There’s no better place to spend Halloween weekend than alone at a home far outside the city limits – complete with a full moon, howling coyotes, friendly bobcat, and a sweet pooch dressed up as Max from The Grinch who Stole Christmas 😉
The last time I had the pleasure of caring for this sweet wiry terrier mix was a couple years ago. I always enjoy watching her because she is simply the cutest, most kind, and mellow animal I have ever encountered.
She is just a go-with-the-flow type of dog that tolerates me staying up late, lets me sleep in, and is happy to just hang out with me and take walks around the property a couple times a day. And she’s so good about staying nearby that I never have to worry about her wandering off. She’s simply the best and I can’t wait to sit her again.
Duties: – Care for 1 dog – Check mail – Take her on daily walks around the property
Unexpected Benefits and/or Realizations:
– I love repeat sits! Being this was the 2nd time sitting this dog (and third time sitting at this house), it was easy peasy! I love doing multiple sits as everything is already familiar and pets and their owners are typically more relaxed.
Unexpected Events and/or Challenges:
– None! Except sometimes the nighttime noises that are typical of an unfamiliar house and rural location can be somewhat scary. Of course I amplified my nerves by watching multiple Halloween-themed movies in celebration of Halloween weekend 😉
I’ve encountered my fair share of cuddly critters, but these two dogs took the cake; they were practically stuck to me like glue! But after many months of social distancing and little-to-no human contact, I was happy to provide them with the cuddles they demanded.
While they required much attention, these two pups were a lovely distraction from the monotony that the Coronavirus pandemic caused.
One dog was an older (somewhat moody) miniature Pinscher Chihuahua mix breed, called a Chipin, and the other was a Silky Terrier. This was my first time caring for them and I was looking forward to taking them for many walks and overall spending a good deal of time outdoors enjoying the last month of Summer. Unfortunately, just like my last sit, the weather was too hot to spend much time outside. Additionally, nearby forest fires caused the air quality to reach extremely unhealthy levels so I did not feel comfortable taking the dogs on many walks either.
So sadly, most of the 3 weeks we spent together included a lot of time indoors, just cuddling or playing tug of war with a piece of cloth or whatever makeshift toy we could create. We certainly made do.
Happily, I plan on watching these two cuddle bugs again very soon and plan on taking them to some of my favorite hiking spots now that summer/fire season is over – the Chipin and I could use some outdoor activity to lose a bit of that Covid-weight 😉
Duties: – Care for 2 dogs – Bathe the dogs weekly – Take them on daily walks (when temp and air quality allowed)
Unexpected Benefits and/or Realizations:
– Given how stressful 2020 has been, it was nice to have these sweet pups upon which to shower and receive affection when I needed a break from work or other “adulting” activities. I could feel the stress leaving my body every time I had one of these doggies in my arms. Dogs really are good for your health!
Unexpected Events and/or Challenges:
– As often happens when dogs get nervous being separated from their owners, the Chipin had a couple bouts of nausea and vomiting during the first week or so. Needless to say, I had to clean the carpet a couple times. But it was okay – I just gave her extra love and affection and towards the end of the sit, she was a calm and happy girl.
Calm, quiet, and peaceful; this is how I would describe the handful of days I spent at this idyllic retirement community with a sweet Black Tri Australian Shepherd.
I’d also use the word “hot” to describe this sit as temperatures reached 100˚F or more almost everyday. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good summer heat wave (especially while staying in a beautiful air conditioned home like this one) but holy guacamole the weather was spicy!! The electric company warned of scheduled power outages which had me a bit nervous, but thankfully the power stayed on the entire sit. I was also a tad nervous for a couple days when thunderstorms rolled through the area which brought the threat of “dry lightening” and consequently fire danger. But thankfully, no fires started (at least not in this immediate area).
Sadly, the heat (and sporadic thunder) kept my canine companion and myself indoors for much of this sit; which was unfortunate as there are several dog-friendly hiking trails nearby. But in the early mornings and evenings, when the weather cooperated, I took us on short walks so we could stretch our legs a bit without overheating.
My hope is that I get to come back and spend more time with this sweet Shepherd during a cooler season so she and I can do some proper outdoor hiking and exploration together. She’s a bit of a shy dog and can be somewhat nervous on the leash, but my hope is that, with subsequent sits, she’ll become more comfortable with me and trust me to protect her as her stand-in pack-leader 🙂
Duties: – Care for 1 dog – Hand water a few plants – Take out trash – Assist a neighbor who was out of town by unlocking and locking her home so workers could access her home.
Unexpected Benefits and/or Realizations:
– I’ve had bad experiences with aggressive Australian Shepherds and wasn’t sure how this Australian Shepherd would compare. After time spent with her, I’m reminded that aggressiveness has much to do with a dog that has not been properly trained or socialized. The owner of this dog has done a wonderful job raising her to be a friendly and gentle pet.
