contents
4
FROM THE EDITORS Find out what
24
Ian and Vanessa
PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR PET SITTERS Julie Walker ,
have been doing, now that they've
Home owner,
has put
become residents and long term
together her tips to share with
sitters in France.
sitters to help prevent any disruptions during their stay.
8
A HOUSE SITTING PANDEMIC SUCCESS STORY Regular contributor
16
28
Ian Gledhill
GETTING ALL YOUR DUCKS IN A ROW Clare & James
share what they've
shares a pandemic house sitter
learned when pet care duties
success story from down under in
include looking after ducks and their
Australia.
babies!
MY HOUSE SITTING MILESTONE MOMENTS Jenny Lincoln
shares the best of
moments from her 50 international house sits and summarizes the greatest gifts of house sitting.
32
IN THE SPOTLIGHT PORTUGAL June Spindloe
explains what it was
like to head to the sun for a winter lock-down.
36
VETS IN THE TIME OF COVID House sitter,
Sandy Ball ,
shares her
experience of visiting UK vets on a house sit during the pandemic with three helpful tips.
40
MAD DOG LADY & ANIMAL SAVIOUR Solo house sitter
Karen Mitchell
proves you don't need to be a couple to take care of a full on hobby farm!
46
HEALTHY HOME-MADE TREATS FOR DOGS Nellie Rodriguez
shares her favourite
recipes for healthy dog treats and biscuits ... if they're allowed of course!!
A glimpse of Beaune, Burgundy, France
from the editors Welcome to the Summer 2021 issue of House Sitting Magazine How many house sits have you done in the last three months? I think we’ve set a new personal record... for the lowest number of sits we’ve done over a 3 month period since we started full-time house sitting. Just one house sit... well, maybe two, if we count the long term sit we’re currently living in, which sadly doesn’t have any pet care duties. In May we drove from Burgundy across to the French Alps, where we had a week long repeat sit booked in the shadow of Mont Blanc. We were looking after the same two dogs and two cats we had cared for over Christmas, but this time there was a lot less snow, so we could get out and about on longer walks in the mountains. On our return to Burgundy, spring was in full bloom, and we’ve had our hands full looking after the large garden here at our “home” house sit. We divide our responsibilities fairly evenly... Vanessa looks after the garden beds, does lots of weeding, and keeps the trees, shrubs and rose bushes in check, while I take care of the large lawn. The property has a large swimming pool which has been closed and covered since we first arrived here in November last year. In fact, because the owners couldn’t come here last year the pool hasn’t been used for almost 2 years.
They left it up to us to decide if we wanted to open the pool for summer. We peeked under the cover nervously and discovered the water level was still correct, but it was very green and murky. The local pool guy took a look and said it would clean up fine, so we went ahead and had him start the dewinterizing process. Maintaining the pool has also been added to my list of responsibilities, but I don’t mind at all. On a hot summer’s day, a dip in a cool pool is a lovely treat. The property we purchased earlier this year (see the previous edition of House Sitting Magazine) is just 4 km away, and we’ve both been doing quite a lot of work up there too.
Our first priority was to get the overgrown land into some sort of order, and to make some of it productive as soon as possible. The final signing off on the purchase took place at the end of April, so it was early May before we really got around to doing much. But, the previous owners said we were welcome to start work before the sale completed, if we wanted. However, our last minute dash to the UK in April meant we hadn't been around for the whole month to do anything. The property had become a bit of a jungle by May. Things seem to grow quickly here once spring gets into high gear. My neighbour lent me his chainsaw, as one of the two big walnut trees on the property had died and was looking a bit dangerous. Down it came, and it's now been chopped up into logs, drying out for use in winter 2022. The other walnut tree is in great shape, and will hopefully be productive this year. Our first purchase was an industrial strimmer - I think this is called a “weed whacker” in the States, and a whippersnipper in Australia. It took a couple of days of concerted effort to re-clear the area that had been clear when we viewed the property in late January. We also cleared out some other overgrown areas which had been neglected during the years of no-one living onsite.
Potatoes are in and Ian has panelled the insice of the garden house for sleepovers!
The area of land we own, including the barns, garage and little summer house totals 2,425 square metres - for those that use other measurements of area, that's about 0.6 of an acre, just under quarter of a hectare, or about 26,000 square feet. After our first major week of clean-up, which involved cutting and burning huge piles of bramble bushes (blackberries), wild roses and nettles which had taken over everywhere, we reckon we'd cleared about 60% of the land.
With a large area cleared it was time to make a garden bed for some vegetables. I had become intrigued by the concept of "no-dig" vegetable gardening, and had been watching lots of videos by UK-based no-dig guru Charles Dowding. You can find his YouTube channel here if interested in the concept I began the construction of our first plant bed by laying cardboard, setting up planks to hold soil and compost in place, and sourcing the necessary materials. Over a couple of weeks the beds took shape, and the plants started going in. We had our first beetroot and courgettes this week! Our other priority was to sort out a way to water the plants. There is an electricity connection to the property, but no service is currently active. Unfortunately there is no water connection. However, we have a large underground water tank, that we estimate holds about 4 or 5 cubic metres of fairly clean rainwater and land drainage. Initially we pulled this out with a bucket on a rope, but I had plans for a better system, involving one of the solar panels I had ordered, and a little 12 volt pump. By the end of May we had a fairly clear plot of land, a decent sized vegetable patch and a simple water system to see us through the summer.
