This was our hardest sit to date for no other reason but for how it ended. We met with the homeowner a couple of days prior and took possession of house keys, instructions etc.
We were advised that Bella had been unwell and was on medication – the owner had taken her to the vet the day before leaving and was told medication would clear the problem.

A few days into the sit we noticed Bella was very hesitant to go out for her walk and started to not want to eat. After talking to her owner we took Bella back to her vet who then changed her medication. Each day her symptoms worsened and we had to take her to the after-hours emergency vet, after she starting vomiting. We were all devastated to learn this vets diagnosis. A large cancerous mass in her stomach. She stayed the night in the vet’s care and we collected her in the morning. Her owner returned and spent the night with Bella before having her euthanised at home the following day.

This was an incredibly sad ending to having looked after such a beautiful and gentle dog. We feel very privileged to have been part of Bella’s care. We also were looking after Freya – the owner had warned us that we would only be able to feed her as she had quite an erratic personality. I refer to Bruno as the “Cat Whisperer” and true to form he was able to get the odd pat in before she lashed out. Poor Freya with all that was going on it was just food, litter change and the odd pat!

Daily Routine Included:
Meal Preparation/Water for Bella
Ensuring Bella was comfortable/changing bedding
Medication Administration
Feeding/Water Freya
Walking Bella
Home Security
Mail Collection

We were contacted by the owners through one of the housesitting websites asking us would we be interested in pet and housesitting for them. As we were to be their first Housesitters we decided to visit prior to the sit.
We had never seen Airedale Terriers before let alone sit them and our hearts were soon stolen by this pair.

Charlie Brown and Schroeder are very well trained and were a pleasure to look after. Each boy has a very different personality and are the best of friends with Charlie Brown being the older of the two.

They are fed a very specific diet of kangaroo meat and kibble and their food needed to be measured and weighed each feed. They also received a treat of a pig’s ear and frozen chicken leg each day.
The home is situated on acreage overlooking a valley and is close to a river. From the back deck each afternoon we had some beautiful sunsets! We were able to take the boys to the river for a swim and each day we drove into town to go to the dog park for a little bit of social activity for them both.

They are quite the celebrities around town with people either referring to them by name or stopping for a pat. They walk very well on their lead.
During our stay we took the boys to the dog groomers– leaving them there for the morning and returning mid afternoon to pick them up.

It was Charlie Brown’s birthday while we were there and for a treat we went to the beach. They also scored their favourite treat of some hot chips (these are not given very often only as a rare treat – a tip given to us by the owners) Both dogs just love the water and Charlie Brown loves to retrieve a ball.

The owners also feed the native birds and each day we had an assortment of these beautiful birds arrive. On this sit, we were very mindful of water usage as home is on acreage outside of town.

Daily Routine Included:
Feeding/Water for Charlie Brown & Schroeder
Daily Walks & Socialising and Playtime
Checking for ticks – high season during our stay
Home Security
Home Maintenance and Mail Collection

We house sat for the owners and had in our care their much loved pets Tilly – Collie/Lab X & Ebony and Cleo their 2 cats while they took a week’s break in Fiji. The home was situated in a gated community backing onto the river in Helensvale.

Tilly was ball obsessed! Her ball handling skills are amazing and we felt that she would be a good addition to any team! Any shape/size ball she was into! We had great fun playing ball with her during our stay. She was walked each day and had a lot of playing in the park.

Ebony and Cleo were both gentle cats, Ebony could be found most days lounging on her chair and Cleo spent her time, apart from when she ate in her owner’s cupboard. This is something that we were told that she also does with her owners. During our stay the owners were having the NBN installed and being a gated community we were able to give access to the home at the designated appointment times for this to happen. 

Daily Routine Included:
Food & Water for Tilly, Ebony & Cleo
Daily Walk for Tilly
Mail Collection Security of Home
Yard Maintenance

Sampson lives in Scarborough on the beautiful Redcliffe Peninsula in Queensland, Australia. He is an “inside only” cat with never having ventured outside too many times. From the early age of a kitten he showed signs of absconding the boundaries of his yard. The owners do have a run on one side of the home which allows Sampson to have the taste of outside living.

He is a lovely boy but is not a fan of being nursed and is very independent. We had to be extremely careful not to allow him out as he had an arch enemy in a neighbours cat who would delight at sitting in Sampson’s yard just as if to torment him. You always knew when this cat was about due to the amount of hissing going on!

Responsibilities Included: Feeding/Water Sampson
Mail Collection
Security of the home
Watering plants

We have sat Roy the Miniature Schnauzer for his owners three times now. Roy lives in a beautiful penthouse apartment in the heart of Moloolabah, Queensland. Living the apartment lifestyle Roy is a little man who is a creature of habit needing to be walked at least four times a day.

Roy liked to snuggle up in his bed, catch the sun coming through the doors and sometimes lay in his bed staring at his food bowl. He made us smile many times!  

Roy had lots of quirky little habits which included forever on the hunt for food and really not a fan of actual walking so many a time was spent gently coaxing him to continue.
The area has so many beautiful walks around the marina, beach and the streets in general.  

Daily routine included:
Feeding Roy Morning/Night
Daily Walks – 2 Long + 2 Short
Mail Collection
Security of the Home
Watering Plants
Bathing Roy                             

Return Sits: 18 August – 30 August 2017 & 16 October – 27 October 2017

We were staying on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland and saw the advertised sit for a weekend with Peggy. When possible we always like to visit owners in order for them to see who we are and we were able to do so on this occassion and were accepted for the sit. We also have been invited back to do a second sit for which we did in June 2017.