Unexpected Events and/or Challenges:
– None! This was a very easy and enjoyable sit. I suppose other sitters might have found it challenging to interact with this dog for the first few days given how shy/introverted she is. But since I am also introverted (and very patient) I happily gave her the time and space she needed and sure enough, she eventually came around!
From the top of the steep vineyard, I surveyed the valley below and watched the sun sink behind the North Coast Ranges. The landscape, which had been washed in a golden hue, was now tinted with a subtle shade of cornflower blue as the lights of Cloverdale began to flicker below. I breathed in the warm evening air heavy with the scent dried grass, and my worries melted away.
While I typically do not accept sitting jobs that are less than 10 days long, I was happy to make an exception this time. Due to the Coronavirus, I had been sheltering in place for months and desperately needed a change of scenery. I also needed a break from the constant low-level stress that had taken up residence in my chest ever since the pandemic began. I knew that spending a couple days alone in the quiet countryside was exactly the mental and physical escape I needed.
The two dogs I had the pleasure of caring for were as sweet as could be and very well behaved. The younger of the two was a loving and patient watchdog that alerted me to any uninvited guests. The older was a small, sweet, blind, and deaf dog who loved morning walks to the mailbox (followed by a well-deserved nap… or two).
I certainly hope the owners invite me to sit for them again… and next time I hope it’s for a bit longer. Although too long and I may never want to leave 😉
Duties: – Care for 2 dogs – Water the vegetable garden – Gather mail
Unexpected Benefits and/or Realizations:
– Stars, stars, and more stars! While I was lucky enough to grow up in the country and spend many nights looking up at a diamond-filled sky, I’ve lived in the city too long and forgot how beautiful it can be. This home was just far enough away from the city lights to reveal a good amount of stars – and to remind me why I need to move back to the country.
– I have never taken care of an elderly dog that was almost blind and fairly deaf. I was a bit nervous at first, but quickly realized he could navigate much better than I anticipated, especially with some auditory assistance. I experimented with shuffling/stomping my feet as I walked when I wanted him to follow me. To help him follow me and navigate around objects, I discovered it worked well if I clapped my hands a few inches above the ground as I walked.
Unexpected Events and/or Challenges:
– Vineyards are beautiful, but require a lot of maintenance. On my second night, there were workers in the vineyard all night long. While the workers were not very loud, the commotion caused the dogs to erupt into barking fits every couple hours throughout the night which required me to get out of bed to calm them. Needless to say, it was not the most restful night. Still, it was a small price to pay.
Who knew that a group of cats is called a clowder?! I certainly didn’t. But I was happy to be able to care for this clowder of seven during my visit to beautiful Grinnell this October.
Autumn is without a doubt my favorite season. I’ve been lucky enough to be able to experience it in many places around the world, but this is the first time I have enjoyed it in the Midwest. It’s now confirmed, Fall is the best season… albeit a tad bipolar out here. During my time here, the weather fluctuated from the high 60s to the high 20s. From sunshine to thunderstorms – it’s never a dull moment here in good ol’ Iowa!
Before the weather turned cooler, I was able to visit a local farm where I picked a pumpkin and navigated my way through a corn maze – two of my favorite Fall activities! Once it turned cold, I was very content to stay indoors with the cats, making stew and pumpkin pies from scratch – two more of my favorite Fall activities! I have many 😉
Warm soup, fresh pie, hot tea, and a cat cuddled up next to me on a cold rainy day – what more could a gal want??
Duties: – Care for 7 cats (3 indoor and 4 outdoor) – Provide supplements to some of the cats during feedings – Empty dehumidifier daily
Unexpected Benefits and/or Realizations:
– Except for the one skittish/finicky cat, the cats were independent and very easy to care for. They were content to amuse themselves by batting around their toys and chasing each other around the house. The best part? They didn’t chew on any of my charging cables and the boys didn’t spray on any of my belongings! I think for a while I was getting a bit unlucky because both of these things had started happening. But these cats were perfectly behaved! 😀
Unexpected Events and/or Challenges:
– While it was not unexpected because the owners informed me that one of the cats was a finicky eater, I don’t think I realized just HOW finicky she is. She requires someone to sit with her and give her lots of love before she is willing to eat her food, and even then, she just eats little bits at a time. What made it harder is that she is also scared of new people so it took her a couple days to want to come near me. Needless to say, we eventually became great friends and she didn’t starve, but the first few days were a bit challenging. – Apparently it’s been a while since I have cared for cats because somehow I forgot that cats throw up. It’s just a thing. It’s fine except for when they throw up on top of a nice wood dining table in a corner of the house I don’t utilize. I got lucky and spotted it not long after it happened. And now I do frequent sweeps of the house just to be sure.
