Woman Keeps Traveling By Taking Care Of Other People’s Cats, And These 68 New Pics Show The Reality Of The Job

Asked how her experience with cat sitting and traveling has changed over the past three years, she told Bored Panda: “This is a really interesting question because I was told by U.S. immigration officers that unpaid house and pet sitting requires a work visa, despite the fact that I am not being paid to house sit. This really complicated things for me because I had house and cat sits booked that I had to cancel. Since then, I only house and cat sit in places where I am authorized to work.”

“That’s why I chose to get a working holiday visa for Canada, so I could house and cat sit without issues, and also have the option to get a paid job if I wanted. Unfortunately, the U.S. doesn’t offer a working holiday visa, nor does the U.S. government issue work visas specifically for house and pet sitting.”

She shared some of the most memorable moments or cats from this new batch of photos: “I’ve met some of the most memorable cats in recent years. Henry and Josie from Toronto stand out. Henry loves human food, and I even have videos of him stealing some of my McDonald’s fries and the soft-boiled egg from my ramen.”

“His adoptive sister Josie isn’t as interested in human food, but she absolutely loves blankets. Their home had blankets everywhere just for her, and she would even nap under them on a 35°C day. Every night, they would sleep on either side of me, and if I slept in or took a nap, they usually joined me. Their owners even had ‘Henry’ and ‘Josie’ T-shirts made, and they gave me a ‘Henry’ one when I sat for them a second time. After caring for Henry, I now really want a ginger cat of my own.”

She also shared another memorable pair: “Another memorable pair were Ragdoll siblings Jaws and Killer. Much like Little Dolly Parton, these two have very unique names. They remind me of marshmallows or clouds because they’re so fluffy, soft, and sweet. I’ve looked after them three or four times, and the last time I cared for them, the owner messaged me saying something like, ‘Jaws has spent all day looking for you! She misses Maddie!’”

And there was another duo she’s returned to again and again: “Maisy and Klaus from Melbourne, Australia, are another unforgettable duo. I’ve cared for them three times now, including Christmas 2024 and Christmas 2025. They were found as kittens discarded in a cardboard box along with two siblings. All four ended up at a local rescue. Maisy and Klaus were adopted together, and the other two kittens found forever homes with other people. Maisy and Klaus love to follow you around and see what you’re doing. They’re quite cheeky, but I put that down to them still being young. They’re only a little over one year old now. Both of them enjoy chewing cardboard boxes, destroying one of the lounge chairs, and birdwatching from the home office.”

Madolline also described a more unexpected moment from a sit in Perth, Australia: “A more heartwarming memory that comes to mind is when I had just started a house sit in Perth, Australia. About two hours after the owners left for the airport, I heard a really odd meow coming from outside. Given these cats were indoor–outdoor cats, I thought maybe one of them had been locked out and wanted to come in. I went downstairs to find it wasn’t either of the cats I was looking after. It was a fluffy grey cat. I put some food and water out for him, and the dry food was gone within seconds.”

“The owners didn’t recognize this cat, so I decided to post in a local lost pets group on Facebook. The post got a lot of interest, but I wasn’t able to find his owner. Someone from a local rescue messaged me and came over a few days later to take the cat to the shelter she fosters for. That Friday afternoon, the foster career and I walked around the neighborhood putting up ‘Is this your cat?’ fliers.”

Asked if she has noticed anything different in herself or her approach since the last article, she told Bored Panda: “As I said in response to question one, I am now aware of the visa and working rules around house and pet sitting, so I only house and pet sit where I am authorized to work. I was able to get a two-year working holiday visa for Canada, which allowed me to spend 10–11 months in Canada in between returning home to Australia for a few months at a time. I would’ve done between 10 and 15 sits all over the country, and I was able to get a remote job for a Canadian travel company, which meant I could continue on with my house-sitting adventures and earn money at the same time. I also formed some close friendships with the people I house sat for in Canada, and I would love to go back and see them.”

When we inquired if Madolline was met with any challenges or surprises she didn’t expect, she said: “I have looked after a handful of problematic cats in recent years. The owners didn’t reveal the true extent of the issues and/or the ‘quirks’ of their cats’ personalities. While I love looking after cats, it can really ruin the experience when people aren’t upfront about these kinds of things.”

“Some owners also expect a lot from what is essentially an unpaid labor arrangement. House-sitting ads now say things like their pet can’t be left alone for more than two hours at a time, or the owners want their sitter to pay for utilities. New house and pet sitters might think these kinds of rules are commonplace, when house and pet sitting is meant to be a fair exchange.”

Our team also wanted to know if she had any advice she’d give to someone who wants to combine travel with pet care, she said: “I recently published a new frequently asked questions post on my website and I think it gives would-be house and pet sitters some good insight into things they might want to know about house sitting. House and pet sitting has also become a lot more competitive. While this isn’t a problem for me, it does make it difficult for people starting out when they have no reviews. My final bit of advice, as always, would be to ensure you love pets.”