Sheila

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Sheila

Sheila - Experienced pet sitter , non smoker who is caring and trustworthy. (Now booked up for the year ahead till mid November 2019)

Beverley, United Kingdom

39 reviews

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About Sheila

Please note - I am just about booked up till mid November 2019 and not available for any new pet sits.

I have now retired from work and I have lots of pet sits booked for the year ahead. This has become my life and I am enjoying it more and more. I used to work with the local council in Beverley, but now I have agreed to return to a number of pet sits and look forward to my retirement and spending my time with the pets I have grown to love and meeting new pets too. With the many pet sits and all the trips I have booked for myself, I have nearly filled my calendar for next year and there are very few gaps available.

I no longer have my car so will only be able to consider pet sits that are accessible by public transport and do not intend to buy another car although I do have a full driving licence so may hire a car or could drive the owners car if there is insurance provided.

I used to have pets and a garden but now I enjoy living alone in my modern 1st floor flat with trips to different locations to visit homes with pets and enjoy the pleasure of a cat or dog again.

I am a non smoker and enjoy gardening and the outdoors. I am happy to help out round the house and in the garden if any house work or gardening is required. I am a tidy person and considerate of other people and their belongings and privacy.

I love to travel and explore, I am a keen photographer and enjoy walking. I am also interested in architecture and town layouts, roads and paths which is connected to my previous work in the Planning Department with the local council. I enjoy staying in various homes and like to be tidy and try to avoid wasting fuel or electricity. I look forward to the opportunity to visit different places and already have enjoyed many pet sits around England, Wales and Scotland. Before starting pet sitting in February 2017 I travelled quite a lot staying in YHAs but now enjoy some peace and quiet staying in homes on my own and embracing the many opportunities to travel to many different places and in the future I will be looking at more pet sits around Europe and the World.

Indeed now I have retired I will be pet sitting much more since after experiencing the pleasure of caring for pets and homes, I want to do this full time and I am fortunate to be able to afford to retire with a modest income. Pet sitting allows me to afford on a small pension to be able visit many more places than would be possible staying in paid accommodation with the usual single supplement for most holidays.

I have been a dog owner in the past with a Rough Collie owned for 13 years from a pup till he passed away and an English Bull Terrier from 5 years old till he died aged 15 years. I have also been a cat owner to Meg who lived to 14 years. I love animals so happy to care for pets.

Why I want to house sit

I do miss having pets and I would enjoy a change of scenery and love to travel to different towns and locations also it would be good to be able to help people who want to travel but worry about their pets or homes. I recall how difficult it can be when I was a pet owner and needed to organise care of the animals in order to travel. I enjoy being useful and if I can be of help as well as enjoying exploring a new place then that would be a benefit to all.

I have done many house sits now and I am enjoying this new role as much as ever. It is nice to stay in different homes meeting new people and learning different ways of living. I enjoy a new view from the window and many homes are really interesting. I am becoming even more interested in animals and learning more about different ways to care for them. I am used to travelling on my own and enjoy the journey too. I like being alone but with a few pets is an ideal situation for me.

It is nice to look for different things to eat and I appreciate it when owners leave me a few left overs and have a variety of foods to try. I don't eat a lot but it is nice to nibble different things and try different herbal teas. There is no need to buy food in for me though as I do bring my own food and food is often wasted if bought specially for me as I don't eat much starchy food like bread and potatoes. I do prefer owners who are easy going and not too complicated, who are understanding and appreciative of the house sitter.

After being accepted for a house sit, I will require an accurate start and finish time and date of the sit, including when I need to arrive and when to leave, the address of the sit and a Welcome Pack, this should be provided as soon as convenient but soon after the confirmation and not at the last minute. I would like to know where I will be staying so I can plan the travel which will involve public transport on buses, trains and maybe a plane. The earlier I can book the more affordable the trip will be.

Details of the pets habits and special considerations or any issues should be detailed so there isn't any shocks, I am easy going but it is only fair to let me know about the pets nature etc. I need to prepare for the sit and part of my pleasure in agreeing to pet sits is looking forward to staying in another home and knowing where that will be, planning walks and imagining my stay there, looking forward to the sit, understanding what is likely to be involved.

