Angelika

Hi!
My name is Angelika and I'm from Austria. I grew up with pets (dogs, cats, bunnies) and started pet sitting in 2018. After finishing school in 2018 I moved to Vienna and the hardest part was definitely leaving my beloved pets behind with my parents. I was considering adopting a dog, but as I will continue to travel it would not be a responsible decision at that point. I found a perfect balance by starting to do pet sitting (using Tiersitter24.at). I also used to step in for a friend of mine who's a full-time cat sitter in Vienna for when she needed replacement. In 2021 I started doing house and pet sitting abroad (with TrustedHousesitters) and I have had wonderful experiences. I have completed 20+ house pet sits – from short term stays of a couple of days to multiple months long stays. You can find the links to my other pet sitting accounts in the next section.
I can totally understand that the thought of handing over the responsibilities for one's pets (or also regarding one's home) can feel discomforting. As a rather sensitive and responsible person myself, I can see how it might lead to anxious thoughts. I am always trying my best to make the experience easy by giving frequent updates and of course sending photos/videos of the pets. I am happiest when I am around animals and I just love the company of furry friends. It usually has a kind of calming effect on me. Though I want to add that I respect the pets' boundaries. I do have experience with shy/traumatized or simply antisocial pets and I am aware of how important it is to not cross their boundaries and instead let the pets decide when or if they are ready to be affectionate.

As for house sitting:
I am organized and do actually enjoy typical household activities like cleaning, washing, organizing and making sure everything is in its place, I think it can be calming.
In case you are making an enquiry for house sitting, I would kindly ask you to add some photos of the living space. Please understand, I am not picky about this, but as due to house sitting I am constantly changing places (which I enjoy!), I increasingly appreciate a space I can feel really comfortable in.
In case it's a long-term stay, it might be good to discuss in advance whether it would be okay to eg. have a friend come over. This will of course depend on the situation and also the pet. Please remember, I treat your home just like mine and I have a high sense of responsibility, but I respect your rules at all times.
I am keen on getting to know places like a local, which is one of the reasons I am so fond of the idea of house sitting, while combining it with one of the things I like the most: spending time with animals. 

Currently I focus a lot on photography, design and videography, which are huge passions of mine. I like creative activities and have many interests. Being an introvert, I generally prefer learning things on my own and enjoy distance learning courses, which means I am also rather flexible. I like to walk quite a bit each day and I also love walking dogs of course.

I'll make sure to stick to the same routines with your pets that you have. Please feel free to give me as much information about your pet as you want, so that I can adapt. I love spending time with animals, so it is definitely not a problem if your pet needs a lot of attention!

I will follow your rules in order to keep everything the way it is, despite the fact that a new person is looking after your pet instead of yourself. Please inform me in case your pet has any illnesses or needs special care. I love and look after anyone's animals just as much as my own and really enjoy caring for them. I have experience with nail cutting as well as giving oral medication (directly by putting eg. a tablet in the pet's mouth or by using a syringe). As for schooling dogs, I like to use positive reinforcement. Resources I find very helpful as they have brought a lot of insight and success are Susan Garrett’s programs as well as Kikopup (on YouTube).

Home visits usually have a duration of 30 minutes, but adjustments can be made of course.