My Worst Day as a Pet Sitter

Every time something makes me happy, sad, or melancholic, I write about it as a way to channel my emotions and gain perspective. Today, I have to write about a recent experience as a pet sitter that was particularly challenging. If you’re a pet sitter, please learn from my mistake. I hope this article provides you with tools to do your best as a pet sitter and to know what to do in a situation like mine. If you’re a pet parent, please read this wisely. I hope it gives you clarity about me and the incident, and I’m more than happy to chat further if you have questions.

The sit was arranged using the Trustedhousesitters platform, which I have been a member of for the past four and half years.

The Incident

I met the pet parent, Sophie, in Prague on June 21, a day before my sit started. We arranged it so she could show me her place, introduce me to her cats, and give me all the necessary instructions. We also discussed some precautions to keep in mind to ensure the cats’ safety. Everything went well, and she gave me the apartment keys, as I would be arriving the next day after she left for the airport.

The Setup

On June 22, I arrived at 9 AM for my first day with the cats, Theo and Louie. I informed Sophie that I would be staying in her place most of the day to get to know the cats and keep them from feeling lonely. Being in Prague, any normal person would prefer exploring the city, but for me, pets come first. Around 7 PM, I decided to go for a walk along the riverside and see the sunset. By 9 PM, I was back at Sophie’s place, and the cats were happy to see me. I sent pictures and videos to Sophie throughout the day, and she was pleased that the cats weren’t shy with me.

The Second Day

On June 23, I followed a similar routine, chatting with Sophie, and sending her updates, and everything was going well—until the worst happened. That night, around 9ish PM, I returned from my walk and made a terrible mistake: I didn’t close the apartment door properly. I have no excuse, as it’s crucial to keep the cats safe and prevent them from getting out. The door had a system where once closed, it couldn’t be opened from the outside without a key. This led me to always keep the keys on me to avoid locking myself out. However, I didn’t push the door hard enough to fully close it but enough to make it look closed.

The Discovery

I noticed nothing strange until the next morning around 8:30 AM when I saw the door slightly open—enough for a cat to get out. Theo was missing from the apartment. My heart racing, I checked upstairs and downstairs, finally finding Theo in the corridor of the third floor (the cats live on the fourth floor). I brought him home and checked on him all morning. He seemed okay, purring next to me on the couch and playing with Louie. I thought about telling Sophie about the incident, but since Theo appeared normal, I didn’t want to disturb or upset her. This was an absolute mistake and poor judgment on my part; I should have informed her immediately.

The Aftermath

Around 1:45 PM, I went out for a walk and to get some groceries. I didn’t have internet outside as my UK SIM card wasn’t working properly in the EU. At 4:40 PM, I connected to Wi-Fi at a nearby supermarket and saw several messages from Sophie. Her landlord had sent her a picture of Theo in the third-floor corridor at 8 AM, understandably confusing and upsetting her. She wanted an explanation. I confirmed that Theo had been out that morning and I had brought him back as soon as I noticed. I explained that I didn’t close the door properly, but in my shock and feeling upset with myself, I couldn’t articulate it well, which upset her further. She asked me to pack my things and leave, and her boyfriend would meet me at the building door.

Leaving the Apartment

Ten minutes after the call ended, I was at the building entrance. I met Sophie’s boyfriend, and we went to the apartment. He checked both cats were in and okay. I started packing, feeling awful, a mix of shame and regret. Thirty minutes later, I was done. I asked Sophie’s boyfriend if I could use the Wi-Fi for a few more minutes to contact THS customer support for advice and to text Sophie one last time, apologizing again and sending her a video of Theo from that morning. She never opened the chat again until July 6, after I published my review on the site.

Reviews and Reflection

With the new review system, you can’t see your review until you write a review for the pet owner, or after two weeks. I decided to write my review to tell my side of the story. Even when I made a terrible mistake, I strive to improve as a pet sitter and human being. Despite this incident, I always prioritized the cats’ safety and comfort, such as not using the hob to avoid any risk and enduring the summer heat without opening windows for fear of the cats escaping.

My Review:

