House Sitting with My Cat Successfully: 4 Essential Questions Answered

New HouseSitMatch member Deb Sakal shares her experiences house sitting with her cat Molly. While this may seem unusual it is not as hard as it may seem at first. Read on to learn Deb’s top tips for how she makes this house and petsitting with her pet work successfully.

House Sitting with My Cat Successfully:

4 Essential Questions Answered

By Deb Sakal

People ask me, “You really sit with your own pet? How can you house sit with your cat? How does that work?”

So, in this blog, I wanted to share with you how I accomplish travelling and house sitting with my cat Molly.

House Sitting with My Cat

I’m lucky enough to work for myself and can work from anywhere. As long as there is an internet connection, house sitting with my cat while caring for other people’s pets is ideal for me. I also have a car, so I’m totally mobile.

Molly keeps in her own room when we are house sitting. *Photo by Deb Sakal*

Whilst there are, of course, a few folks who don’t want their house sitters to bring their own pets with them, there are many others who don’t mind.

However, there are still others who haven’t even considered that possibility, and didn’t even know that I can successfully house sit with my cat.

I regularly enjoy the luxury of living in some wonderful homes across the UK whilst house sitting with my cat.

My long-time companion, my cat Molly, is quite well-travelled. Together, we’ve travelled to and from Spain via air and car, plus she has house sat with me in many homes around the UK.

When I moved to Spain a few years ago, Molly flew via BA with me. She even has her own passport and has to remain up-to-date on all her jabs!

When I returned to live in the UK during the pandemic, Molly and I couldn’t fly, so we drove through Spain, France, and into the UK through the Eurotunnel. A 4-day road trip. Me and Molly in a Fiat 500 – that’s a book title right there!

Let me tell you a little about Molly, so you can see how I travel and house sit with her whilst the homeowner’s pets are in the same house.

House Sitting with Molly Causes No Problems or Issues

She is a short-haired oriental cat, so doesn’t moult or shed hair. She was spayed as a kitten and is also an indoor cat. Since she’s older, she mostly wants to sleep in her basket. She really doesn’t want to run and jump around as younger cats do.

This means that when I’m house sitting with my cat, Molly stays in one room, away from the other pets. (She usually stays in the room where I’m sleeping.) Therefore, there is no need for the other pets to interact with her – unless the owner wants her to, of course.

Whether I’m house sitting for dogs or cats, there are no problems once the pets are used to Molly’s smell. This settling-in process takes less than a few hours, or a day at most. Then voilà, we all coexist happily until the pet parents return from their travels.

Questions about House Sitting with My Cat

Here are some questions pet owners and house sitters might ask themselves about how I house sit and pet sit for others, whilst I’m house sitting with my cat Molly:

Q: What supplies do you travel with?

A: I take my own litter tray, Molly’s regular cat food, and all her own bedding. I don’t use any of the homeowner’s supplies for Molly or myself.

Easy, quick, and simple. No fuss, no mess, no worries.

Q: Where does Molly live?

A: I’m able to travel and house sit with Molly because she is an older, middle-aged cat, and doesn’t run around or want to play like younger cats. I think travelling with a kitten would be more of a challenge!

Molly is a cat used to travelling, both in the car and by air. She is also used to staying in pet-friendly hotels, so she is very comfortable having her movements restricted to living in one room.

In any case, as she is an older cat, she mostly wants to sleep in her basket. A daily brush and regular cuddles keep her contented. Whether we have the run of the house (house sitting only with no pet care) or are living with the homeowner’s pets, Molly normally lives in one room.

Since she has no interaction with existing pets, we avoid any territorial or marking issues.

Molly normally lives in the room I sleep in. This way, the homeowner’s pets get my attention during the day and evening, and Molly gets my attention at night. Everyone is happy!

Q: How do you handle any territorial issues with the homeowner’s pets?

A: Molly is a female cat and was spayed when she was a kitten, so she is never on heat. She never wants to mark any territory.

Q: How do you handle any fights between Molly and the homeowner’s pets?

A: As Molly is kept away from the homeowner’s pets, everyone lives peacefully. Normally, when we have moved into the homeowner’s home, it only takes a few hours for any dogs and cats to get used to her smell.

More often than not, they aren’t bothered – especially when I’m making an extra fuss of them, and giving them many cuddles and gentle reassurances.

Tips for the House and Pet Owner

I ask homeowners: Please don’t discount house sitters who travel with their pets. You could be missing out on a great long-term house sitting relationship!

After all, if a sitter already owns a pet, you just know that she is already experienced in caring for animals and that she’ll care for your pets as if they were her own.

Tips for House Sitters with Cats

Ensure you leave the property extra clean and as you found it. Remember you are there to look after the house and the homeowner’s pets. Ensure that you clean up after your own pet when you leave the property. This is essential.

Deb Sakal is a business mentor, consultant, and marketing expert. When not working with clients, she loves spending time with Molly, travelling, and painting.

Her website is DebSakal.com.

To join HouseSitMatch as a Housesitter – FOLLOW THIS LINK

To join HouseSitMatch as a Homeowner – FOLLOW THIS LINK