What You See Counts
Make sure to ask the parents if there are any pets in the house before babysitting. Even if they’re on the other side of the house, some people have talking parrots that can still communicate with you. When it gets dark, it’s possible that they have a cat who enjoys snuggling with you on the couch.
As an alternative, you could be trying to watch a movie while they have an extremely frightened dog lurking around. Pet owners know that strange noises and scratches that can be attributed to a living creature are not at all frightening.