Community Forum: September round-up

As the seasons change and another month comes to an end, it can mean only one thing for us at Trusted HQ - it’s time for our community forum round-up! As usual, the forum’s been jam-packed with questions and lively discussions about all sorts of topics ranging from our fabulous new review system to street art around the world. Owners asked for tips on how to make sitters feel comfortable in their homes, while sitters couldn’t stop talking about their post-sit wish lists. One sitter even found the love of her life while house sitting, but you’ll have to read on to find out who it was!

Without further ado, let’s find out what’s been happening on the forum this September...

Topic of the month

Your wish is our command (well, within reason), so we were thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of our highly anticipated new review system on the forum this month. Stay tuned, soon reviews will be kept hidden until both members have left their feedback or 14 days have passed. Pretty exciting, don’t you think? 

Our forum members certainly seemed to think so…

“Yaaay! Great news!” - @Els

“Thank you THS team! That’s exciting news, we’ve been waiting for this for a long time” - @BunnyCat

The announcement sparked a flurry of questions from our members, and you can find all the answers in our blog post on the topic. 

Category of the month

This month, the ever-popular Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat category was buzzing with activity, and we loved seeing the discussion on “What makes a sit special?”. 

Owner member @Pgeiger began the thread, saying:

“As a HO, I’m wondering what are the things that we can do to make a sit special? The pets and the house are basically out of our control at this point so I’m wondering what kinds of things we can do to make a sit more enjoyable. It is so wonderful knowing that our pets are being so well cared for while we are away so curious how we can make it a great experience for our sitters”. - @Pgeiger

@Sihtamilo agreed, “As a HO, I was wondering the same thing because I want my sitters to have a great time”.

Of course, our lovely sitters were quick to give owners the low down, with suggestions as simple as a warm welcome and making space for them in the fridge. It’s the little things that make all the difference! 

Forum member of the month 

This month we want to say a big thank you to @Silversitters, who’s always there to help forum users find answers to their questions. As well as offering advice on a range of topics from smelly homes to sitter cancellations, they’re not afraid to share the love with fellow members, having received a whopping 1.2K hearts and given 1.8K in return. Oh, and they’ve read no less than 23.7K posts, yes, 23,700!

Phew, sounds like a full-time job!

Quote of the month

Like us, @ElsieDownie has always wanted to find out what brings members to the forum. Is it to share experiences, seek advice, or just have a good laugh?

@Romana summed up her reasoning perfectly: 

“I looked for a way to connect with other sitters. I think it is a wonderful service we all provide for pet owners all over the world, without payment, and I think that the THS platform is a marvelous, unsurpassed, and extremely useful tool which I am grateful for”. - @Romana

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!

Photos of the month

It’s a well-known fact that certain pets leave special paw-shaped imprints on our hearts when it’s time to say goodbye. This was certainly the case for @Kaylarose, who found the love of her life, aka Rocket the cat, while house sitting in London. 

“When I was visiting London a few months ago, I took care of an incredible little cat named Rocket and I still think about him every day! He was the sweetest boy, who loved to cuddle. He also had an adorable personality and loved sleeping on his back and having his arms massaged. Burmese are such special creatures and he will always hold a special place in my heart. Not to mention, he’s gorgeous!” - @Kaylarose

If the photo of the adorable Rocket is tugging at your heartstrings, you’ve probably got a few things in common with our members! So why not meet up with members who are house and pet sitting nearby? That’s exactly what @Colin and @Danandnan did, and they even shared a snap of their 40th Wedding Anniversary celebration in Brussels on our Meetup Gallery. What better way to celebrate?! 

Our members jumped to congratulate them, naturally:

“Very happy faces and a wonderful way to celebrate a special occasion in a great location. Happy 40th Anniversary, @Danandnan”. - @Temba

What else have the community been discussing this month?

Post-sit wish lists 

Regular forum contributor @MissChef asked, “What have you seen/used in a home, enjoyed, then coveted, then bought for yourself?”. Well, it turns out quite a bit, actually! Diffusers, fancy espresso machines, and kitchen knives were top of the list, but bidet seats and a particular dish-washing liquid dispenser also made an appearance!

What have you fallen in love with while house sitting (besides the pets!)? 

Banksy, eat your heart out

Also in our Fun Stuff category, members took us on a tour of graffiti around the globe, sharing colorful images of vibrant walls all the way from Sri Lanka to Shoreditch. Who knew there was so much amazing street art in the world?

Like what you see?

That’s it for this month, but there’s loads more happening over on the forum. Whether you’re looking for tips to spruce up your listing or itching to share tales of your favorite adventures, visit our friendly community forum today to get involved in the discussion.