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Sitter available

ITCHY FEET - RETIRED & RESPONSIBLE HOUSE & PET SITTERS

Canada

Testimonials

They have 12 testimonials (view below)

Pet experience

Dog(s), Cat(s), Chicken(s), Bird(s), Fish, Rabbit(s), Guinea pig(s), Goat(s) – Cindy Lou has experience in providing injectible meds [especially insulin] & oral meds to pets

Police check

They have a police check

Availability

From: 4 January 2024
Until: 27 February 2025
(see their busy times below)

Occupation

Newly retired registered nurse & educator [CL]; retired mental health social worker [D]

References

They have referees/references (view below)

About this sitter

We learned about Mind My House from 2 of our best friends, who have been house & pet sitting for a few years now, & enjoying it immensely.

We like to travel, our passion for the ‘down-to-earth’ generally preferring landscapes to ‘manscapes’. Come autumn, we start to get itchy feet. We live a quiet life-style, often seeking the relative peace of countryside & wilderness. At the same time, we are interested in urban settings as we do enjoy the amenities & attractions offered by towns & cities. We’ve made month-long visits to many parts of [especially] eastern Canada, as well as several US states….it seems natural that a next progression is to have live-in experiences in areas we visit. Partying is not in our vocabulary.

We are an active couple who love nature – flora & fauna. We enjoy time outdoors, & activities that include cycling, canoeing, back-country camping, hiking & - in winter – skiing & snowshoeing. We also like to read. We both have driver’s licences.

We like to maintain a clean household, guaranteeing your home will be in excellent order on your return. We love animals, especially cats – CL is especially a cat person who loves to draw out a cat’s purr, one of her favourite sounds; however, we now choose to remain ‘catless’ in order to be mobile. We are non-smokers, & choose only to sit non-smoking homes. Only very occasionally do we consume alcohol...a glass of wine or a beer.

We have been a couple for over 30 years, owning homes for several years before opting to rent to increase our mobility. After 25 years, we’ve yet to tire of 1 another.

Why they want to house sit

We are interested in exploring more parts of Canada, the US, & Europe & in spending more time in areas that we visit...to experience local life-styles & milieus rather than just passing through.

Although we enjoy winter activities, we find that we are more & more seeking opportunity to have a break from winter’s cold...however, this does not preclude us from considering any sits that come available - we are interested++ in new experiences & milieus!

Having chosen to be pet free, house & pet sitting offers an opportunity to fill this gap from time to time.

Their experience

We have house & cat sat for friends, for 2 to 3 weeks at a time; & house, cat, dog & iguana sat for family. Also, we have house & pet sat for 12 different home owners through the MMH program, in a total of 16 'sits': a sit with 2 dogs, 1 indoor cat/3 outdoor cats & 9 chickens for 2 1/2 weeks in Ohio; a sit with 3 cats for 8 days in North Carolina; a sit with no pets...a closed-for-the-season B&B...for 9 weeks in Ontario; a sit in Georgia, with 2 cats; 2 return sits for the couple in North Carolina; a sit for a couple in Ontario with 4 cats; a sit for a couple with 2 cats & a dog in Ontario; a sit for a couple with 3 cats in Florida, & a sit in Florida for a family with 5 goats, 6 chickens, 1 rooster, 2 rabbits, 2 guinea pigs, 2 cats & 2 dogs. We completed a 1 month sit in Tennessee for a couple with 2 cats & 2 finches at the end of December, 2018; in Quebec, Sept, 2021, for a member of Canadian military with 3 cats. We sat for a couple in Spain, looking after their 2 cats for 5 weeks in November - December, 2019, & again Oct.1 to 28, 2022. Most recently, we sat for a couple near Ottawa, looking after their 2 cats, & for a a couple near Cambridge, caring for their 2 cats.

As noted, we’ve cared for & loved our own pets – 2 cats, 1 dog, 1 ferret, as well as friends’ pets [squirrel monkey, hamster, horse,…].

We were home owners for several years, & recently sold our small summer cottage in northern Ontario in 2021. We are at home with general maintenance [house, lawn, yard & garden care…].

What can they bring to the assignment

We are very conscientious & thorough about homemaking & yard care.

As noted, we have experience in caring for pets, including CL’s nursing background which has translated well to pet care with respect to preparing special diets, insulin injections for pets with diabetes [CL has been insulin dependent – well controlled - for decades], & alertness/ sensitivity to signs & symptoms of ill health. We are interested in more than simply providing satisfactory care. We enjoy developing relationship with pets, & would be committed to providing a quality experience for them, including regular brushing.

We like to walk…to explore neighbourhoods by foot. D is an early morning riser, using an early walk to kick off the day so this becomes more fun if there is an opportunity to share that walk with a dog we’re sitting. However, age has begun to catch up with David as medical conditions have started to impact his mobility. To walk any distance he relies on a walking stick to reduce discomfort, with the consequence that long walks with dogs on leash are not so doable for him.

