We are always excited to apply for a sit that includes animals that we have not looked after before, here in Mapleton being the 2 Miniature Ponies! We were very happy to be chosen to care for Cleo a little Cavoodle, Paris & Willow Miniature Ponies, Two Budgerigars, Canary & Fish. Their beautiful home is on acreage in the Sunshine Coast region.

Cleo loved playing ball and was always just one step behind you. She took an extra shine to Bruno and could always be found wherever he was. All the pets were easy to look after and we had a great time doing so. Paris and Willow (Mother & Daughter) were put into their shelter at night and fed. During the day after being let out they had the run of a fenced off area and also a section of the neighbour’s yard also fenced. They were both very friendly and enjoyed attention.

We were very happy to be chosen by Daisy’s owners to sit for them as we were days away from moving back into our apartment and the timing and location was perfect!

Daisy loves her ball games! I am sorry that I didn’t capture more photos of this. She especially loved the ball to be rolled down the hallway and with lightening speed she would retrieve it. She enjoyed her morning and afternoon walks and was the decider on which way you went. (Heading to the dog park was a speciality, just when you thought you were going away from it, there it appeared! She certainly knew her ways to get you there)

We originally applied to sit Rosie for the month of July, being accepted for that sit we were then asked by the owners if we wanted to have a short sit in April with Rosie which we accepted. We feel very privileged to be caring for senior pets, there is just something about them and Rosie was no different.

Being a senior lady that came with some health issues and at the time of the sit she required daily heart medication and also eye drops for an eye infection. Both, she took with no fuss at all. We were very pleased in the short time that we were there her eye had cleared by the end of the sit. Because of her age also walking was not required but she certainly got her exercise each day guarding the balcony perimeter. She would go out in the afternoon and do several laps of the balcony and that was no mean feat as the balcony is quite large!

We thoroughly enjoyed caring for Rosie and sadly we never got to look after her again as she passed away early June. She will be missed greatly leaving a void in her owners lives.

Lucca and Marley are our second set of standard schnauzers that we have cared for. They live in the beautiful leafy suburb of Windsor not far from the Brisbane city centre. Living near a sports park they were able to roam freely on their twice daily walks.

They were so well behaved never running off too far and at the end of their walks would jump up on a concrete area knowing that it was going home and treat time!

We had the enjoyable experience of being introduced to croquet. Lucca and Marley’s owner arranged for us to go to her club (within walking distance) and have a game. When we settle back into our apartment this is something we hope to look into.

Monty and Kobi are two much loved little senior citizens. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with them and they could be found most times together! We love all the pets we sit for but caring for older pets is very rewarding we feel.

Kobi could be found during the day in his favourite spot in the garden but Monty mainly stayed in the house apart from his toilet breaks where he needed to be carried down as now stairs are not his favourite things. He does like a little daily walk to the corner on his lead.

We would gladly return to care for them both and have been asked by the owners to do so but unfortunately were not available.

It is always so nice to be invited back to previous sits and Sampson is no exception. This is our fifth time caring for this boy. Our last sit with him was back in 2020 and he has since moved house! Well from a house to an apartment. He is very easy going, not so much of a cuddler but does love the occasional belly rub!

Sampson likes to be around you and has his favourite spots in the house to observe what’s going on. Always on his chair during lunch and dinner prep. He also positions himself on the ensuite basin waiting for the tap to be turned on. Even though he does have his drinking bowl he also likes to drink occasionally from the ensuite tap. He gave us a run for our money one day with not being able to find him anywhere. Our last resort was to look in the main bedroom cupboard and out peeked that adorable face!!!

We never tire of the differences between the sits, and the pets. We went from smaller pets with our previous sit to larger ones this time! Spike and Lucy are both rescue dogs and whereby similar in size had very different personalities. Spike is a Staffy Cross and Lucy a Kelpie Cross both gentle & calm in nature. Casper named for obvious reasons, I think, kept us entertained with his antics.

