Hi. My name’s Madolline.

And I’m seeing the world One cat at a time.

House sitting abroad: What I know about visas and immigration

House sitting abroad: What I know about visas and immigration

by | 13 June 2026

In recent months, I have been contacted by people from the UK, the Netherlands and Australia after immigration officials told each of them that house sitting in a foreign country requires work authorisation (e.g. a work visa).

Their messages have prompted me to write a post on what I’ve learned* after I was refused entry to the USA in 2022. My entry refusal received a lot of media attention, with outlets like CBC touching on it years later when several Canadians came forward with similar experiences. One of those Canadians also reached out to me after her plans to house sit in Florida were thwarted when a US immigration officer told her she wouldn’t be allowed to enter the country.

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Another Canadian lady sent me a Facebook message about a year earlier. She told me she was from Vancouver and had secured a TrustedHousesitters sit in Washington state. She, too, was refused entry to the United States after showing an immigration officer one of TrustedHousesitters’ explanatory letters for border control officials. These letters became TrustedHousesitters’ solution to problems like mine and were addressed to:

“As some of our traveller members have, upon their arrival to the United States, been questioned about the nature of our service and the arrangements made among members, we sought the advice of a US immigration attorney. We discussed how US Immigration regulations and guidance determine the nature of “work by foreign nationals which would require work visas/authorization in the United States”, and we, respectfully, do not feel that the above-described arrangements would fall under this category,” the US letter reads. I’m sure CBP officers didn’t appreciate being told what is and isn’t work in the United States, and by a British house and pet sitting company no less.

The second lady—who was turned away at a land border—doesn’t have an entry refusal stamp in her passport, but her name is flagged in the system. Her NEXUS card was cancelled on the spot and she’s been unsuccessful in her attempts to get another one. Every time she wants to cross at the Peace Arch, she is pulled aside for additional questioning. The questioning isn’t as extensive as it was in the months after the entry refusal, but it’s still a huge inconvenience for someone who is only entering the US to get cheaper gas. She has told me some CBP officers have been quite good about the situation while others have been downright jerks. Will she ever be able to cross without all the extra questions? I don’t know. But what I do know is TrustedHousesitters ended up pulling those letters and they now advise sitters to “follow the immigration rules and local laws of the country they’ll be visiting”.

How house sitting is viewed in other parts of the world

A lot of house sitters are now aware they can’t house sit in the United States with their ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) or visitor visa (B-1 and B-2). There’s no specific visa for house and pet sitting either, and it seems highly unlikely an American or American organisation is going to sponsor someone to house sit.

Back in 2022, CBP told Business Insider that “Under the Visa Waiver Program, nonimmigrant foreign nationals visiting the United States as tourists (visitors for pleasure), engaging in unauthorized employment is not allowed. For example, working as a house-and-animal sitter in exchange for room and board.” But newer TrustedHousesitters members are still being turned away, with one British lady messaging me about her experience. She was refused entry to the United States in December 2025.

United Kingdom (UK)

Corrine Petteys, an American, was refused entry to the United Kingdom back in 2019. I found her story on the Housesit Match website not long after returning to Australia. At the time, Corrine was the only other person I knew of who’d been refused entry to a foreign country because she had intended to house sit. I’m now aware of at least five or six others who’ve been refused entry to the UK for that same reason.

Can Trusted Housesitters be Trusted? We have used Trusted Housesitters twice and could not fault our experience. In fact we have recommended them highly to our family and friends. Sadly, we now feel very differently because we're not at all comfortable with their business model:- This was meant to be our third

Reuters hesitantly approached UK Home Office for comment after I reached out to them following what read like an advertorial for TrustedHousesitters.”Smith said she has house-sat in France, Morocco, Japan and South Korea after spending $169 on the cost of an annual membership to TrustedHousesitters, a platform that connects pet owners with in-home sitters,” the original piece read. Reuters eventually amended the story to include the following information.

TrustedHousesitters said its sitters rarely face immigration issues. However, a spokesman for the UK Home Office said house-sitting in the United Kingdom is considered a form of work and not permitted with a tourist visa.

 

(This May 22 story has been corrected to show that housesitting in the UK is not permitted with a tourist visa, according to a government spokesperson, in paragraph 14)

A UK immigration lawyer later cited the Immigration Rules Appendix V: Visitor in an article titled Housesitters and holiday swappers: what are the immigration law implications?.

