My husband, kids and I are (hopefully) going interstate to a wedding next year and will be away for up to a week. We have an elderly dog, an aquarium of goldfish and a pet mouse and I was thinking that we might get a pet/house sitter instead of using our usual kennels. I have a very trustworthy 19 y.o. in mind (family friend). I was just wondering if anyone can offer advice on their experiences. How much would you offer to pay a teenager to live at your house, collect mail, and feed the pets? (No exercising the pets required as the dog has paralysis.) A former colleague of mine used to house sit for no charge as she was getting free rent, but I feel like it's a bit different for a teenager who doesn't pay rent because they live at home with their parents.