Stay over or pop in?
Stay over
Your sitter sleeps at your home each night you're away, looks after your pets and keeps an eye on things. Good if your home shouldn't stand empty, or your pets don't like being alone. Dogs are often happier with someone there at night.
Pop-in visits
About 30 minutes, in the morning, afternoon or evening, to feed and check on your animals. Good if your pets are fine on their own between meals. Many cats do well with one or two visits a day.
Each profile says whether the sitter is mostly at the house in the day, or goes out to other work. Choose what suits your home and your pets.
Book early, especially for December
Hermanus fills up over the holidays, and so do sitters' calendars. You can book from 48 hours to 2 months ahead, so book as soon as you know your dates.
When you search, you pick your dates and your pets. You only see sitters who know how to care for the animals you have, and who are free on your dates.
Meet before you go
Once you've booked, you get your sitter's number straight away. Say hello on WhatsApp and set a time to meet at your home a few days before you leave. It's the best half hour you'll spend.
Walk through the house together. Show them the things you do without thinking, because those are the things you forget to write down.
Local tip: share alarm codes in person or in a private message, never on a note on the fridge. And tell your armed response company that a sitter is staying, with their name, so nobody gets a fright in the middle of the night.
Your pets
Leave a short note for each pet:
- Food. What, when and how much. Leave enough for the whole time, plus a few days.
- Walks. How long, where, and any dogs or places to avoid.
- Medicine. What, when and how to give it. Some sitters are confident with tablets, drops, creams or injections, and their profile says so. These are their own answers, so show them how you do it.
- Habits. The cat who never comes in before dark. The dog who hides when the wind picks up.
- Your vet. Their name and number, and an after-hours vet. Let your vet know a sitter is in charge, and agree how you'll pay if a pet needs to go in.
Your home
- keys, gate remotes, and how the gate and doors lock
- the alarm, and who to call if it goes off
- bin day, and where the bins go
- the pool, the garden and any plants that need water
- the main water tap, the electricity box, a torch and spare globes
- the wifi password
- who to call for what: a neighbour, a plumber, an electrician
Sitters come on their own, unless you say yes first. If you'd like them to stay in, or not have visitors, just say so.
Local tip: if baboons visit your part of town, show your sitter which doors and windows to keep closed, and how the bins are secured. Baboons learn quickly when a house has someone new in it.
While you're away
- News. Agree how often you'd like to hear from them. A photo of the dog each day is plenty for most people.
- If something goes wrong. Agree what they should do, and who to call if they can't reach you.
- Handover times. Agree when they arrive on the day you leave, and when you'll be back.
- Pay. You pay your sitter directly, at the rate you agreed. Each profile shows their rate per night and per visit.
When you're home, leave a review. It helps your sitter get their next booking, and it helps the next household choose.
Plans change? It's free to cancel up to 24 hours before the booking starts, and your fee comes back as credit.
Find your sitter.
See which sitters are free on your dates in Hermanus and the Overberg. A day of pop-in visits starts at R29.
Find a sitter