Why Welcoming Cat Sitters Means Travel Freedom

Updated 28 June 2024

For Barbara, like many (almost) retired pet parents, reliable pet care is the cornerstone of ensuring she can fulfill her globetrotting dreams.

Whether it’s hosting a camp in the Death Valley or vacationing around the awe-inspiring national parks of the US, it seems that this pet parent is never far from setting her sights on somewhere new to explore.

Since joining the TrustedHousesitters community back in 2016, Barbara has pet parented two adorable kitties - Mudita and Prana, who both had unique needs and personalities.

Prana is now at the golden age of 17, but sadly, Mudita passed away some two years ago. Missing her beautiful kitty but with an inspiring tale to share, Barbara generously shared her story with us - and for that, we’re ever grateful.

There’s a sitter for every feline friend

Before welcoming the right sitters from her fellow pet-loving community at TrustedHousesitters, Barbara - like many pet parents - had experimented with all kinds of pet care solutions. But as is often the case, they didn’t quite chime with her feline family members at the time.

At first welcoming paid cat sitters, Barbara admitted she’d not been ‘all that impressed’ with them, and that paying the fees themselves can be ‘prohibitive’.

Well and truly underwhelmed by paid cat sitters, Barbara had experimented with taking her kitties along for her travels. Jetting across various US states, her felines racked up a whopping eight stamps when they accompanied her through the National Parks in Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and other transit states.

“They adapted, but they got bored, locked up in the trailer all day and then kept us awake all night long. And, having them along definitely limits what the humans are able to do during the day.”

So, unsatisfied with both paid cat sitters and taking her feline family along for her retirement adventures, the hunt for pet care was on.
And it was no mean feat, finding something that settled Barbara’s mind while she was away, and somebody who could make her felines happy.

Mudita and her brother, Prana

“My heart was so happy to know they were safe”

So, after attempts to find the right kitty care solution, Barbara turned to the TrustedHousesitters community. And to her amazement, our sitters are here to make memories - not money, and for the chance to take care of adorable animals in new places.

“I found [TrustedHousesitters] - it was such an awesome answer to my expressed wish, ‘effortless cat care’.”

And luckily for Barbara, she landed a gem with her cat sitter, Marie. Connecting just eight days before her trip, Barbara was able to relax during her travels, knowing Mudita and Prana were happy at home.

“She’s a loving, gentle soul, kind beyond words [...] I got a series of photos with one caption that said, ‘I just got kneaded!’ with a picture of a very happy Mudita.”

And like with many felines, Mudita didn’t warm to just anybody (and rightly so!), so Barbara was particularly relieved when she saw how happy her kitty was with Marie.

“My heart was so happy to know they were safe, happy, loved and appreciated and I’m free to enjoy my travels”

And having found the reliable cat care she was always looking for, Barbara was relieved that she could turn to our community for reliable, loving cat care for her future trips.

While working at Death Valley National Park, Barbara told us that she “shudders to think how we would have dealt with having two cats in a 30-foot, non-air-conditioned 5th wheel, day after day while the temperature climbs.”

Instead, Barbara fully embraced her Death Valley adventure, reassured by her sitter that her kitties were content back home.

“I got daily updates of them kneading the sitter, watching TV, strolling through their acre garden, lounging on the back of the couch watching hummingbirds.”

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