Has anyone used a live in pet sitting service?

Yes, we have used Trustedhousesitters.com for the past two years - we have been very happy with the sitters who have looked after our home and 4 cats. Sitters are vetted by the website and we always had SKYPE chats with prospective house sitters. We have even done a bit of house/cat sitting ourselves.....and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Has anyone ever done any home sitting through an agency, with or without pets?

I have used Trusted Housesitters on three occasions. Absolutely first class. Happy dogs, house left beautifully clean and tidy, one of the housesitters actually did some diy jobs around the house while he was here. All sitters are checked and you can read their reviews. Fee on joining up but mostly all the sitters sit for free. Compare that to kennels! Not to mention your animals are happy in their own surroundings and from a security point of view, there is someone living in the house.

CelticRose, thank you. Can you give me any further information on this, which Guilds for example and how I go about contacting them?
I craft myself but do not feel am of the standard to join a Guild, so have not heard of this before.

Coming to this forum a little late perhaps. I am a member of a few crafting Guilds. There are ladies who are living alone and are members of these Guilds who do this without payment. They live in your house, often with their own pet. They will also do your housework and gardening! All they ask for are travel expenses. Thinking of doing this myself when I am on my own.

I used Trusted Housesitters when I went away in December for four days. My pup was 3 months old at the time. A lovely young couple house sat for us. Lulu was a contented little pup when I got back. It costs £99 a year to the organisation but the sitters do it for free for the love of animals. Someone on GN recommended I use TH.

Thank you all for your help, have signed with Trusted House Sitters, will just have to hope it works out, or continue on seperate holidays (mind you that can have its bonuses!)

Should have added they had chance to Skype and chat with the house sitters first and met them at handover.

www.trustedhousesitters.com/house-and-pet-sitting-assignments/united-kingdom/

2 of my children have used trusted house sitters uk to look after their cats. I think you have to pay a small fee to join / advertise, but they both have had good experiences with lots of choice.

We have often offered the house to friends who live abroad in exchange for looking after pets- and it has worked fine. Even with Slinky the dachs who needed daily insulin injections.

We are currently fostering 2 dogs - for a young people who were struggling with 2 young kids + dogs. Had them 2 years nearly- soon they will go back to them and we will have them when they go away, instead of t'otehr way round.

The Lady magazine has lots of adverts for such in house keepers- you can put your own advert in there too.

Thanks oldgoat. I'll check that out.

tegan Our dog stays with a family when we go away. We arranged his foster family through Holidays4dogs and have been very happy with the care that he's received - he cried when we put him in the car to bring him home. Disloyal beast!
Wouldn't be happy leaving him in a conventional kennels and certainly couldn't have a stranger staying in our house.

This link may work:
www.google.co.uk/search?tbm=lcl&ei=oGRXWpezKcXOgAaQmZXADQ&q=pet+sitting+services+scotland&oq=pet+sitting+services+scotland&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0i22i30k1.30608.32138.0.32352.9.6.0.3.3.0.112.545.5j1.6.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.9.560...0.0.C7GqTBvyQcI#rlfi=hd:;si:;mv:!1m3!1d2405137.462356048!2d-3.4679151875000116!3d55.78284684797267!3m2!1i1500!2i804!4f13.1

Sorry cascats I don't know - I haven't seen them for a while and they are in Gloucestershire.

Thank you both, do you know the names of the companies please?
Jamila1108, no chance your friend covers Scotland I suppose !

Haven't thought of having someone 'live in' [I don't think I'd like to have someone living in my house plus I'd have to tidy it up a lot first] but I have wondered about using one of those agencies where the dog goes to live with someone. Because I won't put Hattie in kennels now, we don't go anywhere where we can't take her, and I'm desperate to do something different. I know it sounds awful but she's had so many health problems I never thought she'd live into old age; thankfully she's plodding on quite well, but I'm desperate for a warm beach holiday somewhere. I do sometimes mention to the S.O. that he might stay with the dog while I go away [she's more his dog, anyway] but he seems to ignore me when I mention it...

No, but I know someone who does it for others and I am sure they are vetted and, of course, there is someone there in the house when you are away (although their own is left empty!).

My younger daughter lives in Lincolnshire , she has House sitter quite often, three dogs and three cats . She contacted a company, they have insurance, they check their sitters, and have quite a few sitters registered with them .