Tag Archives: House Sitting

Frederick with Tino

(Click here for more photographs.)

Valerie’s sister asked if we would be interested in pet sitting for a friend of hers in Frederick, MD.  Even though it had been a while since we had done any pet sitting, we welcomed the opportunity.  Her friend has a small dog named Tino, that was a little more than one year old at the time.  He is a playful and very enjoyable little dog.

Tino

Looking after Tino gave us the opportunity to explore Frederick which is about 25 miles north of Germantown.  Although it was particularly hot during our time there, we were able to get out to see some of the town, like Carroll Creek Park which runs for more than a mile through the heart of downtown Frederick.

Sitting in Seattle

OK, see what I did there?  “Sitting in Seattle”?  Not Sleepless.  That would have been cheesy and, well inaccurate.

Anyway, so we are house and pet sitting in Seattle for 17 days.  First and foremost, we are looking after a 9 month old puppy, Mia.  She is a lively and adorable young dog that has been getting some very good training from her owners.  She’s very smart and has adapted to being with us very quickly.  Like all puppies, she is playful and inquisitive.  She loves to chase a laser pointer around the living room floor and insists that we give her that opportunity at least twice each day.  Also, she loves to eat ice.  Just crunches away at it like it was a favorite treat.

Mia on a run in the yard
Looking for the laser pointer
Mia in Seattle

We arrived into Seattle as a waypoint on a road trip that we began on May 30th that brought us up the coast of California and Oregon and as far north as Vancouver, BC.  The home is located in West Seattle which is convenient to the downtown and waterfront part of Seattle so we have had the opportunity to do a little sightseeing while here.  The weather has been nice with some very warm and sunny days.

Rancho Cucamonga With Simba

Over the Memorial Day weekend (May 22 through May 27, 2014) we had the opportunity to house sit in Rancho Cucamonga with a super nice cat named Simba.  Our hosts took a trip to the Portand, OR, area in order to attend a photography workshop and visit with family.

Simba

Simba

 

They adopted Simba from someone in their neighborhood who wasn’t providing very good care for him.  His new owners provide a very nice home for him and he seems very happy to be there.  He spends most of his day out visiting and exploring his territory.

We’ve enjoyed looking after Simba and having the opportunity to visit this part of San Bernardino County.

 

 

 

Return Engagement in Las Vegas

One of our first house sitting assignments was in Las Vegas two years ago.  We have recently returned to sit for the same couple.  When we were here for the first time they had a terrific dog named Carlos.  Unfortunately,  Carlos passed away late last year.  Since then they got two rescue dogs, two Australian Shepherds, now about 7 months old.  They are a male and female from the same litter, named Charlie and Charlotte.

Charlie and Charlotte

Charlie and Charlotte

We enjoyed getting to know the puppies, everything is a new experience for them.  The people we were sitting for are super nice and made us feel welcome once again in their home.  They have a lovely home with a pool in the Spring Valley section of Las Vegas about 2 or 3 miles west of the strip.

Back in Hermosa Beach

We’re house sitting in Hermosa Beach.  We were here back in mid-March house sitting this same home.  The homeowners asked us to come back while they are away for 10 days.  So, we’ll be here until August 30.  This also give us a chance to visit again with their dog, Hunter.  He’s a super fun dog and we really enjoy walking and playing with him.  You can see from the photo below, he has his harness and leash in his mouth to let us know it’s time for a walk.

Hunter ready for a walk

Hunter ready for a walk

Here’s our article from the first time.

 

Featured on RetireEarlyLifestyle.com

I have followed Billy and Akaisha Kaderli on their website RetireEarlyLifestyle.com for quite some time.  They retired about 20 years ago at the age of 38 and have traveled extensively since.  One of the places that they have lived for extended periods of time is Lake Chapala, Mexico.  It’s one of the reasons I wanted to visit Chapala on our trip to Mexico this  summer.

While in Chapala, we were walking along the street one morning and Billy Kaderli walked past us.  I just caught a glimpse as he walked past but I was sure it was him once I turned and saw his Retire Early Lifestyle t-shirt.  I knew from their recent writing that they had been spending time in Guatemala so I was surprised to see him in Chapala.  We turned around and caught up with him when he stopped to sit on a bench to drink his coffee.

We introduced ourselves and talked for a bit.  I told him that I had been a follower for the past few years.  Subsequently, Billy and Akaisha asked if we would respond to a series of interview questions for an article on their website.  Through email we completed the interview in the following couple of weeks and now they have put the interview on their site.

Check it out.

http://retireearlylifestyle.com/kevin_valerie_interview.htm

Thanks Billy and Akaisha.  You continue to inspire.

Truckee, CA

We recently completed an 8 day house and pet sitting in Truckee, Ca.  If you’re not familiar with it, Truckee is located about 15 miles north of Lake Tahoe.  From Truckee, it’s a short drive to the either the Northstar at Tahoe or to the Squaw Valley ski areas.  And since Truckee sits alongside Interstate 80, you can head East on the freeway and be in Reno, NV, in about 20 minutes.

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Las Vegas, NV

Our host home owners for this house sitting had used other house sitters before on several occasions.  So they were well prepared and provided very thorough instructions for our use while staying in their home.  It was a lovely home home on the west side of Las Vegas in the Spring Valley area where we were taking care of a very nice 9 year old dog, lab and retriever mix.

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Why Use a House Sitter?

You’re going to be leaving your home for a vacation or for a work related trip.  In addition, perhaps you have a pet or pets.  What are you available options?

  1. Leave your pet(s) with a boarding facility.  Most commonly used for dogs, kennels, veterinary offices and “pet hotels” offer boarding.  At the kennel, your pet will generally be housed in an individual pen, fed according to your instructions and possibly allowed out to get some exercise.  The cost for boarding will typically run from $15 to $50 or more per day.  But more than the cost, boarding will generally be very upsetting for our pet.  They will be left with strangers in an unfamiliar environment.  There will be other pets there that will also be disoriented so the experience can be very stressful.  Also, depending upon the hours of operation for the boarding facility, you may have to drop off your pet the day before you leave for your trip and return the day after you get back.  If you need to be away from home for more than a few days, this may not be a viable option.  Also, if you have fish, birds, reptiles or other types of pets this option is not available.
  2. Have a neighbor, friend or family member come to your home daily to feed and check on your pet.  Generally this person will come to your home once or maybe twice daily.  Perhaps they will have enough time to take your pet for a walk.  This option has the advantage of allowing your pet to remain in your home but they will still be left alone for most of the day and night.  Sometimes this helper can forget to come by or they get busy with their job or kids or something else distracts them from taking care of your pet.
  3. Have a house sitter stay in your home and take care of your pet while you’re away.  This is your best solution for your pet(s).  They get to stay at home in their familiar surroundings with someone to be with them during the day and night.  The house sitter can walk them, feed them, give them medication and provide other care according to your instructions.  In addition, there will be someone in your home which provides a greater degree of safety and security allowing you to feel more relaxed while you are away.  The house sitter can also collect your mail, water your plants, put out the trash for collection and other routine household tasks.  If you like, the house sitter can provide you with periodic updates so you know all is well at home.
So the next time you are going to be away from home, check out the options for finding a reliable and dependable house sitter for your home and pets.  You may find these websites useful.