During June I worked on getting a better solar system up and running, as well as keeping on top of the endless strimming and mowing. And now, as we enter July things are shaping up nicely, lots of veggies are growing, we have plenty of power, and an automatic watering system. Not a bad start to our current adventure. For the nerdy ones among you, here's a video about the off-grid systems so far. We hope you enjoy this quarter's magazine which has several other pandemic success stories. We certainly are a resourceful bunch us house sitters, making the most of whatever life throws our way. We hope life is working out well for you too. IAN USHER & VANESSA ANDERSON CO-EDITORS
A HOUSE SITTING PANDEMIC SUCCESS STORY by Ian Gledhill The 2020 Australian lockdown It was early 2020 and we were house sitting in northern New South Wales in Australia. The days were getting slightly shorter and cooler as the southern hemisphere crept towards autumn. It would be another couple of months before we'd head off on our planned trip to Europe for the summer. One house sit was already confirmed in the UK and four rural house sits in France. With the holidays that we had built around those house sits we would be in Europe until October. Then Covid hit. On March 20, 2020, the Australian borders were closed to all non-residents. On March 27 it was announced that all residents returning to Australia would be required to spend two weeks in supervised hotel quarantine. Both of these rules are still in operation in June 2021 and, so far, have helped, to minimise the spread of the virus in the Australian community.
Finding a long term let As Australia went into lockdown the home owners at our Northern NSW house sit decided to return home early. At the time we had two further Australian house sits confirmed for April but in the coming days they were cancelled too. We decided to move into a local hotel and search for a more permanent place to live.
Kingscliff & The Tweed Valley We viewed several local rentals and
Kingscliff is quite beautiful, as is the
found an apartment with a 3 month
surrounding Tweed Valley. The main
lease in the nearby beachside town of
beach curves along a wide bay and the
Kingscliff. We really thought that three
ocean is quite flat here. It reminded us
months would be long enough to get
of a bay on the Mediterranean.
through lockdown and hopefully we’d still be travelling to Europe by summer.
The town was quieter than normal due to the lockdown. Two large beach front
Unfortunately, the pandemic worsened
holiday parks were closed, as were the
around the world and in the coming
restaurants, shops, clubs and the pub.
months ALL our upcoming French house
Some essential retailers were open and
sits were cancelled one-by-one.
takeaway foods and drinks were allowed from cafes and restaurants. With so few
Even though our travel plans had fallen
people around we had no problem social
apart we felt lucky to have found a
distancing, we could walk the town and
comfortable, safe and quiet, beach front
beaches and hardly see anyone.
apartment so quickly.
Staying put in New South
Returning to a new normal
Wales By September things were slowly We had spent the northern hemisphere
returning to normal in some parts of
summers of 2018 and 2019 in Europe and
Australia and the border between
now we were about to experience our first
Queensland and NSW was re-opened.
Australian winter in three years. People were beginning to travel again and Luckily we were on the northern tip of
sit listings were growing daily. We
New South Wales (NSW) where the climate
received several invites to sit, so it was at
is much warmer than the southern parts
this point we decided the time had come
of Australia. Here the blue sky winter days
to seriously look at returning to house
could often reach temperatures in the low
sitting and see what was available.
to mid 20 degrees centigrade. Initially we decided the best thing was to As the pandemic continued we decided to
find a Christmas and New Year house sit
extend our rental lease on a rolling
as this is peak holiday time in Australia.
monthly basis.
It's the height of summer and the kids are all off school.
Another reason to stay put was because of the various state border closures. We
We applied for a two month house sit on
were about 15km from the Queensland
the Brisbane River in the suburb of West
border, which at the time was closed to
End. We arranged a meeting and were
anyone from NSW. Similar closures
introduced to a very cute Bichon Frise
around the country made it difficult to
called Sadie. We liked the apartment and
plan travel, especially interstate, so this
its neighbourhood and we knew that
meant it was harder to find house sitting
looking after Sadie would be a joy, so we
opportunities.
agreed to take the sit.
TEN SITS LATER! As we drove back to our rental apartment in NSW it felt good to know that we would be travelling and house sitting again before the end of 2020. In the days that followed we were contacted through our Instagram page by a home owner in one of our favourite Sunshine Coast locations, Peregian Beach. She wanted to know if we could house sit for her in late October. The dates and the location were convenient for us and so we accepted this sit too. Then a five week house sit from early November was listed for Forest Glen which is also on the Sunshine Coast. We contacted the owners and arranged to meet at their beautiful property. We chatted about their travel plans and met their two Poodles, Louis and Georgia – another sit confirmed! This left us with a gap between Forest Glen and West End.
Not for long though as we were contacted by homeowners about a repeat sit in Alstoneville, northern NSW. They needed to get away from the stresses of their work life having not had a holiday since before lockdown. They were flexible and happy to work around our free dates.
Moving on to Queensland With confirmed sits through to the end of January 2021, we decided it was time to move on, so we gave notice on our apartment lease. We also decided to move from NSW to Queensland in case the border with NSW was closed again. Between October, 2020 and June 2021 we completed 10 house sits covering a period of 183 days. We took care of 9 dogs and 3 cats. We spent the majority of that time in South Eastern Queensland on the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and in Brisbane.
Still the best of lifestyles For the last two and a half years our house sitting lifestyle has provided us with many varied opportunities and allowed us to experience different pets, farm animals, homes, locations and lifestyles in countries around the world including Australia, the UK and France. Our previous “nine to five” lifestyle could never provide this, and even through a pandemic we've made our lifestyle work
Stepping into the shoes of
for us, keeping us safe while still enjoying all that house sitting has to offer.
others Eventually, with the knowledge that we One of the things we really enjoy about house sitting is how we step into the
are gathering from house sitting, we will make our own lifestyle choices and settle
shoes of someone else’s lifestyle.
down again for the long term.
