Festive ‘tails’ from the community

Each year, all across the globe adorable pets need kind and caring sitters to provide them with loving company over the holidays. And lucky for them, on TrustedHousesitters there's a whole community of pet lovers looking for that exact same thing!

If you fancy spending the holidays caring for adorable animals while their pet parents are away, then perhaps you’d like to hear from some of our Trusted members on what it’s really like to go house and pet sitting over Christmas? Don your best festive jumper (cat and dog hairs optional), grab a cup of cocoa, and take a read as the members of our friendly Community Forum share their festive ‘tails’ from holidays gone by...

"Caring for these sweet pups so that the owners could spend New Year with their family lifted our spirits"

When member @Southernsitter was unable to spend the holidays with family due to Covid restrictions, it was a house sit in South Carolina - and two very sweet little pups - that helped save their Christmas...

“Last Christmas was pretty depressing because we could not visit any of our family members or friends due to the pandemic. However, we were fortunate enough to book a lovely sit in Hilton Head a few days after Christmas to enjoy ringing in the New Year at the beach. 

The owners were delightful and their two small pups were a treat to spend time with. Caring for these sweet pups so that the homeowners could spend New Year with their family lifted our spirits. As an added bonus, one of their pups resembled our sweet Foxy, who had passed away from dementia a few years ago. 

We have had many great sitting adventures this year, including a great Thanksgiving sit near my husband’s family. This Christmas, we are booked for a sit in my hometown of New Orleans caring for cats and chickens. We will be able to celebrate the holidays with my family and our friends while being able to spend time with adorable pets while having our separate space. Being able to spend the holidays with pets and family is an amazing gift.” 

"The owner had kindly decorated the house for me... and left costumes for the dogs!"

While across the globe, it was a Facebook memory that reminded @Petermac of his Christmas sit in Bali in 2019. A Christmas sit that ended up being particularly eventful... both Peter, and his pet sitting companion, Tiny!

“The only Christmas I have spent on a sit was in Bali, 2019. Although they were away over Christmas, the owner had kindly decorated the house for me, and left costumes for the dogs!

I had looked after the wee Shih Tzus three times before, so it was an easy handover, this time with the addition of Tiny Temple - a small rescue puppy. He was found in a pile of rubbish beside a Hindu temple in Canggu Bali, and was, tiny... 

At this point, he was about 4 or 5 months old and getting bigger. The homeowner asked me if I would take him to the vet on Monday morning, to get his “operation”. She had booked him in, then forgot about it, and this was a bit of a last-minute sit, so I didn’t really mind.

On Monday morning, I set off in a taxi with Tiny to the address given, which turned out to be a large villa, just outside the village. This turned out to be a local Bali mobile vet charity that travelled the island fixing (for want of a better word) cats and dogs.

I was about last in the queue, so had to sit patiently waiting my turn, as the other 20 or so pets were prepared for their operation, on a table right in front of me. When it came to Tiny’s turn, I am not sure whether he had realized what was going on, but it took 4 of us to hold him to get his anaesthetic to put him to sleep!

Everything went as planned, and as you can see from the picture of Tiny and me on the beach for sunset, on Christmas Eve - he was very happy after it was all over!"

"We had a wonderful time in her very comfortable home, with two gorgeous cats for company"

Do you believe in fate? After searching far and wide for a Christmas sit near her cousin in Lincolnshire, member @tempa's efforts came up empty. Oh - but what should appear on the very same day they were due to travel? Well, we'll let her tell the story...

“My sister and I were heading to England in 2019 so we could experience a wintery Christmas with all the lights and decorations; visit Christmas markets, both in England and Europe; enjoy house and pet sits during the festive season; and spend time with our much loved elderly cousin in Lincolnshire. We had several sits booked both pre - and post - Christmas but sadly no sit in Lincolnshire near our cousin for over Christmas, so we had booked a B&B nearby which we had stayed at before.

The morning we were flying out, what should appear but a listing in a tiny hamlet less than 10 miles from our cousin! And we knew that hamlet because we had sat there the year before for another owner! It was the shortest and quickest application I have ever written and I hoped the owner would be happy to wait till we had landed in England so we could discuss it further. 

On arrival at Brunei, there was a message saying how thrilled she was to receive our message as she didn’t think she would get a sitter at short notice and ones who already knew her hamlet and some of its residents. It was just meant to be! 

We had a wonderful time in her very comfortable home with two gorgeous cats for company. Plus we reconnected with those we already knew in the hamlet and, of course, we got to spend time with our dear cousin over Christmas and enjoy an amazing, traditional Christmas Day dinner.”

"Pets are our favorite part of sitting, but it’s a bonus when you can also make lifelong friends"

For member @Dannep, pets are at the heart of why they love house and pet sitting. But, as they discovered while spending Christmas in Mexico, it’s also a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in local life and discover new traditions - and newfound friends...

“After 8 plus years of full-time pet and house sitting, we had long ago accepted that holidays would probably be limited to just the two of us. We developed traditions in our travels that worked for us and made us feel a little closer to friends and family.

One year, though, we spent an extended period of time sitting in a very small and remote part of Mexico. While there weren’t a lot of people around, those that were formed a close community and we quickly became fast friends with a local family.

While we were planning to do our own traditional Christmas that year, they had other ideas. They invited us to their home for Christmas Eve. We accepted without knowing what to expect. What a delightful decision that was! 

The whole extended family was there - dozens of people! There were loads of presents, new and delicious foods to try that we never would have discovered on our own, and so much laughter. The night went long, so super long. The kids didn’t even start opening presents until well after midnight. But we hung in there and were rewarded with a fireworks display to cap everything off. 

It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and we have gone on to become good friends with that family, even as we moved on in the world. Pets are our favorite part of the sitting experience, but it’s a bonus when you can also make lifelong friends. These incredible memories of celebration and connection remind us why we do what we do.”

There are even more festival ‘tails’ to sink your claws into on our festive Forum topic, so be sure to have a sniff around! And for more stories from across the Trusted Community, take a look at our blog, where you’ll find inspiring member stories and top tips for pet owners and sitters alike. 

Until then… happy holidays!