The application looked perfect. Five-star reviews, friendly messages, experience with similar pets. Then the sitter arrives and it turns out the “friendly dog” was never mentioned as reactive, the “occasional gardening” means mowing a half-acre daily, and the WiFi the sitter needs for work doesn’t reach the guest room.
A video call can bring out a lot that a listing can’t: the dog barking in the background, the garden behind them, a pause before an answer. It won’t catch everything, but it often catches what matters.
This isn’t about interrogation. It’s about having a real conversation before both parties commit to sharing a home and caring for animals. A good sit often starts here.
For homeowners: what to look for
You’re not interviewing an employee. You’re meeting someone who’ll live in your home and care for your pets. The things that matter most aren’t on their CV — they’re in how they respond when you describe your animals.
Watch for genuine interest in your pets, not just your location. The sitter who asks about your cat’s personality before asking about local restaurants is telling you something. The one who asks specific questions about routine — “does she need her evening medication at a precise time or is there a window?” — is showing you how they think.
Questions that reveal character
- “What was your favourite sit, and why?” — tells you what they value
- “Have you had a challenging sit? What happened?” — honesty here is a strong signal
- “What would you do if the cat stopped eating?” — reveals their instinct under pressure
- “How do you handle pets that are anxious when their owners leave?” — shows experience depth
Good signs
- They ask to see the pets on camera
- They’re honest about gaps in their experience rather than overselling
- They ask about the vet — name, number, out-of-hours protocol
- They mention things they’d need from you: clear instructions, emergency contacts, spare keys
For sitters: what to look for
You’re trusting this person to be honest about what you’re walking into. The video call is where you test that trust — gently, conversationally, but deliberately.
Ask the homeowner to show you the home and the pets on camera. Not a grand tour — just the key areas. The living space, where the pets sleep, the garden or outdoor area if there is one. What you’re looking for isn’t perfection — it’s consistency with what the listing described.
Questions that protect you
- “Can you walk me through a typical day with the pets?” — reveals actual workload
- “Is there anything about [pet name] that a new person should know?” — opens the door to honesty about behaviour
- “What happened with your last sitter?” — how they talk about previous sitters tells you a lot
- “What are the house rules you feel strongly about?” — surfaces expectations before they become surprises
Good signs
- They show the home willingly, including the less polished areas
- They’re honest about pet behaviour — “she’s nervous around strangers at first” rather than “she loves everyone”
- They talk about previous sitters positively or neutrally
- They ask what you need rather than only stating what they need from you
Pay attention to how the pets behave during the call. A homeowner who says their dog is calm while the dog barks relentlessly in the background is giving you information — just not the kind they intended.
Red flags on both sides
Plenty of people are exactly who they seem. But some situations call for a polite decline, and a video call is where those signals emerge.
Red flags to watch for
- More excited about the location than the pets
- Vague or evasive about previous experience
- Reluctant to discuss what they’d do in an emergency
- Asks mainly about house amenities or local nightlife
Red flags to watch for
- Negative about every previous sitter
- Reluctant to show the home or specific rooms
- Evasive about pet behaviour or medical conditions
- Dismissive when you ask about emergency protocols
A video call that feels like an interrogation is itself a red flag — on either side. The best calls feel like a conversation between two people who both want the same thing: a good sit for the pets and a fair arrangement for everyone.
After the call: turn the conversation into an agreement
The video call surfaces decisions. The vet spending limit. Camera consent. Who waters the plants. What “clean” means on departure. These are exactly the kinds of things that cause disputes later — and they’re fresh in both parties’ minds right after the call.
This is where the eight questions come in. If you agreed on the call that indoor cameras are switched off during the sit, or that the sitter can authorise vet treatment up to a limit, those are answers to two of them. Put your answers in and the agreement writes itself; the other person then answers from their side.
You don’t need to remember everything. The questions you didn’t get to on the call are still there, so the call doesn’t have to cover it all.
The call is the beginning, not the end
A great video call builds rapport. An agreement captures what you actually decided. The first without the second is a handshake deal — warm, well-intentioned, and hard to prove when memories diverge three weeks later.