A Home Owners 4-Step Guide to House Sitting

Get organised for your pet sitter Trust plays an important role in any house and pet sitting agreement and ensuring that both the home and pet owner and the house sitter understand the other party’s expectations, is the key to a fuss-free and enjoyable sit.

We’ve put together some points to consider making sure you have a worry-free house and pet sitting experience:

Help the Sitter Understand Your Pet

Getting all the best information about your fur pal’s personality, her routines, habits – and documenting all of these – is a great start to arming your sitter with the information they need to provide the best care possible for your pet. Continue reading “A Home Owners 4-Step Guide to House Sitting”

3 Life Lessons Your Pet Will Teach You

mindahome.co.uk Feb 19

Sometimes, it almost feels as if the months and years go by in the blink of an eye. We all know the old adage ‘stop and smell the roses’, but with work, family and life in general getting busier and busier, the idea of ‘stopping’ doesn’t seem to resonate in modern times.

Our pet pals, though, have this magic ability. They offer us unconditional love, affection and attention and whenever we spend time with them, we do take time to appreciate the best things in life.

Often, life lessons come packaged up in a ball of fluff and fur and give us perspective about what’s important and how best to make the most of every day.

Home Is Where the Heart Is

Whether your pet has fur, feathers, scales or skin, the depth of their companionship is second to none. Pets can sense our mood and are great at transforming a tired and grumpy human into an excited and laugh-out-loud friend.

Our pets make a house a home and they are comfortable with their familiar surrounds, smells and sounds. For the times when pet-parents have to travel without their treasured pet, live-in pet sitters are the key to bringing in the warmth and love of the pet-parent so that their new pet-pal continues to have personalised attention in their home.

Keep Your Mind and Body Happy

Research suggests that people who engage with pets are more active, social and healthy. Your pet is your daily exercise reminder when they come to tell you it’s time for a walk. They can be your rough and tumble partner in the backyard. They can be your down-time and stress reliever. Most Mindahome house and pet sitter members aren’t able to own a pet of their own, so pet sitting gives them the chance to enjoy animal companionship and an active lifestyle.

Our pets have an amazing ability to know what we need, when we need it and keep us happy throughout life’s challenges and triumphs.

Life is Better With Friends

Meeting new animal pals is one of the top reasons why sitters choose the house and pet sitting lifestyle. There are always new people to meet, new fur-friends to play with and new communities to explore. Living life in someone else’s shoes often gives us perspective about what we want out of life and gives us renewed energy to pursue our dreams. Human or animal friends bring joy and fullness to our lives and life’s always better with friends.

For more information about exploring new life opportunities as a house and pet sitter, visit mindahome.co.uk.

5 Cool Ways to Spoil Your Pet

We all love to be spoiled now and again and our pets are no different. They give us so much love and affection that sometimes we may not always truly show how much we care.

But, there are really cool things you can do to spoil your pet that will truly make their day. So whether you’re celebrating your fur-friend’s birthday, their adoption day, or just because… we’ve got some simple ideas for your pet – and they don’t have to cost a fortune.

Gifts and Treats

A new collar, bed or bowl would be a lovely surprise for your pet – especially if the ones they have are getting a little worn! There are loads of businesses out there that now offer personalisation for pet products – with everything to suit the smallest of creatures to the largest of hounds. So scout out the one that suits your needs and budget and create a special surprise. But… gifts and treats don’t need to be expensive.

A Day at the Dog Park

Who doesn’t love a run and rumble at the dog park? Make it a play date with some of your furry friend’s buddies and instant fun can be had! Not only is it a great chance for your pet to expend some energy, but a great way to exercise and show your dogs that you enjoy the same energetic fun that they do.

Personalised Care

Giving your pet the best care when you have to travel is always a pet-parent’s top priority. Engage a house and pet sitter for free and your pet will be treated to personalised attention and care and an almost pet-parent love that can’t be beaten by any other pet care facility. It helps sitters out there looking for a place to stay and saves pet and home owners loads of money on pet care.

Pamper

If money isn’t an option, then a pampering session at your local pet spa is a must. Treat your pet to a luxurious bath and grooming session, and, go on, get their nails painted while they’re there. If you’re looking for something a little more budget-friendly, call in your local pet wash service and give them a good grooming by those with loads of experience managing animals.

Special Time Together

Of course, you can’t go past treating your pet to some regular old ‘me and you’ time. We’re all very busy these days, but schedule some time in your diary to just sit and cuddle with your pet watching TV, reading a book together or just enjoying the day in the backyard. Sometimes the simple pleasures are the ones that count the most.

House and Pet Sitting: A Mutually Beneficial Relationship

The relationship between a home and pet owner and house and pet sitter is meant to be one of mutual benefit. Owners benefit from having personalised care and attention for their home and pets while they’re away, while house and pet sitters enjoy living rent free for a period of time.

Just like any agreement, there is a little give and take both ways and so long as there are reasonable requests asked of the house and pet sitter, both parties should enjoy the experience.