The Visitor must not intend to:

(a) work in the UK, which includes:

  • (i) taking employment in the UK; and
  • (ii) doing work for an organisation or business in the UK; and
  • (iii) establishing or running a business as a self-employed person; and
  • (iv) doing a work placement or internship; and
  • (v) direct selling to the public; and
  • (vi) providing goods and services,

unless expressly allowed by the permitted activities in Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities or Appendix Visitor: Permit Free Festival List.

New Zealand

While I haven’t spoke with any sitters who’ve been been refused entry to New Zealand, I have read about it happening once or twice. The New Zealand Immigration website says visitors cannot engage “with a New Zealand business or person in New Zealand in exchange for goods or services, for example free accommodation in exchange for a review” The website goes on to say: “If you want to work for or with a New Zealand-based employer, you must apply for a visa that will allow you to work in New Zealand.”

Australia

It looks like there’s two options available to foreigners wanting to holiday in Australia:

  1. Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) (subclass 601)
  2. Visitor Visa (Subclass 600) Tourist Stream.

ETA and Visitor Visa conditions stipulate the holder can’t work in Australia. The Department of Home Affairs website says: “Work is performing an activity, in Australia, that a person would normally be remunerated for. This could be payment or some other form of reward.”

The Department of Home Affairs website also says tourists can engage in volunteer work without the government’s permission so long as it meets the following conditions:

  • is unpaid, and
  • would not otherwise be done by an Australian for pay (Mad Paws is where those with the right to work in Australia can find paid pet sitting opportunities), and
  • is short term, and
  • is incidental to your visit to Australia, and
  • is done for a not-for-profit organisation (TrustedHousesitters is for profit), and
  • benefits the community.

A working holiday visa, however, may allow younger travellers to house and pet sit while in Australia.

Canada

I ended up getting a working holiday visa so I could house sit in Canada without issue, but I know of two or three people who were refused entry to Canada because of their house sitting (or similar) plans. The most publicised instance of this is from 2025. A British national was refused entry to Canada because CBSA officers “were concerned she may try to work illegally” after learning “she spent time with a host family, helping with household chores in return for accommodation” in the United States. This lady’s arrangements were found through Workaway, not TrustedHousesitters. But both companies ‘match’ travellers with a home/pet owner or host.

Canada requires visa-exempt foreign nationals who intend to “fly to or transit through a Canadian airport” to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). An approved eTA means you can travel to Canada, but it doesn’t allow you to work or study there. Canadian immigration law defines work as “an activity for which wages are paid or commission is earned, or that is in direct competition with the activities of Canadian citizens or permanent residents in the Canadian labour market”. Much like Australia, Canada has paid pet sitting opportunities available through websites like Rover.

The Five Eyes

Being refused entry to any country—e.g. for house sitting without the appropriate visa—must be declared prior to entering a Five Eyes (FVEY) country. The Five Eyes alliance comprises Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the US, and it’s believed these countries share travel and passport data. An entry refusal doesn’t mean you’re automatically ineligible to enter a FVEY country, but immigration officers are going to ask a lot more questions before deciding whether or not they’ll let you in. Entry refusals must also be declared in some visa applications. I had to declare it when applying for an International Experience Canada work permit.

As for the European Union, the new European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) will ask travellers if they are “subject of a return decision” before assessing their ETIAS application.

A word of warning

Even if you follow TrustedHousesitters’ general advice—like having a current passport with sufficient validity and enough savings for the duration of your trip—that doesn’t mean you’re allowed to house and pet sit in a foreign country. If you’re still unsure about where you can house and pet sit, I recommend:

  • speaking with the relevant consulate or embassy about which visa (if any) is needed
  • consulting an immigration lawyer
  • doing a bit more research into the topic. A lot of media outlets like to talk about the cost-saving benefit of house and pet sitting on your travels, but not many of them discuss the visa and immigration risks at great length.

There are certain instances where individuals can house and pet sit in another country without a work visa—like Australians and New Zealanders thanks to the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement—but it’s up to you to ensure your house sitting plans are above board.

*I’m not a lawyer. This post is general information only and is not intended to be legal advice.

