Before leaving Australia in 2016 we had secured several house sits in France. This one being in St Laurent sur Gorre in the department of Haute Vienne – France. We were only 25 kms from Limoges, famous for its porcelain.

We would be looking after Corot and Orla the dogs, Jago,Tilly & Minnie the cats & 6 Hens 

Following the owner’s instructions, we were on the lookout for the white chair placed at their front gate, as the property was very rural and setback from the road.
We stayed the night with the owners prior to driving them to the Limoges airport the following morning. They left with us many notes on the care of the animals and also places to visit in the area.

We enjoyed taking ourselves off either morning or afternoon to explore. Some nearby villages included Oradour sur Glane 19kms, Rochechouart 12kms and Aixe sur Vienne 14kms. One day we were very lucky to have our own private tour of one of the porcelain factories as we had arrived when no one else was around AND we were Australians!

Daily Routine Included :
Medications for Orla & Tilly
Feeding for the dogs was a very specific routine. Corot had to be fed first. He then did a lap of the kitchen with his bowl in his mouth.  You then had to put him outside minus the bowl. Why? If he still had his bowl and either Orla or any of the chickens came near it, he would attack them. He had previously killed a chicken when this happened. Orla was then fed. She would take her time stopping to look out at Corot as if to tease him.
Jago, Tilly & Minnie all were fed twice a day. Tilly and Minnie would be around you throughout the day. Jago most times was a ginger figure in the distance. He only came in to be fed only when no one was around. Towards the end of the sit I was very pleased that I was able to pat Jago and not have him run off.
Checking daily for ticks.
Fresh Water for everyone daily
Feed and allow the chickens to free range when we were home and to ensure that they were locked up at night away from foxes etc
Mail Collection
Security of the Property

This sit was very different from any that we had done due to it’s location and the amount of pets that we had in our care. The house was situated on acreage and a walk through the forest on the land was a daily must with the dogs. The owners fed the wild birds so we ensured that the feeders were also topped up. Through the kitchen window you never knew what might appear one morning a small field mouse and another a wild deer!

We looked after Henry while his relatively “new” owners went on a cruise. I say new as Henry turned up one day and never left!  Bellmere is a suburb North of Brisbane, Qld.

Henry was allowed out after his breakfast which consisted of a large sardine and we then did not see him most day until early evening until he would arrive back home for his dinner. Once fed he was to stay in at night. He was quite a big boy and would at night, if left outside decide to take on the neighbourbhood males. His favourite sleeping place was in the ensuite basin. 

Responsibilities Included:

Feeding Henry his morning and evening meal
Check his Water
Mail Collection
Watering the garden and pot plants
Security of the Property

We have house sat for the owner twice now and have to say this has been one of our more unusual sits. Zeus was present each sit but the two cats were just a flash in the distance!  They are also very timid with the owner and we were warned about this. We fed Zeus each night and put food down near the pool for the cats. We were then able to observe them coming out from the bushes, eat and retreat!  Was never quick enough to get a photo of the two!
Both sits were weekend stays. This home is not far from our own and we were living in our house at the time and did the weekend stays in order to help the owner out as she was having trouble finding anyone just for the weekends. Walking Zeus was not an option also as he makes it to the fence boundary then refuses to walk any further. We were also advised by the owner that this would happen. 

Responsibilities included:

Security of the home
Feeding nightly both Zeus and the cats

Daisy – a very lively little Jack Russell! A little girl with a big personality! Rosie and Prince’s family recommended us to Daisy’s owners while they also went on a cruise.  Daisy is an outside dog who had access to all the comforts of home in her large undercover outside area. She had several places to lie and sit and would let you know if you were on her chair. She had a small shell swimming pool which she used to cool down after every walk. Her own toy box filled with an assortment of toys. We took her out with us many times in the car to the beaches on the Sunshine Coast – Queensland. She travelled well and was never a problem. Daisy normally would only have one walk a day, but Bruno could never resisit the little face looking through the glass door, so off on a walk they would go!

Daily Routine Included:

Mealtime – Morning and Evening
Playtime – Daisy had toys that she liked to strategically place around the yard for us to retrieve and throw to her
Ball play several times throughout the day
Mail collection
Watering pot plants and general garden maintenance
Security of the property

We cared for Rosie & Prince and the 4 “girls” who live on acreage on the beautiful Sunshine Coast, Qld while their owners went on a 10-day cruise. The dogs were both true to their breed. Rosie loved company and food and Prince wanted to chase the ball non stop!