Household Maintenance

Most house and pet sitters are able and willing to do some routine home and garden maintenance, such as keeping the pool clean, watering plants and attending to the repair of any items that break down during their sit. Engaging a house and pet sitter isn’t an opportunity to call in free labour for household odds and ends, but rather, it’s having someone care and maintain your home in your absence to ensure all is well when you return. Sticking to reasonable household duty requests is a must to respect the relationship between both parties. Continue reading “House and Pet Sitting: A Mutually Beneficial Relationship”

Prepared Pet Care: What You Need to Tell the Pet Sitter

Our pet’s are a member of the family. But if you’ve had unexpected travel plans pop up, or your fur-kid simply can’t travel with you, a live-in pet sitter is the easiest – and most affordable – form of pet care while you’re away.

Just like us, our pets have their own unique personalities, nuances and routines that make them special. So if you want your pet sitter to truly embrace the role of ‘fill in pet-parent’, then you need to give them as much information as possible about your pet, home and routines, to ensure a smooth experience for everyone. Continue reading “Prepared Pet Care: What You Need to Tell the Pet Sitter”

Show Your Pet You Care with These 5 Tips

Research has shown that over 90% of UK pet owners say that owning a pet makes them feel happy and 88% feel that pet ownership improves their overall quality of life.

So we all agree that our pets give us the love and attention we’re all looking for, but have we ever stopped to think whether we show as much affection in return? Continue reading “Show Your Pet You Care with These 5 Tips”

5 Cleaning Tips for Pet Loving Homes

Whether you are house sitting someone else’s pets or at home with your own, many of us share our homes with pets and sometimes, extreme weather conditions mean that our pets may need to stay inside for extended periods.

But that doesn’t mean that poochy smells need to become our home’s new overpowering scent.

When you have one or more fur-friends sharing your home, keeping a pet loving home tidy can be easy by following a few simple tips.

Brush, brush and brush again

Brushing your dog or pet everyday can limit the hair flying around and getting stuck to furniture in your home. Brushing also helps in removing any flaky skin by distributing natural oils through your dog’s coat. Not only will regular brushing save your home and furniture from unruly hair and mess, it will also provide you with some important bonding time with your fur-friend. A DIY methods for removing hair from clothes, is to use tape rolled around your hand with the sticky side on the outside. It’s also great for furniture but otherwise an upholstery tool will do the job too. Continue reading “5 Cleaning Tips for Pet Loving Homes”

Discover Bristol – A City the River Built

If your house sitting assignment or holiday is in Bristol, you are staying in England’s sixth largest city which is built around the River Avon. This connection to the sea has propelled the progress of Bristol through the years, making it South West England’s centre of education, employment and culture today. In the 14^th century, the city was a centre of shipbuilding and manufacturing, making it the second most important port in the country and the jump off point for expeditions to the east, west, across the Atlantic and to North America.

The ships turned Bristol into a focal point of smuggling and the slave trade, and at one time more than half a million people were carried from Africa on 2,000 ships fitted out at Bristol to live as slaves in the Americas. With the advent of air travel Bristol became a natural base for aircraft manufacturers who set up their factories in the city. The aerospace industry together with electronics and creative media industries continue to be a dominant factor in the economy of Bristol. It also welcomes almost 10 million foreign tourists every year making it the UK’s seventh most popular destination. Continue reading “Discover Bristol – A City the River Built”

House Sitters can give Special Care for your Ageing Pet

The special relationship that the British have with their pets has long been recognised. 43% of our homes have a pet of one kind or another. Of the 27 million pets, dogs and cats are the most common and the pet population is growing steadily. Other countries that rank highly in the number of pets are Australia, India, South Africa and Thailand rounding out the Top 5.

The love and attention owners give their pets can pose challenges as pets age and owners still have a need to travel. Who can care for an ageing pet the way a loving pet owner does? Well, many owners have found that using the services of a pet sitter, experienced in caring and medicating older animals, has been the perfect solution. A pet carer can have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to problems associated with older pets. Continue reading “House Sitters can give Special Care for your Ageing Pet”

Peace and tranquillity for a House Sitter in The Lake District, Cumbria

Nestled among fells, hills and the most beautiful scenery you can ever imagine, is the Lake District in Cumbria. Comprising 885 square miles and containing 2 of the deepest and longest lakes in all of England, Cumbria is a county of great beauty that attracts many writers, artists and visitors each year. It is the perfect place for house sitting for those seeking tranquillity and a break from the hustle and bustle of the big cities. Scafell Pike, which is at 978 metres, the highest mountain in England lies in what is now known as the Lake District National Park.

The Lake District is one of the most sparsely populated areas of the country but is the home to the towns of Keswick, Windermere and Ambleside, in which all modern amenities can be found. Many visitors to the area come for the sheer beauty, peace and relaxation that can be found in abundance. Walking, climbing, watersports and many other activities are available during the warmer months, however the Lake district is known to be the Dampest part of the country and the weather be somewhat changeable. Continue reading “Peace and tranquillity for a House Sitter in The Lake District, Cumbria”

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