In this 2022 Housesit Match Blog Competition entry by Tiera St Claire  you will learn about the experience of the fun house and pet sitting experiences of a retired pet lover. During her petsitting assignments she has drawn great pleasure from the pets and the locations where she cares for them. Read on to learn how Tiera cared for the pets and the fun it gave her.

The theme of this year’s blog competition was ‘Tell us about a fun housesit you did recently’…

2022 Housesitmatch Blog Competition – Shortlisted Blog

Thank you to Tiera St Claire for entering our 2022 blog competition.

‘Fun house and pet sitting experiences‘

Blog Competition Entry – by Tiera St Claire

We could say I am on the last phase of may life, as I am in my 60’s now,  though I don’t like to hear myself think that.    A while ago, pondering this, I asked myself “what do I want for this part of my life.  My internal answer was a resounding… fun!

The fun in house and pet sitting…

This answer begs the next question…what is fun?  What is fun for you in house and petsitting? 

Fun for me is being with pets, travel and adventure, cuddles and affection with the pets, love and communication.  This all goes so perfectly with my life as a Pet and House Sitter.

When I think of fun house and pet sitting I have done, what first comes to mind is all the pets and animals.  I have bonded with many different pets over the past 18 years.  

It is super fun for me on a return house and pet sitting, to be with the same pets again and again. And it’s thrilling for me when they move locations and I maintain the continuity of caring for them in their new place. I get to discover a new location and I love it!

Petsitting in New York city

This is Max, the rescue dog who I first cared for in New York City and then again in southern Florida when his family moved.   He is such a sweetie with me and so scared to leave the house.  Max loves massage and cuddles and looks at me with such trusting eyes.  

Peaches, in New York City

Kioko the long hair cat who I did house and pet sitting for over 2 Christmas in NYC, now lives in Madrid. Kioko is gorgeous and loves to play with his toys. He also continues to need his eye medicine given in a particular way – he and I have a long term understanding and I know how to manage this easily.

Winning over a reticent pet in a petsit

Something else that is fun for me is when I care for an animal I am told will not let me touch them. Then, with patience and by tuning into the animal I am able to create a bond and then they let me in. 

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I cared for 5 cats one time in Zurich and was told I would probably never see any of them. This is what happened on the 5th day. My house and pet sitting suddenly became a whole lot more fun.

Dogsitting in London

Levi is a rescue dog in London who’s owners struggled to manage his behaviour.  He was brought in to be the pet for a family of four. Yet he would only allow the dad to pet him.  He is very big and growled when anyone else came in his room.  This was going to pose a challenge for my house and pet sitting. 

I went to meet him twice before beginning the Pet Sit so he would recognise me, and yet the first morning I came downstairs he stood up and growled at me and I was genuinely scared.  I walked past his room and into the kitchen where I could keep an eye on him.  Honestly, I was truly concerned he might come at me.  After a while I determined that he wanted to guard his space but not come at me in mine.  

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However, I had to feed him and let him out for his toilet breaks.  I gingerly put food in his room and then opened the door to the back garden where he finally went out to do his business.  I can still remember the nervousness I felt with my first approach. And then… with each day I went a little closer and finally he let me pet him and eventually massage him.  Turns out he is really a love bug!

Iconic London where I care for a gorgeous bearded Collie named Dibley, and a kitty called Yet.   This is a view over Covent Garden from the Royal Opera House Café.

Housesitting travel and discovering new locations

Fun for me that house and pet sitting is also about seeing new places, walking about, taking photos.  Here are a few photos I have taken because of the privilege of being in someone’s home while caring for their dear pets. Travel definitely enriches fun in house and petsitting when I sit around the world.

A little loch near Edinburgh that I walked by to make my way into town, from where I was caring for a sweet kitty.

Gorgeous sunset in Marbella, I had a great time house and pet sitting taking care of 5 cats and a dog.

Naples, where I stayed 5 weeks with Gatsby the Rescue Pit bull, for some really entertaining house and pet sitting.

I love the street art in Valencia, Spain where I take care of Sky and Bella, sweet Beagles.

Taking pet photos on a housesit

It is also super fun for me to take photos of the pets for their people to enjoy and connect with whilst they are away.  The record keeping is makes it fun house and petsitting for me. I know how much it means to the people who entrust me with their beloved pets to see them being loved and cared for.

This is Cobba the Guinea Pig who’s life I staved by extending my stay in Madrid when his person had to stay away longer than expected. I gave him daily Reiki treatments as part of my house and petsitting, and yes, it is possible to do that.  It was quite amazing to see him improve, even though he had heart disease.  For a few weeks I simply held him on my body, day and night.  

Housesitting for pets with challenges

Gorgeous Henry on the south coast of England, he has only one eye and loves beach walks with his buddy Dex.

Fun comes in many forms, can change throughout a life time and is as various as there are people.  As a full time Pet Sitter, without a home of my own I spend most of my time alone.  And I really honestly love doing house and pet sitting. Having a pet to care for and talk to, walk and cuddle with is very nourishing for me. And I meet fascinating new people all the time. It is never dull.

Fun house and pet sitting in challenging times

We are living in challenging and uncertain times.  What was fun, pre-Covid may no longer  be available or nourish and thrill as it used to.  The long term house sitting options I relied on have become less frequent.  While I have a lot of regular requests from people who are now friends  house sitting jobs can be more challenging.

We may need to seek out and discover new and different ways to enjoy ourselves.  So I end by asking … do you want more fun in your life?  What is fun for you?  How do you nourish your heart and care for your spirit? May you all feel loved, cared for and nourished throughout this holiday season and always.

AUTHOR – Tiera St Claire

In 2005 Tiera divorced from an 18 year marriage and went to walk the Camino Santiago in Spain.  That Winter a friend on Maui in Hawaii asked her to do some house and pet sitting for her four dogs and two cats. This began Tiera’s love of pet sitting. She has continued pet sitting and caring for people’s homes these past 17 years, deepening her love of animals and her skills in handling whatever situation arises.

Tiera has no home of her own, enjoying instead the adventure of travelling and being in service to people and their pets.

FURTHER READING ON HOUSE AND PET SITTING

How to get started as a housesitter – Top Tips

What a housesitter does – Top 10 responsibilities

Top 10 tips for catsitting

Top dogsitting tips for beginners