House sitting is about much more than a place to stay
When Deb and I started house sitting our way around the UK and Europe, we knew we’d be looking after people’s homes and pets. What I hadn’t expected was how attached we’d become to the animals, or how many lovely friendships we’d make with their people.
Our first pet parent gave us a little thank-you gift when she returned home. It was such a kind surprise that we started leaving a thank-you gift for each pet parent ourselves. More than once, we’ve been told, “You’re always welcome back.” That’s a pretty lovely thing to hear.
Loki, Teddington
Loki was part of our very first sit in Teddington, from late March into April 2026. He was a big, fluffy golden dog, and on a walk at Bushy Park he made the most of the muddy puddles before plunging into clean water too. His ball stayed firmly with him, and he needed a shower afterwards. When his pet parent got home, we sat talking for ages. We’ve stayed in touch since, and she has even checked in to see where our travels are taking us next. Not a bad way to begin our house-sitting adventures.
Kevin, Reigate
Kevin the ginger cat made sure our time in Reigate would be memorable. He needed pain medication ahead of dental treatment, and we were glad to hear afterwards that he’d recovered well. Then there was the evening a gust of wind shut the gate while we were outside dealing with the bins, leaving us locked out. That led to a ridiculous operation involving three ladders chained together and plenty of laughing before we managed to get back inside. Kevin wandered in as though nothing at all had happened. Typical cat.
When the pet parents returned, they even noticed that their car was cleaner than when they’d left it. We’d put it through the car wash. The next morning they very kindly dropped us at the train station.
Chester and Rosie, Royston
We looked after Chester and Rosie during our stay in Royston. While we were asleep, Chester decided the hallway mat needed a bit of chewing. We sent a photograph to the pet parent, trimmed the damaged edge, and she was happy with the fix. On our last evening, we had a few wines with her. The next morning everyone was a little dusty, and she drove us to the station in her pyjamas, firmly refusing to get out of the car. I can’t say I blamed her.
Cats, chickens and a tortoise, Shrewsbury
The Shrewsbury sit gave us a whole little collection of animals to care for: Tigerlily and Gatsby the cats, two chickens and Darwin the tortoise. We got to know the neighbours too, and when the pet parents came home, they took us out to dinner as a thank you. House sitting can turn a place you’ve never been into somewhere you feel welcome.
Sunny, Wasperton, Warwickshire
In Wasperton, Warwickshire, we cared for Sunshine (Sunny), a Briard, along with tropical fish and the fish in a large outdoor carp pond. Sunny was an amazing girl. Her pet parent was a dog trainer, and it showed. She could walk between my legs, go around me, sit and beg. I loved seeing everything she could do.
And she absolutely loved running after a ball. We used one of those long ball-launching sticks that holds the ball at one end. I’d flick it across the grass, and she’d race off after it. She was such a clever, enthusiastic dog. We’ve found a little video of Sunny being offered a treat, and I’m still hoping her ball-chasing and trick videos turn up too.
The little blind dog and his two cat companions, Bath
Our Bath house sit came with two little cats and a dog who loved a trip to the pub. He was blind, so we talked to him as we moved around the house to let him know where we were. But finding his way to the pub? He knew that route. The publican kept dog biscuits for him, which probably helped!
On one visit, I thought he was sitting quietly under the table. Then I lifted his lead. There was the harness, but no dog in it.
He had slipped out and was off making his own rounds of the pub, visiting everybody. So much for sitting quietly with me! I bought him a new harness after that.
He also did this lovely little trick. He would sit up on his back legs and rub his front paws together, like a rabbit cleaning its nose. I managed to catch it on video, which you can watch below.
Another day, I walked him over to check on his pet parent’s mum, but she had gone out with her carer. When it came to walking home, he wasn’t interested. I ended up carrying him back.
He could find his way to the pub for a biscuit, but on that walk I was the transport home!
Pepper, Wakefield
Pepper was the lovely black dog we looked after in Wakefield. Pepper had been trained to do several tricks. He was a clever boy.
Dizzy and Rascal, Whaley Bridge
We looked after two Jack Russells, Dizzy and Rascal, during our Whaley Bridge stay. We’ve found their photographs again, so I can finally put faces to their names here.
Bamba, Dipple and Koshka, Andover
In Andover, we cared for Dipple, the black Labrador; Bamba, the golden-brown Labrador; and Koshka, the tabby cat. I’ve finally found some lovely photographs of all three. One of my favourites shows Bamba resting his chin on Dipple, and Koshka certainly knew how to make herself comfortable on a chair.
Marley, Paris
We were looking after Marley during our Paris stay in August, when the weather was terribly hot. We took him out with us for a French breakfast and made sure he had ways to keep cool back at home. His ice-block antics were definitely worth filming.
Willow, Raya, Lola and Ernest, Gimont
In Gimont, in the French countryside, we cared for Willow the Mastiff, Raya the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Lola the speckled dog and Ernest the barn cat. The welcome was lovely: a station pickup, shopping together and dinner when I arrived. We soon discovered that the pet parent and I had the same peculiar way of eating a fried egg, saving the yolk until last without breaking it.
And then there was my attempt to drive the borrowed car on the other side of the road to collect Deb, which ended in an unexpected police escort to the station. That’s a story that deserves a page of its own.
Nine rescue cats in Greece
Our stay in Nea Makri near Athens came about through a Facebook house-sitting request, rather than TrustedHousesitters. It brought another unforgettable crowd: nine rescue cats, all with their own personalities. Whiskey, whom we called Sharky, had a habit of helping himself to the other cats’ food and once jumped from the kitchen bar onto my shoulders while I was making a salad. Demon fancied my chair and laptop, and kept trying to take over. Then there was Fatty, an enormous black-and-white cat who wasn’t really fat, just huge, and a tortoiseshell who decided my bed belonged to her. It wasn’t a TrustedHousesitters booking, but it was absolutely part of the experience of staying in other people’s homes and caring for animals while travelling.
I started travelling to the places I wanted to see. The animals and their people have become just as big a part of the adventure.