This housesit was a unique situation. For three weeks prior, we cared for the neighbor's cats in the house right next door, so we had the opportunity to get to know Rosana (pet parent), Miko, and Kuro (a bit! He's shy) for several weeks. We shared meals and enjoyed relaxed evenings together. 

Rosana was very thorough in preparing for our 4-day stay and showed us tasks related to caring for Miko and Kuro during the weeks before.

Miko is a beautiful border collie mix. As with border collies, she is smart and a bit stubborn. It was obvious she missed her mother as border collies are known to be loyal, but she behaved well with us sitters.

Every morning, I steamed chicken, vegetables, and an egg and hand fed her. We went for walks around the garden and played with her squeaky ball. Miko is a happy girl who enjoys being outside with her friend, Daisy (a sweet Thai dog who stays in the area), and is easygoing. 

One challenge we faced is that there are three soi dogs who come by the neighbor's for food every day. They are gentle with humans, but unpredictable with dogs. We monitored to make sure the dogs did not come into our yard. Luckily, everyone remained safe.

Kuro is a shy and independent outdoor cat. We thought it may be difficult to get close with him, but he did warm up to us within a day and we were able to pet him as well as put on/take off his harness (both pets have a GPS tracker on them).

It was a short housesit, but we enjoyed getting to know them for the weeks prior as well. 

We were in touch with the pet parents for several months prior to sitting for them. Unfortunately, another housesitter let them down so they thought they would be done with hosting petsitters after 20 years of good experiences.

However, they decided to give housesitting one more chance and trusted us. We visited their home and met Remy and Misha, two fluffy and sweet Ragdolls, and we agreed to care for them for three weeks in followed by caring for the next door neighbor's pets immediately after (more details on that in the next post).

Misha and Remy are easy to love and care for. We took them for walks, brushed daily, cleaned ears, and of course fed while monitoring carefully that Remy doesn't eat all of Misha's! They are smart and have their naughty cheeky moments. There were plenty of entertaining moments and it was a pleasure caring for them. 

The house is set in a peaceful area 40 minutes outside of town. The hosts were kind enough to let us use their car, which we only used occasionally for groceries. We also were flexible in meeting them at the airport and picking them up at the airport as well. We kept the house tidy with daily steam mopping as the host normally does. It's important to keep up with cleaning with fluffy pets in warm environments!

We also appreciated how everything in the house was clearly labeled and there was plenty of pet supplies stocked up. 

Overall, it was a smooth housesit.

Mogli is the most affectionate cat. We truly enjoyed our time with him and in this home. His owners were well-prepared and so thoughtful. Would love to see Mogli again!

We are primarily live-in housesitters, but sometimes we do daily visits. For two weeks, I (Lianne) went to feed this momma street cat and her babies! The hosts are caring for the kittens until they're older, neutered, and ready to go to new homes. So kind of them! The babies are so playful and adorable. It was a pleasure to care for them.  

First sit: While we were in Chiang Mai, Adam filled in on an emergency housesit at the last minute because their original petsitter canceled. Scruffy is an older cat who loves sun-bathing and eating. He is on a special diet to lose some of his chonkiness, but the automatic feeder made feeding time easy and straight-forward. Scruffy was really shy at first, but warmed up with cuddles soon after. The pet parents were so pleased with things that they asked Adam back for another two week sit. Scruffy is such a sweet cat; it was a pleasure to care for him! The owners gave the keys to their car to use freely, but Adam did not use it once. Still, it’s good to have access to transport in case of an emergency and the trust is appreciated! All of the money left for emergencies was thankfully unneeded as well. Hope to see you again, Scruffy!

Third sit: 2 months. We love Scruffy so much!

Having already accepted this sit when a personal need came up for Lianne, I (Adam) flew to Taiwan alone for this time with Stella, a terrifically sweet, young Ragdoll. Stella and I had a blast; she is so adorable and just loves being where you are. She crawled into bed each night with me, sometime after presumably watching her programs or patrolling the kitchen. I will miss her and would be so happy to sit with Stella again someday! Her pet parents did a great job preparing all that she would need for the whole duration and all went smoothly. And even though a typhoon forced an adjustment to my travel plans on-the-fly, all worked out.

After several years of hopping from one housesit to another, we began to feel the strain and needed a break. To recharge, we settled into a short-term rental in Bangkok for a few months. While the stability of staying in one place was refreshing, we found ourselves missing the company of animals. Our evening routine turned into wandering the neighborhood or Lumphini Park to feed / play with stray cats. 

So when a last-minute local housesit opportunity came up for a weekend in Bangkok, we didn’t hesitate. It was the perfect chance to be around cats again, explore a new neighborhood, and continue building our experience and client base. 

These three gorgeous cats each have a unique personality, but all were easy to care for and love. The youngest, Nettie, had just been spayed and was recovering in our room, separated from her sisters to protect her sutures. Despite wearing a cone, she still managed to remove the bandage a few times, so we closely monitored to ensure the wound stayed clean and covered, all while showering her with chin scratches and attention. We also administered her medication twice a day. Penny and Meredith are more independent and shy, especially Penny, who preferred to watch us at a distance from above. We managed to gain their trust with treats and letting them approach us when they felt ready.  

The hosts were welcoming and communicative. Overall, the petsit was smooth and enjoyable!

Lianne cared for Roland and Basil for a nice weekend! ​I carefully followed instructions for one cat's medications—different dosages for morning and evening—and made sure his brother didn't eat while he finished his early! Other than that, it was a straight-forward and smooth housesit. I had a great time playing with them and getting much needed cat time! They don't like being picked up so I didn't do that, but I pet them and Roland cuddled on me with purrs. Best feeling ever! Thankful for the pet parents who are communicative, responsive, appreciative, and helpful by providing clear instructions and labeling things in the home. Would love to care for them again!

We cared for Yoda and Chewie for three weeks in Malaysia. They have distinct personalities and were easy to care for. Twice daily, we prepared a special raw diet for these two, as per the homeowner's instructions, as well as a daily treat time. We also ensured the plants were watered.

Yoda is a gentle and shy soul, so we did not overwhelm her with too much attention. Chewie is quite the character and we feel honored he eventually cuddled up on us! This housesit was the first time we brought a pet to the vet. Thankfully, Yoda ended up being okay. (See blog post below for more on that.)

The pet parents are so hospitable and made us feel welcome and appreciated. They left us detailed and thorough instructions, as well as prepared enough food ahead of time. We felt equipped to handle any situation thanks to their preparedness. Would love to petsit for them again!

We spent the weekend in a large home in a northern Sydney suburb taking care of Sascha, this sweet Russian blue cat, and watering the plants. ​

We stayed in a gorgeous century-old home in the innerwest taking care of four sweet cats (two outdoor, two indoor) and an adorable dog who thinks she's a cat. We were very careful to not let the indoor cats outside to prevent them from getting lost. We also took care of the garden as per the host's request. ​