Community Forum: July round-up

The dog days of summer are in full swing over in the Northern Hemisphere, which means this Community Forum round-up’s hot off the press! As usual, our members have been chit-chatting away about all things house sitting, pets, and travel. We’ve had hot topics from solo female travelers to naming kids (trust us, it’s not what you think!), so without further ado, let’s dive into what our lovely Forum members have stirred up!

Topic of the month 

It’s been an exciting month for solo woman travelers like @MissChef, who shared with us the secret to enjoying a bit of “me-time”.

“I started my TH journey solo because I needed space and alone time during COVID. My husband joins me sometimes… But I still prefer to go it alone for some (oxymoronically) no-responsibilities time. The care and feeding of animals, who don’t have an opinion of where to get dinner when I don’t want to cook, is a welcome respite.” - @MissChef

We like the sound of that, @MissChef! This sparked a conversation with other solo female travelers, who shared their stories, safety tips, and travel essentials with other members. If you’re a solo female traveler yourself, we’d love to hear from you!

Category of the month 

Sharing is caring, and our Forum members seem to agree! In fact, they love using the Sitters Questions, Advice & Chat channel so much that we’ve crowned it “category of the month”! Whether on their first sit or their 51st, sitters around the world connect on the Forum to look for help and advice, discussing everything from “What if there’s an emergency and I need to take the pet to the local vet?” to re-opening the conversation on sitter’s age. 

There was also lots of discussion about the responsibilities and expectations of sitters. @Cleeflang was particularly grateful for the advice received….

“**Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback. I couldn’t agree more with everyone that says that communication and clear expectation setting is the absolute most important aspect in house/pet sitting.” - @Cleeflang

We might not have the answers to everything, but if you’ve got questions about house sitting, our Forum’s a great place to start!

Finally, we want to say a huge congrats to @IHeartAnimals, a family of 5 that has just confirmed their first international sit!

We’re so excited for you!

Contributor of the month 

Round of appaws, please! 

We want to say a big thank you to @Maggie8K, who has made a huge impact on the Community Forum since joining in March this year. As well as her thoughtful contributions and helpful advice, as a solo female traveler, she’s totally on brand for this month’s Forum round-up!

Quote of the month

New sitter member @Victory only joined last month and already has 2 sits under her belt (both with 5* reviews, might we add!). With 2 more sits to look forward to, she and her little girl are in high demand! 

“Y’all I firstly want to say how I love this community. In my short 2 weeks I’m making such amazing connections with people I probably would’ve never crossed paths with”  - @Victory

It seems the feeling was mutual, here’s what pet parents had to say about her…

“Sebani is the BEST! [...] I hope she is available every time I need to leave town.” - Melissa

Now that’s what we’d call a victory, @Victory! 

Photo of the month 

Hold your horses, because house sitting isn’t the only thing @Victory has got well and truly stuck into! She’ll soon be claiming the title of “goat namer” too - no kidding!

“I’ve been given the honor of naming two baby goats (boys) that were born on a sit I’ll be going to. Names are so hard for me lol, I didn’t name my daughter until the very end. Name suggestions?” - @Victory 

Of course, our fabulous Forum members jumped at the task and came up with some great ideas for the duo - we thought Vincent van Goat and Goya the Goat had a special ring to them! 

What else have the community been discussing?

Who’s on a house sit now?

@Julie-Moderator returned to a house sit in Waltham Abbey, Essex, to take care of Milo and the family’s newest addition, Max. 

“I just spent 2 weeks in Waltham Abbey watching these two cuties, Milo & Max. We spent every day at the park playing fetch, their favorite. I watched Milo last summer, but this was my first time sitting for Max, their newest addition [...] The two weeks flew by, can’t wait to see where my next sitting adventure takes me!” - @Julie-Moderator

Meanwhile, @Twitcher was having a whale of a time with four-legged friend “Havoc” (by name but hopefully not by nature!). 

“Taking care of Havoc in Dorset - a 2 year old bundle of energy and general cuddle monster. No, he doesn’t live up to his name ” - @Twitcher

And sitter member @MarieHuggins showed us a short sit can still be sweet…

“Last day of sit. It’s only been a short 3 day one, but I’m going to miss this precious boy and all our adventures. I always bond so quickly 🩷” - @MarieHuggins 

In our fun stuff category, members were pondering the question “What if we lived here?”.

“I wonder how many of us arrive at a city or town and try to imagine what life would be like if you lived there.” - @CharitySitters

And finally, @barbara.wood777 asked for advice from other members about what to do when a pet you’ve cared for dies.

“I typically send as compassionate a response as possible plus several of the photos I’ve taken of the pet. But I’m curious if any sitters out there have other suggestions or offerings of things you do when you learn of a favorite temporary pet’s passing. Thanks in advance.” - @barbara.wood777

Of course, our community chimed in heartfelt responses, suggesting photo collages and stuffed toys in memory of the many pet pals who have left pawprints on our hearts forever.

Related article: Community forum: May round-up

Have you joined the Forum yet? 

That’s all for now! We hope you’ve enjoyed this month’s Forum round-up as much as we have! 

If you want to get involved in the conversation, our friendly Forum members would love to hear from you! Whether you’re seeking expert advice, sharing your own unique tips, or looking to chat about house sitting, travel, pets, or all three, why not join the Forum today?!