Over the last nine months we have lived
But, for the moment, there are many
in an ocean front apartment complete with the sound of the waves crashing onto the long sandy beach opposite. We have spent 8 weeks in total across two dates, living in a resort style property on four acres with tropical gardens and a pool. In the city we experienced two months in a river front apartment, and then in two large family homes in the northern suburbs of Brisbane. Our pet care responsibilities have included Poodles, Cavoodles, a Bichon Frise, a French Bull Dog, a Cavalier Spaniel and a Maine Coon cat.
more places that we would like to travel to and many more experiences to be had.
GUEST POST
IAN GLEDHILL Ian and his partner Lloyd took early retirement in 2017. Since then they've travelled between the northern and southern hemispheres until Covid forced them to return to Australia, where they continue to house sit.
Follow them on Instagram
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MY HOUSE SITTER MILESTONE MOMENTS by Jenny Lincoln 50 SITS & COUNTING! This month I celebrated my 50th house sit! What a lovely milestone to achieve. And it is interesting that 13 of these sits occurred within the last 18 months - during the pandemic! When all my 2020 sits fell through I asked myself, "Where do I want to get stuck for however long this lasts?" Mexico was my immediate answer. I landed a 13 week sit in the jungle of Akuna (between Playa del Carmen and Tulum) the morning I touched down in Mexico and the next 18 months unfolded from there. After the intensity of jungle life - humidity, scorpions, snakes, tarantulas, floods, clouds of mosquitoes - civilisation finally called and I was drawn to the beautiful colonial town of San Miguel de Allende (SMA), where I have spent most of my time. It has been a delightful experience for 2 reasons. Firstly making a wonderful new bubble of friends, and secondly being part of the biggest meetup of house sitters outside of the fabulous International House Sitting Conference of 2019! The last 6 months has seen so many house sitters arrive in SMA. It has been very special to connect, share stories and have lots of laughs - all with masks and social distancing of course!
UNIQUE ONE-OF-A-KIND EXPERIENCES It's hard to pick favourite sits, locations,
OFF-GRID ON THE SIDE OF SAN PEDRO
pets, houses or experiences. They ALL add
VOLCANO, LAKE ATITLAN GUATEMALA
depth, colour and vibrancy to my life. There are some though, that seemed to imprint
Lake Atitlan is one of those places you visit
on my heart and speak to my soul. These
for a couple of days and then stay for weeks.
are the ones I have chosen to share!
Imagine waking to the sun rising between two volcanos and setting behind a third, with
300 YEAR OLD SPANISH MANOR &
a massive lake in between! Simply stunning,
VINEYARD, GALICIA, SPAIN
plus the area is a renowned energy vortex, so the vibe is pretty magical.
Mother nature and unusual sits seem to find a way into my space. I'm very fortunate to have experienced such a wide range of wonderfully unique homes and pets!
The lakeside is surrounded with unique indigenous villages that each have their own native dress, character and produce. The result is an incredible cultural immersion experience! This house sit had it all. Three gorgeous labs, 2 rescue donkeys, a small flock of sheep in lamb, lots of chickens, a luxury home, car, tractor, pool, beautiful grounds and a small vineyard to play with! Plus it was out of town in a small rural village in the stunning mountains of Galicia. And did I mention the fresh produce? It had a lovely orchard too, raspberries, figs, kiwi fruit, pears, apples, oranges and asparagus! I loved the physicality of all the work on the
The biggest challenge was accessibility.
property and was grateful to experience it
Everything came by boat - food, water, gas
for 3 different seasons, 3 years in a row!
and fuel all delivered by local boat deliveries.
It was totally off-grid and back to basics
Then it was time to round up the dogs
living - washing in a bucket, pumping
and check the plantation. The manager
water from the lake, juggling power
and his family would pick the fruit each
needs from a small array of solar panels
day and crate them so I could sort, weigh
and batteries, and burning your own
and prepare them for market! It was an
waste.
incredible experience.
It made you very conscious of what you bought, how it was packaged and how
The fruits would
you could recycle and dispose of it!
attract the most vibrantly coloured
OVERSEEING A PITAYA (DRAGON
Toucans,
FRUIT) PLANTATION IN THE JUNGLE
Motmots, Red
OF BELMOPAN, BELIZE Imagine lying on your couch, gazing out the full length windows watching the spider and howler monkeys swinging in the trees above you. Then grabbing a coffee or tea and wandering out to top-up the humming bird feeders and wild bird feeding platforms with old bananas, mangos and pitayas.
Headed Wood Peckers and Iguanas!!
PLAYING HEAD OF HERD FOR A NUMBER OF HORSE SITS I love caring for horses. They are amazing spiritual beings with incredible healing and revealing powers for us humans, making them wonderful personal development partners. I have had the privilege to house sit a number of properties with horses in Australia, Canada, France, Spain and Mexico. All are favourites, but my time looking after a ranch in British Columbia, Canada stands out the most. Here I looked after and cared for a herd of 28 horses. It was pure bliss to be accepted into the herd and to be able to spend so much time learning from them. This experience was so powerful for me I decided to become an Equine Guided Coach & Facilitator and to incorporate “horse wisdom” into all that I do!
THE GREATEST GIFTS HOUSE SITTING IS TRULY IMPACTFUL AT A HEART, MIND AND SOUL LEVEL
Deep connections with like hearted people to create forever friendships. The love, intimacy and companionship you receive from your furry and feathered friends makes your heart sing. Unique “one-of-a-kind” experiences many don’t get to enjoy. Cultural diversity - new and vastly different locations, nature and exotic foods. Experiencing the culture of a country through local living gives access and insight into a totally different vibe of life. Courage, confidence and capability – this lifestyle moves you from your comfort zone and plonks you firmly into your courage zone! Live outside the matrix of societal norms and conditions, which in turn gives us incredible flexibility and freedom. Being nomadic helps break our attachment to tangible things. We accumulate less and reduce our carbon footprint. A positive outcome for the planet. Letting go of attachments plus tuning into your intuition, allows you to live a more flowing and synchronistic life that has a natural unfolding of its own.
