@BonnyinBrighton
My God, that sounds awkward.
I’d never let someone else tell me when to go to bed, haha
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Especially when Glastonbury is on the TV!
Yup, totally! You should feel at home and at peace during a sit, not feeling guilty or afraid to use the heating or take a shower 
One of the first sits we ever did (not THS), the owner was super angsty about gas & heating use. It was February. In the UK. And snowing. She also said when we arrived at the sit that we should ‘go halves’ on the heating bills. We left that sit early and learnt our lesson 
There were big red flags for that sit and we didn’t know better at the time.
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Better that way. Bad sits can be horrible! Better to err on the side of caution.
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I had that in Norway in April/May, when it was also snowing. The owners didn’t ask me for money, but did ask me to use the fireplace instead of the electric heating, and left only one small bag of wood. Then I had to chase them about where I could get more wood. 3 week sit!
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Oh man, sounds awful!
The owner of that sit was also convinced she could talk to the cats, telepathically or something
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You’re totally spot on there, Andrea.
I’ve probably become a bit too discerning these days but it’s just not worth the hassle of getting stuck in an uncomfortable situation.
It seems to be paying dividends though as my ratio of sits that go well far outweigh those that are not so good. What I’ve learned is that people often gives us clues as to what they’re really like to deal with in that initial call, even in subtle ways. I just need to make sure I’m paying attention!
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@Chatsetchiens
It’s been exactly like that for me. Sounds like we’re going through the same experience!
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Would the cats tell her if you put the heating on for too long?
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Being on THS is like one big masterclass! It’s taught me a heck of a lot actually.
I’ve picked up so much about human behaviour just as much as that of cats and dogs.
I’ve definitely learned that ignoring any red flags or disregarding those inner alarm bells is just not worth the hassle.
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Absolutely, they were her spies 
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I haven’t had any alarm bells, but I am also eager for sits, as I am rather new. A recent chat, did a walk about her home, so I could see how clean and neat it was. That was new for me. Maybe there are things we should make as standard, ask in the video chat to see where the dog sleeps, where I would sleep, so you get a look around. And it seems rather silly to get to a video chat, do a spiel and then ask when do you expect me and the whole thing falls apart. It should be clear that HO puts the date they expect you to be there. Time to depart would be good. I am assessing sits as I cross country after Thanksgiving. One sit in Sante Fe gives me too much time between another sit, and one in Phoenix doesn’t give me enough. Knowing that helps me figure out where to put my energy.
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Something that caused me to withdraw from going forward with a sit not so long ago was that the HO mentioned that their cat could sometimes be quite volatile. This wasn’t mentioned in the listing but fair enough, at least it was being brought it up on the call.
When I asked how this volatility might present itself (even though I already at that point knew it was a pretty much a no for me for going ahead), I was told, “Don’t worry. You’ll get plenty of warning before he has an episode. You’ll usually just hear some loud hissing coming your way and his claws will be a little more on display.”
As much as I actually really like cats, I’m not too keen on the idea of being around one that has a reputation, even with their owner, of being unpredictable and volatile. My nervous-system would be wrecked on a sit like that wondering what might set the cat off so that was a thanks but no thanks and onto the next!!!
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@Happypets, You casted off a great topic. Thank you.
As @Silversitters and @Nagy26 eluded to, if a video calls begins to feel like an interview…I simply stop it, thank them for my time, express why I am ending the call and wish them good luck. The moment I get the impression I should get paid is when I transition to ending the call.
This has happened three times, two of the HO thanked me for telling them why. The third…they just have been used to bossing people around. I told them they should pay for someone as one of the pets required insulin shots every three hours.
I am very picky with my sits as well as the people that own the pets and the home. My profile is very detailed, I am sure many just decline my applications because they don’t like to read but the few that do read it, they respond well. It is sort of the first test…did we read each others profiles??? Once a sit is confirmed by both sides, I have NEVER had a problem, in fact at that point, it only gets better even when problems with animals or houses arise.
I did decline a sit recently though, sort of funny but cruel. I have very clear expectations in my profile, one of them being that I will NOT house sit for outdoor cats. Indoor only. The reason…cats are food for predators not much larger than they are, I don’t want to be the one to make the phone call that I found your cat in 25 pieces below an owl hangout or half the head caved in because it was ran over by a car.
This couple…when I asked them to verify the cat (they also had a dog) was indoor only, they said, “She can come inside when she wants, but she may not come inside at all!” I said, “Well, if I am allowed to keep her INSIDE the entire sit (8 days), I am happy to sit.” She says (husband was also on the call and engaged), “Why?” I explained that I have had to make two phone calls (not on THS), one where the cat ended up being half eaten and the other that got hit by a car across the street 1/4 mile away. His response, “Darwin! If something happens to her, that is just the way it is.” The wife’s response…“THAT IS TERRIBLE AND NOT TRUE (and she teared up)!”
I didn’t laugh at the time with them on the call…but when I tell the story, I can’t help but laugh! Not at the graphics or of the cat getting hurt…just everything after the husband said Darwin! It was such an interesting conversation…but one I was happy ending right then and there as far as a sit for us. I thanked them both for their time and I wished them luck but explained they need to be on the same page for the next sitter interview, and perhaps I am the one that is just being picky with my demands of indoor cats. The husband agreed with me that I shouldn’t worry about what happens to animals…the call ended shortly after but I imagine they didn’t sleep in the same bedroom that night!
But going into others feedback regarding basic heating/cooling/water usage. In the USA…if anyone told me I had to monitor my energy usage to be freezing in the winter, hot in the summer and to remain un-showered to save water…I would tell them point blank they would NEVER find a sitter here in America for free that would comply. Pay up.
Reading these forums is teaching me more about culture and human behavior than I have learned in classrooms…thank you to all that are contributing!
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Wow… gee wizz!
I feel like I could write some great (fiction, but loosely based on true events) novels about pet sitting… and my au pairing experiences too
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Perhaps she thought she could operate the heating telepathically, too. Hence the small supply of wood.
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Amazing. My exact words when I tell other people about this pet sitting experience!
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I just want to see someone with a smile on their face and can chat away to me with ease. If I feel they are on my wave length, I feel we will be a good fit for one another. I do my research on a pet owner and read their profile twice and read all the reviews on them and all the reviews they have done on sitters, I also look at the photos carefully to see how the home is presented. I also like to lpok to see what is through the windows, if I can see other houses immediately near the home I’d not want the sit. All has gone well so far I’m pleased to say.
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I had a sitting where the husband was totally uninvolved. I didn’t mind that, it was obvious to me that the dog was something the wife and kids dealt with, the real problem was when I found out (too late, I was already in the sitting) that the wife couldn’t agree with HERSELF about anything, best time for walks, frequency of watering for the plants, things the dog was allowed to do… It was a really energetic Vizsla and a big house with a big garden. I was even supposed to identify all the plants in their garden that were poisonous for the dog and prevent him from eating them! My most complex sitting and the only one where the owner had not written a single word of guidance. Nothing. I had to follow her around, taking notes and trying to keep her focused. On top of that
she could not even make her mind up about anything at all. She changed my arrival date and time twice and expected me to be on standby, waiting for her phone call to see if I should go that day or the following. Once I had paid for quite expensive, non refundable accommodation, last minute, during a bank holiday, she then decided I should stay at her place that night. She also changed their return date and time twice. But that was good in the end because they arrived a day earlier and I got myself a 300€ room (the cheapest I could find) and got out of that house as fast as I could. I felt that money was well invested.
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