I was absolutely thrilled to be back in Victoria, not only because it’s one of the prettiest places in the world, but also because this time I was able to bring my mother with me!
Whenever possible, my retired mother joins me on my housesitting adventures. Unfortunately she was not able to tag along on my last sit in British Columbia, but after all the stories I shared with her about my time there, she was determined to come along this trip. I suppose dangling the promise of receiving cuddles from one of the sweetest poodles in the world kinda sealed the deal 😉
Sure enough, my mom fell head over heals in love with my old poodle pal. She would take her for morning walks, cuddle her in the evenings, and brush her curly hair after I gave her baths. In fact, by the time we had to leave, my mom was so smitten that she refused to say goodbye to the dog for fear she would start crying – oh my sweet, sentimental mother.
It was great being able to share this experience with my mom and make some lasting memories. It was also great having her help in feeding and walking the dog on days I got a little busy with work. She also helped me teach the poodle a couple new commands – “shake” and “down”. And of course, the couple day trips the 3 of us went on were a lot of fun. Some of the spots where we took “our sweet little lamb” included downtown Victoria (Red Fish Blue Fish), Mount Douglas Park, Butchart Gardens, downtown Sidney, Beacon Hill Park, Moss Street Market, Uplands Park, and of course a bunch of local beaches.
Needless to say, we are looking forward to our next visit. Until, then, we will miss our poodle princess!!
Duties: – Care for 1 dog (including daily walks of 3+ miles) – Keep 2 orchids alive (my Achilles’ green thumb!) – Be at the house to meet with landscapers and give them access to areas of the property as needed – Receive mail deliveries – Coordinate with a neighbor who kindly offered to watch the poodle for the 18 hr gap in time between when we had to leave and the owners returned – Leave the home in the spotless condition in was in when we arrived
Unexpected Benefits and/or Realizations:
– My sweet poodle pal remembered me! Even though it had been 14 months since my last sit, she remembered me – and that made me SO happy!! It also made this sit much easier as it can take time to adjust to a new pet and their personality. But in this case “my sweet little lamb” and I were quickly able to fall back into our friendship and established routines.
Unexpected Events and/or Challenges:
– I had forgotten how much this poodle likes to eat everything she sees. There were a couple times she got a hold of something on the beach and I had to chase after her to attempt to get her to drop it.* One of the times I didn’t see what she had eaten. Needless to say, there were a handful of days I was a bit nervous and kept a closer eye on her to make sure she was didn’t come down with any ill side-effects from her gluttonous behavior. * I only let her off-leash in areas where it was legal, safe, and where I know her owners were ok with.
Sunny “Sactown” is the best place to kick off summer. With temperatures in the 90s and a private pool at my disposal, I was as happy as a pig in mud.
Just as last time, I had no pets to care for during this sit. Maintaining the water quality of the homeowner’s pool was again my main focus. And, just as last time, before the homeowner left on his trip, the hot weather caused his pool to turn green. Thankfully, with the experience I gained from trying to de-algae the pool last time, I was able to get the pool back in tip-top shape in no time.
Other than the pool, my only other job was to hand-water some indoor and outdoor potted plants and make sure the grass was getting enough water. Easy-peasy!
Duties: – Maintain swimming pool (including fixing the algae issue) – Water plants – Gather Mail
Unexpected Benefits and/or Realizations:
– My sentiments remain the same as my last sit: “While I love watching pets during sits, it was a nice change of pace (and quite relaxing) that the only living things I had to care for were plants.”
Unexpected Events and/or Challenges:
– Again I am reminded of how much maintenance a pool requires. I certainly love having one to use in the summer but remain adamant that I will never own one of my own. I’ll just be sure to sit for people who own one 😉
No, I’m not referring to a popular fraternity chant that encourages speedy consumption of alcohol; I’m referring to the adorable breed of dog I’ve had the pleasure of caring for multiple times this year – a Chug (Chihuahua + Pug)!
I’ve known this petite pooch for almost 8 years now, dating back to when I became friends with his owner. She and I still laugh about the day I met her and her Chug.
It was a beautiful weekend so she had invited me over to her home for a glass of wine. We were sitting in her backyard having a proper wine country afternoon when, over her shoulder, I see her Chug humping her other small dog. I tried to ignore it, but it was such an energetic mounting that I just couldn’t look away. I think I kept my composure for all of two seconds before cracking a smile and alerting my new friend to what was occurring. We both start laughing as she explained that it happens all the time. We discovered we had the same opinion in regards to such situations – just let the dogs do what they’re going to do and get a good chuckle out of it. We’ve been friends since 🙂
Every now and again I have the opportunity to watch my friend’s Chug when she goes out of town for the weekend. He’s such a chill little guy who is happy to simply hang out with me as I work on my computer. And he’s so patient with me when I’m shoving my iphone in his face so that I can send his mommy photo updates.
