My Rural Greek Cat sit/farm!

About this assignment

I am looking for someone responsible, flexible, honest, compassionate and EXPERIENCED (please!) in animal care, with lots of energy who thinks he/she , ideally with a partner, would be happy to stay in a rural village on the south-western side of the island of Lesvos, Greece for a week. I now have around 46 cats to feed twice daily and daily sweeping, brushing, often mopping and laundry.

What responsibilities are required of the house sitter

I have a considerable number of cats, as do several other homes in the area, due to the high cat population. I have 10 younger cats at the moment , the latest ones born in September of this year: 3 found abandoned at one of my local stray cat feeding stations. I keep the youngest and most vulnerable indoors during the day - 3 adults and the 4 youngsters plus a few more are brought in at night. The other cats do what they like and sleep in another part of the house and can come and go as they like through a window, go outdoors in the yard where there is a special area for them out of the rain or roam further afield.
All food is given in bowls, and I try to ensure everyone gets something. They have a combination of wet and dry food, mixed at meal time and dished out. Bowls are washed after each meal. There are 29 bowls at the moment. Kittens have the 1st sitting, followed by residents and after that, visitors.
Everyone needs feeding twice a day. The 3 litter/toilets indoors are sifted and emptied of cat doings first thing in the morning and before and after meals and before bed into organic bags, disposed of in the town rubbish carts nearby. There is a 4th toilet in the yard. The water bowls indoors and out need cleaning and replenishing every day day using filtered water from the tap or yard tap. There is a hose to water the 2 trees: mandarin and lemon, as well as the sapling avocadoes, jasmine and a few leafy vegs like spinach.. There are a couple of extra neighbourhood cats that hang around at food time hoping for a meal, ( now numbering between 8 and 10 as my neighbour recently moved and had to leave about 5 of hers as she had no space in her new home.)

The cats have all been rescued from living a homeless life, or found due to illness and having recovered, have stayed, or have been brought as tiny kittens with no mother and raised by me. Fostering isn't very common here on the island. I have support from a cat charity that has helped subsidize and pay for medication and veterinary treatment. I also volunteer to feed the local stray cat population in my area but you would not have this job.

The yard gate is kept closed to help keep the younger cats stay safe and I encourage them to keep near the house. Dangers beyond the house include cars - there is a car park next to the house, scorpions - 2 found dead this year - and pine martens, though they usually only try to take very young kittens.

Just a quick note about windows and doors: the windows in one bedroom need to be closed as youngsters can sometimes be adventurous and jump up onto the mosquito netting, which may wind up as they are blinds if pushed! Also, one of the outer doors is a bit faulty and must be locked with the key which is in the lock.

I really need people who are cat lovers, have an intuitive feel for animals and can keep them safe and well with the experience they bring from other sits. I am looking for a sitter/sitters who has/have the time and energy to devote to these guys whilst I am away visiting my very sick mum - recently hospitalized. Sitters are welcome to stay before and after the sit to enjoy the area more freely. I need at least 24 hours to hand over. I prefer sitters who are not actually working whilst they are sitting. It can be challenging, especially with laundry and cleaning to do on a daily basis. Meals twice a day take a minimum of an hour and some! (If you are allergic to cleaning, this job isn't for you.) If you love cats and can cope with the demand of caring for so many for a week, I would love to hear from you.

What are the good features of the property and location

I live in a spacious house with 2 floors with a large terrace and yard. There is Wi-Fi and a large screen TV you can plug your internet device into. Apart from a large kitchen on the ground floor, looking out onto the yard, there is a fair- sized bathroom with huge shower and a washing machine. There is a modest lounge and also an office / 3rd bedroom. The 2 other bedrooms are up a flight of stairs, on opposite sides of a larger- than-average landing area.
The village square is only 2 minutes on foot. All amenities are to be found here: the post office, ATM, dentist, baker's, butcher's, greengrocer's, minimarkets and restaurants. The beach village- Skala Eresou- is 4km down the hill with all its shops and restaurants, the marina and, of course, long sandy beach!. The nearest town with large supermarkets and veterinary help is an hour's drive in Kalloni. The capital , Mytilene is only 1.5 hour's drive on mostly beautifully empty lanes.

What does the house sitter need to consider before applying for this assignment

Please think about how well you could take on a large group of cats. At this stage of their lives, most are sterilized, vaccinated and independent. The youngest are around 5 months and need to stay indoors, I bring in 4 of the youngest kittens into my part of house at night for a stress free sleep and cuddles!
There is a cat flap/open window so the others can come and go as they please into the kitchen area which has an adjoining internal door so easy to manage. There are a number of carers to contact who can help out in emergencies. I have the number of a vet to text for advice, experienced people who look after cats in this area are ready and willing to help if and when needed and my landlord is very prompt and can arrive within minutes if any maintenance or other issues arise.
How confident are you that you can ensure each cat gets food daily and could you check a list of photos and see who turns up at meal times? SOme are more sensitive than others, some more fussy, and one or 2 are special needs - a bit like a class of children ! Are you someone who has lots of energy and is pretty vigilant? Are you thorough and careful? How good is your memory? Are you OK with needy pets demanding loudly at times? With claws that can accidently pierce your jeans!! Are you confident to clean a dirty ear?Fastidious in cleaning peeing accidents and even faeces found in places they shouldn't be! Cleaning and laundry is a big job to get done, emptying cat litters, etc
You can close the bedroom door and sleep cat -free, or sleep with the door open but the windows need to be closed as kittens like to climb and jump!
Leisure time is between breakfast and dinner and could be spent visiting the beach village by hire bicycle, hire scooter or car/ taxi, even walking - 50 minutes! - ish, chilling on the beach, walking in the hills, visiting various restaurants to try out their fare, or just enjoying the peaceful hill village square and lanes. It is a quiet village. In winter there isn't much going on and only one restaurant in the village square stays open. The temperatures drop but I have mobile oil-heaters for keeping the house warm and piles of blankets for the fur family too!!

Can I bring my own pets?

No, sorry.

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