Long lists of instructions and very controlling owners overwhelm me but at the same time no instructions or phone number is not good either. I am happy to follow instructions but at the same time it is nice to have some flexibility too. Ideally it is much nicer to be shown the routine than to have to read through it in minute detail. There are of course essential things that need to be recorded and I value a clear list of details. It is lovely to meet positive and friendly owners and step into their shoes for a while. I feel privileged and honoured to be trusted in the homes of owners and respect this trust.

I take my role seriously and value constructive feedback but best of all it is wonderful to have a good review. Thanks to all those who have kindly left a review, it is so nice to know that the effort I make at the house sit is appreciated. I know owners often have very busy lives and they sometimes forget to provide a review but it is important to me that everything is acceptable and that the pets are happy on their return. If I don't receive a review I worry that something was wrong.

My experience

I have now been pet sitting for nearly 2 years and completed over 40 pet/house sits including my first pet sit abroad in Switzerland for over 2 weeks during Christmas and New Year, looking after a boxer dog which was a great success. Other previous sits include:-
i) my first whole week, I had a lovely time near London with a little dog all to myself
ii) the second and third whole weeks were sits in Wales with a number of animals including chickens, sheep, 2 cows, 2 goats, fish, 2 cats and 1 dog with a return visit to Wales the same place with no cows but a snake in the house (this required no care from me as it was fed before the owners left). It was a great place and interesting to learn how to care for some different animals.
iii) the 4th whole week was looking after 2 Persian cats in Manchester over Christmas. Loved these indoor cats - so sweet,
iv) I spent 2 weeks with a lovely little dog, Lulu in the Yorkshire Dales and returned 3 more times in 2018 to this beautiful location to care for this sweet dog and have agreed to return several times this year,
v) I had a week looking after an adorable Dachshund near Edinburgh in May last year.
vi) last summer I cared for a Parson Russel Terrier for the weekend near Derby then the following week a 2nd Parson Russel Terrier in Morley - one sit after another and it was lovely to look after these great little dogs. They are an older breed to the Jack Russel - I returned to Derby for another long weekend with the Parson Russell Terrier and I am looking forward to 3 more bookings this year for Morley.

Since I retired at the end of September 2018 I have agreed to longer sits further away with a week in Cambridge looking after 2 pug dogs and 4 hens as well as a bearded dragon, a cat and golden retriever in Cornwall, 3 Maine Coon cats in Leeds and the pet sit in Switzerland. I am booked on some long trips abroad, not pet sitting too so have less time available.

Most of the first year of pet sits were weekend sits (mainly long weekends) and each was a great experience. I have enjoyed meeting the owners and learning about their pets and enjoyed their homes and gardens. I feel I have made new friends. I would be happy to go back to most of the places I have been and in my 2nd year of pet sitting I have returned to a number of pet sits that I did the first year in 2017, some not booked through this site, but the owners contacting me direct. It is a pleasure to return knowing what to expect and feel familiar with the situation, the owners don't need to explain the routine and I can just fit in straight way.

It is interesting meeting different people and the owners are varied from people who have never used a house sitter to those who have used many. Some people are nervous and need reassurance, trying a pet sitter for the first time, whilst others are very used to leaving their animals and home to a trusted pet sitter. Some owners need to interview me via Skype whilst others just a phone chat will do, if I live near or happen to be in the area I have gone to visit the owner soon after booking which is reassuring for all involved. It is nice to meet the owners and have some time together with them and their pets before they leave but I can manage to let myself in and read some instructions when this is preferred. I have become more confident with caring for pets in other peoples homes and developed more knowledge and understanding of this role since I started.

Some owners are kind and contribute to my travelling costs but this is a bonus and not required but gratefully accepted. I do like owners who are happy to leave a bit of food but have accepted those who tend not to have much food available and I bring my own food anyway.

Some owners require the sheets changing and I am happy to do this or strip the bed down, I have washed the sheets and left them dry and folded when the pet sit allows and the owners require me to do this if staying till later in the day. Owners often provide wonderful bed displays with many pillows, I only need one pillow and will put the others to one side avoiding the need for lots of washing. A single bed is fine if one is free, avoiding the washing of lots of bedding for one small person and I prefer modest and simple beds especially if the washing is required before I leave.

