There are many ways to experience travel, but if you are a pet lover, house sitting is a great way to experience how local people live. I’ve done it many times. It became such a way of life, both while travelling and not travelling, that I’ve even written an ebook about it, (House Sitting in Australia: A Pet Lovers Guide to Enriching Your Australian Experience)!

*Disclosure: this article may include affiliate links, through which, if a purchase is made, I may receive a commission.

I have done house sitting many times in Australia, but in addition to being a way of satisfying your love of animals (99% of house-sitting includes pet-sitting) and seeing how the locals live, it’s also a great way to save money!

How to Do It.

There are a few ways to get pet sitting opportunities. I am pet-sitting as I write this, and this opportunity that a colleague referred to me (who I’ll also be pet sitting for next week!). This is the easiest way to get pet sitting, but it is the first time I’ve done it this way. Usually, I’ve done it through a pet sitting website, and there are a few of them. The one I have used is Mind-a-Home, but there are many to choose from, which I list in my above-mentioned ebook, or which you can just Google. There are also social media groups for house/pet sitters.

What to Expect

If you don’t know anyone personally who can get a house-sitting job for you, the best way is to do it is by a website. The downside to this is that there is usually a joining fee, which could be between $50 – $90 (AUD) at the time of writing. The upside is that there are rules for both the house sitter and the pet owner, so everybody knows what their rights and obligations are. Ultimately, expectations will be agreed between the two parties involved, but the rules set out by the website are a last port of call if something goes wrong and someone is disadvantaged.

Most house sitting offered through these websites is unpaid, but the accommodation is free. The transaction is usually a swap between the services provided by the sitter and free accommodation.

How long are jobs?

The length of assignments varies widely. It could be as little as 1-2 nights, to 1-2 years! The most common ones, however, are one week to a month or two. 

Previous Experience

In many cases, you won’t need previous experience, but of course it will be an advantage. If you look after house pets, it’s often good enough to be able to read instructions. Sometimes there will be specific requirements, such as the ability to take a dog for a walk once or twice a day.

Sometimes an opportunity will be to take care of farm animals. Here, the animals’ owner will expect you to have experience with large animals, because they can be dangerous and have specific needs. I’ve looked after farm animals both for a friend and through a house-sitting website, and in both cases I had to round up escaped sheep. In one case I got butted by a ram, which is not a pleasant experience! I did grow up on a farm though, do I’m used to farm animals. 

When applying for a pet-sitting placement, be realistic about what you can do.

Other Requirements 

Many pet-sitting websites will require you to have a police clearance. Mind-a-Home doesn’t require it, but they do recommend it as a good idea, and some pet owners will ask for it. There has only been one occasion when a pet-owner has asked for it from me. It didn’t have one, but I did have a Working with Children clearance (which requires a police check) and so they accepted that. If I were to start full-time pet sitting again, I would get one.

Some pet owners will require references. If you haven’t pet-sat before and don’t have any references, you can always get references from friends or family whose animals you’ve had interactions with.

Do You Have to be Single?

Many pet owners welcome couples (especially for farm animals). Occasionally, one will ask for middle-aged females. Few will accept families, although there will be some who are happy with it. 

Pet sitting is a very rewarding experience, whether you do it once or where you make a lifestyle out of it. As an experienced pet-sitter, I thoroughly recommend it.