{"id":8357,"date":"2026-05-01T04:55:34","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T03:55:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/?p=8357"},"modified":"2026-05-01T04:55:34","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T03:55:34","slug":"pet-sitting-allows-us-to-live-rent-free-and-travel-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/?p=8357","title":{"rendered":"Pet-sitting allows us to live rent-free and travel the world"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">As many young people struggle with the cost of living, a couple have managed to live rent-free for three years, and travel the world.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">By looking after people&#8217;s pets, Hannah Cleaver, 25 and husband Jack, 22, have even been able to save about \u00a31,000 a month, while visiting countries such as the US, Singapore, Australia, Thailand and Japan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Their adventures have included hearing a husky sing when its owner returned to Seattle, while they were stuck in Hawaii for two weeks after Hannah accidentally ticked she was a criminal on an immigration form.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">What begun as a temporary solution to avoid high rental costs in Cardiff after they finished studying at the University of South Wales has now become a lifestyle choice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Free rent, free bills and we get to look after their pets and to us that was a very good exchange,&#8221; Hannah said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;It&#8217;s like we are making little friends.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">After graduating, the couple, from Merthyr Tydfil, secured full-time jobs, but struggled to find accommodation they could afford in Wales&#8217; capital.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Most landlords also wanted proof of months of income, and Hannah added: &#8220;The places we looked at this year were around \u00a3900 a month before bills.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;For students, that&#8217;s impossible without working constantly.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">After seeing a video on TikTok about pet-sitting, the couple were sceptical at first, thinking it would be strange, and potentially even dangerous, moving into the homes of total strangers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">But Jack&#8217;s job in marketing allowed him to work remotely, so they decided to give it a go over the summer, focusing on Cardiff and Swansea.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Then they got a three month booking in the September, which made them realise it could become a longer-term arrangement.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Hannah and Jack are together holding the Wales flag. They are in front of a green field and large mountain. The sky is an orangish and yellowish colour as the sun is starting to set. \" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/r_d0Qg8xIf9yuLPEMTZ.WQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/a6eeaa743081bcde9fea9f7bf18ba7b8\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Hannah and Jack were both 22 when they started pet-sitting and have been able to travel the world [Hannah Cleaver]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">After saving enough money, the couple spent a year pet-sitting abroad, visiting countries in Asia and North America, plus Australia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">They picked up the etiquettes of different countries &#8211; such as having to carry bottled water in Japan to rinse pavements after the dog they were looking after relieved themselves.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;The owner taught us basic Japanese phrases for dog\u2011walking,&#8221; Jack added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;We&#8217;d be using hand gestures half the time, but people were lovely.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Hannah and Jack are smiling towards the camera and are next to each other. They are both wearing a red and black university gown. Jack is also wearing a light green suit. \" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/hZb2ixzTSzDyZspGMtL8cA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/01b47d08c0883f2921dc18c67c66afcc\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>The couple graduated in 2021 from the University of South Wales, and since then have been adventuring while pet-sitting [Hannah Cleaver]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The fact it was classed as volunteering also meant they didn&#8217;t have to pay additional Visa costs in many of the countries they visited.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;You really see local culture when you&#8217;re walking someone else&#8217;s dog every day,&#8221; said Hannah.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;You&#8217;re not just a tourist \u2014 you&#8217;re living there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;We are doing new things everyday and brings more of an adventurous side to us.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"A black cat with green eyes is laying next to a rainbow striped paper bag that says &amp;#39;for Oreo, to be opened on 2nd April (her 15th birthday).&amp;#39;\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/yaQGvObS.yQgHJKzsYDUgQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/68b8dc1d4124b9b2bd83b52fe89da9c9\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Responsibilities include making a pet&#8217;s birthday as special as possible when their owner is away [Hannah Cleaver]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">While they don&#8217;t get paid for pet-sitting, it means they don&#8217;t have to worry about rent or bills.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Hannah has since returned to university to study for a Masters&#8217; degree in film, with the free accommodation taking away some of the financial pressure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Robert Alexander, from Cardiff, is one of the pet owners who has had the couple stay in his house a number of times.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">They have been looking after his cat Oreo &#8211; and had the important job of giving her a gift on her 15th birthday, earlier this month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I&#8217;ve definitely noticed rent going up, particularly in Cardiff, it&#8217;s hard not to at the moment,&#8221; Robert said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I think students have it pretty tough financially at the moment, so if offering a place to stay makes things a bit easier for someone.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8221; I&#8217;m more than happy to be part of that.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Jack is petting a black and white poodle type of dog that is fluffy. The dog is touching its nose and sitting. \" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/eBPUNLx0lluCC9Up9w447g--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/29853e3effd18096b2a31133d17dc08f\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Pet-sitting has allowed them to save money while seeing the world [Hannah Cleaver]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The pair have been taking bookings several months in advance and have been able to pet-sit without gaps.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">While they enjoy the lifestyle, the couple feel the lack of long-term stability is the biggest downside.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;We don&#8217;t always know where we&#8217;ll be next month,&#8221; Hannah said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Some people would hate that. But we like the adventure.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Their plan is to continue pet-sitting until Hannah finishes her studies and they are able to afford a house deposit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">But for now, they are enjoying the bonds they build with the dogs and cats &#8211; and ensuring owners don&#8217;t have to worry about their cherished animals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Some we&#8217;ve stayed with six or seven times,&#8221; Jack said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;It&#8217;s lovely \u2014 the pets recognise us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;One husky in Seattle literally sang when his owner came back. It was hilarious.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As many young people struggle with the cost of living, a couple have managed to live rent-free for three years, and travel the world. By looking after people&#8217;s pets, Hannah Cleaver, 25 and husband Jack, 22, have even been able to save about \u00a31,000 a month, while visiting countries such as the US, Singapore, Australia, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8358,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[6134,3206,13256,13255,10785,8769,679,1459,13253,6563,1130,1124,11916,7788,693,13251,1271,506,1736,44,67,320,992,13249,115,66,3205,13252,6185,2528,13257,984,13250,2135,694,13254,2199,5093,4251,557],"class_list":["post-8357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pets-news","tag-australia","tag-bills","tag-cardiff","tag-cleaver","tag-costs","tag-countries","tag-couple","tag-free","tag-free-travel","tag-hannah","tag-husky","tag-jack","tag-japan","tag-lifestyle","tag-live","tag-live-rent","tag-living","tag-making","tag-month","tag-owner","tag-pe-ts-fun","tag-people","tag-pet","tag-pet-sitting","tag-pets","tag-pets-news","tag-rent","tag-rent-free","tag-returned","tag-save","tag-seattle","tag-sitting","tag-sitting-live","tag-south","tag-travel","tag-travel-world","tag-university","tag-visiting","tag-wales","tag-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8357"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8357\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}