Live-in pet sitters lead an idyllic lifestyle! We combine our love for animals with exploration through pet sitting and house sitting.
Our time is spent walking, playing or relaxing with our new furry friends in the comfort of lovely homes.
The flexibility allows us to supplement our house-sitting revenue with fulfilling online work. It is a dream lifestyle that has both highs and lows.
The 3 Lows of Pet Sitting & House Sitting
1. Goodbye (The Saddest Word) for Pet Sitters
We are quick to bond with the pets we love and look after.
They become ‘our babies’, which means all the time their parents are on holiday, they are our responsibility.
We meet their every need and they shower us with affection.
But at the end of our house sit, we have to say ‘goodbye’ and that is the saddest word.
Most of our pets are regular customers.
With the sick and elderly pets, we don’t know if we will see them again. In their final days, we won’t be there with them to release them over their rainbows.
Even for our healthy, younger pets, it is hard to separate from them but there is comfort in knowing they are loved in abundance by their pet parents.
2. Well, Well – that’s what I want you to be
Pets that are sickly or elderly are better off in their own homes when their pet parents go on holiday. This is one of the advantages of our live-in-your-home pet-sitting service.
We loved an elderly cat and in the fifth year of our return to look after Bella, she had a bladder infection. The silly girl wouldn’t ‘go’ in the snow, and wouldn’t use a litter tray.
Jenny spent the night awake with Bella willing her to recover. She held her paw, prayed for her healing and whispered sweet nothings into Bella’s coat. With a further visit to the Vet, Bella made a full recovery.
3. Leave it!
Pets that have behaviour or recall issues can be tough on pet sitters.
We have to quickly figure out the triggers and discover ways to manage them. It includes positive reinforcement techniques, structure and we stick to pets’ routines.
Despite all our efforts, pets can still destroy furniture or worse, hurt themselves. The fallout from unwanted behaviour can be a strain on us because we want our pet family to be happy.
We must stay calm and confident, and be ready to handle any emergency situation. Taking care of pets with behaviour quirks requires a lot of skill, patience, and commitment.
The 3 Highs of Pet Sitting & House Sitting
1. Wild Thing by The Troggs
As a pet sitter, bonding with a pet is a special experience. At first, the pet may be shy or scared, but we go to extreme efforts to build trust.
It’s not long before we have learnt their foibles, and they appreciate the love and attention we give them. As we become best mates, we settle into a rhythm together. They provide us comfort and unconditional love all the while revealing more and more of their personality.
Pet sitting is a truly rewarding experience.
2. Photograph by Ed Sheeran
One of the highlights for us as pet sitters is the relief on pet parents’ faces when they meet us and they know that their pets and property will be in good hands while they are away.
We take our responsibility as pet sitters very seriously and strive to ensure that all of our clients’ furry friends are happy, healthy and comfortable while their pet parents are away.
Pets are family members and leaving them can be stressful on pet parents too.
We keep our customers informed with regular updates and photographs.
Often pet parents will comment on how we have managed to capture their pets’ personalities on camera.
Once I commented on how Mollie, the dog would give us judgemental side glances when we were down on the floor being silly with her brother, Ringo. Her pet parents laughed and said that was exactly what she does.
3. Not one life but many lives as Pet Sitters
They say cats have 9 lives. And so do we.
Living a variable life as a house sitter and interacting with different pets is an enriching experience.
We immerse ourselves in other areas while forming deep connections with numerous pets.
We’ve always been nomadic and like variety but house-sitting has honed our ability to adapt to another level.
As house sitters, we have the chance to explore different places and experience the joys and challenges of living in different homes with different pets.
Our customers are typically well travelled, animal lovers and have a similar sympathetic outlook on life. We are so fortunate that our customers are equally compassionate about our welfare as their pets.
We have a sense of responsibility and compassion that softens our outlook in all aspects of our life.
The opportunity to experience different lifestyles, while also being able to provide loving care to animals, makes being a pet sitter a fulfilling and rewarding way to live.
My tip to pet parents would be to ask your pet sitters to describe their highs and lows to get an insight into their philosophy and motivations.