To think this house sitter was bloody cheeky?

[Littlefluffyclouds81]

My DM recently got a house sitter for 10 days whilst we all went on holiday. She had used her once before and all seemed fine. She seemed very professional - took detailed information about all the animals, signed contracts, she is fully insured etc.

She was supposed to sleep at my DM's house each night, although my DM was aware that she would need to pop back here and there to exercise her own dogs (she lives with her parents).

She was paid over £600, and for that she had to look after 2 dogs and feed a cat. There are also 2 horses at my mum's, my mum's horse who is a big cob, and my daughter's pony. She wasn't expected to do anything with the horses.

While we were away the house sitter emailed to ask if it would be ok if her partner's kids came to meet the horses. My DM said that was fine. When we got back, my mum had a good chat with her and the house sitter said that the kids had come over and groomed my mum's horse, but not my daughter's pony because she was grumpy (she is grumpy).

I was the first to go into the tack room, and noticed that the bridles weren't in the right place. I didn't really think anything of it. But today my DM said that there is grease on the bottom of her saddle, from where the saddle pad hasn't been put on properly and it has rubbed the horse, which she wouldn't do. Also her bridle had been done up all wrong. The stirrups on both saddles were at different lengths to how they'd been left by Us. She suspected that the house sitter had taken the kids riding on our horses. This was confirmed when she went for a ride around the village today and a neighbour (who has booked the same house sitter) said that the house sitter had emailed a picture with the kid sat on her horse!

Not only is riding someone's horses without their permission incredibly rude, it is also a really stupid thing to do. She knew nothing about our horses, they could have had any kind of quirks, and putting 2 kids on them (when she doesn't appear to know much about horses herself) was just bloody dangerous.

Not only that, but my DM said there's no way that the bed was slept in for 10 nights, so she suspects that the house sitter had left the dogs overnight which she wasn't supposed to do.

WWYD? I absolutely think that something should be said to the house sitter, but my DM is veering towards leaving it, and just locking the tack room if she uses her again! She was paid a lot of money, and in my opinion, took the piss.

She's just trying to cover herself because she knows she's in the shit.
I don't think you're being vindictive at all. If someone abused my animals there would be hell to pay.

Is this still going on? Been away for 2 weeks and still in active lists

My friends dh is in the military and isn't allowed on FB - not is she allowed to have pics of him on hers (or anyone's FB)

I get you are pissed off. What the sitter did was wrong and yes if she is using her BF employment to get jobs herself as he is a reputable person etc then again wrong

But the agreement was with her. Not him. You need to see her insurance documents or ring up the company who she is with (if a house sitting one - like I have a nanny /maternity nurse one via MORTON MICHEL )

Think you mentioned an Union she is with/your mum contacted - what else have they said?

I'm sorry about the cat. They were poorly and could have died when your mum was back - but agree sounds like she neglected the cat

It will be he said /she said - in the end if nothing was written down then will be hard to prove either way about riding the horses

Shameless place marking!

Has she come clean re insurance yet?

Not as far as I know. She didn't send it with her letter, despite being asked. She did mention in the letter that she was adequately insured, and that her insurance wasn't with NARPS, but didn't care to mention who it was that she was insured with, so she is being very cagey about it.

How are things now OP, any update?

Her justifications are sounding more hollow by the minute. If there had been, as she claims, tacit permission to ride the horses, then surely your mum would have had a conversation with her about "dos and don'ts" and specific information about the horses' foibles.

This analogy might have been given upthread, but it's a bit like if there was a car parked in a garage on the property. A house-sitter might have been asked to check it was still there, or even, at a push, turn the engine over once or twice during the period. Would they then have been justified in taking the car out for a spin round the locality? Of course not. That would not have been assumed. So why does she think that riding these horses was OK?

Can't believe this is still going on. For what it's worth op I think youve done the right thing.

I house sit for people occasionally. Some have horses. I ride but would no way think to tack up a strangers horse unless a) specifically given express written permission and b) knew what said horse was like. And had ridden it before with owner present.

The most I've done is just pop to stables check they have food and water and maybe give a bit them a scratch/pat. And have a chat.

Exactly clam, that's the angle we're going for.

My mum has been crazy busy the last couple of weeks, and we've had family bereavements so she hasn't had a chance to do much about it all, but it definitely hasn't been forgotten. Her partner has written a comprehensive list of things they want her to answer, my mum is now away for a few days but I promise I will update when there's some news.

P.S. My mum has a new kitten and he is an absolute terrorist but utterly adorable.

Now that is one cute kitten. What breed?

He's half Burmese, which is the same as the cat she had who died recently. He rules the roost already, the dogs are terrified of him, and he has his own living room fenced off from the dogs, with every kind of kitten toy imaginable. He luxuriates in there like the Lord of the manor.

If I came back to my cat in that state I wouldn't be responsible for my actions. She clearly didn't set eyes on it the entire time. Knowing it was an unwell cat that could require extra attention. I'd throw any book I could at her the heartless lazy cow.

That new cat looks like trouble. Like that naughty Russian spy cat from Cats and Dogs. I'd watch it. It'll be tacking up the horses and deliberately peeing on bathmats.

He looks absolutely gorgeous, Littlefluffy. And he would get on well with our cat - who has both dogs firmly under his paw. And will now only eat tuna in spring water, and leaves home if the catering is not Up To Standard.

Oh, and he bites you if you stroke him too much/not enough/the wrong way - so one of his nicknames is CatBastard. His other nickname is The Dark Overlord.

Im in love with that cute kitten!!!!

I love him too. He offers kitten acupuncture, as standard, if you want to stroke him. He was going to be called Callaghan, but dd2 can't say that so he's now Cat-A-Ham .

She's been sent another email, asking for the third time for her insurance documents. I'll let you know when she responds.

Burmese cats are the best!

Attack mode!

Cute pussy 💓

Monster, monstahhhh!

Our two

Cat-A-Ham hasn't quite worked out that IN the sun is the best place for a cat to be. Your two seem to have nailed it. This is him today.

I will try to stop posting pictures of him, but he's so bloody cute I could eat him.

There was no-one in when I went over earlier so not sure about house sitter updates. I'm dying to know if she's replied to the last email, and what bollocks she has come out with if she has.

OK - bit of an update and to be honest it's a bit of a shit one.

This is the official response from NARPS regarding their conclusion of what happened:

Just to let you know, the complaint response has now been completed and a letter has been sent out to the member.

NarpsUK will only assess any complaint against a breach of its Terms and Conditions or Code of Practice which have both been approved by the RSPCA.

In the instance of the pets urinating in the property, there will be no further action due to this being a risk associated with pet ownership and sitting. Both pets appear to have past issues with this so we cannot consider this as part of the complaint.

With regards to the pet sitter not being at the property overnight, again this is not something that we can issue a warning on, as the member has confirmed to us that she was at the property for the duration of the visits. Unless evidence can be provided that she was not there, we cannot consider this either.

Lastly, with regards to the horses, there seems to be conflicting information from either party regarding the use of the horses, so we cannot issue a warning on this issue. However, we are aware that despite Ms XXXXXX confirming she has insurance in place for horses, business insurance would not cover a child, and therefore a first warning has been issued on the basis of this.

We hope that you feel that this is a satisfactory outcome for your complaint.

That house sitter is getting away with murder. (Well, the cat did die and suffered unnecessarily in her last days).

Name and shame and local press would be my next call. And that's very unlike me but someone has to stop this woman!