I have 13 more house sits booked for the year ahead, all return sits. I looked after the my first indoor cats in October 2017 and they were very easy and nice company watching TV with me and since then I have cared for a number of indoor cats. I am not a fan of TV and don't have one at home but at house sits it is nice to sit with the pets who seem to enjoy the company of me and the TV.

I have had pets before starting pet sitting and love walking dogs and enjoy playing with and watching cats too. I have owned tropical fish too so know about caring for those. I am a responsible person who has the common sense to care for a home and have owned a number of houses with my husband when I was married for over 25 years bringing up 4 children who are all grown up now. I enjoy my own company and am a peaceful, calm and caring person. I get a lot of pleasure from staying in different homes, meeting pets and their owners and be able to provide a useful service to those requiring a person to look after their homes while they are away. I enjoy simple hobbies like knitting, reading and listening to podcasts and audio books.

Before I started Pet Sitting I joined the Borrow my Doggie web site and walked 2 Jack Russell dogs for a while with the owner giving me a key to her home and allowing me access when ever I wished. There is a photo of the dogs with me in this profile and the owner Julia has given me a great reference.

I no longer have my car so will travel to the pet sits by train and bus.

Reviews (39)

Lyndsey - Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland

18 December - 06 January 2019

Sheila took very good care of our boxer, Walter, for two and a half weeks over the Christmas and New Year holidays. We had really bad storms that caused water to leak through our ceiling, and Sheila not only contacted us immediately but also managed to deal with the workers our landlord sent over... + More

Sheila took very good care of our boxer, Walter, for two and a half weeks over the Christmas and New Year holidays. We had really bad storms that caused water to leak through our ceiling, and Sheila not only contacted us immediately but also managed to deal with the workers our landlord sent over, which we really appreciate! If you need someone to take care of your pets and home, I would recommend Sheila!

Organised

Reliable

Self-sufficient

Tidy

Pet care

Response from Sheila

Thanks Lyndsay for the great review, it was a pleasure to stay in your home with Walter.

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Paul - Morley, United Kingdom

06 December - 10 December 2018

After Sheila's first sit for us earlier in the year we were happy to welcome her back. As before she understood the routines for Pippa and the house, and asks questions to make sure she is fully clued up. Pippa seems to bond with her and we went away safe in the knowledge the Pippa and our hous... + More

After Sheila's first sit for us earlier in the year we were happy to welcome her back. As before she understood the routines for Pippa and the house, and asks questions to make sure she is fully clued up. Pippa seems to bond with her and we went away safe in the knowledge the Pippa and our house were in good hands. The house was very clean and tidy on our return and Pippa had obviously been well cared for. In addition she even fed our wild bird and squirrel friends in the garden! This second sit served to reinforce the confidence we have in Sheila and as we get to know her more feel more like she is a good friend, gentle and caring. We have her booked for two more sits next year and will be happy to know that we can leave her in charge whilst we are away. Thank you Sheila - you are a lovely lady.
Paul, Liz and Pippa xx

Organised

Reliable

Self-sufficient

Tidy

Pet care

Response from Sheila

Many thanks for the kind review. Much appreciated. Xx

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Lynda - East Looe, United Kingdom

12 November - 21 November 2018

Sheila has just departed after caring for my cat and dog for 10 days. Upon my return this morning, I was greeted with an extremely contented cat and a very happy dog who had been taken out on lots of lovely long walks whilst I was away. The house had been kept beautifully clean and treated wit... + More

Sheila has just departed after caring for my cat and dog for 10 days. Upon my return this morning, I was greeted with an extremely contented cat and a very happy dog who had been taken out on lots of lovely long walks whilst I was away. The house had been kept beautifully clean and treated with the utmost respect. Not surprisingly, Sheila is a very popular housesitter and as a result is always booked up well ahead, but I would certainly hope that she may be free when I go away in the future. Arriving home to happy pets and an immaculate house was the perfect end to my holiday.

Organised

Reliable

Self-sufficient

Tidy

Pet care

Response from Sheila

Lovely to read your wonderful review. Thanks Lynda it was so nice to stay in your lovely home with such brilliant pets. Thanks for everything.

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