"It's a privilege and honour to participate in the trust economy. The more we do it, the more it gives others permission to do the same. We create a ripple effect and humanity can certainly do with a big dose of this right now! So let's keep doing our part!" Jenny Lincoln
JENNY LINCOLN Jenny helps people ditch their day jobs and live the life of their dreams. She's a full time travel nomad who house sits and volunteers her way around the world. You can find out more at: JennyLincoln.com or on Facebook
Join TrustedHousesitters this Saturday 31st July in the heart of San Diego where they will be celebrating DOGUST - the international birthday for all rescue pups. While you’re there snap-up a limited edition TrustedHousesitters bandana, enjoy a pupcake or a cooling, pup-approved ice cream! FREE doggy caricatures FREE doggy face painting for the humans! All pups — rescues and non-rescues alike — welcome. It's going to be a great day for everyone! Can’t make it? Then share your celebrations on the new Community Forum and on Facebook, using the hashtag #PawtyInThePark
HOW TO PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR EASY PET SITTING by Julie Walker Planning a trip is always exciting, but it can generate a sense of stress when leaving your home for a long period of time. It’s a good idea to use a home sitter or if you have pets, a pet sitter, as this can help create peace of mind while you and your partner sip mimosas on the beach. It’s important for your home and pet sitter to fully understand the complexities of your property, your pets, and anything else that might affect the integrity of your home. We’ve put together some information to share with your sitter to help prevent any disruptions during their stay.
If you will be out of contact make sure they have any phone numbers or details of friends or family that could help. Share your alarm codes and any security codes that could breach the home’s interior. Some systems allow you to change the code so when you get back the sitter no longer has access, which can also help ease stress. Perhaps you use several security cameras; it’s important for the pet sitter to know exactly where these are and how to access them as well. Security cameras are not welcomed by all sitters, so this is an important upfront conversation to have before a sit is confirmed.
Points of contact This might be one of the most obvious things that every home owner should know but could also be one of the most essential. Share your phone number and everything else that they would need to contact you in a timely manner as a result of something
You don’t want the sitter setting off an alarm unknowingly, since this can lead to a chaotic
urgent.
scene. Providing them with every alarm code
Create a list of potential emergency
and your pets, but everything inside of your
contacts in case of unfortunate events, especially for local emergency services, such as vets or animal hospitals.
will ensure not only the safety of themselves home. If you use an alarm monitoring company, don’t forget to notify them of your sitter names, in case they have to be verified if the alarm activates.
rules of the home
Not all visitors are a threat, but there are
Every homeowner has a different way of
create the potential for issues to arise.
running their home. Some people are more
Obviously there can be leniency here
relaxed, while others might be very specific
depending on who is watching your home
about how they want their home to look,
while you’re away and the trust you’ve
feel and be maintained.
established.
It’s important to provide your pet sitter with
Be clear about whether you are happy for
a set of guidelines for how you look after
visitors during the day, or even overnight.
your home and would like them to do so
Communication is the best way to avoid any
too. That way, when you return it will seem
some circumstances when visitors can
uncomfortable situations arising while away.
as if you never left.
PET POLICIES Provide your sitter with specific instructions as to what rooms are off limits (if they are) to both them and the pet(s) and how to treat each area of the home. Remembering also that they need to be comfortable and feel
Many homeowners have no other choice than to leave their dogs, cats and other animals at home. Most of the demand for pet sitters stems from the fact that their pets
relaxed during their stay.
must be tended to and loved while away.
Happy house sitters will equate
clearly states what's expected and the types
to happy pets!
of behavior they can expect from the pet.
Although the last thing you might be thinking of before heading off on vacation, is cleaning the property, it is important to provide a clean hygienic space for your sitters. You may be surprised to hear it’s one of the biggest complaints, that of arriving to a messy or dirty home. Another element of this is creating a visitor policy. Without this in place, it could create a number of potentially difficult situations for your sitter to manage. Your pet may not be friendly with everyone,
Create a checklist for the sitter to follow that
It’s crucial to make sure the pet sitter is aware of their eating habits, bathroom habits, and how often they exercise, whether that’s a walk, garden exercise or inside playtime. This might be quite different depending on the type of pet in your household. It’s also important to mention to the sitter the types of food, water and medication your pet will need while you’re away. Explain how often they need to be fed, walked, and how long they can be left alone in the home.
and some may act completely different
Another important practice is to explain how
around strangers, so it is vital that you and
you, the pet owner reacts to interdisciplinary
the pet sitter are on the same page when it
actions, stressing equal reactions to the pet’s
comes to visitors.
good and bad behavior.
CARING FOR YOUR PROPERTY AND BELONGINGS
In the event of a pet breaking an item in the home, it’s necessary for the pet sitter to know what to do and in what types of situations you would want them to contact
When you use a pet sitter, they become the
you. A good piece of advice is to reassure
sole person responsible for not only the
your sitters that accidents happen, perhaps
livelihood of your pet but also the integrity
get them to take photos, so that you can
of your home.
decide on your return if it’s something that might necessitate an insurance claim.
So apart from pet care, exercise and cuddles, there are a few other
In general, your sitter should be aware of
responsibilities your sitter might expect.
how things work in the home and how to react if something were to suddenly break.
