Keeping Your Pet Safe During Festive Periods

Keeping Your Pet Safe

There’s always a lot of activity, noise and fun when it comes to the end of the year celebrations, but this isn’t always a good time for our furry pet pals. Here are some tips to keep your pet safe during the festive season:

  • ID is Key: Your first and top priority should be identification for your pet if he/she escapes from your property and becomes disoriented and lost. It is a legal requirement to have your dog microchipped over the age of 8 weeks, and although it is not so for cats, there is no better way to ensure that you and your pet will be re-united should they become lost. Make sure puss is properly protected by microchipping her too. Having a collar or ID tag with contact details is also a really necessary for the safety of your pets. Continue reading “Keeping Your Pet Safe During Festive Periods”

5 Tips for Dealing with Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Separation Anxiety in Dogs

It isn’t easy for our canine friends to be away from their owners, so they may experience some separation anxiety when away from their pet-parents. We do have a few tips to help us support our dog pals to be calm when they’re left on their own or with a house and pet sitter.

Create Distance:

Conditioning your pup from a young age can help prevent separation anxiety. You can use a play pen or a crate to create distance for your puppy at home. We know, all you want to do is cuddle and play with your new bundle of fluff but try to resist the temptation to overindulge and use the play pen to contain your pup and prevent over bonding. If your pup cries when you leave the room, resist the urge to go running back, because that will show them that crying isn’t a signal for you to be together. Continue reading “5 Tips for Dealing with Separation Anxiety in Dogs”

3 Steps to Consider Before Your Next Family Get Together

Pet Care Christmas 2018

It’s liberating to move out of the family home. You have your own space and can do what you want, when you want. But making tracks back to see the family, especially for important celebrations such as Christmas, is always a great way to reconnect and recharge with some much needed doses of family time.

But after weeks, months and sometimes years of complete autonomy, the prospect of sharing a living space with others may start to send chills down your spine.

It needn’t be a stressful experience. Around 10% of Mindahome’s members house and pet sit to visit family and friends – and retain their sanity! Continue reading “3 Steps to Consider Before Your Next Family Get Together”

Making Your Pet the Number 1 Priority

Make your puppy number 1Making Your Pet the Number 1 Priority

House and pet sitters are animal lovers and being a fill in pet-parent does come with huge responsibility.

Some house and pet sitters choose the lifestyle to have the freedom of living in different locations, travelling the country, meeting new people, or saving money by living rent free, but by far the biggest benefit is getting to meet new fur-friends.

Many house sitters have grown up with animals but aren’t able to own their own, so house and pet sitting gives them the chance to snuggle up with a pet-pal for a while. Others simply enjoy the opportunity to get out and about with a variety of different animal companions. Continue reading “Making Your Pet the Number 1 Priority”

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”

House and Pet Sitting as a Lifestyle – What You Need to Know

Living a nomadic lifestyle presents many opportunities to save money, see and do more and meet people and pets from very diverse and interesting backgrounds.

House and pet sitting is your ticket to experiencing some of your life goals and dreams today rather than delaying them for another day, but there are a few things you need to consider before you plunge into a house and pet sitting life.

Must Love Animals: 99% of Mindahome’s house and pet sitting positions involve the care of animals, so being an animal lover is a must. House and pet sitting could involve the care of pets in a city or urban environment, through to caring for farm animals on a rural property. A true affection for all creatures big and small is your biggest advantage when applying for house and pet sitting positions. Continue reading “House and Pet Sitting as a Lifestyle – What You Need to Know”

5 Hacks For Living Big For Less

You don’t have to miss out on life’s little luxuries to save money. Try these 5 hacks to enjoy some of your fancy desires, without spending a fortune.

Live Rent Free

Paying rent is like watching your money burn. It doesn’t help you work towards home ownership and it isn’t the most successful savings strategy. Want to live rent free? Try house and pet sitting around the UK. Whether you’re looking to live near work, near family or wanting to try out different places before you decide to settle down in a particular town, house and pet sitting can allow you to live in other people’s homes, while caring for their pets, without paying for things like utilities and internet. House and pet sitters have saved thousands of pounds every year by choosing this nomadic lifestyle.

Buy, Save and Give Back Too

Gone are the days when charity shops smelt musty and like your grandma’s well worn cardigans. Today, charity shops offer savvy shoppers the chance to grab a bargain of some  impressive high-end brands that will make you look and feel like you should be on a Fashion Week runway. There are a variety of charity shops across the UK in all towns and cities such as Edinburgh, London, Manchester, Shropshire and Weymouth, where you can save money on some of the latest fashions, and you’re also giving back to support worthy charities. Win/win! Continue reading “5 Hacks For Living Big For Less”

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”

Your Monthly Make-Over Checklist

The most popular house and pet sitters actively engage through their house and pet sitting service. Details are kept up to date and recent references and experience are listed.

If you want to be a successful house and pet sitter, follow these tips for a monthly review of your profile to make your listing more attractive to potential home and pet owners.

1. Be Professional
Get into the mindset of potential home and pet owners searching for sitters. First impressions count and your profile photo is the first thing they see about what you have to offer. They are entrusting their beloved pets and home with you and want to find someone who will respect their most valued possessions. Your profile and supporting photos should show you enjoying the company of animals and professional- style photos with your full face in focus. Continue reading “Your Monthly Make-Over Checklist”