be limited. On our current sit, we cannot leave the dogs for more than two hours which we’ve been able to manage but it does become a bit claustrophobic especially in the colder months.
I would like them to indicate if there is a guest room where the sitter will sleep and have pictures of the bedroom and bath. I strongly prefer not to stay in the owner’s bedroom, regardless of how nice it is. I would also like to know the size and energy level of the dogs. Sometimes you can’t tell by photos how big they are. Large and calm is fine for me, but if they jump on you and try to pull you down steps, it is a problem for me. I also agree that parking info should be indicated, as it is often a safety concern in urban environments.
Hi @BunnyCat, a great list. We would definitely like to see options for when the sit begins and ends, (AM/PM/flexible?)as it makes it easier to work out whether you can get from one sit to the next in time. When you are just doing the odd petsit here and there it doesn’t matter too much but we are starting sitting full-time soon and it would be a bonus to see that information.
Hi @Susan. I’m replying here, rather than direct message, as others probably wonder how to edit a post too. At the bottom of your post you’ll see a greyed-out pencil, to the left of the three dots. Click on that, do your edits, and save. You can go back in more than once, if needed. When a post is edited, you’ll see a little pencil at the top right corner of the post.
Just to keep this thread on topic adding more pics will be something that is up to the home owner not the THS staff. Sometimes owners do not have a lot of pictures of their pets, other times they have shared with us their Instagram or Google Photos albums.
Distance to vet from the home & how sitter can get the animal to the vet if the sitter doesn’t have a car.
I asked this of a UK HO a week ago and they said the vet was within walking distance but we can use their car anytime we like (not just for a vet trip)
Hello all … the bed size discussion has morphed into a topic all of it’s own, so to keep @BunnyCat’s post on track, I’ve moved it to a separate topic here:
Where the discussion can continue Sleep well tonight!!
Excellent list! I hope THS makes updating their site with these requests a priority. I have one item to add - having owner specify if dog is spayed or neutered. It makes a huge difference in some settings if you end up having to be concerned with an unspayed female getting pregnant or an unneutered male taking off if they happen to detect the scent of a nearby fertile female.
Your question about the issue of the sitter not having a car answered something i was wondering about. I’m considering joining but don’t have a car at the moment and wondered how do sitters get to the sit without a vehicle. And if a pet needs to be taken to a vet in the case of an emergency. I wondered if the HO would provide for that.
Hi @Skw1rl and welcome.
Sitters can get by without their own transport but you need to do your research before applying for a sit. Communication is the key and find out exactly where the sit is and what local transport is available in the area - some locations listed can be misleading.
With regard to vet visits etc. again ask the question. Maybe a neighbour would help in an emergency. I am sure the homeowner would be pleased you had thought it through before confirming.
I can’t stress enough the need for clear communication as the arrangement needs to be a good fit for everyone.
Best Wishes and Good Luck
Every HO will have different circumstances - I think their profile makes it clear if a car is necessary (for a rural area, say). And then you’d need to ask - what about emergencies?
For example, my house is completely accessible by public transport. If my sitter doesnt have a car, I would make arrangements for friends to cover for emergency vet trips. Failing that - taxi (and of course reimbursement of the fare!)!! Even if the sitter has a car, I would expect to contribute to fuel costs for anything of that nature.
and I’ll explain my comment next.
). I get frustrated with what seems like a photo album of pets, but little about where I will be living. I look for a realistic balance, again so that I can assess whether I’m a good fit for the sit.
Sleep well tonight!!