As a sitter, I square away how many updates to provide during the application process. I normally send a quick update the moment I arrive so that the hosts know I made it to their home. Then I will send an update that night and the next night to calm their nerves. After that if it is a short sit (one week or less) hosts get to choose either nightly or every other night updates. For longer sits like a month or more, I send updates Monday and Friday nights unless there is an emergency.
Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to respond, I truly appreciate the thoughtful and supportive advice.
It is reassuring to know that our concerns are not unreasonable and that regular communication is generally expected, even on longer sits. We did not set clear expectations beforehand, which is something we will definitely make a priority in future arrangements. We now realize how important it is to establish the preferred method and frequency of updates in advance.
We are currently trying to reach the sitter through WhatsApp and SMS, since THS messages do not seem reliable for active sits, as many of you pointed out. Still no word, so we are planning to ask the person who did the handover to check in and confirm everything is okay.
We are hoping it is just a simple miscommunication or technical issue but we will reach out to THS member services soon if we continue to have radio silence.
Thanks again for your experiences, suggestions, and empathy, it has been incredibly helpful during a stressful start. I will post an update once we know more.
Best regards by Moe
We send photos and video every day with updates. What I usually will do is tell them that they don’t need to respond, I don’t want us to become one more chore while they are on vacation but I want to set their mind at ease.
It is unconscionable that they are not responding to your texts, and I would find a way to contact them to let them know that you are concerned. Maybe their phones broke, I would send an email. If they are just not responding then I would be very worried and it would even Potentially be reason to end the sit early. I would be beside myself with worry if I was you.
I always take a picture immediately upon arrival and send it to the homeowner, assuring them that everything is fine and the pet and I are making friends. That’s what I would want if it were me.
Pet sitters are not baby sitters. Expecting daily communication is not reasonable or a peaceful time for the sitter. IMO.
We offer a daily pet photo, it takes a minute and it’s fun capturing all their activities in the park, sleeping, eating, watching TV, playing. I tell HOs they don’t need to reply as I can see if they’ve seen the image. Mostly they’ll heart it.
We’re happy to provide a daily update . It only takes a few seconds and our phones are usually full of pet photos anyway.
That being said it does depend on the pets because it’s much easier to snap a photo with a dog that you take on daily or twice daily walks . For a cat there are only so many poses that you can capture without repetition. We ask hosts what their preferences are , some don’t want updates at all and only want to be contacted in emergencies.
If they want a daily update we’ll provide it but can’t promise that it’s going to be anything different to the day before -
I think it is different for each sitter. For me daily contact feels like a job. My work involves enormous amounts of interacting with people so I need a brake some days from having to communicate with anyone. It also feels paranoid, like the HO doesn’t trust you. We are each different and need different matches. Luckily there are lots to choose from on THS! I hear your side though and it’s great that that works for you.
I am curious as to what made you reply TODAY to a thread which is 3 months old?
@moe313 also curious as to the outcome, was it technology related? I know when I visited Canada recently I was amazed to find I could not text a Canadian person, who was picking me up from an airport, but I could phone them.
The topic is of interest to me. What does it matter if the thread is old? It hasn’t been closed.
Hi moe313, This doesn’t sound good. As a siktter I would have sent an immediate message to say that I had arrived and all good etc. I then normally send a daily WhatsApp, frequently with photo of the pet./pets. But if a very long sit maybe at least every couple of days. I do have some pet owners who say they do npot wish to recieve any messages uless an emergency, as like to switch off when away. But really one message a day is not too much to ask. LIke you if they are not responding I would also be concerned. Are you able to just phone them and have a conversation?
Wow. I hope you communicate your feelings to homeowners before confirmation and avoid all the sits where a daily text and/or photo is mentioned upfront in the listing. I wouldn’t feel well-matched with a sitter who considered a daily text and a “we’re all doing fine. Everybody ate” message sometimes with a photo too much of a burden. I’d be concerned about what other aspects of pet care they couldn’t be bothered with and even if they grudgingly agreed to meet my “demands” I still wouldn’t be comfortable.
I’m actually a 5 star sitter with over 50 sits under my belt. And that’s just on THS. I always communicate with videos and photos and text just not every single day. That’s all I’m saying. And of course I am upfront about it in the zoom meet up as a HO who needs daily contact is not for me & typically has other personality traits that don’t match me. Or I them. Claiming I am irresponsible because I don’t do daily check ins is exactly the nitpick-y stuff that I wish to avoid. There are all kinds of sitters and HO’s and just because you and I are not a match does not mean I am a bad sitter nor does it warrant your negative criticism. The funny thing is you fit exactly the type of HO profile I have in mind when it comes to them wanting/needing daily check ins. We aren’t a fit and that’s fine. But 50, 5 star sits says that lots of HO’s are a happy fit for me. Take care!
Not a problem! I can always find a sitter who doesn’t feel a daily text is a personal affront or a sign that I’m too “needy.” I have had nothing but 5 star sitters in my home! I also sit and strangely many of the reviews have commented on how much they valued the daily check ins!
Most of my sits have been daily check-in requests. I don’t see it as the HO being needy. My experience is that they just miss their pet while they are away. Many HOs have mentioned in my reviews that they really enjoy the daily check-ins. I am quite good with a camera, so the pics are always quite fun . . . I have to admit, though, that on a sit of several weeks or more, I do find daily check-ins a bit burdensome. However, I will still send them, as they HO looks forward to them. I also try to keep conversation short and sweet. I’ve started setting up a google photo album for this, rather than send in whatsapp.
That’s a good idea. For me I can’t do sits with daily check ins required. It’s just too much IMO for a barter situation. That is something paid sitters do.
As a sitter, I ask how often the HO wants updates and pictures and try to meet their requests.
As an HO, I think you can let the sitter know how often you want to hear from them.
yes of course both parties can do that.