Even though I know he’ll never love me even a tiny fraction as much as he does his human momma, we always manage to have a good time together. Looking forward to next time!
Duties: – Care for 1 male dog – Daily Walk – Give pills 2-3 times per day
Unexpected Benefits and/or Realizations:
– He’s a very mellow, independent dog so he was content spending much of the day napping on his mommy’s bed. As long as I took him for a short walk around the neighborhood every day, he was happy. So, needless to say, he was very easy to care for!
Unexpected Events and/or Challenges:
– Sadly, he’s getting a bit older and seems to be a bit confused and/or fearful at times so he has nipped at me unexpectedly. But it’s never been hard and has never broken the skin. I can tell he means no harm. It just means I need to be extra sensitive to his space and comfort level.
“Kia Ora!” This Māori language greeting translates to “be well or healthy”. It’s impossible to come to New Zealand without learning this phrase not only because it’s commonly used by its citizens, but also because a feeling of health and well-being is impossible not to have while exploring this pristine landscape.
I was thrilled to have the opportunity to sit in New Zealand – and bring my mother along! This country had been on our bucket lists for a long time so I am happy we were able to share this experience together.
We decided to arrive 10 days before the sit began so we could scratch our tourist itch. We rented a car and drove around the north island, checking off some of the most common tourist to-dos.
✔ Auckland City
✔ Snorkeling in the Bay of Islands
✔ Glow Worms
✔ Polynesian Spa (mineral springs)
✔ Hot Water Beach
✔ Cathedral Cove
✔ Hamilton Gardens
✔ Cape Reinga
✔ Māori Cultural Experience
By the time we completed everything on our list, we were exhausted and very much looking forward to arriving at the house-sit and having a month to just… be. The home is located in a lovely suburb in East Auckland, walking distance to multiple beaches. While the location made this a wonderful sit, the cat made it that much better.
While very independent, the cat was also very affectionate and would let you pick him up and hold him like a baby. And he absolutely loved head scratches and kisses. So precious!! He was also a constant source of entertainment with his love of climbing trees and (failed) attempts to stalk and kill anything with wings.
Duties: – Care for 1 male cat
– Water plants
– Gather mail
Unexpected Benefits and/or Realizations:
– The owners of the home unexpectedly left a car for us to use (sparingly) for quick trips to the grocery store and other local errands. This was a benefit to us both as it made shopping MUCH easier and it meant their car battery would not be dead when they got back.
Unexpected Events and/or Challenges:
– The cat, being a young male indoor/outdoor cat, had strong nocturnal habits. The owners preferred I keep him inside at night, but he would yowl at all hours of the night until I let him out and even once bit at my ankles to show his impatience as I was trying to get to the door to let him out. Thankfully the owners then said I didn’t need to worry about keeping him inside, but then of course I worried that he would succumb to another animal or vehicle during his nighttime adventures. And obviously I do not want a pet dying on my watch. It caused me to be VERY nervous.
What a difference 4 months makes! Since I last sat here in July, a shocking amount of progress has been made on the rebuilding of this community that was mostly destroyed by the Tubbs Fire last year. Everywhere you look there is a flurry of construction activity. Sadly, everywhere you look there is also a thick layer of smoke.
The smoke is from the Camp Fire, a few hours away to the North-East. The smoke started pouring into the area the day the fire began and hasn’t let up since. Even though the fire is a distance away, the smoke is a constant reminder that a fire can start up anytime and anywhere without warning. It’s a disconcerting feeling – especially when you are alone and in charge of caring for someone’s home and pet(s). I often find myself crossing my fingers and hoping there are no fires, earthquakes, floods, etc. during my sits. But having experienced an evacuation due to fire during a housesit last year, I feel a bit more prepared should disaster strike again.
Due to the smoke-induced poor air quality, most of this sit consisted of hanging out indoors with my feline pal. She’d sleep next to me while I watched movies in bed and play at my feet while I cooked in the kitchen. She was even my supportive audience while I practiced line dancing in the living room 🙂 Oh how I miss having a kitty companion!
Duties: – Care for 1 cat
– Water plants and bonsai trees
– Gather mail and be present for delivery of multiple packages
Unexpected Benefits and/or Realizations:
– Not that I am a fan of declawing cats, but I have to admit I enjoy playing “cat and mouse” games and not have my hand torn to shreds.
Unexpected Events and/or Challenges:
– The thick layer of smoke from the NorCal Camp Fire has caused the air quality in this area to be named (currently) the worst in the world. Because of this, I decided to keep my feline friend indoors for most of the sit… and she was not happy about it. But she was already sneezing quite a bit (kitty sneezes are so cute!) as was I, so I felt it best to be safe than sorry.
