The text message that changed everything came on a random Tuesday afternoon: “Hey, any chance you guys could watch our dog next weekend? Our sitter cancelled.”
I looked at our empty calendar and replied with a casual “Sure!” that masked my excitement. We’d been talking about ways to travel more as a family, but hotels were expensive and not always ideal for longer stays. Little did I know that this favour for a friend would turn into a family adventure we never expected.
The Accidental Beginning
We didn’t set out to become family pet sitters. With both of us working from home and an energetic three-year-old daughter, we had plenty going on. But we’d been dreaming of ways to see more of the world while providing our daughter with the stability she needed. That weekend watching Baxter, our neighbour’s golden retriever, sparked something.
My daughter spent evenings snuggled up watching Paw Patrol with Baxter. My husband discovered he could work just as well with a dog snoozing at his feet. And I found myself wondering why we hadn’t thought of this before.
“We should do this more often,” I said as we handed Baxter back to his very happy owners (who couldn’t stop thanking us for the detailed notes and photos we’d sent throughout the weekend).
They paid us $50, which we hadn’t even expected. Our daughter immediately announced we should use it for ice cream and to buy toys for more dogs we could watch. More importantly, we realised this could be our ticket to travelling while still having a “home” environment wherever we went.
From Favour to Travel Opportunity
Word spread quickly in our neighbourhood. We became the go-to family for pet emergencies. The couple down the street needed someone when their cat sitter got sick. The family around the corner asked if we could help during their last-minute business trip.
After the fifth or sixth request, my husband created a simple Google calendar to keep track of our pet sitting dates. As our calendar filled up, we had a realisation – since we both worked remotely, we could do this anywhere. Why limit ourselves to our neighbourhood when we could explore new places while still providing our daughter with a proper home environment?
The idea of staying in actual homes rather than hotels was perfect for us. Our daughter could have her own space, we’d have proper workstations for our jobs, and we could experience neighbourhoods as locals rather than tourists.
But we wanted to expand beyond just our neighbourhood. That’s when we hit our first roadblock.
Hitting the “Family Wall”
I still remember my first attempt at applying through a popular pet sitting website. I spent hours creating the perfect profile, adding photos of us with neighbourhood pets, and highlighting our experience.
Then came the rejections. Or worse, the silence. Application after application disappeared into the void. For the few responses we did get, the message was clear: “We’re looking for individuals or couples only.”
One homeowner actually replied: “We’re just not comfortable having a child in our home while we’re away.” Ouch.
I almost gave up that night. My husband found me searching for cheap accommodation instead of scrolling pet sitting sites.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Looking for normal vacation rentals instead of trying to make pet sitting work for us,” I replied.
He sat down beside me. “So we’re just going to let other people tell us what our family can and can’t do?”
Changing Our Approach
That conversation changed everything. Instead of trying to fit into a system that wasn’t built for families, we decided to create our own approach:
- We got specific about our strengths. Instead of just saying “family of three,” we spelled out exactly what that meant: multiple caregivers, always someone home, experience handling emergencies, and a child who could provide extra attention and playtime for social pets.
- We created a family resume. We put together a one-page document highlighting our experience, with photos of happy pets we’d cared for and testimonials from neighbours.
- We started our own website. Nothing fancy, just a simple site explaining our family pet sitting philosophy and services.
- We offered meet-and-greets. We invited potential clients to meet us as a family before booking, so they could see how our daughter interacted with their pets.
- We specialised in longer sits. Since we both worked remotely, we could stay in places for weeks at a time, which was perfect for homeowners who wanted their house to feel “lived in” while they were gone. This also gave our daughter time to settle into each new environment.
Our First Big Break
Our strategy shift worked, but slowly. We landed a few sits through friends of friends. Each successful job gave us more references and photos for our growing portfolio.
Then came the sit that changed everything – two weeks with a pair of senior dogs and a cat in a beautiful home just outside the city. The owners were desperate after their regular sitter cancelled at the last minute. They took a chance on us.
I’ll never forget their message halfway through the sit: “We’ve never had such detailed updates about our pets. Our neighbours say the house looks more alive than when we’re home! Can we book you for our trip in October?”
That sit led to three referrals, which led to more, and suddenly we had a waiting list.
Lessons We Learned the Hard Way
Our journey wasn’t all tail wags and purrs. We made plenty of mistakes along the way:
The House Key Incident: There was the time my daughter decided to “reorganise” the homeowner’s key drawer. We spent two hours figuring out which key went to which cabinet. Now we have a strict “ask before organising anything” rule.
The Great Escape: Once, a cat escaped within the first hour of our stay. The three of us spent the evening shaking treats around the neighbourhood until we finally found her under a neighbour’s porch. Now we do a full “escape route check” as soon as we arrive.
The Unexpected Houseguest: We once arrived to find the homeowner’s adult son had decided to crash at the house during our stay – something they’d “forgotten” to mention. We now have very clear questions about who else might have access to the home during our stay.
How Our Family Changed Through Pet Sitting
Pet sitting hasn’t just been about travelling to new places (though that’s been amazing!). It’s changed our family in ways I never expected:
My daughter has developed incredible empathy and responsibility. She can now spot when a dog is anxious or when a cat needs space – skills many adults haven’t mastered.
My husband and I have discovered a shared passion that lets us work as a team outside just parenting.
We’ve explored neighbourhoods and communities we would never have visited otherwise.
And most surprisingly, we’ve become more adaptable as a family. When you’ve figured out how to handle a flooded basement while caring for someone else’s anxious retriever, regular family challenges seem a lot more manageable!
Advice for Families Just Starting Out
If you’re a family thinking about pet sitting, here’s what I wish someone had told us at the beginning:
Start small and local. Build references in your immediate community before trying to break into platforms or reaching farther away.
Document everything. Take before and after photos of the home, keep detailed notes about pet behaviour, and send regular updates to owners.
Be honest about your experience level. If you’ve never cared for a particular type of pet, say so. It’s better to pass on a sit than to get in over your head.
Create clear family rules. Everyone needs to be on the same page about house rules, pet handling, and responsibilities.
Don’t take rejection personally. Some people will never be comfortable with family pet sitters, and that’s okay. The right clients will find you.
Where We Are Today
Three years later, our accidental travel strategy has become a fundamental part of our family identity. We’ve cared for over 30 different pets, from dogs and cats to chickens and a very opinionated parrot, all while exploring communities we would never have discovered otherwise.
We’ve upgraded from our simple website. We’ve created emergency protocols, welcome packets, and even branded family t-shirts (my daughter’s idea – she loves wearing her “Pet Sitting Crew” shirt on arrival day).
Most importantly, we’ve proven that families don’t just make adequate pet sitters – they often make exceptional ones.
That empty calendar that started our journey? It’s now carefully managed to balance exciting new destinations with time at our own home. Our daughter has experienced life in beachside cottages, mountain cabins, and city apartments – all while having the stability of her parents, her own space, and furry friends to make each place feel like home.
If your family is considering pet sitting as a way to travel while maintaining work and school routines, know that it is possible, despite the obstacles. The path might not be as straightforward as it is for solo sitters, but the journey is worth it. Not just for the amazing places you’ll discover, but for the adventures, learning experiences, and tail-wagging, purring memories you’ll create along the way.
