Caring house & cat(s) sitter

About this sitter

After a career of nearly 30 years as a finance manager for companies in the shipping industry mainly, I've turned into a "professional" house sitter in 2015 at 52 years of age, meaning it's my day and night job, but my services are free. To be able to lead such a life, you could say I won the lottery ;-)

With several house & cat sitting jobs in the Netherlands via another website already under my belt I looked to expand internationally a few years ago and that resulted in a trip of 7,5 months to New Zealand and Australia in 2018 and of 4,5 months to Australia in 2019.

My hobbies are working on my computer, music (Carpenters, Fabrizio de Andre, Ladysmith Black Mambazo), scrabble, cryptograms, comics, cooking (although in this wandering life I haven't done it much), driving my car (mother-of-pearl Audi A1), photographing, tv BBC mostly, listening to the radio, reading newspapers, discover new cities and last, but certainly not least cats. Also in my free time I buy Carpenters cd's/lp's/singles/books for young, poor, mostly Southamerican fans and sending it to them as gifts.

Why they want to house sit

As it's my profession I want to take care above all of the house and cats. The cats are always my priority, so I'm afraid they are getting spoiled by me.

Second it's allowing me to explore another city or country at my own pace. I hope to be able to say in 10 years time: the world truly is my oyster! :-)

Their experience

As a previous homeowner I had 2 cats, one an independent tom cat Mouse and a sweet little lady called Bella who had her roots in Italy, each had their own way with me.

As a homeowner and house sitter I've found cats extremely easy to handle, but every cat of course has its own manual. As my reviews and references show, I regularly send WhatsApp messages with photos of the cat(s).

Furthermore I don't drink alcohol, don't use drugs and don't smoke. I am not a party animal and I prefer to do shopping and/or sight seeing trips in the afternoon or early evenings.

House sitting jobs in 2014 were 3 weeks in Assendelft NL (near Amsterdam; 2 cats) and 4 weeks Nijmegen NL (3 cats; 1 on medicine).

2015
Jan31-Mar21 Lage Mierde NL (2 cats)
Apr10-Apr12 Arnhem NL (1 geriatric cat on medicine)
Apr14-Apr19 Ermelo NL (6 cats)
Apr20-Apr28 Westkapelle NL (2 cats)
Apr28-Jun02 Houten NL (3 cats)
Jun14-Jul05 Sneek NL (6 Norwegian Forest cats)
Jul10-Jul31 Nijmegen NL (3 cats & 8 chickens & pond with fish)
Aug09-Oct30 Waarder NL (1 geriatric cat on medicine)
Nov02-Nov30 Nijmegen NL (1 cat)
Dec07-Dec18 Brittany F (1 border collie, 1 cat, 1 goat, 3 donkeys & 4 sheep)
Dec21-Dec27 Rotterdam NL (1 cat; via this site)
Dec27-Jan07 Houten NL (2nd time; 3 cats)

2016
Jan11-Mar26 Nijmegen NL (2nd time; 3 cats; 1 on medicine)
Mar30-Apr28 Time Out: holiday in Las Vegas, USA
Apr30-Jun13 Houten NL (3rd time; 3 cats)
Jun13-Jul09 Axel NL (a rabbit, 2 cats, 2 chickens, a pony and a horse on medicine)
Jul09-Jul29 Nijmegen NL (2nd time; 3 cats, 6 chickens and a pond with goldfish)
Jul29-Aug18 Groningen NL (4 Peterbald cats)
Aug18-Aug28 Waalwijk NL (3 cats)
Aug28-Sep16 Zeist NL (2 cats)
Sep18-Sep27 Houten NL (4th time; 3 cats)
Sep27-Oct11 Helmond NL (4 cats; 1 on medicine)
Oct11-Nov01 Time Out: holiday in Imsterberg, Austria
Nov01-Nov17 Zaamslag NL (1 cat)
Nov18-Jan12 Lage Mierde NL (2nd time; 2 cats)

