Community Forum: May round-up

May goodness, can you believe we’re only a few days away from summer? (At least here in the Northern Hemisphere!). And what a spring it’s been for our Community Forum, let’s reveal some of our recent favorite updates.

This time around, we have some awesome Aurora photos captured from all corners of the globe, alongside a couple of cheeky kangaroo encounters. Meanwhile, our forum member shout-outs are all about sharing some pet pearls of wisdom.

From the Trusted Team, we have an exciting update to share, as well as the paw-some re-launch of our Community Forum book club. It’s all been coming up roses this May!

Must-read discussions

Did you know that you can post a meet-up on the forum to connect with other sitters and owners? Well, this is exactly what @Colin and @Catgoddess_99 did earlier this month and it seems to have set off a wave of activity across the UK (with @Colin at the center of it all!)

Starting as coincidental coffee in Winchester initiated through the meet-up chat by @Catgoddess_99, this sparked a further discussion for @debbie to reach out to @Colin too. Despite having never met in person before, @debbie brought along her human and fur family to enjoy a stroll through the beautiful Winchester.

Less than two weeks later, @Colin used the chat to connect with Brighton members @marce before heading to Manchester to enjoy lunch and swap sitting stories with Mr & Mrs @Itchyfeet.

We’re delighted to see pictures and updates of our Community Forum bringing people together, particularly through the mutual love and experience of pet sitting. If you’re curious to make new like-minded friends, why not pop a message in the chat to see who could be free near you?

Member spotlight

This edition member spotlight falls on our very own @Carla, our wonderful Forum Community Owner! There’s been a lot of activity on the Forum in the last year, so we thought it’d be nice to reconnect with some of our key team players. Without further ado, let’s learn a bit more about @Carla!

• How did you get into house sitting?

“My first experience of house sitting was when I was an equine groom in my early twenties, people who met me in the horse community started asking if I would care for their horses, and dogs (and once kids!) so they could go on holiday.

Later on in life I saw a job opening at TrustedHousesitters and loved that I could combine my love of all things animals, work, and travel! Then my husband joined my sitting adventures!”

• Tell us about your favorite house sit so far

“It is always hard to choose favorites, isn’t it!? Several stand out, but the one we loved the most was with a pit bull named Whiskey who reminded me of my heart dog that passed away. In looks but also personality. They also had horses and great neighbors who invited us to horse ride. We have been back twice more and if it was not the other side of the country would go again in a heartbeat.”

• What’s your favorite book?

“A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, for some reason it sticks in my mind from when I read it years ago.”

• What one key thing have you learned since house sitting? 

“Adjust your preferences as you go. The more we sat the more we found out what worked for us and what didn’t. If something doesn’t feel right then it’s probably best to change direction as there are plenty more opportunities out there. Have a backup plan and most of all enjoy what you do!”

• What’s your favorite animal? 

“Horses & dogs have always had my heart, but I grew up in a rural farming community and just loved all things animals.”

• What's your favorite song?

“Slightly embarrassed to admit this but MMMbop by Hanson was a song that evoked amazing memories at a certain time in my life.”

• Where in the world would your dream house sit be? 

“A ranch in Montana, USA with horses and livestock or a tropic island with white sandy beaches and clear blue seas. Maybe one after the other to try a farm lifestyle then relax!”

• Share an interesting fact about yourself!

“I’m from the UK but live in the USA. America has some yummy food, but I do miss special treats of cream teas in country settings and a traditional pub roast dinner.

We recently took on my second-ever foster dog as we like to foster between breaks from sitting. Meet Cee Cee the rescue pup!”

Thanks for sharing, @Carla, and lovely to learn more about you! If you’d like to appear in the next spotlight, just DM Carla or Jenny for more info.

Forum member shout-outs

Of course, we have to shout out @Nagy26, who wrote a fantastic guide on what to avoid for a successful listing. We thought it was so fantastic, it ended up on the blog!  

Our very own @Sam_F made it into a newspaper to share her wealth of experiences in house sitting! Check out her travel blog to follow along with her adventures: 

@Bonnyinbrighton shared her equestrian knowledge with the community. Join the conversation and tell us about your horsey adventures!

Top pics 

We’re sure you all heard about the Northern Lights, in fact, many of you probably either saw them with your own eyes or received a flurry of pics in group chats – which we’re sure made you feel bad you didn’t see them yourself (us included!). 

Well, we still thought these pictures of the Northern Lights needed their own section, as they are truly impressive.

@temba showcased their photo of the Northern Lights in Tasmania.

@CatGoddess_99 shared a pic from San Francisco with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.

Northern Lights aside, @Colin captured the moment a seagull helped themselves to breakfast while he was house sitting in Brighton, UK. “Where has all of the cat food gone?”, he says.

We also love @Kimshady’s photos of kangaroos and cats, captured while on a house sit in Australia.

What’s new? 

Our first-ever Impact Report

We recently launched our first-ever impact report! You might have seen it in our member newsletter or on our social channels, but you can also check out the details of it over on the Forum.

Taking time off

Carla took some well-deserved time off (and she was sorely missed!). This prompted us to think about how we can give the best possible service to our lovely members, so we’ve decided we’re now going to let you know when we’re away for longer periods of time.

The book club is back!

The Community Forum book club has been kicked off again, with The Bee Sting by Paul Murray the next book to be discussed.

What else has the community been discussing?

Toot toot your sitter horns

@HelloOutThere started May off with a paw-some thread all about people's favorite positive reviews. There’s an excellent mixture of heartwarming and hilarious messages from members which will guarantee smiles and tail wags all-round. 

Those little irritations

On the flip side, @fledermaus started a wonderfully weird and fabulously frustrating pet peeves discussion for sitters. The cathartic thread includes everything from almost-empty soap dispensers, full vacuum cleaners, not enough poop bags, to remote controls coming with their own Welcome Guide! If you need to get a few things off your chest, this is the thread for you. 

Night owl or morning person?

This simple yet effective question was raised by @andrealovesanimals a few weeks ago. As a self-confessed morning person, this thread has certainly shown what a mixed bag our members are when it comes to morning (or afternoon) routines. So, what are you? A night owl or a morning person?

Are you ready to spring into action? 

Join our Community Forum today and become a part of conversations like these or simply have a read of what other people have to say! Share your stories, learn from others, and let your ideas blossom!