Part 3: House and pet sitting questions answered

Part 3: House and pet sitting questions answered

by | 28 January 2026

Here’s another house and pet sitting frequently asked questions (FAQs) post. This one covers things I see discussed online, and questions I have been asked by journalists and strangers alike.

Can I house sit with my partner, family or friend(s)?

I don’t think there would be any issue house and pet sitting with your partner as long as you mention them on your house sitting profile and/or in your application. Some owners don’t want children in their homes and others prefer solo sitters. Every listing is different.

Is it possible to arrange back-to-back house sits if you’re spending more than a few weeks in one city or country?

Back-to-back house sits are very much possible. I spent February to late-August 2024 doing back-to-back sits across Canada and my frequent trips to the US were doable because I was able get sits in cities I wanted to visit. Some of my sits are confirmed months in advance, but not always. I remember being in Salt Lake City, with no sit to go on to until one came up in Denver. The Denver sit was due to start three days after the Salt Lake City one ended. Similarly, I had a gap between a sit in Vancouver and my next one in Montreal. I was prepared to spend a week and half in a hotel, but I was able to get a last-minute (by my standards) sit in a town an hour and half outside Toronto.

Then there’s people I know who choose to house sit locally as opposed to renting or buying a house. One of them actually owns a house, but prefers to rent it out. These people have been living like this for years and they don’t plan on stopping.

What is the most popular house sitting website?

The most popular house sitting website has always been TrustedHousesitters. Sites like Aussie House Sitters and House Sitters Canada are starting to grow in popularity after TrustedHousesitters introduced a booking fee.

Where can I find paid pet sitting opportunities?

Rover (USA and Canada) and Mad Paws (Australia) are the two websites I know of where you get paid to pet sit. But not all owners on Rover and Mad Paws want a live-in pet sitter. Some prefer a sitter who will drop by once or twice a day.

Why do I need a work visa to do unpaid house and pet sitting in a foreign country?

Because unpaid house and pet sitting is viewed as work. You must be authorised to work in that country or what you’re doing (i.e. unpaid house and pet sitting) is illegal. ‘Work authorisation’ can look different depending on the person and where they’re from, but the US and UK governments have said individuals cannot house and pet sit on a tourist visa (or ESTA for visitors to the USA). Even countries with slightly more ‘relaxed’ immigration rules—like Canada, Australia and New Zealand—have turned sitters away because they didn’t have a work visa.

Do you have a favourite cat or house sit?

My favourite cats have been Henry and Josie from Toronto. The Toronto sit also happened to be one of my favourites and I got invited back a second time. Other sits I’ve really enjoyed include looking after Jaws and Killer in Vancouver, and Klaus and Maisy in Melbourne.

Has an owner ever accused you of stealing something from their home?

I haven’t been accused of stealing anything, but there’s two recent stories that come to mind. A Californian couple was arrested in October 2025, and a woman from South East Queensland is said to have stolen appliances and bank card details from a couple who found her on Maw Paws.

How do you recover from a bad review?

I have maintained a 5-star rating, but my advice would be to get a few local sits so the bad review moves further down your profile. Sitters might want to acknowledge what was said by responding to that review or they may choose to ignore it. Sometimes a bad review is not indicative of what you did or didn’t do, but is just a reflection of the person you sat for.

What are some of the weirder rules you’ve encountered?

Some of the weirder ‘rules’ I’ve had to follow include:

  • The cats are not allowed in the bedroom.
  • Use this spoon and this spoon only to serve the cats their wet food. At this sit, the couple even had a particular sponge I was told to use to clean the cats’ food bowls.
  • Wet food being served as a treat. This cat was fed a kangaroo mince–pumpkin mix once or twice a day, but she really loved her weekly serve of wet food.

How has house and pet sitting changed since you started out in 2017?

Expectations have shifted and some sitters come across as quite entitled. For instance, one sitter posted about the owner changing the dates for her 3-month sit. The dates were either being brought forward by a week or pushed back by a week, and the sitter was annoyed she now had to pay for a week’s worth of accommodation in what she described as a ‘desirable holiday location’. Sitters need to remember these services exist to serve pet owners—house sitting websites weren’t created for sitters to score a free place to stay.