Here’s a potential checklist of what a home sitter may be asked to do:
To ensure the home is in working order and the sitter can use things while there, show
Garden maintenance, including mowing
them beforehand what to do if something
the lawn
were to suddenly stop working.
Keep up with trash day by taking out the rubbish and recycling waste
Share information on things such as your
Make sure the home is kept clean and
home warranty policy, that way they will be
tidy
able to navigate any appliance issues in a
On longer house sits, monitor post and
timely manner in the instance where an
deliveries
appliance were to break, or the air
Pick up after your pet and care for any
conditioning stops working, which could be
accidents in the home
dangerous for your pet if a heat wave is
Dealing with unexpected emergencies,
coming.
such as a water leak, or bug infestation It’s a good practice to leave an emergency Make sure that you clearly explain any
cash fund for use in the event of something
specific responsibilities you are expecting
happening that requires immediate
from them while they are there.
attention. Whenever you leave your home for an extended period of time, there is
Appliances and utilities are an integral part
always a sense of vulnerability.
of a home, and it’s important to prioritize these when leaving your home for an
It’s important to pick the right pet sitter and
extended period of time.
provide them with every piece of information that will make their stay as easy
Some of these incidents can come at a
as possible. Knowing that your pet and your
completely random time, so it’s important
home are in good hands will increase your
for the homeowner and the sitter to be as
sense of security, and ensure your time
proactive as possible.
away is free from worry.
Need a place to get support and chat with other house sitters? Come and join our Facebook Group!
GETTING YOUR DUCKS ALL IN A ROW
James and Clare are a Kiwi / English couple lucky to have retired early. Full time house sitters since 2015, they've completed 100+ sits across Europe, Australasia, Asia and the Americas. With no homebase and a minimalist lifestyle, they travel with what they can carry on their backs, continuing to enjoy living and learning as part of their incredible life journey.
www.jamesandclare.blogspot.com or Instagram
CARING FOR DUCKS & DUCKLINGS WHILE HOUSE SITTING by Clare & James We have had a couple of sits lately in New Zealand which involved both caring for ducks and raising ducklings.I don’t mind telling you, I have taken to the task like a “duck to water” - they are so much fun! Let me share with you what I have learned so that you will feel confident on future house sits if your pet care duties include looking after ducks and their babies! FEEDING Most importantly, if you are caring for someone else's ducks, please follow the owner’s instructions for food and their wellbeing. If ducks are free ranging they will forage and eat grubs and worms, but it is good to also supply commercial pellets to keep them happy and healthy. We found that the time spent feeding is a nice way to stay connected with them each day. You can also feed them a wide variety of fruit and vegetables. There are some things you shouldn’t feed ducks. These include spinach, bread and onions, to name just a few. You can read more about why bread and other junk food isn’t good for ducks, especially in parks.
Ducks don't have teeth and instead grind
Ducklings, especially those without a mum to
their food internally, so they need grit to
care for them, will need to be kept away
help with this. If your ducks don’t have
from other adult ducks until they are old
access to soil and you are including raw
enough to fend for themselves. Like
food in their diet, you will need to provide
chickens, ducks have a “pecking” order which
them with some form of grit. Dried and
can be rough on the little ones. Sometimes
crushed egg shells are easy to make at
they can be attacked by the other ducks.
home or you can buy commercial grit.
WATER It is important to start feeding ducklings with starter crumb as soon as possible after
It is not necessary for ducks to have access
hatching. This is a high protein feed that the
to a pond but it is easy enough to provide a
ducklings need for their first 2-3 weeks. If
hard plastic paddling pool for their use.
you can’t get duck starter crumb locally you
Failing that, it is most important that they
can feed them chick starter crumb.
have several places where they can drink fresh clean water at all times, and not less
You must provide water beside the feed as
than 4 inches (10cm) deep , in which they
they need to wash the crumb down. If they
can immerse their entire bill to keep it clean.
don’t have access to water they can choke on the crumb. Next, you’ll move them on to
A not so fun fact - ducklings can easily
grower pellets for another 6-8 weeks.
drown! If they get into water and can’t get back out, they will die of hypothermia.
SHELTER So if you have ponds or pools that they can Ducks don't roost like chickens, but
get into, you must also provide a way for
providing them with a dry place to sleep,
them to get out. Or better yet, fence them
safe from predators, is still important. This
away from those places on the property until
is also a good way of providing somewhere
they have their adult feathers.
for them to lay their eggs.
I have spent hours constructing steps and
EGGS, EGGS & MORE EGGS
planks out of paving stones and tree branches and it is so satisfying watching the
Let's not forget about the eggs they will
ducklings learning to use them.
eventually lay!
Supervised swimming only though!
Duck eggs are fantastic for making sponges and other baked produce. The shells are
INCUBATING EGGS
more porous than chicken eggs so they don't
Duck eggs are sometimes incubated and the
that cake today!
keep as long. All the more reason to make
ducklings reared without a mother. Ducks are not always great mums which is why
Well, that’s our quick intro to looking after
some owners choose to incubate the eggs
ducks on your house sits. We hope you will
themselves.
get the chance to be as charmed by these feathery friends as we have been!
The most important thing once they hatch is warmth. If they had a mum she would keep them warm herself so when the ducklings finally emerge from their shells, it is easiest to keep them warm under a heat lamp for the first week of their life. This time span will depend on your climate. If you have lovely warm sunny days, you can put them outside in a small pen in the sunlight too.
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT
During summer 2020 it became clear we’d have to put our nomadic house sitting lifestyle on hold for much longer than anticipated.
