Experienced mobile cat lady loves slow travel and new animal friends

About this sitter

Quiet, independent, conscientious, non-smoking, freelance writer and virtual assistant with experience housesitting/petsitting (cats, dogs, house rabbits, chickens, ducks) as well as upkeeping my own country and city homes through the years. A bit of a natural homebody/hermit, I love to explore for a bit, then return to the sanctuary of home.

I live in Portland, Oregon, and am soon transitioning from my tiny apartment to full-time housesitting. I work from home and do spend much of my time there. I adore the tropics, unique/old/futuristic cities, a soft bed, and most of all, homes with a piano--and I also love variety :)

Why they want to house sit

I love animals, but can't currently make the long-term commitment to a pet. I also adore travel, and working online allows me some freedom of location, if also a modest income. I appreciate settling in to visit a place for weeks or months, and getting to know new animals in that time.

Portland was my home for 7 years, and I'm very ready for the change that full-time housesitting will bring. I enjoy my own company, but having pets around will make the experience all the more sweet and cozy.

Their experience

I petsat+housesat quite a bit on various platforms while traveling in 2013-2014, and here and there informally since then. I've cared for gardens and plants, as well. I signed back up with a few sites in January and have completed five sits, with a sixth and seventh booked here in Portland in April 2022, then an eighth and ninth in California. I have several excellent, recent reviews on another platform: https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/house-and-pet-sitters/united-states/oregon/portland/l/5758/

I grew up volunteering at the Animal Rescue League across the street, with various pets of my own--and, as an only child with working parents, they were my sole responsibility. At age 8, we moved away from a busy highway, and I was finally able to get a kitten. At the age of 12, I used my allowance savings to adopt a dachshund mix who'd caught my heart. These days, I take all the animal time I can get - animals have always been my people, so to speak.

What can they bring to the assignment

Enthusiasm, mindfulness, and gentle care.

A homebody at heart, I'm able to spend most of my time on your property, and to accommodate special situations. As a former country cottage-renter, and living on my own for the past 12 years, I'm used to caring for a house. I currently live in a city apartment, and manage all aspects of that kind of life.

I'm relatively handy, especially with older/quirky houses, yet know when to call in the professionals. I've also worked as an Airbnb turnover cleaner/caretaker, which involved maintaining a large summer garden.