Other questions

If you’ve got a house and pet sitting question that hasn’t been answered here, have a read of my other frequently asked questions posts:

I’ll do my best to respond to any questions left as comments or sent through my website’s contact form.

Looking back on my 2024 house and cat sitting travels

Looking back on my 2024 house and cat sitting travels

by | 31 December 2024

This year saw me reunite with some of my favourite cat friends and I met some cute new ones, too.

I spent a considerable part of the year in Canada* where I did three repeat sits—two in Vancouver and one in Toronto—and got to explore new cities like Victoria and Halifax. I could’ve spent all of 2024 in Canada, but I started to miss home. It also became exhausting (and expensive) going from house sit to house sit. So I decided to return to Australia at the end of August after securing a permanent government job. A permanent job means my future house and cat sitting travels will be limited, but I was able to get one last sit in for 2024.

This post comprises mostly photos from this year’s Canadian cat sitting travels, but I’ll also introduce two of my favourite cats who’ve been featured on my cat sitting Facebook page and Instagram account yet remain without mention on here. Their names are Henry and Josie, and they’re two rescue cats from Toronto.

Henry and Josie

Where do I begin with these two? Henry and Josie are so special. I first met Henry and Josie in 2023 after their owners reached out to me on House Sitters Canada. This would be the family’s first time using a live-in house and cat sitter, and I like to think I left a good impression because I was invited back this year.

Henry and Josie were described as an affectionate, food-motivated duo. When you hear ‘duo’, you’d think they’d get along. But they’re not the the best of friends. Henry would love for them to be mates, but Josie still isn’t sold on Henry. When we all met, back in August 2023, I was told Josie [still] can’t understand why she has to share her humans with Henry. And while Henry is very respectful towards Josie, Josie still feels the need to give Henry a paw to the face every few days.

The family adopted Josie, now aged 10, first, with Henry being a more recent addition. They may have adopted Henry during the pandemic, but I can’t be sure. Henry spent the first year and a bit of his new life living in the family’s office. This—along with under the couch—was his safe space and was somewhere Josie would leave him be. While Henry’s still a little reserved, he now roams freely around the apartment and doesn’t mind helping himself to whatever you’re eating. His favourite daytime napping spot is on the office window bed and he enjoys sleeping between your legs at night. It’s incredibly uncomfortable, but he’s just too cute to disturb.

Josie, on the other hand, will sleep almost anywhere. She loves a good blanket fort, sitting or napping on your lap, sleeping next to you each night, and she’d sleep on top of me if I took a nap on the couch. Josie is also surprisingly active despite being a little more senior and the tiniest bit bigger than your average cat. Watching her run after paper balls and swat at the feather on a stick always made me laugh.

Henry and Josie, despite their differences, are united through their love for food. They’ll wake you up about an hour before their automatic feeder goes off (3am) and again at 7am (that’s when it’s time for wet food). They don’t eat again until around 5pm, but that doesn’t stop Henry from trying to eat all the human food. On this sit, he:

  • ran off with the egg from my Indonesian noodle dish
  • snuck off with a few McDonald’s fries
  • broke through the cling wrap to lick the cream cheese icing off the carrot cake I bought earlier in the day.

These two kitties really do mean a lot to me. Their owners even gifted me a Henry T-shirt and it’s probably the best house sitting gift I’ve received. The material is decent quality and they wear really well. The owners’ Josie one actually looks like something you’d get from a vintage store. For anyone who wants to get their own pet T-shirt made—and I’m guessing there’s at least one or two of you—here’s a link to the Etsy store.

Other cats I cared for this year

This year’s first house and cat sit was an international one. It was one I was familiar with and ended up being the first of two sits I’d be doing for this lady. Her Ragdolls, Jaws and Killer, are still quite young, but they’re not the ‘we’ll chew your cords and destroy all your things’ kind of young cats. Jaws is the one with the taupe-coloured markings and Killer is a flame point (i.e. ginger). Some of their favourite things include  racing out the front door each time you come home, jumping into the fridge and hanging out in the bathroom.


I then spent a few nights in Calgary where I was looking after two rescue cats. Birdie (tortoiseshell) and Tank (ginger). Birdie enjoyed inspecting my dinner(s) and Tank liked to chew on the plants.