PORTUGAL
Lockdown number three was looming in the UK. We had to act fast, as we were living in our holiday chalet in Norfolk that would close
HANGING OUT IN EUROPE - How a house sitting couple took the chance to live in Europe during lockdown.
from October until March. We knew that prior to the Brexit deadline we could head to Europe on our British passports and stay 90 days from the beginning of the new year. After a lot of research we came up with a six month plan to live in Portugal for winter. Our budget for an apartment was 600 euros NOMADIC
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24
a month, and we preferred to stay near the
BY JUNE SPINDLOE
coast, away from larger populated cities.
So, we left on an EasyJet flight in the first week of October just before all further flights were cancelled. It was a balmy 18 degrees when we emerged from Faro airport, a welcome respite from the cold English weather. There was no change in the time and it was almost as if we had arrived to start a house sit.
We discovered that Portuguese life is very noisy. There are many stray dogs roaming the streets and owners don’t seem to mind how loudly their dogs bark at night, or how loudly they shout at each other across the water or village square! Because of the intense summer heat, garbage trucks pick up from large underground containers
Ferragudo
anytime from midnight onwards and the noise from this often woke us up.
Our choice was a traditional apartment in Ferragudo, a small fishing village not far
When we walked we discovered the amazing
from the Algarve’s largest city, Portimao.
nests that Storks had made high above our heads on telegraphs poles and chimneys
Initially we spent long lazy days on our
and could hear the “clacking “ noises they
south facing balcony watching the world
made with their bills as we strolled past.
go by, and I found myself decompressing after what had been a stressful year. The hot weather continued and we ventured out most mornings to explore the area, the beaches and the hiking trails. Food stores were walking distance but most of the other touristy shops were already closed. We hadn’t budgeted for eating out at restaurants and so stocked up on basic supplies for the kitchen.
Covid-19 Update All the latest information about entry into Portugal can be found here at Visit Portugal: VisitPortugal.com Always check the latest up-to-date travel information from your home country's government website. Don't rely on others.
Gradually the increasing lockdown rules limited everything that we had enjoyed in the first few weeks. It got to the point where only essential shopping was available and all the coffee shops and restaurants were closed. Even the water taxi to Portimao stopped operating. We watched as the local communities struggled, with hotels and villas closed indefinitely and beaches and streets now deserted. It was an eerie feeling. It became clear that tourism was the major source of revenue in the Algarve and that
The tile floors and concrete walls are good
was now decimated.
for summer, but don’t lend themselves to what turned out to be the coldest winter in
After a month in Ferragudo we decided
twenty years.
that we would move on every month within the Algarve region so we could live
We spent Christmas Day on Gale beach,
like locals in different coastal areas. Airbnb
with its amazing boardwalk and nature
owners were offering monthly rates and I
reserve. February we “lived” in Carvoeiro
was able to negotiate the cost of a month
with its sea caves, and in March we were in
to include utilities.
a much bigger town, Armacao De Pera.
Electricity in Portugal is very expensive and
There were miles of empty beaches, and
spending winter in a holiday villa or
we walked, explored caves, watched
apartment is cold.
dolphins and picked ripe oranges, lemons and grapefruits from our villa garden.
A house sit surprise
We did finally make it back to the UK later
By January we were contacted by one of
Norfolk. It was a challenging and expensive
our previous home owners who had recently moved to Portugal from the UK. They had been through a traumatic experience requiring emergency surgery and months of rehabilitation after a bicycle
in March to return to our holiday chalet in return trip via Amsterdam. At the time of writing this we have already completed three sits in the UK with one in Southampton so we could say goodbye to family. Now we are heading back to
accident.
Canada to continue house sitting and to
Their two older Yorkshire Terriers needed
friends. A long awaited trip.
looking after while they attended a rehab unit for a week. We were only too happy to help and headed over to their villa with a pool, to look after the dogs. It was our first dog sit in many months, and we were convinced they remembered us.
reunite with our youngest daughter and
In retrospect those six months in Portugal during lockdown were memorable, but we wonder whether we would have enjoyed it under normal circumstances with crowded bars, beaches and pricey accommodation. Every situation has its positives and we are resilient enough to face whatever lies ahead. We always wondered how we would cope with a lifestyle without travelling and this has just proved to us that we’re not ready to settle down yet. Read more about our trip on my blog: www.nomadicmumsie.wordpress.com
And then it was over To our surprise the UK added Portugal to a red list in January and we had no idea when we would be able to get back to England.
by Sandy Ball BritsHouseSitting.com
VETS IN THE TIME OF COVID How many of you have had to visit the vets in the UK lately? This was our experience in June this year. We arrived at our TrustedHousesitter’s pet sit to be told that the elderly puss, a beautiful Birman, had been diagnosed with cystitis four days earlier, so we’d need to keep up her meds. This should be easy as they just go on her food. However four days into the sit we realised that she wasn’t really eating, only drinking the liquid from her pouch food, and that also we hadn’t cleaned any poo from the litter tray for a couple of days.
Our (first time) homeowner was
Next I phoned the vets to explain I
going sailing somewhere off the
was the house sitter looking after
Highlands of Scotland and as she
puss and asked if a vet could call me
wasn’t likely to be in mobile signal
back regarding our problem. Of
very often, we had agreed we
course, if our puss had been in pain
wouldn’t be sending any updates.
or exhibiting any signs of stress, I’d have asked to take her straight in.
So what to do with a constipated, elderly cat during Covid?
Once the morning consultations were complete they rang back, and
Aside from wandering around at
after explaining the situation they
night yowling nocturnally she
asked us to bring her in at the start
seemed happy enough. And as life
of the afternoon session. Luckily we
for her these days is mostly snoozing
have our own car, as this could have
on the bed, there weren’t really any
been tricky in a taxi.
signs that she might have any other problems.
