There is a phenomenon in Bermuda known as "The house sit." This is a concept I have rarely heard of back home, but it is very common in Bermuda. When you go away, instead of asking a friend to check the mail or come in and feed the pets, you get someone to move in while you are away. I suspect this is based on the premise of "trading up" in the world, a concept made possible by Bermuda's extremely high real estate and rental values. If you have a house, you simply ask someone who has an apartment, and they are usually more than happy to uproot themselves and live out of a suitcase, often driving an hour or more to work, to have a vacation at your house so long as you have something they don't have. Better beach access. Better view. Bigger kitchen. A spare room so you can invite friends and family to the island. Or, on a dry year, just the ability to use their water rather than your own limited supply (sad but true). I have known people who rent tiny, dingy studio apartments because they know they can secure a house sit every few weeks, often for weeks at a time, and live in a property they cannot personally afford, and so are content to take a low end apartment because they don't plan on being there unless they have to be. One girl I know had as many as 8 guests fly in while the owners were away, and, so long as there are no damages, the owners don't really complain. After all, their property is safe from break ins, and their pets have full time care.
Because I have pets, and because living in someone else's space is my idea of a stressor rather than a vacation, I have never been one to house sit. And sadly, because I don't really have good beach access or a view, and only a one bedroom apartment, albeit a new and nice one, I don't get a lot of offers to house sit when I am away. Add into that the fact that my cats are lovely, but occasionally demanding, and the fluffy one bites, and it's not easy to find someone to take care of them at all when I go. I would like to thank all the previous friends who have braved caring for my furballs, especially for Siobhan, the only person to actually house sit, but, when one has been on the road too much, there are also professional pet services on the island.
I got a couple of inquiries about this earlier this month, and so can say that the service I found first and have tried and liked is Passion Paw Paws. Even the name sounds great! The owner, Sarita, can stay over as a house sit, or if you prefer she can come in once or twice a day for 30 min sessions to feed and play with your pets. She will send you email updates of how the day went, and photos of your furry friends (aka proof of life) to make your travel a little more care free. They take very detailed information of your pets' likes and dislikes, hiding spots, feeding routines, and special requests (Lexi for example likes cheese slices, but only if handed to her in tiny squares that she can lick off your fingertips. While this isn't exactly part of her daily nutrition regime, it's a good icebreaker for kitty sitter and bitey cat). I have been quite happy with the service, and have recommended her to others. So if no one considers your situation a trade up, you can always call in the professionals!
Noah's Ark also has some pet sitter recommendations, and while I haven't tried them, they were well recommended, so do call them if you are looking for some suggestions of who to call.
Overall, pet sitters are a lot less stressful on my pets than boarding, so if you are going away, I recommend you give Passion Paw Paws a try.
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