Montreal was my next stop. This was a house and cat sit for a friend’s sister. My friend’s sister happened to live a few streets away from where I did my first Canadian house sit. The kitty’s name was Tango and he preferred to spend most of his time outside. Tango wasn’t bothered by the snow, but he didn’t love the rain.

After about a month in Montreal, I went back to the west coast. I’d secured a sit in Victoria, B.C., which is where I spent the Easter break. Victoria was a city I’d heard so much about last time so I was determined to get a cat sit there. The kitty I was looking after was called Nahlah. She was another sweet, affectionate ginger. And another rescue cat.

I then returned to Vancouver for a 10-day sit in the city’s West End neighbourhood. I was looking after Isabel, a feisty older lady who would stand on her plate to remind me it was time to feed her. The West End location ended up being really convenient because Jaws and Killer’s owner—another West End resident—was heading out of town again. The first few days overlapped with this 10-day sit, and meant I had to do drop-in visits to feed Jaws and Killer their breakfast and dinner.

I went from spending most of May with Jaws and Killer to a relatively short sit in a smaller town in Ontario. This one slotted in nicely with a gap I had between when my last Vancouver sit finished and when my summer sit in Montreal started. I’m not sure the Kitchener–Waterloo area has much to offer international tourists, but the apartment was comfortable and the lady’s cat, Bella, proved to be a total love bug after some initial hissing and scratching.

Most of June was spent in Montreal. It was incredibly humid (I should’ve known), but Montrealers really love summer. The city has festivals and street performances on almost every night of the week, and a lot of restaurants and cafes erect a terrasse to make the most of people wanting to get out and enjoy the warmer weather.

My two Montreal companions were Marlon (black and white) and Penny (white). They’re originally from Calgary, Alberta, and I think this was their first Montreal summer. I don’t know how warm it gets in Calgary, but I felt especially bad for Marlon. He was booked in to get shaved when his owner returned.

It was now time to return to Toronto to look after Henry and Josie. I spent all of August 2023 looking after them and I’d be with them for all of July. I don’t think either one of them remembered me at first, but it didn’t take them long to realise I was OK. And Henry seemed a lot more interested in me after I returned with donuts. I wish I could look after them every time their owners went away, but, sadly, that’s not practical.

The last house and cat sit of the trip was in Halifax. Another city I’d heard so much about and another city I was hoping to get a cat sit in. I think I’d secured the sit while I was looking after Bella, in Kitchener–Waterloo, so it wasn’t one that had been organised months in advance. Because there’s so few sits advertised in Halifax, I was pretty pleased with myself to have landed it.

The Halifax kitty I was looking after was yet another rescue. His name was Sushi. He had the prettiest green eyes and would ‘gift’ me his worm toy over the course of the night. I was gifted the worm toy almost every night of my stay. Another Sushi quirk was that he liked to paw his dry food out of his bowl, place it on the floor, and pick it up—with that same paw—and put it in his mouth.

Sushi would let me tuck him in each night. I don’t know whether he actually liked it, but he allowed it. It was incredibly hot during some of those summer nights in Halifax, but, again, the only one bothered by the extreme humidity was me.

My last house and cat sit for 2024

Upon returning to Australia, I started to think about where I wanted to spend Christmas. Corporate offices are usually closed from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day so that gave me a good week or so to get away. I was tossing up between Melbourne and Hobart, but there weren’t many house sits going in Hobart when I started looking. So I went with Melbourne.

It would be my third or fourth time house and cat sitting in Melbourne, and the second Melbourne sit I’ve done over the Christmas holidays. This time, however, I’d be looking after two kittens. Klaus and Maisy. The only other time I’ve looked after kittens was when I was house sitting in Cincinnati. This was five or six years ago, and the owner decided to adopt them a few weeks before the house sit started.

When I spoke with Klaus and Maisy’s owner, back in September, she’d only just adopted them. She was told they’re part Ragdoll, but I have a feeling they’re more Siamese than anything else. They definitely look Ragdoll-like in their earlier photos, but they appear a lot more Siamese-y now they’re about six months old.

Klaus and Maisy are, as you would expect, playful and curious. They’re also pretty weird and very affectionate. Klaus (grey) is the chill one and Maisy (darker markings) is the menace. They like to watch you from the office window, play with anything and everything that resembles a toy, and snuggle up to you at bedtime.