So, this is how it goes in this particular practice in the north of
First of all, as this was a Trusted
England - and thank goodness it was
Housesitters sit, I rang their free
good weather that day.
24/7 vet line. It was 8am but I still had to wait a long time for an
You arrive and park in a space in the
answer. Then I needed our postcode
“domestic and small pets” car park.
which I didn’t have to hand, but eventually we chatted with a veterinary nurse. She asked about everything and agreed that yes, we should contact the homeowner’s vet as the puss would need an examination.
tip #1 - if using the trustedhousesitters free vet-line make sure you have your post code
You get masked up and take the cat
We then spent the rest of the sit
in its basket and go to the outside
dosing puss with a daily syringe of
reception window.
lactulose and monitoring her liquid intake. Lucky there were two of us to
The receptionist checks you in and
do this, one to wrap her in a towel
says someone will be out to see you.
and hold her and the other to squirt the liquid down her throat. The
You give them your car park number
lactulose kept working and keeping
and walk away only to be called back
her comfy.
to retrieve the cat basket from the desk and take it back to your car.
Meanwhile the homeowner did text us to ask how everything was going so
A masked staff member comes to
we were able to update her and have
your car and has a chat with you
a chat about what had been
about the problem and then takes
happening.
puss inside for an examination. It was a good reminder to us that this The vet brings the puss back to the
is very much a part of “the joys” of
car with a diagnosis and chats about
house sitting!
what to do next. Also says, don’t worry about the bill, your homeowner can sort it out when she gets home. You go to the receptionist to pick up drugs and take puss home with instructions that the enema should take effect before tomorrow. You get home to discover the enema and the car journey has already
tip #2 - Put vet number, website & address in your phones and add to your homeowner’s details in contacts under "VET" so you don’t have to remember names
worked its magic.
tip #3 - pin vet’s address in an offline map just in case of poor or no signal in the general area.
MAD DOG LADY & ANIMAL SAVIOUR! by Karen Mitchell
"HOW GREAT IT WAS I TOOK THE CHANCE AND MOVED OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE ALL THOSE YEARS AGO"
It’s a freezing cold July morning in rural
They wanted someone to come and
Victoria and I couldn’t be happier. I hate
help out and love all their animals whilst
the cold but here I am on my 40th plus
they went away on a five week journey
housesit since I started this journey in
to Queensland. Their first major holiday
2012. Over the years I have house sat
for 40 years having previously been
from the top end of Australia to the
dairy farmers needing to tend their
Highlands of Scotland, and many areas
flock and work extended hours.
in-between. They were very nervous and had never My first foray into housesitting was when I thought I could combine my love of all creatures and the environment with my sense of adventure, and a visit to family in the UK. So, I embarked on a journey that has not only inspired me, but taken me to many places I would never have been to. I’ve become a little part of a number of communities making many new friends along the way. Some of those friends are still with me now and I hear from them on a monthly basis having undertaken many repeat sits. I am known to my friends as the “mad dog lady and animal saviour” as in my role as a remote nurse I have rescued quite a lot of animals, particularly unwell dogs at risk of dying alone. But back to my current housesit on this cold July morning having just travelled back from Bourke where I was working as a nurse, to now arrive on this small hobby farm. I first contacted the owners in 2020 after seeing their ad on Aussie Housesitters.
had a housesitter before so they were concerned about how it would go. I found a job in New South Wales (NSW) so I could drop in on the way and we could meet back in May this year, and we became instant friends. I always feel very nervous when first meeting new homeowners, but I was made so comfortable I could not have asked for more. Even to the point that I have now arrived two weeks early to escape the lockdown in NSW and been made to feel very welcome indeed.
Straw, hay, dog paws and kisses - heaven!! The number of animals changed over our time of communicating, as often happens with hobby farms. By the time I arrived in late June I would be house sitting 10 dogs, 3 cats, 1 highland cattle (Bonnie) who is pregnant, Alice her friend, 2 horses and four chickens. Two weeks later the horses are down to one, Maggie the beautiful Shetland Pony who was rescued from the knackers yard, and two extra dogs, a mum and her new pup. I love it although most of the time I'm filthy dirty. It’s impossible to be any other way with 10 dogs clambering over me, and having to separate them at bed time. I’m covered in straw and hay and dog paws and kisses... its heaven!
My hobby farm sit daily routine My daily routine is quite simple really, an hour in the morning that includes checking the kennels, cleaning, and letting the dogs out, feeding Maggie and giving her a brush and a little walk around the property. Then the rest of the day is made up of walking the dogs if I want, or just pottering around the house and garden playing with the dogs and chickens (who all love sitting on your knee, but I must say with shitty feet!). I have work clothes which I wash once a week and then change when I go out although I must admit on some mornings I have put my dirty clothes over my PJs when I have gone out to sort out the daily jobs. Then evening time it is same all over again but this time feeding the cattle, the dogs and ensuring that the water is topped up.
The hardest part of all is trying to get ten dogs through a gate in the morning without any escapees and then trying to separate them into twos to put them to bed at night. I have a couple of escape artists in the pack who want to search and rescue and it’s a challenge to keep them in. All in all they get on very well and apart from a couple of spats and me looking like a hobo on a daily basis we have so much fun.
Of course 10 dogs do not live in the house, three of them do and the rest are outside in their own kennels with all the special things that make their lives comfortable such as warm kennels, coats, toys and good food. The dogs and the chickens have special personalities and I have been lucky to watch a newborn pup grow up from birth to now being two weeks and getting fatter each day. The personalities of the kids are so different with a couple being more dominant, but all just wanting love. There are 3 Poodles who are intelligent and smart and look for cuddles all the time, and four Cavaliers who are so funny looking for any way to escape in order to get up to mischief.