Peggy loves to be around you and as with all Labradors loves her food! You always had an assistant in the kitchen, as in, no matter where Peggy was she would suddenly appear into the kitchen always hopeful for a snack! She was very easy to care for and we were delighted to return for another sit with her. Part of her daily food routine included 1 fresh carrot which she enjoyed sitting on the back door mat taking her time to demolish.
It was a pleasure to take her on a daily walk and she is quite the celebrity in the neighbourhood.

After each walk she made her way to her little wading pool to stand in and cool down. If you weren’t fast enough her water bowl was it!

Our responsibilities included:
Feeding Peggy Morning/Night
Daily Walks
Mail Collection
Security of the Home
Watering Plants

Return Sit: 23rd – 30th June 2017

Missy & Billy are two little Miniature Schnauzers living in a leafy suburb approximately 3kms from Brisbane City. They both have different personalities and are highly entertaining. Billy is very affectionate and has taken a shine to Bruno never leaving his side. Missy is a little more independent but with each visit we find that she also now likes to stay close by. We have sat for the owners several times now, their home is a beautiful, large renovated Queenslander with pool. As with most Schnauzers, they are full of energy and love their daily walks. Having the run of the house they certainly let you know when someone is coming through the front gate!

Missy & Billy have lovely natures and are very easy to care for. On our second stay with them though, we had a little “heart stopping” moment!

Access to the home is by security code only, which the owners felt comfortable to give us as they were flying out early morning prior to our arrival. On our arrival we thought it a little strange that there was no barking. We searched the entire house for them and they were nowhere to be found. We contacted the owners and then they were a little panicked as when they had left, Missy and Billy were safely in the house. After what seemed forever the owner phoned back and with all the organising to go away, and with the craziness that Christmas can bring forgot that they go to “Doggy Daycare” on that day and had been picked up by the lady who runs the centre who also has access to the home! Here they had been having a wonderful time oblivious to everyone’s distress and bounded in later that afternoon full of life. We were so happy to see those eight little legs come through the door.

To date now we have sat Missy and Billy 5 times and the owners say that both dogs have never reacted to anyone like they do to Bruno. It is quite amusing to see that their attention is solely on him when we arrive.

Our responsibilities included:

Feeding Missy & Billy Morning/Night
Daily Walks
Mail Collection
Security of the Home
Watering Plants

Return Sits: 27th December – 31st December 2017 / 2nd January – 9th January 2018 / 30th March – 1st April 2019 / 24th April – 28th April 2019

We were staying on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland and saw the alert through Aussie House Sitters for a last-minute pet sit for one night only. As we were staying nearby and the owner was getting desperate we decided to help out.
Phone contact was made and we arrived in the morning of the 4th. In our care were Millie and Scruffy, one budgerigar and two hens.

For the whole sit Millie was very shy and hesitant to come anywhere near us. The owner had warned us that Millie would do this. We would walk one way into a room and she would position herself as far away from us as possible. During the last hour or so of the sit I was sitting on the lounge and all of a sudden, she jumped up and came over and leant against me??? We were both shocked and pleased at the same time.
Our responsibilities included:
Feeding Millie and Scruffy. Providing fresh water
Medications given to Millie with her food (she was prone to seizures)
Keeping an eye on the budgie and the hens ensuring they had fresh water

After returning from France in late September 2016 we were contacted through Aussie House Sitters, by Kit and Mabel’s owners, who asked us if we would do their pet and house sit as they were travelling down South to spend Christmas with family. We drove down to meet with the family and of course Kit and Mabel prior to the sit. We were pleased to accept the sit as this also placed us close to family for Christmas.

Kit and Mable were easy to look after, we were told by their owners that it was very normal for them to hide during the day. Over the four day period we were able to have them socialise with us at night though. Kit had a cardboard box by the front door that he loved to slowly demolish.

Some of our daily responsibilities included:
Feeding morning and night – Wet and Dry Food
Cleaning of the litter box
Playtime for Kit and Mabel
Security for the Home

We enjoyed looking after Kit and Mabel with their very playful personalities.

Alizé and Arthur are brother and sister Miniature Schnauzers with huge personalities and quirky little habits living in Argeles sur Mer, France close to the Spanish Border. This was our first time caring for Miniature Schnauzers and we thoroughly enjoyed doing so.

Some of these habits included, Alizé loving yoghurt, Arthur not! Alizé would watch you at breakfast in anticipation. She delighted in receiving your yoghurt container, and every last bit of yoghurt was obtained! If we were going out and Alizé and Arthur were not coming with us, each one would race to the mats at the door – Arthur to the front door and Alizé to the back door mat and sit waiting patiently for their treat.

Alizé was to have some tests done a few days after we arrived. We accompanied her owner, with Alizé to the vet and after a thorough examination Alizé was given the all clear. The owner then happily departed on her holiday.

After we arrived back to Australia we were sent a calendar with none other than Alizé and Arthur starring on the front cover! What celebrities we had looked after! We will be returning to Argeles sur Mer to look after Alizé and Arthur again in July 2018.

Daily Routine Included:

Feed: Alizé and Arthur – Morning/Night.
Walk Arthur – Alizé had heart problems & was carried in a backpack . Collect Mail/Security      Lawn/Garden Care