Klaus likes to spends his afternoons napping, but Maisy would rather play and hunt from within inside the apartment. I have caught Maisy staring blankly at a wall, hiding under a mat and with her eyes fixated on the inside of a lampshade. Outside noises seem to pique their interest so I’m curious to see how they’ll respond to Melbourne’s New Year’s Eve fireworks shows.

Plans for 2025

I return to Brisbane on 3 January 2025 and start back at work on 6 January. Now that I have a permanent fulltime government job, I don’t know where I’ll be off to next. Or when. But I do know that I’ll have to be a little bit more strategic when it comes to using my annual leave.

*I have an open work permit for Canada. My working holiday visa is valid until July 2025.

My winter and spring cat sitting adventures in Canada

My winter and spring cat sitting adventures in Canada

by | 4 June 2024

I spent the last three months cat sitting in Calgary, Montreal and Victoria before returning to Vancouver for another two sits.

Calgary

The first of the house and cat sits was in Calgary. It was a relatively short one—only four or five nights—but it filled a gap in my itinerary. Calgary also happened to be a city I was keen to return to after spending three nights there last September. I was expecting an average daytime temperature of around -15°C and a few snow days. The coldest it got to was -20°C, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as it sounds.

The two cats I was tasked with looking after were called Birdie (tortoiseshell) and Tank (ginger). Birdie is the older of the two and she was adopted before the couple got Tank. While Birdie and Tank get along just fine, Birdie preferred to spend her time sleeping in the basement. Tank, on the hand, would rather be with/near you. Or sitting in the shoebox I kept for him.

The owners warned me Tank would wake me up very early to request his breakfast, but they didn’t tell me how just cute the whole thing was. That first morning, at around 7am, Tank jumped on my bed. He rolled around on it for a minute or two, and let out a quiet meow before positioning himself against my legs and falling asleep. That was Tank asking for breakfast. If only all cats were as polite as Tank.

Birdie, despite spending most of her time downstairs, would resurface every couple of hours to meow at me for food or follow me into the bathroom. I found out that her owners refer to her as ‘Scraps’ because she’s always trying to steal people’s food, but Birdie’s fondness for the bathroom remains a mystery.

Montreal

I was originally meant to arrive in Montreal at 3.30pm on a Monday. The night before, WestJet emailed me to say my flight was cancelled (it actually wasn’t (it ended up flying out about 30 minutes later than scheduled)) and they’d be putting me on one that left Calgary just before midnight. The red-eye flight would see me land in Montreal at around 7am on Tuesday. Not ideal, but, thankfully, my friend’s sister—the person I was cat sitting for—didn’t leave Montreal until Wednesday evening.

My friend’s sister’s cat’s name is Tango. Tango is an indoor–outdoor cat, with most of his time spent wandering the neighbouring alleyways. Even if it was raining or snowing, Tango would prefer to be out in it. Sometimes he’d just chill on the balcony-like space out the back. Then there were times when he’d be gone for more than 12 hours. I was told not to be too concerned if that happens, but my sister’s friend has fretted over his whereabouts in the past. She has taken to attaching an AirTag to Tango’s collar so she could get a better idea of his general location.

Tango was a real character. He preferred to drink from one of the vases scattered around the apartment. He would also drink from my glass if I had one at the dinner table. He liked to sploot, nap in a cardboard box, and creep on the birds and squirrels from the kitchen window. In the evenings, he would position himself against my laptop as if to say ‘Please stop looking at your laptop and look at me’.

Victoria

I’d seen more snow in Montreal than I’d expected, but I was now on my way to Victoria, B.C., just as the city’s cherry blossoms and flowers were starting to bloom. Victoria was somewhere new for me, but it was a city I heard mentioned plenty of times on my previous trip to Canada. I was able to book a ticket from Montreal-Trudeau International Airport to Victoria International Airport that ended up saving me a lot of time. Most people who visit Victoria get the ferry from Vancouver, but I didn’t care for 1.5 hours on public transport and another 1.5 hours on the ferry after a spending five hours on a plane.