We value our integrity & strive to maintain & enhance it…it is 1 of the few things any of us can truly own. We understand the importance of confidentiality, a fundamental precept in both of our work lives, & will bring this commitment to our sitting assignments. We also try to remain flexible in order that, if/when circumstances change, we can accommodate [eg: home owners delayed in returning from their travels,…].

Available to house sit

Canada, Caribbean, Costa Rica, France, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States

Availability dates

From: 4 January 2024
Until: 27 February 2025

They have indicated that they are busy at the following times:
1 June 2024 to 30 September 2024

Do they charge?

They don't charge for house sitting services

Membership

MindMyHouse member since 2016

Personal details

Age: 66-75 years old
Family status: Couple

Total sits

Total completed house sits: 12

Testimonials

The Cat Whisperer

David and Cindy Lou are such nice people. It was a pleasure to have them stay in our home and the cats loved them. They regularly sent photos to us of the cats to reassure us that all was well. Chloe will sit on anyone's lap. But Spooky is much more cautious and will not go too close to anyone who seems suspect. We could tell from Spooky's body language in the photos that she had fully accepted David and Cindy Lou. She was clearly in love with Cindy Lou and even tried to crawl onto Cindy Lou's lap while Chloe was already taking up the lap space. They even put up with Chloe biting when she did not get her own way and forgave her. We came home to a very clean and tidy house - just as clean or cleaner than when we left. I liked the way David was organized and prepared a checklist to make sure all daily and weekly tasks were done, caring for the cats and our plants. We highly recommend David and CindyLou to care for any cats. Cindy Lou is truly a cat whisperer. :)

Linda, Canada, 05 November, 2023

  • Tidy
  • Organised
  • Good at pet care
  • Reliable
  • Kept in contact
  • Friendly

The cats miss them and so do we!

If you're looking for petsitters that take great care of your animals and house then don't look any further. Cindy Lou and David were great at keeping in touch prior to our departure, adjusted plans to arrive a day earlier so we could avoid travelling to the airport in a massive storm. We had a great night getting to know them before we took off and felt at ease leaving. We could see the cats take to them and returned home seeing how well cared they were as our one cat needs meds twice daily, the other is like a dog and likes lots of attention. The house was kept tidy and clean just as we like. While we were gone they kept in touch with messages, pictures and even a video which was really nice. They provided a daily log of all that was done around the house and for the cats. We wouldn't hesitate to have them back or recommend them for other home owners and pet parents.

Paula, Canada, 23 February, 2023

  • Tidy
  • Organised
  • Good at pet care
  • Reliable
  • Kept in contact
  • Friendly
  • Handy around the house

Highly Recommended!

David and Cindy-Lou were an absolute pleasure as house-sitters and pet-sitters! I really enjoyed getting to know them and wished that we had more than a night to get to know one another better after I returned. From the start it was clear that Cindy-Lou was indeed a cat whisperer and was very affectionate and attentative to my cats. My old man cat Simon is handicapped due to a stroke a few years back, who unfortunately doesn't always make it to his litter box, and they treated him with grace and patience. Which is very much appreciated by me. They also didn't pity him and could see that in spite of his challenges he is a very happy, affectionate kitty that gets a ton of love. They were very detailed orientated getting together a chore list of items that needed to be done while I was away and didn't hesitate to reach out to me when they had questions. They treated my house in the same way I would and I came home to it just as I had left it (with a few extra cat toys and treats!) I also have a decent number of plants that they watered and cared for in my absence...even cleaning some of the cat hair of those that seem to attract it more. Would definitely have them sit for me again and they are a lovely couple to spend time with over dinner, drinks and music!!

Juanita, Canada, 04 October, 2021

  • Tidy
  • Organised
  • Good at pet care
  • Reliable
  • Kept in contact
  • Friendly

The best... no doubt about it.

Cindy Lou and David have now sat for us twice, on two different continents. They left us happy cats, a super clean house, and they made friends with our friends. They're not just our house sitters, they're now our friends. You couldn't ask for a better house sitter!!!

Ami, Spain, 09 January, 2020

  • Tidy
  • Organised
  • Good at pet care
  • Reliable
  • Kept in contact
  • Friendly
  • Good in the garden
  • Handy around the house

House Sitting

A super couple that took great care of our house and animals . Fun people who care a lot for the animals. and are great to be around. Would definitely use the again.

gerald, United States, 01 January, 2019

  • Tidy
  • Organised
  • Good at pet care
  • Reliable
  • Kept in contact
  • Friendly
  • Good in the garden
  • Handy around the house

Superb Sitters - Cream of the Crop!!

