"I feel grateful for the lovely people and pets I've met!" | Naama & Julie

If you've been thinking about joining TrustedHousesitters or want to know a little more about how it all works, then why not ask the members of our pet sitting community? A friendly, pet-loving bunch, they’re always up for sharing their experiences with like-minded people, which is exactly what happened when animal lover, Naama reached out to self-proclaimed, pet-obsessed sitter, Julie, to ask her all about what life is like as a TrustedHousesitters member.

So, if like Naama, you’ve been wondering whether a life filled with endless house sits, new travel experiences and adorable pets could be for you, then we recommend pouring yourself a cuppa, sitting down somewhere comfy, and taking a read of their heartwarming Trusted tale…

Naama (@naamula), a lifelong pet lover who works from home writing essays on psychology and mental health, felt now was the perfect time to broaden her horizons and finally experience life in new locations. She'd looked after friends' and colleagues' pets before, and had also fostered pets while volunteering at a local rescue shelter, so joining the TrustedHousesitters community seemed like a natural next step (at least if you ask us!).

However, she wanted to find out if TrustedHousesitters really was the right choice for her. So, when she saw a post online from experienced house sitter Julie (one-half of pet sitting duo, @theglobalpetsitters) on a popular house sitting group, she just had to know more.

Eager to expand her travel experiences while spending time with pets, Naama sent Julie a message asking all about her house sitting experience, and how TrustedHousesitters works...

In her message to Julie, Naama began: "I'm looking for a peaceful time to travel and work from home, and honestly living without pets would be a really unhappy situation, so it would be my need and joy to have a dog or a cat around me."

And with that, Julie knew she was exactly the kind of sitter that TrustedHousesitters would welcome with open paws. 

Julie explained how Naama could access hundreds of wonderful house sits from both near and far, caring for all manners of adorable furry, feathered, pawed and clawed friends. Sharing her own experience as a member of almost four years, Julie described the amazing house sitting journey she and her husband Jonathan have been on: the adorable pets they have cared for, all the incredible places they have been able to visit (including a three-month house sitting trip to California). Not to mention, all of the many owner and sitter member friends they have made along the way.

Julie talked Naama through how to join and shared her top insider tips on completing her sitter profile, how to write a great and honest application message, what to consider when choosing a sit and the responsibilities and rewards that go with being a house sitter.   

Julie and her husband Jonathan also have their own website where they share their house sitting adventures, so Naama was able to discover even more first-hand tips.  

After chatting together, Naama couldn’t wait to get started and soon after joining, she applied for her very first house sit in Crans-prés-Céligny, Switzerland, caring for a sweet little Australian Miniature Fox Terrier named Banjo...

With Julie’s expert tips on how to write the perfect sitter profile and application message, Naama was over the moon to be accepted by Banjo's owners and had a wonderful first sit experience in Switzerland.

“For me, it is a great way to travel, I prefer to have pets company when I'm away. Also I get to meet lovely pet owners, who are really good people and pet lovers. Julie’s help made me confident to try out TrustedHousesitters and I'm looking forward to my next house sit and hoping my sister will join me the next time. I feel grateful for Julie's help and for the lovely people and pets I've met!"

And Banjo had an equally great staycation! Here’s the review his owner left after Naama’s stay… 

“Naama inspires total confidence. She was terrific with my dog and I am delighted we chose her. Your pet is safe and sound and well looked after with her. You can leave and relax knowing that everything is in good hands. She kept me up-to-date with regular communication. I hope to have her back.”

We just loved hearing how Julie lent her time and expertise to help out a budding TrustedHousesitter — and what a great start to Naama’s pet sitting journey!

Before returning home to London, Naama was even able to tag on a couple of days after her sit to visit beautiful Geneva, a city she had always been keen to explore.

So, wondering — like Naama — where your love of pets and travel could take you?

And don't forget, if you need any tips or help getting started, the Trusted community is here to help! Pop on over to our Community Forum where you can ask advice, find support and discuss all things house sitting, pets, travel, and more.