Nahlah, the cat I was spending the next 25 days with, is a COVID kitty. She had become accustomed to having humans around 24/7, but hasn’t always been a fan of them. Nahlah’s owners told me it took her weeks—if not months—to feel confident enough to leave the couple’s office/spare bedroom. It took just as long for her to let them pet her. The office is still kind of a safe space for Nahlah and it’s where I chose to sleep during my stay.

Nahlah is a very unique-looking kitty. The first thing you notice is she’s ginger. Yes, a female ginger cat. That’s pretty rare. When I first saw photos of her, I thought she may have been a Bengal. After I met her, I started to think she was part Abyssinian. No-one knows for sure. But what I do know is Nahlah loooves to be brushed, enjoys keeping warm under the range hood (the couple leave the lights on for her) and is a big fan of going on walks. The couple use a harness and cat leash to take her out at least once a day, and they’ve got one of those space bubble backpacks for her to see out of. Nahlah has even been to Mexico. Her owners spent four months on the road—living out of their van—and Nahlah accompanied them on the trip.

Nahlah’s home is central to almost everything anyone visiting Victoria would want to see or do. The Dallas Road Waterfront Trail was two blocks away, Beacon Hill Park was 10 minutes in the other direction, and the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Royal BC Museum and Fairmont Empress hotel were buildings I walked past most days.

Other days were spent relaxing at the apartment, with Nahlah close by. Her little cat bed had been left on the fold out couch and I’ve never met a cat who was so attached to their cat bed. Most cats I know prefer to sleep on the human’s bed. If I stayed in, Nahlah would spend the entire day in that cat bed. And the majority of the photos I sent to the couple were of Nahlah snuggled up in it.

Nahlah’s owners were beyond generous and great sources of information. They picked me up from the airport and drove me to the ferry terminal when it was time to leave. The drive to the Swartz Bay ferry terminal would’ve taken close to an hour and a half on the bus, and it wouldn’t have been fun with a 23kg suitcase, carry on suitcase and heavy backpack. They were so knowledgeable about Victoria and Vancouver Island, and other parts of Canada I am hoping to visit.

Back to Vancouver

After saying goodbye to Nahlah’s owners, it was time to board the Vancouver-bound ferry. I had no choice but to use public transport to get from the Tsawwassen ferry terminal—where everyone heading to Vancouver gets let off—to downtown Vancouver unless I wanted to fork out around $100 for an Uber. Due to a medical emergency on the previous Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay ferry, my ferry was 30 minutes late which meant I missed the 3pm and 3.05pm buses to Bridgeport Station. I had a bit of wait for the next bus, but I eventually made it to Vancouver’s West End to commence the first of two cat sits I’d organised after arriving in Canada.

My second time house and cat sitting in Vancouver

My second time house and cat sitting in Vancouver

by | 28 February 2024

I decided to return to Canada (with my open work permit) after spending three and a half months there (using that same open work permit) last summer.

Last year’s trip started with a house and cat sit in Montreal which meant an additional five-hour flight to the other side of the country. I remember having just under two hours to pass through immigration, sort out my work permit and provide immigration officers with whatever paperwork they wanted to see, collect my suitcase and re-check it in, go through security, and be at the gate ready to board my 8:55am flight. While all Air Canada luggage is now sent through to the traveller’s final destination, it’s a lot of stress I could do without and that’s why I was hoping to start off in Vancouver this time. Turns out the lady I sat for in September needed a sitter for 10 days in February. Her dates slotted into my draft itinerary almost perfectly so I told her I’d be happy to take the sit.

The lady shares her West End apartment with two Ragdoll cats from the same litter. They’re 1.5 years old, and their names are Jaws (girl) and Killer (boy). While ‘Killer’ might seem like an odd name to some people, it makes perfect sense when you know their owner. Some of my friends thought Jaws may have been a biter/chewer, but she was named after Steven Spielberg’s film Jaws. Jaws’ owner is fascinated by sharks and went swimming with them on one of her visits to Australia. Cat Jaws even has some shark Jaws toys.

Despite their scary-sounding names, Jaws and Killer are gentle and affectionate. The only ‘violence’ you’ll see these majestic-looking kitties inflicting is upon their toys. And, boy, do they have a lot of them. I don’t think I’ve ever met a cat(s) who plays with their toys as much as these two do. One of their favourite things to do is bring their ‘catch’ to you in bed, or drag it into the shower and continue thrashing it around. Sometimes I’d wake to find an assortment of toys strewn across the bed. Or still in the shower the next morning. Then there was the time one of their toys fell out of my backpack as I went to pay for something at Winners.

