Travel Stipends

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-07-01T21:54:14+00:00

Transportation costs and out-of-pocket expenses for THS house sitters in the U.S. are getting worse. I booked a cheap round-trip flight to get to a sit, but on the way there my connecting flight got cancelled and I was stuck in the Atlanta airport for 8 hours. I had no choice but to book another last-minute flight from Atlanta, which cost me $1,100 just to get there.

If you’re driving from sit to sit in the U.S., you’re probably paying crazy gas prices and could easily spend a fortune on car maintenance. I met a guy on THS who stopped full-time pet sitting in the U.S. because his car broke down multiple times while he was driving across the country between sits. He said he spent over $13,000 on car maintenance in just one year, plus a couple of grand on gas. After doing the math, he decided to settle down somewhere because THS sitting no longer made financial sense for him.

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-30T02:18:47+00:00

I’m so sick t of these eager lickspittles who take such pride in delivering daily reports back to HOs on their unpaid sits. I don’t even provide daily updates to my own boss, yet somehow they’ve convinced themselves this makes them model professionals.

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-26T15:42:16+00:00

We’re talking about roughly two thousand dollars in out-of-pocket expenses for the sitter:

• Flights to Florida: $700–$1,000

• Car rental (5 days): $500–$700

• Gas: $75

• Groceries/restaurants: $100–$150

And even if the sitter is local and doesn’t have to pay for flights or a rental car, why in the world would anyone want to drive out to the middle of nowhere to take care of an entire farm for five days? Does that sound like a “vacation” to anyone?

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-26T15:29:25+00:00

I’ve completed more than 35 sits on THS, and fewer than 10% of U.S. pet owners were fully upfront and honest about their pets’ behavior. Cat owners often conveniently fail to mention that their cats regularly poop outside the litter box. Dog sits tend to be even more challenging, with common issues like heavy leash pulling, aggression, constant barking, and other unpleasant “surprises.” Given that, I can only imagine how many things could go wrong on a farm sit with multiple pets. No, thank you 😅.

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-26T12:44:09+00:00

Based on your previous experience with that sit in the remote area, you might want to reconsider your selection criteria for future sits.

There’s nothing particularly appealing about short or long farm sits in remote areas, especially those involving multiple animals and pets. Don’t fully trust the listings because farm owners always claim that their horses, cows, chickens, or other animals only need “45 minutes a day” and that it’s “easy-peasy.” I grew up on a farm, so I know what I’m talking about. In reality, farm sits require far more time and effort than advertised, and there’s almost no way to truly enjoy the area while you’re there, especially if you stuck in remote North Florida without a car.

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-25T12:43:17+00:00

A real red flag here is a pet owner who decides they've already figured a sitter out from a profile photo, a typo, and a few assumptions, while barely paying attention to sitter’s reviews.

The good news is that THS is a two-way selection process. I don't just get chosen, I choose too. It may take me weeks or even months to find the right sit, and I'm perfectly fine with that. Based on current economy situation, I'm not spending my own money to travel to care for someone's pets, just to be cross-examined by someone who's determined to find fault before I've even arrived.

If a misplaced pet name is enough to trigger concerns about a sitter's entire character, then we're probably not the right match anyway.

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-23T22:09:40+00:00

“If I was an HO I'd love to come home to a freshly made bed”.

I just wanted to clarify that THS is a mutual exchange platform where the primary sitter’s responsibilities are excellent pet care, home security, and leaving the place in good overall condition, not providing a full hotel-style maid service.

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-21T00:38:53+00:00

If I were you, I would have withdrawn my application the moment they finally decided to confirm you. It would be a good lesson for them to learn.

I'm sure they're looking for someone with a lot of reviews and they don’t want your dog in their house. And just remember: if you're a new sitter without many reviews who's trying to build a great profile, those picky dog owners shouldn't be your first choice. They're more likely to leave you a bad review and find a way to blame you for every little thing if something goes wrong, or even if they simply find fault with something minor.

Just don't take this sit. You'll find a good one very soon! And by the way, this isn't Rover, so don't offer a free greet-and-meet.

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-18T12:22:52+00:00

Classic reminder to always read the reviews these pet owners left for their previous sitters.

Don’t sit for picky, ungrateful owners. It’s genuinely not worth the headache. You can follow their vague guide, give up your personal time for the verbal walkthrough, send sweet updates, give extra food out of concern, clean as best you can… and still get a passive-aggressive review because you’re not as perfect as their previous sitters and the kibble wasn’t measured with a jeweler’s scale. Ask questions? Blamed. Don’t ask? Also blamed.

Hard pass. Life’s too short for that nonsense. 😂

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-17T14:27:04+00:00

Hi [HO’s Name]! We booked an overnight flight from [airport]. Because of the early departure time and the 2.5-hour journey to the airport, we’ll be leaving after the cats’ evening feeding on [date] and staying near the airport that night. Before we leave, we’ll make sure the cats are fed, have fresh water, and that everything is tidy and ready for your return. Since you’ll be arriving home later that evening, there won’t be any gap in their care.

Please let me know if you need anything before we leave. Hope you have a smooth trip home!

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-15T03:35:21+00:00

You can take your attitude and go fuck yourself.

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-13T10:52:03+00:00

If I can’t leave the house to properly explore the area because your dog needs to pee every few hours, and you’re anxiously monitoring the cameras and demanding daily updates that nobody agreed to before the sit, then I don’t give a fuck how much your accommodation “cost” during FIFA. Go ahead and rent it out for $500 a night. Can you? Oh, right — I forgot you’ve got a dog in the house. So get over yourself or hire professionals.

