Fortunately, there’s a solution that allows you to wander freely while ensuring your furry friends are well taken care of – it’s called pet sitting or house sitting.
Many travelers may have heard of, or experienced, the housesitting strategy as a traveler: You take care of somebody’s home and pet while living in their house for free.
Our experience with house sitting has been from the other side – the pet owner. It is by far the favorite travel resource and strategy I have used since discovering the work abroad (working holiday) strategy.
Our membership with Trusted House Sitters (who facilitates this strategy) gives me peace of mind to know my beloved cats are taken care of, while I can continue to take care of my desire for travel and creating great memories with my family. AND, apart from the original housesitting membership fee, it doesn’t cost me anything else!
In this post we’ll outline the benefits of using a pet sitter, our experience with TrustedHouseSitters, and how you can ensure your pets are taken care of while you explore the world with peace of mind.
This post is written in partnership with Trusted Housesitters. We’ve been personal members of the site for over a year before working with them! We have organized an exclusive discount code for you below!
Table Of Contents
What is TrustedHouseSitters? Our Experience with Trusted House Sitters as Pet Owners Benefits of House Sitting for Pet Owners 1. Peace of Mind 2. Best Care for your Pet 3. Home Security 4. Cultural Exchange 5. Cost-Effective Pet Care for your Vacation How Trusted House-Sitting Works 1. Choose your membership plan & create a profile 2. List your Pet Sitting opportunity 3. Vet & Interview 4. Confirm Your Ideal Sitter 5. Prepare your home and pets 6. Enjoy Your Trip TrustedHousesitters is The Bees Knees
What is TrustedHouseSitters?
Trusted House Sitters is a membership platform that connects pet owners with trustworthy individuals willing to look after their homes and pets while they’re away.
Founded in Brighton, UK in 2010, the TrustedHousesitters community now stands at 210,000+ members strong , in more than 140 countries worldwide. They’ve facilitated over 10 million nights of pet sitting!
They have now have more 5* reviews than any other house sitting website. Their solid reputation is the reason we chose to use Trusted Housesitters over any other service.
Our Experience with Trusted House Sitters as Pet Owners
river cruising in Europe
We put off getting pets for years because our nomadic family travel lifestyle could not sustain it. We had no stable home, were in and out on trips, and knew we did not have the capacity to care for a pet while juggling the intense demands of full-time travel, running a business, and homeschooling.
When we finally settled in Raleigh during the pandemic, I kept resisting the kids’ demands for pets, as I still did not think we could handle it, because travel was still a core focus, and we were taking frequent trips.
Finally, at the end of 2022, I relented, and we decided the timing was right to get the kind of pet we all wanted – cats. First and foremost, we’re cat people, but also, we knew cats – due to their wonderful independent nature – would be best able to handle our inability to let our suitcases collect dust.
Mavis(top) and Ivy (bottom)
We knew because of so many friends who have traveled the world utilizing the housesitting strategy , this was an easy, and very affordable option for pet care while traveling.
When it was time to plan our one-month Europe trip last year, I became a member of Trusted House Sitters , and within weeks had arranged for a pet sitter to stay in our home for a month to take care of our precious Ivy and Mavis.
It was an incredible experience. Our sitter was well experienced in taking care of cats, housesitting, and taking care of our home. We returned to a beautiful, well looked after clean home, and happy kittens.
Our precious Ivy
Earlier this year, our darling Ivy suddenly passed away, which broke our hearts.
But, recently we adopted another kitten, Peach, so Mavis had a companion (and we wanted her too!). So, our house sitting endeavors continue with Mavis and Peach.
Peach and Mavis
I just booked in another house sitter last week for our upcoming trip to Wyoming.
As it’s only 6 days and we live in a non-tourist city, I was going to just ask the neighbors or hire a local pet carer on Rover as I assumed no one would want to take on a short housesit.
And then Craig said, “ Why don’t we use Trusted House sitters? It’s free and you just don’t know who might be looking for a short term stay. That way the cats’ routines won’t be disrupted and they can be looked after round the clock and feel more comfortable. They love the screened in porch, so if someone is staying here, they can leave the door open so they can access it all day. ”
Less than thirty minutes after listing the job we received an application from a perfect sitter. She was booked in by the end of the day after a quick phone interview. We’re thrilled as it saves us money and gives us huge peace of mind to know a trusted cat lover will provide all day care, not just a quick 10-minute meal top up at the end of the day.
We’re thrilled and relieved at the same time!
Benefits of House Sitting for Pet Owners
Go enjoy Paris, the pets are fine!
I understand how freaked out you may feel with the idea of leaving your beloved pet to a stranger in your own home.
Imagine how freaked out your pet feels forced out of its safe and comfortable home to live in a shelter with a stranger. Or to have a random person pop into the house for just a moment each day to feed them, change their litter, or take them for a walk?
Here’s how using a service (that vets endorse) like Trusted House Sitters can eliminate all your worries.
1. Peace of Mind
They love their bird watching routines
Say goodbye to the stress of leaving your pets in unfamiliar environments, leaving them at home without any parental supervision, annoying your neighbors to interrupt their routines to look after them, or forcing them to travel with you and then listening to them complain all day? (Is this post about cats or teenagers?