I'm not exaggerating when I say that David & Cindy Lou are the cream of the crop when it comes to housesitters. Unfortunately they were only available for less than a week...but thankfully we took advantage of that window of opportunity! Now we want them back and we want them back for weeks, if not months! Can we petition to make that happen?!? So first of all, they created their own written grid to keep up with our homestead's responsibilities. Secondly, who doesn't love people who start with the bare minimum requirements and then doubles, no triples, no quadruples what is requested of them? I'm not exaggerating! Do you want some examples?!? Ok so first of all, of all times for it to happen, our mini goats figured out how to escape the goat yard shortly after our departure. We haven't dealt with that type thing in years but lo and behold, David & Cindy Lou had to deal with it right off the bat! With the few tools and materials that were at their disposal, David & Cindy Lou ingeniously figured out how to repair the fencing in order to contain the goats. Here are more examples of them going above and beyond what is asked of them: We didn't ask them to tend to the cat's litter box, but they did. We didn't ask them to clean out our washing machine, but they did. We didn't ask them to pull the invasive vines off our fencing, but they did. We didn't ask them to water the outside plants, but they did. We didn't ask them to remove the dead leaves from our plants, but they did. We didn't ask them to clean the rabbit cages, but they did. We didn't ask them to clear out spider webs in the coop (yah, there are tons of spider webs in FL) but they did. You get the point, right? They set the bar very high for housesitters. Once you use their services, good luck finding anyone else to match their attention to detail, willingness to go beyond what is asked of them, sincere love they have for animals that aren't even their own, and care they provide to your home and plants. So tell me, David & Cindy Lou, when are you returning?!? We promise to have the goats contained properly next time but IF anything should go awry, we are thankful for the peace of mind in knowing that you would use logic and ingenuity to rectify the situation!

Harmony, United States, 29 November, 2018

  • Tidy
  • Organised
  • Good at pet care
  • Reliable
  • Kept in contact
  • Friendly
  • Good in the garden
  • Handy around the house

The cats add their testimonial, too.

The house was clean, the cats were happy, we were kept informed, everything was ready for our return. We hope to have David and Cindy Lou back again next year.

Paul, United States, 21 November, 2018

  • Tidy
  • Organised
  • Good at pet care
  • Reliable
  • Kept in contact
  • Friendly

Judy Phillips

David and Cindy-Lou are incredible people. We felt at ease leaving our pets and home in their care. While we were away, one of our cats had some issues and Cindy-Lou and David kept in contact letting us know how the cat was doing and taking our advice. They also dealt with high water levels due to spring thaw. (We live on a river.) Our property was partially water covered when they arrived and as it receded, they cleaned up sticks and other debris left behind. Additionally they raked and tidied outdoors. When we arrived home to happy, healthy pets and a spotless house; a delicious meal awaited us. My husband and I highly recommend David and Cindy-Lou.

Judy, Canada, 18 May, 2018

  • Tidy
  • Organised
  • Good at pet care
  • Reliable
  • Kept in contact
  • Friendly
  • Good in the garden
  • Handy around the house

Christmas House sit

David and Cindy Lou took care of our four kitties over the Christmas break and we were very happy with the care the cats received. We had several email updates, as well as some photos sent to us, and detailed outlines of the chores that were done in the house during our absence. The house was cleaner when we came home than how we left it. We would love to have these house sitters back another time.

Caroline, Canada, 10 January, 2018

  • Tidy
  • Organised
  • Good at pet care
  • Reliable
  • Kept in contact
  • Friendly

Couldn't ask for better housesitters/catsitters

From the time we initially contacted them, David and Cindy Lou were a pleasure to work with and get to know. After our 7 week absence, the house was spotless, the cats were happy and obviously well cared for, the plants were all better looking than they were under our care, and not only did they pick us up at the train station, there was a lovely meal waiting for us. They kept us well informed during our absence and sent a couple of kitty pics. We hope to keep in touch with them and would certainly recommend them to anyone - we've already recommended them to our relatives in Florida.

Ami, Spain, 28 July, 2017

  • Tidy
  • Organised
  • Good at pet care
  • Reliable
  • Kept in contact
  • Friendly
  • Good in the garden

Great house sitters for long-term house sits

We had David and Cindy Lou look after our home for nine weeks while we were overseas. They did everything we asked for and more from opening select mail, plant watering, snow clearing, telephone answering, regular monitoring of the house systems to starting our vehicle and small maintenance tasks. We highly recommend them to anyone wanting reliable, hardworking, and devoted house sitters who will look after your place is if it is their own with care and attention.

Antoinette, Canada, 29 March, 2017

  • Tidy
  • Organised
  • Reliable
  • Kept in contact
  • Friendly
  • Good in the garden
  • Handy around the house

Great pair to sit for you!

David and Cindy Lou sat for us for an 8 day period. They watched over our three cats, two of whom had special circumstances, with one needing medication twice a day. They were very attentive to his needs; kept the house in order; the cats were well taken care of; Cindy Lou and David followed our instructions and communicated regularly. We were quite happy with them and as an added bonus enjoyed their company prior to our leaving and even asked them to stay an extended day to have some closure. We highly recommend them and would be pleased to have them stay at our home again.

Christine, United States, 09 January, 2017

  • Tidy
  • Organised
  • Good at pet care
  • Reliable
  • Kept in contact
  • Friendly

References

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Last updated: 2 January 2024