So you’re going on a vacation? Warm waters and white sandy beaches, perhaps? Lovely! But you’ll be gone for two weeks or more, what will happen to your pet, who will look after it in your absence?
Pets are much like children and cannot be left to their own devices. The go-to solution will be to get a pet sitter to watch over your pet in your absence. A pet sitter is a person who takes care of pets while the owners are away. Pet sitting usually occurs at the pet owner’s home. The duties of a pet sitter are to feed the pets, administer medication, clean whatever mess the pet has made, provide exercise and playtime (including dog walking). Pet sitters may also often bring in mail and perform other tasks as requested by the pet owner.
In the event that there are no pet sitters of good repute around where you live, and the cost of hiring one from outside your neighborhood is expensive, what then do you do, knowing full well that you cannot leave your pets to their devices. Do you pay a more expensive fee or do you cancel the vacation you have long looked forward to?
Of the two options, you will likely go with the former, which is to pay a more expensive fee, but there exists a third option, which will cost you nothing other than the use of your home. This option is a housesitter. House-sitting is the practice whereby homeowners entrust their home, possessions, as well as pets to a person for some time. The main purpose of a house sitter is to care for the pets in the absence of the homeowner, as well as to keep the house in order. In exchange, facilities contained in the house, such as television, oven among others, are at the housesitters disposal to use for free.
The arrangement is symbiotic; It gives house sitters, who are often people who enjoy travel and exploring new places, the opportunity to do so without having to pay rent. The benefit for the house owner includes keeping your pets in a familiar environment, which serves to lessen any anxiety your pet may suffer from being separated from you. Also, your home is kept clean and secure, lawns will be mowed, and plants watered.
One might argue that the benefits of getting a housesitter exceed those of a pet sitter. While this may or may not be true, homeowners are advised to expend the same caution as they would when hiring a pet sitter. The benefits of a housesitter are often eclipsed by bad experiences stemming from unscrupulous housesitters. Thus, you should be careful when entering into house sitting agreements. One good way to find housesitters is to learn about trusted housesitters, a reputable house-sitting website. From the many house sitters listed, choose one with experience as well as favorable reviews. Also, arrange a meeting beforehand, get a feel of the person, and see how well they get along with your pet.
