As a sitter with 17 years of experience, treating every home and pet (and plants, too) with care and respect goes without saying. It isn’t difficult, and it means the difference between a glowing review and a less-than-glowing review.

This can be done in a variety of ways.

Topping my list (after making sure the animals and plants stay alive during my stay) is to leave a home as clean as I found it. Leaving it cleaner than I found it is even better. Keeping it clean throughout the sit is part of my daily routine, even if the homeowner has a regularly scheduled housekeeper — and most in Mexico do. Housekeepers and gardeners, by the way, are not shy about sharing your behavior and habits with the homeowner.

Homeowners have shared many stories about former house sitters, both the good and bad. My favorite stories are about those sitters who rearrange furniture to suit their needs and peculiarities and/or do not return items — mostly kitchen appliances — to their original places. A Queretaro couple told me about one woo-woo sitter (their description, not mine) who felt the feng shui was askew in their dining room, rearranged the furniture to his liking, and left it that way for the returning couple to trip over. If you are so inclined, I’d suggest you take a photo in advance of any rearranging to make sure that you are able to return things to their original positions. Ditto for kitchen appliances.

Some signs of respect are obvious, or should be: no wild parties or sketchy house guests. No rummaging through drawers. No raiding the liquor cabinet.

On a positive note, I offer a few tips to help make your housesitting/pet sitting experience run smoothly and also ensure a happy homeowner (and a positive review) upon his or her return. The fewer panicky calls for help the better; the homeowner is, after all, on vacation and has left you in charge, not to hold your hand during your stay.

Gas, power and water

Familiarize yourself with the location of the gas tank, monitor it, and know how to order more gas if it runs out. Also know the locations of the water heater (and how to relight the pilot light should it go out), of the electrical box, and of the main water line and how to shut it off.

Keys

No key. No entry. I always test the front door key before leaving a house for the first time. The one time I didn’t, it turned out the homeowner had left me the wrong key. I had to find a locksmith who then made a key on site (makes you wonder about that profession) so I could reenter the home. And always have that front-door key with you. When those big metal Mexican doors bang shut, they lock pets inside and house-sitters outside.

Repair it or replace it

If you use up something, say a bottle of ketchup or wine, replace it. I keep an inventory of things I’ve used up and replace them before leaving. If you break something, either repair it or replace it. If it’s something big (the glass door on a woodstove cracked while I was sitting before it, and a blender blew up while I was making margaritas) fess up. Offer to pay for it. Don’t try to hide it.

Lastly, and to make big points with the homeowner, before departing wash the towels and sheets and make up the bed you’ve been sleeping in. And clean the toilets,

As for the pets left under your care? Treating them with respect and care is far more basic.

Pet owners want to see their pets alive and well upon their return. Your job, which should be outlined clearly in written directions ideally, is to feed, walk, pet, play with and administer medications. I’ve looked after dozens of dogs and cats and have become far too familiar with both ends of their furry bodies while dabbing ointments, squirting drops and inserting pills fore and aft.

Most dogs adapt quickly to having a stranger fill in for their long-standing owners. After a few bowls of food and a few walks, we’re old friends. Yet, as quickly as they are to adapt to a stranger, they are equally quick to return their affection and loyalty to their rightful owners. As for cats? Always hard to tell what’s going on in their heads. That’s part of their feline charm and mystique.

Animals like their routine, which I follow, based on the pet owner’s directions.

I’ve cared for a variety of pets over the years: dogs, cats, chickens, geese (beware!), reptiles and fish. I admit I have a particular fondness for burros. Most animals like being spoken to (and not necessarily in that baby-talk people tend to fall into), petted, brushed and played with. I don’t go for that dog-whisperer business, although I do think dogs and cats like it when I play classical music.

Lastly, don’t overlook the plants. To some homeowners, their plants are their pets. Don’t laugh. These homeowners expect to see their plants — those inside and outside — alive when they return home. Many homeowners have gardeners, good gardeners, in addition to housekeepers. But during Mexico’s hotter months, plants need additional watering and extra care. Be sure to look for those indoor plants hidden away in spare rooms. Make sure they are watered, too.

And you might want to talk to them once in a while, when nobody’s looking.

Patrick Timothy Mullikin is a 10-year+ member of HouseSitMexico. He has sat for more than 40 homeowners in Mexico, Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland and the United States and has cared for dozens of pets. When not house-sitting/pet-sitting/plant-sitting, he is out walking the many Caminos de Santiago in Spain and Portugal and is a volunteer at the Oficina del Peregrino, Catedral de Santiago de Compostela.