"We love combining our passion for travel with our love for pets..."

We had loads of fantastic entries for our #TrustedTales competition throughout March, and it was great to see so many of your wonderful pet sitting moments!

Our Trusted judges had their work cut out for them this month, however, it was this cheeky snap of Portia the horse that won their hearts, and saw Jennifer and Pamela (otherwise known as @wandering_petsitters) crowned the winners of March’s Trusted Treat: an extra year of TrustedHousesitters membership! 

We wanted to find out more about Jennifer and Pamela’s pet sitting adventures. So, we sat down for a chin (and tail) wag to discuss how their pet sitting adventure began, and the wonderful pets (and places) they've encountered along the way...

Jennifer and Pamela's pet sitting story

“We joined TrustedHousesitters in 2019 after reading about house and pet sitting through a travel group on Facebook. 

We have always loved travelling and that’s actually how we met in 2017, travelling through Indonesia. We love enriching ourselves by trying new foods, learning about other cultures, discovering places we’ve never been and making new friends.”

And it all started with one cat and two dogs in beautiful Gran Canaria… 

“Our first-ever experience was pet sitting in Gran Canaria during the Easter holidays, looking after a cat named Negrito, an elderly dog named Charlie and his friend, Xabu. We were so nervous in the beginning, not knowing what to expect. We had arranged a video call with the owner before the sit (something we always do now, just to get to know each other) but we were still a little apprehensive. 

Looking back there was really nothing to be nervous about and we quickly became friends with the owner as well as with the animals. We had the best time with them and we love looking back at the pictures!” 

For pet lovers like Jennifer and Pamela, being able to combine their love of pets and travelling is a dream come true - one they are now able to do as a full-time venture.

“Besides our passion for travelling, we are also massive animal lovers. Pamela grew up amongst a lot of family pets and Jennifer is a veterinarian who has done a lot of volunteering abroad in rescue centers. 

The opportunity to combine our passion for travelling with our love for animals sounded perfect for us as a couple. Initially, we joined TrustedHousesitters just for our annual holidays but over the past year, we have had the opportunity to do it full-time.” 

And just like so many of our sitters, for Jennifer and Pamela, it’s the pets that make what they do so worthwhile…

“We enjoy taking the time to gain the animal's trust, watching their behaviour, sticking to their routines and learning about their individual unique characters.

Taking pictures of our adventures is also something that we both enjoy doing and Pamela has even done a few photography courses. It’s needless to say that since we joined TrustedHousesitters, we now have thousands and thousands of animal pictures on our phones and on our harddisks!

Also, most owners love it when you send them nice pictures and a small update on how their beloved pets are doing. It makes them feel more at ease and relaxed on their holidays knowing that their pets are in good hands and are being looked after.”

Through pet sitting, Jennifer and Pamela have been able to visit new places all around the world. Which is made all the better, we’re sure, when you have a cute, four-pawed local to show you around… 

“One of the things we really love is that the house sitting takes us to places and destinations that maybe we normally would not choose in the first place or that we may not have heard of.

We’ve realised that we are a huge fan of ‘Slow Traveling’, rather than always on the move going from one destination to the other, like we did in the past. It gives us the opportunity to live more as a local and allows us to experience that community feeling rather than only being a tourist.”

Since joining TrustedHousesitters in 2019, Jennifer and Pamela’s pet sitting adventures have taken them all over the world, including Gran Canaria, France, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg and Florida. And their pet-sitting-jet-setting lifestyle doesn't end there…

“Currently we are house sitting in Uppsala, Sweden watching the adorable cat Casey. We’ve enjoyed being able to explore lots of beautiful walks in the many national parks surrounding us here. We were very thrilled about our sit in Sweden since neither of us had been to this country before. 

We already have some sits planned over the next few months taking us to the South of France, Switzerland and Spain. We love all kinds of animals and we are always delighted to have a sit where there are animals we have never cared for before.” 

With so many amazing pet sits under their belt, we’re dying to know: Jennifer and Pamela, what’s been your favourite sit so far? 

“People frequently ask us this, but we genuinely can’t pick out just one because every sit is so different and so unique. Being on a tropical island, high in the mountains, in the city centre or in the countryside, all have different perks and the animals make every sit a different experience.

Like Larry the ram in the Cotswolds who would follow us through the field for a head massage; or Eeyore the donkey who would always yell at us from the other side of the field when it was dinner time (he was also a master escaper to the vegetable garden, where he would steal the pumpkins). Negrito the cat, who would always join us on our dog walks. We have so many nice memories from all of our pet sits.”

As Jennifer and Pamela know well, pet sitting is a big responsibility. Luckily, they’ve shared some expert words of wisdom if you dream of following in their pet sitting footsteps one day…

“Let it be said, it is not always a walk in the park. People may think it is a free holiday but a lot of things can go wrong and you have to make sure that you know your own capabilities or limitations. Taking care of someone’s pet (and house) is a huge responsibility and you need to be aware of subtle signs the animal will give you when it’s unwell (luckily this doesn’t happen often and Jennifer, being a veterinarian, comes in handy when there’s an unwell pet).

Don’t go taking care of a horse if you don’t have experience with it just because of the beautiful house, or don’t take on a sit with an anxious rescue dog if you are nervous yourself. Be honest to yourself about what you can handle. We would always recommend good communication with the owner.” 

We couldn't have put it better ourselves! 

So, as well as cheeky horses in France, what other pets have Jennifer and Pamela cared for during their pet sitting escapades? 

“So far we have had the opportunity to take care of cats, dogs, horses, donkeys, chickens, sheep, tortoises, rabbits, peacocks, many plants (and some pools!). Number 1 on Pamela’s future bucket list is caring for a pig, her all-time favourite animal and Jennifer would love to look after alpacas. 

We don’t know what the future may bring us but we would like to use TrustedHousesitters for more far away trips like Australia, Canada, New Zealand… Who knows? Like we always say, the world is our oyster.” 

PSA: do we have any passionate pig or alpaca parents out there? If so, we may know just the sitters for you… 

Related article: Thank you, pets | National Pet Month

Thanks so much to Jennifer and Pamela for sharing their Trusted Tale with us! You can find out more about their pet sitting adventures by following them on Instagram, @wandering_petsitters. 

Fancy winning your own #TrustedTreat? 

Simply share your pet sitting photos with us on Instagram using the hashtag #TrustedTales, and every month you could be in with winning a free year of membership! 

Or do you have a horse of your own at home? Discover how to set up your horse sitter for success, or if you're worried that your horsey buddy might be feeling a bit off, learn all about founder in horses - a common and sometimes preventable condition.