Responsibilities Included:

Daily Feeding – Morning & Night
Play Time – this included lots of ball throwing especially for Prince as it was his number “1” pastime
Topping up the chickens’ grain supply. Allowing them to roam free during the day, ensuring they were locked up safe and sound at night. Collection of eggs daily
Yard & Pool Maintenance
Mail Collection

We have house sat for Maddie’s owner twice now. Maddie is a sweet little cat who was the runt of the litter. Due to a few problems she could never be shown and now lives a quiet life with her owner. She is a very much loved pet!
She comes and goes as she pleases but never leaves her yard. Maddie is a grazer so she has food on tap all day!

Daily Routine with Maddie included:

Ensuring her food and water bowl were topped up. Maddie has dry food after both meals, which consisted of wet food, morning and night
Collect mail
Water all plants
Security of the property and making sure Maddie was in for the night
Maddie is not one for cuddles but allows you to pat her, letting you know when she has had enough!

Emma & Rupert are sister and brother and have never ventured outside. Being aware of this we were very careful when leaving and coming back to the house. We were advised by the owners that we probably wouldn’t see them most of the day because they were very timid. Our first sighting of Rupert was a flash across the room, gone before you knew it! When looking for Emma she was to be found in the linen cupboard or walk-in wardrobe most times.

Our Daily Routine with Emma & Rupert Included:
Mealtime – Morning and Night (Wet & Dry food) – Check water
Tend to the litter tray – daily and change litter when required
To ensure that doors were closed at all times
Collecting mail
Daily brushing
Watering pot plants and the garden when required

We enjoyed looking after Emma & Rupert and were first time pet and housesitters for the owners. Because they were so timid we were very pleased with ourselves when on the second or third day both Emma & Rupert allowed us to do their normal daily brushing routine and then on every day after.
Both would only drink from a bowl on the kitchen bench and yet they ate their dinner from their bowls on the floor. Funny little things!

In November 2013, after returning from overseas, we did a short pet & house sit in Plainlands. It is a small rural community just outside of Ipswich, Qld, Australia.
Emma was a Jack Russell and Rastus and Jane were her children – Jack Russell/ Blue Heeler X’s
The owners were attending a family wedding in Noosa and needed sitters for the time that they would be away.

Daily Routine Included:   
Mealtime – Nightly
Playtime – Ball play several times throughout the day
There was no need to walk the dogs as they had plenty of exploring to do on their acreage property.

Mealtimes were always entertaining. They had set positions and one-night Emma and Rastus just stood, looking at Gail until she realised that the wrong bowl was in the wrong position. Bowls swapped – Problem solved! Rastus always put a smile on our face with his little old man sitting position!
Each afternoon we had two resident magpies turn up for their food without failure. With being on acreage and the weather hot and dry, we were also on snake alert!

We spent 3 months housesitting Elaine’s quaint little cottage on the outskirts of Menigoute in the western-centre of France. Elaine was off to do private nursing in the UK. Menigoute is situated 318 km from Paris in the Deux-Sevres, Poitou-Charentes region (now part of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region), at 36 km from Niort, the department capital.

We had called in on Elaine on our way back to Paris after selling our motorhome which we had toured France & Italy in 2013 for several months. We had been introduced to Elaine briefly the year before by a mutual friend when she was on a visit to Australia. She was booked to go to the UK the next day and asked whether we would stay on for security reasons. We jumped at the opportunity and that is when we were bitten by the “housesitting bug”
Because Elaine took her much loved Lily (Silky Terrior) with her, there were no pets to look after which allowed us to explore the area and surrounds each day.

Some of our responsibilities included watering of the plants and collecting the mail daily. Elaine’s house was on the market to sell and if needed, to be there for the agent and any potential buyers. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves pottering around the property and taking long walks in the surrounding areas.

The house was situated down a tree lined laneway with chestnut trees either side in a very rural location. Security was of the utmost importance to Elaine. We were surrounded by fields of sheep grazing on the grass in beautiful lush green paddocks. These were our only close neighbours!

Email received upon Elaines return:

“Well, darlings……arrived home to a beautiful shining cottage…. have been home only a short while after a 24hr journey and very little sleep, to find all sorts of wonderful surprises.
Real hangers behind my bedroom door…a fixed handle on my shower door….and where did the new vaccie materialize from???!!!!! Very naughty.
Every time over the last year or two, I’ve left my place to return to a disaster of varying degrees.
What a lovely surprise…it’s never been this clean and tidy.
You are collecting a fanbase here. Amanda on hearing what a great couple you are, both handy people, and lovely…….said would they like a month at the Chateaux????? Free of course…. just a bit of handy stuff.
I reckon I could start a biz of my own hiring you guys out for free holidays.”