It’s interesting to see their personalities are still developing and how they’ve changed since I was here last. Their owner also commented on how she’s noticed the cats’ colours deepening. Jaws has a lot more grey/taupe to her and Killer’s ginger points might be a little more prominent.

I recall Killer being the needy sibling and Jaws mostly keeping to herself. It could’ve been that Jaws is—or was—a bit more reserved around strangers. This time ‘round, Killer is content to be alone (except for when he demands five minutes of your time every evening) and Jaws is the one who wants all your attention. Jaws will now position herself next to me and still be my side when I wake up. Both cats do like to involve themselves in whatever you’re doing and this can sometimes include running into the shower as soon as you’ve turned the water on. Jaws will try to catch the water drops from the other side of the glass door while Killer sits in the bathroom sink. They also like to welcome you home and Killer is the first one to dart out the front door. He’s allowed to walk around in the building’s closed off hall area, but must be supervised for the minute or two he’s allowed to roam. Jaws is a bit more hesitant about venturing out, but she’ll take a quick peep from behind the door before deciding whether or not it’s worth the effort. If she does venture out, she’s usually quick to return. Killer, however, likes to be chased back into the apartment.

Things to do

I didn’t expect to like Vancouver as much as I did, but I guess that’s why I was so keen to come back. English Bay and Stanley Park are within walking distance from the West End apartment, and you can be at Coal Harbour or downtown within about 20 minutes. Here’s some of the things I enjoyed most and these can be done/visited/seen at any time of year.

Main Street, Mount Pleasant

It’s actually called Main Street and isn’t just the main street in Mount Pleasant. I’d recommend walking from about E Fifth Avenue all the way to down to E 32nd Avenue and back up again. The area is known for its vintage and antique stores, but I found it had a lot of good homewares, stationery and ‘things’ stores. Some of my favourites were Front & Company, The Storehouse and Welk’s. Lots of street art in the area, too.

Granville Public Market

From where I’m staying in West End, the trip to Granville Public Market is a scenic one. I walk down Denman Street, past the A-maze-ing Laughter sculptures, and along English Bay and Sunset beaches to get the False Creek Ferry from the Aquatic Centre. It takes less than five minutes to get to Granville Island.

I’d say Granville Public Market is one of the best markets I’ve been to. It’s got its fair share of food, but it has just as many stores selling handmade (and not handmade) goods.

Shop Makers

Shop Makers is a “celebration of local artistry and entrepreneurship” and they’ve got stores all over the country. Everything is handmade by a Canadian artist and each artist gets 100% of the money made from a sale of their goods.

'I can't read' sticker

I’m not sure how I originally learned about Shop Makers, but I must’ve stumbled across a store in Gastown or Kitsilano when I was here last. My favourite Shop Makers store would have to be the one in the Park Royal mall because they’ve got so much cat stuff (stickers, keyrings, etc.). North Vancouver is pretty good, too, and definitely one of the bigger stores.

Lynn Canyon Park and suspension bridge

Lynn Canyon Park offers a significantly cheaper—i.e. free—alternative to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. And there’s 617 acres of forest and several hiking trails to explore. I did some of the Baden Powell Trail before turning around to get the bus back to downtown Vancouver before it got dark, but I’d be keen to come back in the summer.

Stanley Park

I’d never heard of Stanley Park until I got chatting to another Australian on my Niagara Falls tour. She told me it was one of the first places she visited in Vancouver and that it’s bigger than Central Park.

A popular walk within Stanley Park is the 10km seawall loop that forms part of the world’s longest uninterrupted waterfront path. It takes between two and two and half hours to do, and you’ll pass Siwash Rock, Lions Gate Bridge, Brockton Point Lighthouse and the Totem Poles.

Next stop

I’m at Vancouver International Airport waiting to board a plane to Calgary. I spent three nights in Calgary last year, but that wasn’t nearly enough time to see everything I had on my list. This time I’ve got five nights in town, and, unlike my last visit, I will be doing a house and cat sit.