Vacationers and their pets benefit
from sitters
By
Ian White, Owner and Founder of Housecarers.com
"Have
pets, won’t travel’" is the reality for many people. Many pet owners never travel from home for more than a few days because
the usual care options just don’t work for them. Asking a family member or friend
to take your pets is often a favour you can’t ask for regularly. Kennels are not
an option for most pet owners, who simply won’t subject their loved ones to a
caged stay of any duration. Bringing pets along for travel is often not
realistic for many pet owners, especially when there are old, large, or
multiple pets involved.
The
main problem with most care options is that they require the animals to be
taken out of their home environment and daily routines. Being cared for by
strangers is not usually a problem for animals, but it can be when it is also in
a strange place (not home). Being in a strange environment is often stressful for
animals when they are separated from their human family for several weeks or
months.
I
recently asked an animal expert for her view on the topic. “Dogs are creatures
of habit and are generally very emotionally connected to their 'social group'
(i.e. their people),” says Francine Miller, a canine behavior specialist in San
Diego, CA. “It is always preferable to keep them in their home environment and
in their normal routine to minimize stress.”
There
is also the stress, worry, or guilt experienced by the pet owners when they
leave their pets. People want the best for their pets and they don’t want their
vacations to become guilt trips.
Fortunately,
a growing number of pet owners are discovering the advantages of having
pet-loving house sitters stay in their home while they travel. Having house sitters
(the non-paid kind) care for you pets and home is really an ideal solution for
pet owners, their pets, and the sitters, who are often pet owners themselves on
vacation or retirement travel. Sitters care for homes, pets, and even larger
animals such as horses and llamas. Sometimes they care for injured or dying
pets and help avert robberies or home disasters related to gas leaks, power
outages, etc.
The
opportunities for housesitting have grown rapidly in recent years as
pet owners look for better solutions and travellers seek richer experiences with
lower costs. It’s a global and growing trend that is changing how many people
travel and make new friends.
“I
would not be able to travel if I had no-one to come to my home to care for my
pets,” wrote Rosalie Guttman (see Rosalies catsitter needed profile on Housecarers) of Chicago.
“My cats have never been out of
the house and one is claustrophobic and cannot be in a cage. I've seen
animals left in kennels and they don't look very happy."
“We
have not put our two pets in a kennel for many years,” wrote Nancy and Jerry
Kamens of Arlington,
Virginia, who
now use house sitters.
(Dog Sitter Wanted Ad Filled) “Our dog does much better at
home in familiar surroundings.”
“Cats
are very territorial and taking them away from their home is rather distressing
to them,” wrote Silvia Mariani, who lives in London, England. “Even a short
trip to the vet becomes an ordeal, let alone separating them from their home
for days or weeks.”
As
I have heard from many pet owners, Silvia adds that she has remained friends
with many sitters around the world.
“I've also been invited to stay at their
places - all this makes house sitting a more personal, rewarding experience.” Silvia's cat sitter needed ad filled
These pet owners
shared their experiences as part of a survey I recently conducted of the nearly
50,000 home owners registered on my housesitting website, www.housecarers.com. Here is a fact that
gives an idea of how large and global house sitting has become: in the past
year, my members have posted sitting opportunities in at least 64 countries.
The most popular countries for house sitting in order are the U.S., Australia,
Canada, the UK, France, New Zealand, Spain, Costa Rica, Mexico, Italy, and
South Africa. growing
rapidly and the demand for house sits is often greater than the supply.
Many
house sitting websites have popped up in recent years, but the key is to create
a secure environment for both parties to make a personalized match. There are
sitters who are paid for their help, but the growth is happening in the
non-paid type. House/pet sitters on sites like mine receive no money for caring
for homes and pets – they receive only accommodation. Housesitting is all about
mutual benefit. And making new friends around the world
We have thousands of House Sitters who have nominated they will care for you Cats and/or Dogs, and most other common pets.
Author bio --- Ian White is the founder and
owner of www.housecarers.com , which has matched thousands of
house sitters with homeowners worldwide since October, 2000. HouseCarers was
launched in recognition of the need to provide a secure environment where
homeowners can locate a reliable house sitter and sitters can achieve their
financial and housing goals.
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