2017
Jan14-Mar16 Nijmegen NL (3rd time; 3 cats; 1 on medicine)
Mar16-Apr09 Time Out: my mother was admitted to a nursing home and I cleared out her apartment
Apr09-Apr28 Zeist NL (2nd time; 2 cats)
Apr28-May07 Ravels B (a house with a pond of koy carps)
May07-Jun07 Houten NL (5th time; 3 cats)
Jun08-Jun23 Chelmsford UK (2 cats)
Jun23-Jun25 St Albans UK (1 dog)
Jun26-Jul10 Helmond NL (2nd time; 5 cats; 1 on medicine)
Jul10-Jul23 Heemskerk NL (3 cats & 1 bird)
Jul23-Aug13 Arnhem NL (1 cat)
Aug13-Aug27 Nijmegen NL (3 cats)
Aug27-Sep22 Zeist NL (3rd time; 2 cats)
Sep22-Sep29 Time out in Koewacht
Sep29-Oct31 Holiday in Monaco
Nov01-Nov09 Time out in Koewacht
Nov09-Nov27 Dunmow UK (1 cat)
Nov27-Dec06 Time out in Koewacht
Dec06-Dec20 Zaamslag NL (2nd time; 1 cat)
Dec22-Jan07 Blaricum NL (1 cat)

2018
Jan07-Feb03 Eindhoven NL (1 cat)
Feb03-Mar09 Nijmegen NL (3 cats)
Mar14-Jun12 Holiday in Redcliffs, New Zealand
Jun12-Jul16 New Town, Tasmania (2 cats)
Jul16-Sep02 Hampton, Melbourne, Aus (1 cat)
Sep05-Sep23 Tarragindi, Brisbane Aus (cat, fish & chickens)
Sep23-Oct07 Ashmore, Gold Coast Aus (2 cats)
Oct08-Oct31 Holiday in Sydney Aus
Oct31-Nov05 Time out in Koewacht
Nov05-Nov25 Zaamslag NL (3rd time; 1 cat)
Nov25-Dec15 Time out in Koewacht
Dec15-Jan12 Aarle-Rixtel NL (2 cats)

2019
Jan13-Feb24 Zierikzee NL (1 cat)
Feb24-Mar07 Stekene B (1 cat)
Mar15-Mar24 Nijmegen NL (2nd time; 4 cats)
Mar27-Apr16 Weedon UK (2 cats)
Apr16-Apr24 Time out in Koewacht
Apr24-Apr28 Carpenters fan meeting, Thousand Oaks, USA
Apr29-May09 Time out in Koewacht
May10-May21 Sevenoaks UK (1 cat)
May21-Jun01 Time out in Koewacht
Jun01-Jul11 Spearwood Aus (2 cats)
Jul16-Aug27 Mandurah Aus (1 cat)
Aug28-Aug31 Maffra Aus (visiting an old colleague)
Aug31-Sep13 Warrnambool Aus (2 cats)
Sep13-Sep16 Holiday in Apollo Bay Aus
Sep16-Oct16 Holiday in Melbourne Aus
Oct17-Nov03 Time out in Koewacht
Nov03-Nov13 Mainburg D (3 cats)
Nov14-Dec05 Zaamslag NL (1 cat)
Dec 06-Dec19 Time out in Koewacht
Dec19-Jan18 Midhurst UK (3 cats)

2020
Jan18-Feb10 with friends in Koewacht
Feb11-Mar03 Andover UK (1 cat)
Mar03-Mar14 Koewacht NL (2 dogs)
Mar14-Mar19 Wilmingham UK (1 cat)
Mar20-Mar29 Newmarket UK (2 cats) ... cancelled
Mar29-Apr27 Newcastle UK (3 cats) ... cancelled
Apr30-May15 Camberley UK (5 cats) ... cancelled
Jun27-Jul26 Vogelwaarde NL (5 cats, chickens)
Jul29-Aug03 Saint-Genis-Pouilly F (2 cats)
Aug03-Aug19 Bretigny F (3 cats)
Aug31-Sep11 Zaamslag NL (4th time; 1 cat)
Sep16-Sep26 Bergen op Zoom NL (1 dog, horse and pony)
Oct06-Oct29 Mandray F (3 cats)
Nov26-Dec12 Zaamslag (5th time; 1 cat) ... cancelled