And then I put my feet up... Maggie the Shetland was feeling frisky one day and bailed me up in the paddock bucking and kicking and I had to wait 20 minutes or more to get past her but she was just playing. She is such a cutie and how anyone could just cast her away I don’t know, as she is a beautiful pet. Finally after all my contact with the animals and at the end of a fulfilling day, I put my feet up and curl up with three dogs on the couch. Sitting with a coffee watching the Guinea Fowl chasing the birds away, I reflect on how lucky I am and how great it was I took the chance to move out of my comfort zone all those years ago.
You can find Karen on AussieHouseSitters
HEALTHY HOMEMADE TREATS FOR DOGS BY NELLIE RODRIGUEZ
WARNING: while good quality peanut butter is considered safe for dogs, there are cheaper brands that contain a product called XYLITOL - a sugar replacement sweetener found in hundreds of products. It is EXTREMELY dangerous for dogs.
With some good quality ingredients,
If you've never prepared homemade
you can quite easily make healthy
treats for your dog, it’s definitely
treats for your dogs at home to give
something to try. Treats for dogs
them a special treat.
don’t require many ingredients or complicated cooking procedures.
Just remember though, if you are house sitting, to run this by your
They can be easy to prepare yet
homeowners first.
delicious for your pup and much more tasty than commercial mass
Check there aren’t any products
produced shop products.
your pets are allergic to, and make sure you aren’t upsetting a strict
Even a novice cook can make great
feeding regime.
dog treats - you just need a few kitchen utensils and everyday
Then, no matter your dog’s size or
ingredients to get started.
breed, we have some different ideas here for preparing mouth-watering bites to impress your pup.
So come on, let's have a go!
Chicken Dog Treats Mix these ingredients until they I make these treats for training dogs
combine well. Add water to make the
using chicken, but you could make
mixture wet so it rolls as a dough.
them with any lean meat. If the pet has allergies, you can use a substitute
Roll out the dough, and then cut your
protein like quail or bison.
preferred shapes with cookie cutters.
For this treat, you need a cup of diced
Place onto a baking sheet to cook for 15
chicken, 3 tablespoons of rice flour,
minutes.
half a cup of cooked rice, one egg, and a tablespoon of parsley.
Homemade dog biscuits
Mix all the ingredients and stir well,
For anyone wanting to know how to
then spoon the mixture into silicone molds. Bake the treats for 20 to 30 minutes until the tops become golden brown.
make easy treats for dogs, then simple homemade dog biscuits are a good option. You need five ingredients for these treats, including beef broth,
Before you remove the treats from the molds, allow them to cool. You can store these dog treats in the fridge for five days or keep them in the freezer for up to three months.
Peanut Butter Treats
peanut butter, oats, flaxseed, and wheat flour. Add the ingredients to the bowl and stir them to mix well. Make sure to add enough beef broth to create thick dough. Form it into balls. Roll them into ¼ inch thickness. You can cut out your desired shape. Bake for 20
See warning below.
minutes.
If your dog loves peanut butter and
Ensure to flip them halfway to cook all
you’re looking for the best dog treats
the way through. Before serving, allow
for large dogs, this recipe could help
them to cool completely. You can store
you. You'll need ½ cup of peanut
your dog’s treats in an airtight
butter, 2 cups of flour, and 2 eggs.
container for up to a week.
peanut butter warning While good quality peanut butter is considered safe for dogs, many contain a sweetener called XYLITOL - it is EXTREMELY dangerous for dogs.
Gluten Free Dog Treats It’s also easy to make a simple grainfree dog treat for your dog. This recipe is ideal for dogs with grain allergies. It needs a couple of bananas, peanut butter, and rice flour. Pour the flour in and mix to combine the ingredients evenly. Use your hands to form solid balls. Let the balls sit for 20 minutes to help
Diabetic Dog Treats
the dough firm. Roll the dough to a ½ inch thickness
With more dogs suffering from
before cutting out shapes as desired.
diabetes, you’ll be pleased to hear that
Transfer the cookies to a parchment
it’s possible to make homemade treats
baking sheet and bake for 30 to 35
for diabetic dogs.
minutes.
It can be challenging to find simple
Remove the treats and let them rest to
treat recipes for a diabetic dog but this
cool before storing them in an airtight
one is easy to prepare and requires
container, which you can keep in the
only 15 minutes to cook.
fridge.
You’ll need two eggs, a half-pound beef
Preparing treats at home helps control
liver sliced into small pieces, and a half
what your dog consumes as you know
cup of whole wheat.
all the ingredients used.
Place the liver into a food processor
You can adjust the portion size and
and pulse it until it’s chopped finely.
include recipes the dog loves. Besides,
Add the eggs and flour and process to
this is a great way to practice baking
form a smooth mixture. Spread the
skills!
mixture in a pan and bake for 15 minutes until the center is firm. Cool the treat and cut into small pieces using a pizza cutter. Store in a sealed container and keep them in the refrigerator.
Nellie Rodriguez is an avid cook, who loves sharing recipes with the world to make cooking easy and delicious. She shares her recipes via articles and web journals.
ISSUE 36 - JULY 2021
HOUSE SITTING MAGAZINE
Editors Vanessa Anderson & Ian Usher Publisher Ian Usher Contributors Issue 36 Ian Gledhill, Jenny Lincoln, Julie Walker, Clare & James, June Spindloe, Ian Usher, Sandy Ball, Karen Mitchell, Nellie Rodriguez
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Copyright 2016-2020 by Ian Usher. All rights reserved
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Our next issue will be available to read in October 2021. If you've got a story to tell send us an email at: vanessa@housesittingmagazine.com