Spike is a big gentle boy and previously a therapy dog. They both walked well on the lead and looked forward to their Denta Sticks in the morning, their evening meals and any treats during the day. We found it lovely that wherever we were, they liked to be also. A lot of time by the pool was had! Casper also was never too far away being allowed out during the day but in for the night after his dinner.

Both Spike and Lucy were very intrigued with the lizard living in the garden box at the side of the house. Thankfully he/she had the knowledge to not actually venture out from the box. Spike & Lucy knew it was there but thankfully never encountered it face to face. Lucy gave up after a while but Spike would still be there I think if we didn’t distract him in some way! This was a daily occurrence!

We were so pleased to be chosen to look after Nacho, Cleo and the owner’s beautiful home, only a few minutes from family which was perfect for us given the time of year. Nacho and Cleo were easy care and kept us amused with their antics. With Cleo only being a kitten it was entertaining seeing her daily interaction with Nacho.

Across the road from the home is this great park. We were able to walk Nacho early morning and evening and it is a real meeting place for owners and their dogs. Nacho particularly liked running into the owner with the treats! We also were able to take her to nearby walks in the car to the the waterfront at two separate spots.

The day before leaving we took Nacho for a wash. We enjoyed our time with both her and Cleo and have been asked by her owners to return. This is something we will do gladly!

We applied to sit Stanley & Lulu while we were in France, this being our last sit before leaving to head back to Australia late October. One of the wonderful things about housesitting is of course the pets that we get to care for, the owners we meet and where we might find ourselves living.

Stanley & Lulu were just delightful – inside outside cats equally endearing but as different as can be! We had a lot of fun with them and found them joining us wherever we were. Not brother and sister but with very similar markings, both very pretty cats. They both enjoyed their time in the garden with Lulu taking up her position just outside of the kitchen door while Stanley spent most of his time snoozing!

Each day we had a neighborhood cat visit which both Lulu and Stanley weren’t too happy about. Always making sure through the kitchen door that he/she had left before venturing out! While on this sit we both contracted Covid having avoided it for the last 4 1/2 years. We were able to manage this, without too much trouble, with the owners full knowledge. Thankfully we both tested negative a few days before returning to Australia.

We were accepted by the owners to sit in Atri, Italy before arriving for our six month stay in Europe. It is an area of Italy that we have not been before and found Atri itself to be a very vibrant and lived in village. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there and this was mainly due to the pets.

A little about the pets starting with Ozzy who is a rescue and obviously has been mistreated prior to coming to live with the family. As with other sitters it took a good week with gentle coaxing and patience before he would even come out of hiding. He prefers females to males so after a while I was able to get his “magic harness” on. Once on he was a different dog enabling us to bring him in for the night and take him on walks. It broke my heart to see him like this but with his family he is comfortable enough to not be frightened all the time. By the time we finished the sit he was happy to spend the afternoons and evenings with us.

Basil was the complete opposite to Ozzy. our little shadow from the start and could be found by one of our sides wherever we were. She is an older dog requiring morning and evening medication for a heart condition which we gave her without any problems.

Princess & Gordon were delightful and kept us entertained with their high energy antics! They are both inside only cats due to the home being situated on a busy country road and the owners had lost a previous pet through being allowed outside. They were both easy care with litter box duty, clean water & fresh food each day.

Hazel & Piper, mother and daughter miniature goats were acquired by the owners after we had accepted the sit. We had no problem with the addition and were quite looking forward to looking after them as well as we have not sat miniature goats before. Once again very easy care with feeding, supplying a new lot of leaves daily and locking them in for the night due to wolves and wild boars in the area.

Lazy afternoons – Ozzy & Basil

Ozzy’s hiding place

Afternoon Walks

We watered and weeded the gardens on the property and during our stay we were able to enjoy all the fresh vegetables from the vegetable garden. There were several flower gardens also which were in full bloom by the time we left.