Everyone looks forward to a holiday but the edge can be taken off the excitement when you consider what will happen to your pets while you are away.

Then there is the apprehension of leaving your home unattended for days on end. House sitting is becoming an increasingly popular choice for people away from home.

It is more expensive than sending your pet to a boarding kennels but has a number of advantages, which lots of people consider outweigh the cost.

Most animals, as with people, like to have a routine and are accustomed to being in their home territory.

They enjoy the company of humans and, of course, can build up special bonds with other pets in the household.

Spending time in kennels, although often unavoidable, can be stressful for an animal when their whole world is turned upside down and everything familiar is whisked away.

And, of course, from the animal’s point of view, there is no understanding of the duration of the stay or even if they will ever return home.

Employing a house sitter can be a logical solution, and not so expensive compared with the overall cost of putting several animals in kennels.

It also means that there is someone in the house to deter intruders and keep an eye on things.

Jim and Elaine Horton run a house and pet sitting company called Rest Assured, which they started nine years ago. Although they are based in Kent, they have representatives covering the gethampshire area.

They say demand is growing rapidly, and they are looking for more sitters, particularly in Hampshire and Surrey.

Elaine believes that what makes Rest Assured different is that they are able to offer a high-quality service with the personal touch that is often lacking in the large national companies.

“We are a family business and, although I am looking for more sitters, we want to keep things small and on a personal level,” she said.

“When I take on a new sitter, I always interview them in their own home so I can get to know them as an individual and also get a feel for the kind of person they are.

“All our sitters are fully referenced and Criminal Records Bureau checked, but I still want to be sure they are completely right for our business. Because we’re small, our good reputation is extremely important to us.”

Needless to say, sitters must be trustworthy and good with animals, particularly dogs. Elaine always employs mature people too, to be certain they have life experience and a responsible attitude.

She explained that every precaution is taken to ensure that sitters are suitable and, of course, the company is fully insured.

Most people are happy to have what is effectively a stranger in their home while they’re away.

“First, our clients trust us,” said Elaine.“But we tend to find many people prefer to pay for a service like this rather than have a neighbour come in to feed the animals.

“It means the animals aren’t left alone for long periods, and it removes any feeling of personal obligation or anxiety that the neighbour might let them down, which does happen.

“Also, people don’t always want a neighbour in their home because they feel uncomfortable with it.
“Our sitters can arrive at the client’s home before they go away, so they can meet first if the client wishes. It also gives the client peace of mind that the sitter is going to show up.

“Our system works very well. We find that many of our clients ask for the same sitter when they return to us, and we always try to fulfil this request.”

Most people expect sitters to care for dogs and cats, but they will look after almost any animal from snakes to stick insects. More unusual charges have included llamas, a peacock and pigs.

The sitter will look after the house generally, clean it as necessary, water plants and might even cut the grass.

“It’s an ideal solution because home owners can go away knowing that someone is there to keep an eye on things and deal with any emergencies,” continued Elaine.

“You could go away for a winter holiday, for example, without having to worry about coming home to burst pipes. Also, having a house occupied means it is less attractive to burglars.
“These are real benefits on top of having someone to care for your pets.”
The sitter stays in the house 24 hours a day, minus time for shopping and other necessary excursions.
Dogs are exercised as usual and some sitters, at their own expense and with the owner’s approval, might even take the dogs out for treats such as a trip to the beach, which as Elaine says, gives the dogs a bit of a holiday too.

She added: “We won’t do anything without the owner’s say so in advance.”

Clients are asked to fill in forms leaving all kinds of details, from the pet’s favourite toy to the name of the local plumber.

In that way, the pets’ lives can carry on as normal, and any emergencies or unexpected eventualities can be dealt with.

“The house is always left as we found it,” said Elaine. “The sitter provides their own food and if they eat any perishables in the fridge, they will replace them.

“We can also buy provisions such as bread and milk for the owner just before their return.

“At the end of the visit, the client fills in a questionnaire about how they found the experience, which we can use to make changes or improve our service.

“Generally, we receive very good feedback with clients coming back to us time and time again, which I put down to our professional yet personal approach.”

If you are interested in becoming a house sitter or would like to book a sitter, visit www.restassuredhousesitters.co.uk or call 01843 823177.