House Sitting Canada

Housesitting is a temporary arrangement where a live-in house sitter will take an assignment to care for the property and often pets of a homeowner; house sitting Canada is when the sitter must travel away from their home country to take up the assignment in Canada.

The search for reliable house sitters for house sitting and pet sitting assignments is aided by pet sitting websites like HouseSitMatch which facilitate the safe matching between pet house sitter and home owner who wants to travel away from home.

The pets are cared for in their own home by real animal lovers minimising any disruption or anxiety experience by the animal.

What is a house sitting assignment?

House sitting assignments are the individual house sit opportunities. The house sit assignments are facilitated through a housesitting website, a home and pet owner would register paying a small annual fee and post a house sitting job asking a sitter to mind my house and care for the pets.

Whether the pets are caged cocketiels or hens, house sitters registered on the site will review the opportunity and apply if the details suit them. Then the homeowner selects the sitter that most matches their needs

Collaborative house sit assignments usually do not require any payment, the house sitting arrangement is an exchange of services with the sitter offering house and pet sitting in exchange for free accommodation given by the homeowner.

The length of a sit will vary with most lasting from about a week to six months. Longer term housesits are rare, though there are home owners who will look for house carers for a longer period. If the house sitter is coming from outside of the country then a visa check needs to happen to ensure commitments are within the agreed visa period.

As a house sitter – house sitting Canada offers

House sitting Canada offers you the opportunity to visit the country as a tourist and live like a local in someone’s home caring or their property and pets.

There are many places to visit if the opportunity is available whether you are housesitting Toronto, housesitting Montreal, housesitting Ottowa, housesitting Vancouver. Housesitting Canada offers a wealth of cultural experiences and outdoor activities.

Short housesitting assignments and long-term house sitting Canada 

Depending on your planned length of stay in Canada and the reasons for your trip, you will need to apply for the appropriate visa for entry.

Most travellers need a visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization eTA to fly to, or transit through, a Canadian airport.  What you need depends on:

• the type of travel document you will travel with
• the country that issued your travel document
• your nationality
• how you will travel to Canada

Consult the Immigration and Citizenship pages of the Government of Canada website.

Long term house sitting Canada

Research on the Government of Canada website reveals that visas are given for up to six months for tourist and visitors. Any longer and the request for a visa will need to go through another channel.

If the reasons for your visit require you to stay longer than six months then it is best to review the appropriate visa options based on your country of origin and the main purpose of your visit.

More than 90% of all housesitting opportunities last less than six months.

 

 

 

 

 

 

House and pet sitting in Canada 

If you have been invited to house and pet sit in Canada consider the length and duration of the Canadian winters. ‘Bring warm clothes’ for the Autumn and Winter as the traditional saying goes. You will need to prepare for different seasons and the varied weather you might experience through the year. Of course this depends where in Canada you are house sitting.

In the Northern Hemisphere, Winter officially begins with the winter solstice. That is around 21 December, and ends at the spring equinox, around 21 March. Winter figures largely in Canada’s climate, cultural experience and mythology.  In recent years the winters have been very long starting from as early as the end of October so check the weather forecast for your sitting assignment in Canada, take note if you are from outside of Canada and new to Winter extremes.

Long cold Winters

“As native Canadians, our last winter sit in Alberta, Canada (2017/18) was cold even by our standards! A record setting 170 days below zero (that includes overnight temps). Not all of Canada was like that.

Having said that, it is a great opportunity to go downhill and cross-country skiing. Other popular pass times include show-shoeing, skating on lakes and canals, winter hiking, sailboarding on frozen lakes, ice fishing, snowmobiling. There are also many carnivals and Winter festivals for entertainment.

So, do your research as Canada’s winter climate is a diverse as it’s inhabitants.”

– Tim and Lou International house-sitters, and owners of Housesittingworld.com

The Canadian home owner as a Snowbird

As a consequence of the long Winters across Canada, many housesit assignments are due to the home owners travelling South as ‘snow birds’ for the Winter. They head en masse to the warmer climates of South America. Many Canadians choose Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. These countries have become very popular in the last 10 years as Canadian Winter holiday destinations.

Southern cities in the United States have also become popular with snow birds. They head to Los Angeles and Las Vegas each Winter.

As part of their preparation for heading South snow birds prepare advertising for a house sitter. Homeowners post these assignments on house and pet sitting websites. They say they are looking for someone to live-in and care for their property and pets. The owners also ask for sitters to take necessary action should adverse weather conditions ensue. They want responsible sitters to ensure their pets are cared for at home and the property is managed.

It may seem obvious to state this, however, if you have never experienced a Canadian Winter it may be significantly colder than most other countries. In some cases, the snow and ice can last for many months. Preparation is the key to a successful housesitting assignment in Canada.

As a homeowner – house sitting Canada offers 

As a home and pet owner in Canada if you travel away from home you could invite checked sitters to live-in. They will care for your property and pets. Most home owners in Canada use house and pet sitters to ensure their property is cared for. This matters in the Winters more than other seasons.

Canadian weather can present unexpected challenges for homeowners. If pipes burst or other unexpected domestic challenges occur a resident sitter can act quickly. They can take swift action to minimise damage and fix any plumbing, electrical or structural issue that occurs.

Finding the right pet sitter

Finding the right cat sitter or dog sitter will depend on a number of criteria. Consider the pet’s breed, the age, and any health issues.

If there are any other species of animals or farm animals on the pet sit then particular experience may be requested. But above all the sitters must be animal lovers and about whom friends would say loves pets.

The likelihood of attracting a free pet sitter house sitter to your property might be increased if you are in or near one of the top cities with many attractions for travellers and working tourists.

Pets and farm animals will of course have their own charm. However, that attraction increases with the draw of local sites to visit. For example, adding ‘near Lake Huron Canada’ in your profile description, or the North Shore of Vancouver British Columbia Canada will attract more enquirers. The reputation of some of these top cities will naturally draw more working tourists who want to experience them.

Nonetheless, if the job description in your house sitting advert is well written it will work. And the more informative you are about the local attractions, the better your chance of attracting an animal lover to care for your pets for free.

As a pet owner house sitting Canada offers 

Pets make a home, their care and well being pets is of great importance. This is paramount if we need to leave them for work or holidays away from home.

About 60% of all Canadian homes have at least one dog or cat living in as pets, according to the Canadian Veterinary Journal with the numbers of homes having at least one dog and at least one cat increasing in recent years.

However, cats are the most popular pets in Canada with 37% of all households owning at least one domestic cat.

Increasing numbers of pets in Canada

With the increase in numbers of domestic pets living in Canadian homes the demand for pet care options and pet sitters is increasing. The growing trend for house sitting and pet sitting as a way to manage home and pet care is increasing. The range of affordable options for pet owners in Canada is better than ever.

House sitting Canada is an affordable solution, especially for multiples

If you are looking for a petsitting resource that is flexible, affordable and fun there are housesitting and petsitting membership networks online like HouseSitMatch.com .

This pet sitting website will be able to connect you to reliable house sitters. You will be able to meet and collaborate with a housesitter who loves pets. They will also care for your home and garden all in exchange for free accommodation and a good sitter review at the end of the house sitter job.

The pet sitting is for free with genuine animal lovers caring for your pets in their own home.