2021
May30-Jun16 Houten (6th time; 2 cats)
my tiny house on the flat land; canceled per Jun30
Jun26-Jul09 Zaamslag (5th time; 1 cat)
Jul09-Aug05 Apeldoorn (1 cat)
Aug07-Aug26 Zoetermeer (2 cats)
Aug29-Sep19 Arnhem (2nd time; 2 cats)
Sep29-Oct10 Mirambeau F (2 cats, 5 ducks)
Nov22-Nov29 Zaamslag (6th time; 1 cat)
Dec19-Jan15 Ludwigshafen am Rhein DE (1 cat, 1 bunnie)

2022
Jan16-Mar11 Apeldoorn (2 cats)
Mar11-Apr10 Arnhem (1 cat)
Apr14-Apr21 Streatham UK (1 cat)
Apr23-May10 Ivybridge UK (1 cat)
May13-May20 Zaamslag (7th time; 1 cat)
May20-Jun04 Amersfoort (2 cats)
Jun04-Jun19 Houten (7th time; 2 cats)
Jun19-Jun24 Koewacht
Jun24-Jul09 Goirle (2 cats)
Jul09-Jul23 Zaamslag (8th time; 1 cat)
Jul23-Jul30 Huizen NL(2 cats)
Jul30-Aug14 Houten NL (8th time; 2 cats)
Aug14-Sep12 Adorp NL (2 cats)
Sep12-Sep20 Koewacht NL (friends; 2 dogs)
Sep20-Oct01 Leiden NL (3 cats)
SOct01-Oct13 Terneuzen NL (3 cats)
Oct15-Oct22 Zaamslag NL (9th time; 1 cat)
Oct28-Nov04 Wiesbaden G (1 cat)
Nov11-Dec10 Reeuwijk NL (2 cats)
Dec18-Jan17 Nyon Sw (2 cats)

2023
Jan19-Jan29 Bulle Sw (1 cat)
Feb06-Feb18 Zaamslag NL (10th time; 1 cat)
Feb26-May05 Calgary Can (1 cat)
May05-May12 Zaamslag NL (11th time; 1 cat)
May12-May21 Houten NL (9th time; 2 cats)
May21-Jun07 Wilnis NL (4 cats, 2 of them on medicines)
Jun09-Jun17 Koewacht NL
Jun17-Jul08 Oldenzaal NL (2nd time; 1 cat)
Jul10-Jul14 Koewacht NL
Jul14-Aug09 Farnham UK (2 cats)
Aug12-Aug26 Houten NL (10th time; 2 cats)
Aug26-Sep13 Zaamslag NL (12th time; 1 cat)
Sep19-Nov03 Blaricum NL (2nd time; 1 cat)
Nov04-Nov21 Mandray F (2nd time; 4 cats)
Nov21-Dec01 Zaamslag (2nd time; 2 cats)
Dec08-Jan30 Gex Fr (2nd time; 4 cats)

2024
Feb06-Feb14 Terneuzen (2nd time; 3 cats)
Feb21-Apr22 Holiday Vancouver Can
Apr23-Apr28 Carpenters 55th in Downey LA USA
Apr28-May08 Holiday LA USA
May13-May24 Espel NL (2 cats and a herd of chickens)
May27-Jun07 Zaamslag NL (13th time; 1 cat)
Jun07-Jul05 Oldenzaal NL (3rd time; 1 cat)
Jul06-Jul12 Esch NL (2 cats)
Jul13-Aug18 Amersfoort NL (2 cats)
with my friends in Koewacht NL

At present:
Aug25-Sep07 Zaamslag NL (14th time; 1 cat)

Already booked:
Sep07-Sep27 Oldenzaal NL (4th time; 1 cat)
Sep27-Oct15 Blaricum (3rd time; 1 cat)

2025
Jan11-Feb28 Blaricum (4th time; 1 cat)
May12-Jun21 De Steeg NL (not yet definite)

What can they bring to the assignment

Lots of experience! :-)