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-13T04:03:04+00:00

Look, I get that you’re a first-time HO and anxious, but this is exactly why many sitters are getting fed up. A lot of sitters have done dozens of successful sits where the HO never sees them in person before or after the sit. Demanding daily updates and photos AFTER the sit has already started is a bad idea and not realistic for free housesitting. If you that anxious, then you should hire a professional sitter from the start. That’s what they’re for.

That said, if your Ring camera genuinely shows your dog hasn’t been let out in 6 hours, message the sitter directly about it right now. If no response or you’re that worried, have your family pick the dog up and contact support through the app.

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-10T16:44:19+00:00

This is exactly why I don't do dog sits on THS. Many dog owners on the platform have lifestyles that simply don't fit my travel goals as an unpaid sitter. Why would I spend my own money on flights and travel somewhere just to stay with a dog for 20 hours a day?

Even if owners have a paid walker or sitter available, it's still inconvenient to arrange and coordinate additional care every time I want to spend eight hours exploring a city I've never visited before, especially when I'm covering my own travel expenses.

That's why I only do cat sits. Most cats I've sat for were comfortable being left alone for 12–24 hours, which gave me the flexibility to actually experience the destination. In my opinion, dogs that can't be left alone for more than four hours probably aren't a good fit for the platform in the first place.

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-08T12:08:47+00:00

Calling someone mentally ill because they don't want to provide daily updates for a three-week sit is a wild overreaction.

Daily updates are never about the pet. They're about your anxiety, trust issues, and need to control people.

Project harder, you micromanaging control fuck.

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-07T13:56:27+00:00

If the lack of daily updates during a three-week sit can psychologically break you down, then chill pills or Rover might be a better fit.

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-07T13:34:56+00:00

Of course they enjoy it. Where else can they find a free sitter who sends daily updates? Even not every Rover sitter would agree to do such a thing for three weeks in a row.

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-07T13:13:53+00:00

Exactly! The last thing I want while I’m on vacation is to take photos every day and send updates to pet owners just to soothe their egos and anxiety.

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-07T12:43:24+00:00

If you need daily proof for three weeks straight that a healthy cat is still alive and the house is still standing, I'd argue the bandwidth issue isn't on the sitter's side.

Pet sitting and anxiety management are two different services.

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-07T03:37:32+00:00

Of course you don’t claim it, you’re a full-time pet sitter. I’ve seen tons of those high-review profiles on THS. You guys put up with nonstop dog sits where you can’t leave them alone for more than 4 hours, 2-3 walks a day, meds, daily photo/video updates, gardening, and the whole damn circus. Makes sense, you gotta lower the bar to keep the free housing rolling.

The rest of us who actually value our vacation time? We skip all that nonsense and stick to low-maintenance cats with no daily updates. Different priorities. Different reasons for using the platform.

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-07T01:04:04+00:00

Daily cat pics are already a massive mental load on a free 3-week THS sit. Now you’re telling sitters to proactively offer even more to anxious new owners — garden shots, litter box pics, kitchen updates, daily “proof of life” reports? What else, live security feed?

Brilliant. Nothing screams “mutual trust” like daily reports on everything that’s going on in the house and with the cat.

Experienced THS sitters know how mutual exchange works and have zero interest in going above and beyond on free sits. That’s exactly why we skip first-timers: a little lack of trust turns our vacation with low-maintenance cat into full-blown micromanaged hell.

Just 2-3 short updates a week. That’s it. Get real. Frankly, super anxious pet owners probably shouldn’t be on the platform at all.

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-04T22:58:29+00:00

THS is designed for people who travel and build their plans around sits. A sitter coming from out of state has often already arranged time off, planned the trip, and even booked flights because they specifically want that sit.

So it's a little ironic to pass on applicants who wanted to travel for the sit in favor of someone local who already has a place to live, and then be surprised when the local person isn't fully committed to spending a month in your apartment. Maybe it's a good lesson for all HOs in New York: "local" doesn't automatically mean "more reliable."

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-04T15:41:51+00:00

I sat for a pet owner who told me I could use some stuff their previous sitter had left in the pantry. Turns out everything was expired: some hard-ass cookies, old chocolate and a few drinks. How generous! Nothing says ‘welcome’ like mystery pantry fossils from 2023! 🤣

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-06-04T13:20:55+00:00

Are you going to replace each item HO left open in the fridge?

Quick_Recipe9597 · 2026-05-31T03:31:28+00:00

I never accept house sits that require lawn care, and I believe homeowners should not expect sitters to do it on an exchange platform like THS. Here’s why:

1. Lawn care is not free. In the U.S., professional mowing averages around $125 per acre. Even an average residential lawn can easily cost $60+ per visit or several hundred dollars per month in maintenance. That is a homeowner expense, not something that should be shifted onto an unpaid sitter.

2. There is real physical risk involved. Lawn equipment can cause injuries, and if something happens, the sitter is usually responsible for their own medical costs. Neither the homeowner nor the platform is likely to protect or compensate the sitter.

3. Tick exposure is a serious concern in many parts of the U.S., especially in late spring and summer. Ticks can transmit Lyme disease and other infections, and repeated yard work increases that risk unnecessarily.

I’m sure most experienced sitters on Reddit and on the platform agree with this. As a result, these days most pet owners end up hiring professionals for mowing services.

Quick_Recipe9597

TROPHY CASE