Well, I’ve actually been back to housesitting for a while now.
After I finished up a whole spring and summer of housesitting in September, I decided I was going to have a break from it.
Ironically, one of the reasons I originally took up housesitting was so I could have a break from living in a shared house!
However, after spending all of October back in my shared house, and very much enjoying being back in my shared house, I was offered the chance to do a re-sit for one of the houses I looked after during the summer.
This was actually one of my favourite houses with two of best cats you could ever hope to look after, so I jumped at the chance to sit there again.
I looked after the house for another week at the end of October going into the November.
While I was there, I was offered the chance to re-sit for yet another of my favourite houses.
Looking after Raffy the cat and Mango the dog, this further re-sit I did for one night at the beginning of November and then for one week at the end of November.
I’ve also done two further sits in December for new places which I have not looked after before.
The first one I did for one week and was looking after two elderly and very fluffy cats.
The second new sit, which I am still at now, I’m doing for two and a half weeks.
Again, I’m looking after another two cats; as well as five stick insects.
This current housesit has taken me through Christmas and will shortly also take me into the New Year.
One of the reasons I had become pretty burnt out from the houses I looked after during the spring and the summer was that I allowed myself relatively few breaks in-between each sit
However, another major reason was from all the dogs I looked after.
I’ve never been much of a dog person and, for the most part, I find them very draining to be around.
This isn’t to say that I dislike dogs or that I’m incapable of looking after them.
It’s just that I know with absolute certainty that I will never have my own dog as a pet!
I find that dogs just create stress; whereas cats have the complete opposite effect.
I’ve found this new batch of housesitting to be much more enjoyable because, firstly, I’ve allowed myself breaks in-between housesits and, secondly, I’ve also avoided looking after many dogs this time around.
I have in fact only looked after one dog and she was no hassle whatsoever.
Ultimately, I definitely needed to have a break from housesitting throughout October.
But, after four weeks away from it, I felt very refreshed to jump back into it and have very much enjoyed all the housesits I have done since then.
I’ve just renewed my annual subscription to TrustedHousesitters and I’m very much looking forward to picking up some more housesits in the New Year.