International cat sitting. Pros and cons.

Happy Madolline on Instagram

Cat sitting: a cat owner employs a person to live in their home with their cats or other pets while they go off on holiday. It's a good system provided the cat sitter is completely reliable and highly responsible. 

It's a responsible job. Imagine if a cat escapes and doesn't come back. It happens. How is the cat sitter going to tell their owner about that? Horrible. It would be a huge breach of contract and I would expect the cat owner to not pay the cat sitter.

The news media paints a very glossy picture of an Australian lady, Madolline Gourley, who participates in what I have described as "international cat sitting". She travels from Australia to other countries and cats sits for owners. This allows her to have a very cheap 'vacation' because she has free accommodation. She applied this technique to travelling around Canada for example.

She became a member of various social media groups such as House Sitters Canada, Mind My House, or House Carers and through those portals she was able to make arrangements to cat sit internationally.

She travelled across Canada for three months visiting Vancouver, Toronto, Montréal and other cities without paying any rent and while living with cats. Sometimes she is asked to look after a range of pets and/or domestic animals such as horses.

Imperfect

It seems like an ideal kind of situation if you like travel and you like cats and animals in general. But as I make clear in the first paragraph it is not all hunky-dory. You have to be very careful and a solid performer because you're looking after members of a family. They are as precious to their owner as their children.

I'm painting a slightly negative picture but I think it's more realistic than the story I read in the news media. That story indicates that everything is wonderful and they can be great but I think we have to put a slightly more realistic spin on the reporting. I think this realistic reporting of Gourley's lifestyle is fair as very few people do the same thing. If it was so brilliant, everyone would be doing it. No? 💕👍

America

You can't do international cat sitting in America without a work permit by the way. This implies that in Canada you don't need a work permit to do cat sitting. She apparently tried to do some cat sitting in America without a valid work Visa and was question at the border by immigration officials and deported apparently immediately and sent back to Australia. America has very strict immigration rules except for the hundreds of thousands of people who walk into America from Mexico!

In America cat sitting constitutes "productive activity" as it includes feeding cats. And in America in order to carry out any type of productive activity the traveller needs a work visa.

Europe

She plans to go to Europe to do some cat sitting there and apparently has been able to get hold of a Croatian passport because her grandmother has Croatian citizenship. Obtaining a Croatian passport possibly allows you to travel throughout the European Union. That is the implication in the news media story I'm reading.

Cat sitting does indeed provide free accommodation to the cat sitter and sometimes I'm sure that it can be beautiful accommodation in a beautiful place. However, it's a responsible job and that point can't be overlooked.

Remote working combo

Lastly, it would seem to me that an international cat sitter or indeed any cat sitter can boost their income by working remotely during their cat sitting. This would probably be something like website coding or internet work of some sort which can be carried out at a distance. If you combined remote working on the Internet and cat sitting in a beautiful place in Canada you've probably hit the bull's-eye.

Source: IBTimes.

I asked AI about this to get a different perspective. It is more realistic like mine! And they don't mention the America visa problems.

Can a British person living in England cat sit for a Canadian couple in Canada?

Technically, yes, a British person living in England could cat sit for a Canadian couple in Canada, but it's not the most practical solution. Here's why:

• Distance: Canada is a large country, and flights can be expensive, especially for a short-term stay like cat sitting.
• Visas: Depending on the length of the cat-sitting job, the British person might need a visa to stay in Canada.
• Logistics: Coordinating travel, accommodation, and pet care instructions from across the Atlantic would be complex.

There are more realistic options for the Canadian couple to consider:

• Pet sitter/house sitter services: These can be found through online platforms or local pet stores.
• Friends or family: Perhaps someone they know can check in on the cat regularly.
• Cat boarding facilities: These offer a safe and comfortable environment for the cat while the couple is away.

If the Canadian couple is really set on having someone from England cat sit, they could explore options like:

• Pet travel: Is it possible for the cat to travel to England with the couple and be looked after by the British person there? (This would require significant planning and ensuring the cat meets all import regulations).
• Online cat sitting services: There are a few niche services that connect international pet sitters with homeowners. However, thoroughly researching the reputation of such a service would be crucial.

Overall, while technically possible, cat-sitting across continents is a complex undertaking. The Canadian couple should explore more local solutions for their feline friend's care.

Can a British person living in England cat sit for an American couple living in America?

In the case of an American couple needing a cat sitter within the US, having a British person from England cat sit wouldn't be very practical. Here's why:

• Distance: The US is also a large country, and even with domestic flights, travel costs could outweigh the benefits.
• Similar Options Exist: Just like in Canada, the couple has more readily available solutions:
  • Pet sitting/house sitting services: Look for local options or national platforms with verified pet sitters.
  • Friends or family: See if someone they trust can check in on the cat.
  • Cat boarding facilities: This can be a good option for short trips or if the cat needs specific care.

There's no real advantage to bringing someone internationally when qualified pet sitters exist within the US.

However, if the situation is unique and the British person is already planning to be in the US for another reason (visiting family, attending a conference), then cat sitting becomes a possibility. But even then, consider:

• Length of Stay: Cat sitting needs to align with the couple's trip duration.
• Legalities: Check visa requirements for the British person's extended stay, if applicable.

Overall, for a standard cat-sitting situation in the US, focusing on local options is the most practical and cost-effective solution.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.