Pet and House Sitting Lawshall, Bury st Edmunds, Suffolk, UK

About this assignment

I am looking for a mature person / couple at this moment in time, who feel able to look after my rescue dog and 3 cats whilst I am away for work abroad. You must love dogs and cats and have some experience in looking after more than one animal and are happy to do so.

My rescue dog is really sweet but still a bit nervous but settles quite quickly now with new people. It is important though to be calm and predictable around him to gain confidence.

None of the animals are hard to look after, Daisy my female is very affectionate and the boys Felix and Fly most of the time do their own thing hunting mice.

Jake the dog is a bit of a couch potato, can stay at home happily max. 6 hours when you want to go out and has his own garden. He likes a 20 minute walk morning and afternoon and the rest of the time he is happy to go around the adjacent field or be in the garden.

Since you will be using my home as if it was your own, I look for flexibility, reliability and honesty.

What responsibilities are required of the house sitter

Your responsibilities will be to look after my 3 cats and 1 dog. To make sure they are fed and watered and made a fuss of, especially Daisy and Jake.

During your stay you will be able to walk the dog around our fields, so no need to find foot paths. Jake doesn't need long walks, but better is just see when he wants to go outside besides the 2 walks a day.
I walk him 20 minutes first thing in the morning, then again around 4 or 5 PM, another 20 minute walk. Last wee can be flexible, Jake can hold his wee easily for 10 hours :-)

All animals are good being left alone, so this means you could go out on a short trip during the day. They can be left for about 6 hours or so if you wanted to go out and explore the surrounding area, but preferably don't leave Jake longer than this. They do need some input when you return ;-) They love cuddles and structure.

The general care of the house: I live in a very cozy static on our farm campsite and is easy to look after. I have all the mod cons including a beautiful gas fire and central heating. When you leave I don't expect you to leave it immaculate, but just generally tidy.

In the summertime the flower pots need regular watering.

What are the good features of the property and location

I live 7 miles south of historic Bury st Edmunds in Suffolk on a small farm. It is a very pretty part of the country and very rural.
I run a small campsite, which means if you have a caravan or campervan and would prefer to use that as well, you are welcome to park it here.

There are markets in town on Wednesdays and Saturdays. It also has a beautiful cathedral. Sudbury market is on Thursday.

There are the stunning medieval villages of Lavenham and Long Melford on our doorstep and Cambridge is about 1 hour drive away.
We have a riding school in the village and a cycle shop in the next village of Hawstead, where you can hire bikes, about 4 miles away. There is a pub and other pubs in surrounding villages.

Our nearest airport is London Stansted and the nearest port is Harwich with twice daily sailings to and from Holland.
The nearest hospital is Bury st Edmunds, about 15 mins by car in case you need medical help.

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

You will need a car. We have a bus service but not on a regular basis.

If you come from abroad, you need to be comfortable to drive on the left hand side.

There may be some medical care involved: 1 of my cats can get a weepy eye. I have eyedrops in the fridge for him.

Can I bring my own pets?

No, sorry.

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