«Hor traveled for months without worrying about my cat: he remained at home, cared for by a person who lived with him and who treated him as if he were his own.” The owner of a cat tells the story, one of the many testimonies collected on TrustedHousesitters, British platform that has been operating for over ten years connects sitters and pet owners from all over the world. His is not an isolated experience: it represents an increasingly widespread phenomenon, especially in critical periods such as summer and Christmas holidayswhen managing a pet without giving up a trip becomes a puzzle.
Pet sitting, the solution for animals and owners
Until a few years ago the most immediate solution was to involve friends and relatives. Today it is the web that proposes matching between those who own an animal and those looking for free accommodation in exchange for company and care. A pact based on mutual trustwhich many define a classic example of “win win”where both sides gain concrete advantages. On the one hand, owners avoid the cost of animal boarding; on the other hand, sitters have the opportunity to live in new places like locals. The success of these platforms is not surprising, if inserted within the framework of the so-called pet economy, which is constantly expanding.
According to the Mordor Intelligence research institute, the global sector is now worth around 300 billion euros. Within this figure, the pet sitting services market (which includes both surveillance in your own home and that of your pet) it reached $2.9 billion in 2025 to reach 5.5 billion in 2030. The largest share of the sector, for now, is represented by traditional pensions, which in 2024 held 34.2 percent of the total share.
They are part of the family
Italy is also taking part in this boom. The national pet economy sector has exceeded 4 billion euros and, according to the Assalco–Zoomark Report, 65 million pets already live in our country, more than the inhabitants. Making up this “parallel population” are 30 million fish, 13 million birds, 10.2 million cats and 8.8 million dogs. The average expense is around 900 euros per year for food, accessories and veterinary care. It is an emotional investment, as well as an economic onebecause many consider pets to be members of the family. But it is precisely this affection that pushes owners to look for less stressful solutions than pensions and, at the same time, more economical. This is where Subscription pet sitting enters the scene as a valid alternative.
“Pet sitting” platforms are becoming increasingly economical alternatives to traditional pensions. But there is no shortage of pitfalls… (Getty)
Subscriptions up to 300 euros
The best-known platform is the aforementioned TrustedHousesitters, born in the United Kingdom, which on Trustpilot has over 22 thousand reviews and an average rating of 4.4 out of 5. Annual subscriptions range from 149 to 299 euros, depending on the level of guarantees chosen, but many members point out that the overall savings are enormous: the Italian Miriam, on her blog Mirygiramondo, says she stayed a whole year in other people’s homes saving more than 12,000 pounds. However, there is no shortage of critical issues: some sitters testify that they have found themselves with aggressive animals or with pathologies that required daily care, transforming what should have been a relaxing stay into a much more demanding commitment than expected.
Travel between the cheapest platforms
Alongside TrustedHousesitters there are other platforms that have carved out specific niches for themselves. Nomador is particularly widespread in Europecheaper than the previous one (starts at 89 euros per year) and highly appreciated for its transparency and the “stopover” function, which allows sitters to stay an extra night between one assignment and another. A detail which, for those who travel continuously, becomes an enormous logistical advantage. User reviews are positive: Many call the platform intuitive, well-structured and ideal for creating quality connections with people and animals.
Even cheaper is MindMyHousewhich offers a $29 per year subscription for sitters. Here the community appears more heterogeneous: there are those who define it as “magical” and those who point out some flaws in terms of the reliability of the profiles. On the other hand, the offer is wide and also includes assignments in Italy, such as a stay in Abruzzo to look after four cats during the Christmas holidays. In the end, there’s HouseCarersborn in 2000 and very popular in Australia, UK and Canada. Despite good reviews and an affordable cost (starting from 50 dollars a year), the presence in other countries is still limited and, at the moment, there are no positions available in Italy.
Pay attention to the photos
Whether you choose one platform or the other, there are some key precautions to observe. For sitters, blogger Miriam from Mirygiramondo says that a photograph of the house that is too messy can be a warning sign: «If a person doesn’t even bother to tidy up their house before taking a photo to publish online, chances are they won’t even do it before I arrive» he observes. Even general announcements about assignmentssuch as “take care of my dog”, should be interpreted with caution: behind vague formulas, demanding requests could hide, such as preparing elaborate meals, managing therapies or following very rigid routines that prevent you from visiting the place of stay.
As for the hosts, there is no shortage of complaints of those who found the apartment in disarray And the animal not cared for as agreed. And in this case having compensation or a solution from a platform seems unlikely. It is therefore good practice to carry out a preventive video call before committing to an agreement. If everything works, however, the advantages are evident: owners can leave the animal to its daily habits at a reduced cost and sitters carry out low-cost trips, provided they have a spirit of adaptation and a good dose of responsibility.
But with pet sitting there is the risk of becoming attached
In any case, the phenomenon is destined to grow. According to the Global Pet Parent Study By 2024, the number of pets in the world is around one billion, with an annual growth rate of 3.40 percent. In parallel the number of people willing to spend long periods away from home is increasing: digital nomads, healthy retirees, young people accustomed to sharing economy platforms and travelers looking for more authentic experiences than hotels. Furthermore, the economic comparison remains overwhelming: a pet kennel can cost tens of euros per day, while on platforms such as Wag! a week of daily home visits from a sitter costs between 100 and 300 euros.
House sitting, on the other hand, requires only an annual cost. Yet, in this panorama of unprecedented opportunities, an unexpected complication can sometimes arise. As the TrustedHousesitters website acknowledges, often the bond created between sitter and animal is surprisingly deep. Therefore, after days spent together, when the owners return, those who leave almost experience a small trauma. The owner of the cat mentioned at the beginning will have been relieved to find her pet back in shape after months of travel. But, once he returns home, who will think about the well-being of a petsitter left without a pet?