This has been the most difficult review I have had to write in nearly five years using THS. I met Sophie and her cats, Theo and Louie, on June 21, one day before my sit started, so she could give me all the necessary instructions and show me the apartment. We got along well, and the next day at 9 am, I was there to take care of the cats. Everything was going well, and Sophie was happy with how I was looking after them. I sent videos and pictures, and we chatted regularly. However, on the night of June 23, I made a significant mistake. After my last stroll, I did not close the apartment door properly. This led to me finding the door slightly open the next morning, with Theo missing from the apartment. I searched the corridor and downstairs and eventually found Theo on the 3rd floor (the cats live on the 4th floor). I found him around 8:40 am, meaning he spent approximately 40 minutes outside. I brought him back, and he seemed normal. I spent the morning and noon with them. I considered informing Sophie about the incident but chose not to as Theo appeared fine, which was another mistake. Around 2 pm, I went for a walk and to get some groceries. I did not have internet access outside as my SIM card was not working properly, which Sophie was aware of. At 4:40 pm, I connected to WiFi at the supermarket and received several messages from Sophie, who had been trying to contact me since 4 pm. She asked me to call her immediately, as her landlord had sent a picture of Theo outside on the 3rd floor from 8 am. She was understandably upset and confused. I called her and explained everything, confirming that Theo had been brought back in the morning and that both cats were currently in the apartment. Sophie and her mother were quite upset. She asked me to pack my things and leave, and that her boyfriend would meet me at the door to collect the keys. I complied and met her boyfriend at the building entrance 10 minutes later. We both went to the apartment, where he checked that both cats were there and okay. I packed my things while feeling deeply regretful for my mistake. Sophie’s boyfriend waited on the couch as the apartment is small, which made me feel uncomfortable. After packing, I asked to use the WiFi for a few minutes to figure out my next steps. I contacted THS customer support and sent Sophie one last message apologizing and sending a video of Theo from that morning. She did not respond, which is understandable. My sit was originally scheduled from June 22 to June 29, but I left on June 24 around 5:30 pm. All the facts I have stated are verifiable as the building has cameras on each floor. I take full accountability for my mistake and will learn from it for the future. Sophie, I’m diply sorry for left you down and don’t do my job as a pet sitter as it was required. I hope you don’t stop giving other pet sitter the opportunity to look after your cats just because of your bad experience with me.

Her Review:

Every pet owner’s worst nightmare. Given all the rave reviews and veterinary background, I left Mika with full trust in both the care of my two cats and studio apartment. On the 3rd day of the sit, I received a screenshot from my landlady, of the building homeowner’s chat at 16:00. Someone had posted a picture of my cat Theo, sitting scared in the corridor on another floor in the building, 8 hours earlier at 08:05, asking if he belonged to someone. My heart sank and I was in deep deep distress – while on a terrace in Italy. I had not heard a single word from Mika about this, and as I frantically tried to call her for 45 minutes my messages and calls were not going through. I tried my neighbours but was forced to call my boyfriend at his office and ask him to go look for Theo which luckily he could and immediately did, entering the building through the garage. After close to an hour Mika finally received my messages and as per my request called me. She proceeded to tell me the most vague and ridiculous story, saying how “the door was closed, but also open and I don’t know what happened in the night it was maybe a bit open but honestly it was closed”. My building is modern and the apartment has a security door which closes and locks without issues and has an extra security latch – all 3 of which apparently failed. My cats have also never “slipped out” as they are terrified of anything past the doormat let alone find themselves on another floor. Mika said that when she woke up and realised Theo was not there, she went to find him and took him back and did not tell me as she did not want me to stress. She confirmed the cats were in the apartment but that she was currently not. I asked Mika to return to the apartment, gather her things and leave as I was not comfortable leaving her in my home with my 2 cats any longer (original sit was June 22-29). Communication was awful, adding to the stress, and she was unable to tell a cohesive story of what had happened. It left both me and my boyfriend – who is willing to give anyone the benefit of the doubt – uncomfortable and with big question marks. The biggest question mark I am left with, is my boyfriend telling me that while he was in the apartment with Mika while she got ready to leave, she was adamant about taking the trash bag with her. After he told her multiple times she did not need to, she insisted on taking the trash bag with her, while she was fully aware the building bins are behind a locked door, of which she had just returned the key to my boyfriend. This would have been the last thing on my mind in her position, yet was so important to her that she left with trash bag in hand. What was in the bag Mika? The only thing for which I am now glad is that I found out and that Mika did not spend an additional 5 nights with my cats in my home, as it is clear the whole truth was not being told. This experience will change the way I look at and will interview for future sits.

The reviews are an exactly copie of the original in the THS platform.

The Trash Bag

As Sophie talk about the trash bag in her review , here the explanation.

During my packing, I took care of the apartment as I always do, ensuring it was clean and tidy. Even in my confused and upset state, I wanted to maintain my standard of care. I noticed a black trash bag with cat litter and leftover fish, which I had removed from the fridge in front of Sophie’s boyfriend. Considering Sophie is a vegetarian, I didn’t want to leave the fish in the fridge, especially in the summer heat, which could cause a bad smell. I decided to take the trash out with me. The bag was small enough to dispose of in a normal street litter bin, which I did on my way to the riverside. This is why I didn’t need the key to access the general waste collection area in the parking lot.

Conclusion

This was, without a doubt, my worst day as a pet sitter. However, it taught me valuable lessons and made me a better, more cautious pet sitter. If you’re a pet sitter, I hope my experience helps you avoid similar mistakes. If you’re a pet parent, I hope this gives you some insight into the challenges we face and reassures you that we always strive to keep your pets safe and happy.

If you have any questions or want to discuss this further, please feel free to reach out to me. I’m always here to chat and learn from these experiences.

Thank you for reading.

Wishing you a lovely day.