Elise Green

So many people always ask me how I manage to travel so much when I have 4 pets at home. 2 cats and 2 dogs is a lot of responsibility, and while I love them to death and would never want to live without them, I HAVE TO travel. I don’t have family that live nearby and can come housesit or take my pets while I’m gone (I’m super jealous of those of you who do, because that’s the best-case scenario). Both my cats are seniors (11 and 16), one of my dogs has anxiety, and one of my dogs is a spunky puppy. So, boarding them really isn’t the ideal situation. 5 years ago, a friend happened to casually mention a website to me called www.TrustedHousesitters.com and it has been an absolute blessing. I couldn’t travel the way I do without it. So, I want to share the details with you here, just in case you are searching for a pet-friendly travel solution like I was. 

How it Works

Basically, you can belong to the site as a pet sitter or as a home/pet owner needing a sit or you can even be both. There is an annual fee to join the Trusted Housesitters (TH) network, but that’s it. Every sit that happens after that is completely FREE. Sitters get a free place to stay for a vacation of their own, for which the pet owners get premium pet and house-sitting services for free. It’s a really fantastic exchange. My pets get to stay in their own home, follow their regular routines, and their lives are minimally upset while I’m gone. 

Pet parents create a listing with details about their home and pets, and when you have specific dates that you need a pet sitter for, you will publish those dates on the site.

Sitters who are interested and available for your sit will apply. You can then check their profile, read through their reviews from past sits or their references. You can also see if they’ve had their phone, email, and ID verified, if they have external references, or if they’ve completed a criminal background check. 

Once you have identified a sitter you like, or you’ve narrowed it down to a few top contenders, you can set up a zoom/WhatsApp/FaceTime meeting with them so you can see if they are a good fit for your pets and your home. This also gives them an idea of what your home looks like. I will give potential sitters a little tour and introduce them to the pets as well. From there, you decide which sitter you’d like to choose by “confirming” the sitter for your sit. 

You can then send them your “Welcome Guide” which is an instruction manual on how to care for your pets and your home. You will create this on the TH website as well. It will stay with your profile, so you can use it for all your sitters and you can edit it at any time. 

Coordinate the day and time for arrival with your chosen sitter. Make sure to have them arrive the night before (if you have an early flight the next day), or at least an hour or two before you need to leave, so you can show them the ropes and the pets have an opportunity to get comfortable with them before you head out the door. 

I always request that during sits, the sitters communicate with me daily with photos and pet updates. It makes me feel comfortable and I’m able to relax if I know my animals and my home are being properly looked after.

Tips on How to Pick a Sitter

I pay special attention to their reviews. I get so many applications, that I’m able to only chose the best sitters. I will absolutely interview them via video chat, and I will ask them questions about how they would take care of my unique pet situations, and I’m looking for very specific answers. For example, I ask them how they would approach the situation with my anxious dog who is wary of strangers. Their answer to that one question tells me if they are properly suited to be with my girls. 

I also google them. Get their full names and where they live. Dig into google. If there is anything negative out there about them, you should be able to spot it. I look for mug shots, arrest records, I look at social media, etc. I want to make sure that I know who I’m giving the keys to my home to. Also, my pets are my babies, and I want to make sure that I know who I’m leaving them with. 

It’s a very competitive world for sitters on TH. Every sitter has to start somewhere with building their reviews, but I have a rule that I don’t even consider a sitter with less than 10 reviews from prior sits on TH. That’s really my baseline, and then I work from there.

Best Practices

First, make sure you take your time and carefully select your sitters. This will be the most crucial part of the process. 

Next, make sure your “Welcome Guide” is very detailed and complete. I send it electronically through the website, but I also have a printed copy of it available for them when they arrive. It has everything they need to know. I also have a separate “Daily Pet Timeline” that is basically a “cheat sheet” for them. It just gives the basics. 

I want to make sure they are set up for success, so in addition to providing them with the “Welcome Guide” and the “Daily Pet Timeline” I walk them through all of the pet routines and responsibilities once they arrive. I will often try to have my sitters arrive at the pet meal time, so they can see how that all works, since it’s a complicated bit of choreography in my house with 4 pets. I want to make sure that they feel comfortable with everything, so I even set out all of the pet supplies with specific instructions in front of each one. It sounds like lots of prep-work, but once you’ve done it all for the first time, it’s easy to maintain. I have sitters tell me that I am the most organized pet owner they’ve ever sat for. I think that really helps the sits to be successful. 

Above and Beyond

I’ve have 23 sitters from TH come sit at my house over the past 5 years. Never ever have I had a negative experience with any of the sitters I’ve chosen. In fact, I’ve had many sitters come back repeatedly, and I still keep in touch with many of them. 

It can be awkward when you have a stranger staying in your home for the first time, especially if they are spending the night before you leave. Trust me, I had my doubts when I first started using TH, but after 23 sits, I’m more than used to it. In fact, without these amazing humans, I wouldn’t be able to travel, so I’m super grateful that they come to sit for me. 

Normally the sitters I’ve chosen are some of the most caring, friendly, and lovely people I’ve ever met. I’ve had sitters offer to take me to or pick me up from the airport, straighten up my linen closets and utensil drawers, bake me bread or desserts, have dinner waiting for me when I get home from a long day of travel, and I’ve also come home to cute photos of my pets accompanied by a daily “diary” written from the pet’s point of view. 

If you are skeptical of this whole scenario, I don’t blame you. I was right there with you 5 years ago. If you want to travel, but have pets at home, this is honestly the most amazing service. I’m happy to answer specific questions for anyone who has them. Visit www.TrustedHousesitters.com for more information.

Here are some fun pictures that I’ve gotten from past sitters:

I am and have been a paying member of www.TrustedHousesitters.com since 2018. However, by clicking on links in this article, I can possibly be compensated or rewarded for promotion.