Questions to Help Promote a Happy House Sit

"Please tell me about the rodent problem in your area."

Rodents come in various sizes, shapes, and categories. They are small mammals which have sharp front teeth. Rats, mice, and squirrels are rodents.

We sat a house and five animals on an acreage in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island and several of the rat-beasts got into our recreational vehicle. They made a nasty mess.

As our problem continued, we learnt from the locals that the rodent problem in this area is considered an epidemic situation. Sadly, we had not thought to ask the homeowner about the rodent problem in their area and regrettably, they did not inform us of the wide-spread critical condition.

Rat damage under the hood

We spent several hundred dollars to have all the holes in our RV filled, some tubing under the hood replaced, and a new windshield washer tank, and many hours cleaning our home back to its original condition.

Be a wise and confident house and pet sitter and ask as many questions as you like of your next client. An open-ended query like the one above will show diligence on your part as a competent home and pet carer.

“You stated in your advertisement that you are offering a car. What is the make and model of the vehicle? Is it a standard or automatic transmission?”

Standard or automatic?

Our experience with a homeowner offering a vehicle turned out to be false. We took their online offer to be of value and did not question their proposition of a car during our phone interview. When we arrived there was no mention of a vehicle. They left for the airport in one.

We’ve discovered that if you ask about the vehicle, the owner will have to explain the situation and make it clear to you that there is a car for you to use or there is not.

Open-ended questions will initiate a conversation between you and the pet/homeowner and lead down a path to clarity.

“When was the last time you left your pet in the care of someone else?”

It was explained to us by one of our pet owners that they had never let their dogs on their own for any length of time. They always brought them along, no matter the short-distance destinations. “This will be the first time we’ve ever left them alone with anyone,” this pet owner said.

Dog's comfort stations

This conversation is essential for you to overcome any obstacles to your having the best experience with their pet. You might like to suggest that they try leaving their pet alone for a short time with a favourite toy or laying comfortably in their cage. Usually, the pet owner will come up with their own ideas, as they should, and this puts the training responsibility on them.

Our pet sitting policy is to attend to the animals as carers and not trainers.

What are some of your pet and house sitting policies?