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Sitter available
Animal loving cat & dog sitter from the Netherlands
Netherlands
Testimonials
They have 17 testimonials (view below)
Pet experience
Dog(s), Cat(s), Chicken(s), Bird(s)
Police check
They don't have a police check
Availability
From: 18 May 2025
Until: 27 May 2026
Occupation
Volunteer
References
They have referees/references (view below)
About this sitter
Hello my name is Sonja and I'm a single woman of 61 with healthy lifestyle who will be happy to look after your pets when you are away from home. After travelling half the world in the past 34 years and living, studying and working in several countries I came back to Western Europe in 2018 and did volunteering work through Helpx. After spending 3 summers in French Normandie as a house, dog and cat sitter and feeding other animals, I realised this is what I like to do most right now. Beside Dutch I speak English, French and sufficient German and Spanish. I have a reference letter from the family in Normandie, driving licence (but no private car), and European health insurance. Non smoking nor drinking alcohol. Available for video-call via Whatsapp.
Why they want to house sit
I still like to move around a bit in Europe and enjoy being on my own in the company of animals. It makes me happy and has become a new lifestyle. As I have travelled intensively in my life I now just look for nice places to BE - taking care of pets and their homes.
Their experience
As a volunteer I've been looking after several dogs and cats and other small animals in the past 9 years. Since April 2022 I do house and pet sitting via MMH. And so far it has been great, it feels like an expanding animal family of different characters, ages and health conditions (with special diets and medication, and also a deaf and a blind cat), and all those dear ones I carry with me in my heart. During the summer 2023 I've been cat and dog sitting in the Netherlands via huizenoppassite.nl. Among them were 2 senior cats, 2 young terrier dogs and a mother cat with 6 kittens of 5-8 weeks young. During the summer 2024 I was cat sitting in the Netherlands at various places and Dutch references can be found. I'll continue to reserve the summer period for Netherlands and Belgium to avoid high season travel stress.
What can they bring to the assignment
I care a lot about the well being of animals and will take care of them with love and dedication. Your pets are my priority and will not be left alone for more then several hours during the day only, when I go out for food shopping, a walk or bike ride, or visiting a museum when being in a city. Besides I'm a responsible, clean and tidy person and will keep your house in good condition. Min. 2 weeks.
Last updated:
16 Apr 2025
Available to house sit
Countries: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Availability dates
From: 18 May 2025
Until: 27 May 2026
Do they charge?
They don't charge for house sitting services
Personal details
Age: 56-65 years old
Languages spoken: Dutch, English, French, Spanish, German
Membership
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References
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Sitemap
MindMyHouse.com – https://www.mindmyhouse.com/owners/sitter_listing/51466
Testimonials
Beach friend for Lola
This was the first house sit since Lola lost her daddy before Christmas. I had two trips close together and asked Sonja if she would mind to do both for continuity - I would be back just for 3 days in between. She agreed and it was a good decision. Sonja thoroughly enjoyed the proximity of my home to the beach and spent all the walking time twice a day with Lola enjoying the balmy winter weather and the paseo. She made a really good connection with Lola who took to her very quickly. She regularly updated me with photos of Lola and I was reassured the last of my Swheaties was being well cared for in my absence. She also enjoyed my garden (despite the weed overgrowth, (still waiting for my gardener to attend!) as it gets the afternoon/evening sun. Unusually for a house sitter, Sonja declared she had never made it into the town of San Pedro, being more than happy just with the beach! She was very kind to Lola, respectful of my home and took good care of both. Regrettably her trip was cut short due to her father being taken ill as she had planned to stay a week in Estepona after me but I was very pleased she had time to complete my sit.
Sue, Spain, 24 Feb 2025
Sonja was my house sitter for over 7 weeks and I cannot recommend her highly enough. During this time my elderly cat developed a serious illness. Sonja was alert to Betty's ill health early and after contacting me she promptly sought vet intervention. Pancreatis was diagnosed which meant an intensive course of treatment. This Sonja dealt with efficiently and sensitively. There is no doubt that my cat would probably have died without her care. She maintained excellent contact with me throughout this period, informing me of any changes as well as dealing with all the practical implications. I would be more than happy to have her as my house and animal minder again.
Kate, France, 23 Mar 2024
Very nice sitter with much experience :)
Sonja was a great sitter for Bali. She didn't get scared with Bali's first impression, as she always gets really excited with newcomers. After a couple of days both adapted to each other and I was very happy to see that Bali was spoiled while I was away, which she loves :) Sonja was very tidy and caring with the apartment and everything was perfect when I came back. She got used to the neighborhood really quick and got her own routines. The communication was also really good, she gave me updates really often on how was Bali doing. Would really love to have Sonja back in the future :)
Adriana, Spain, 16 Nov 2023
Kind and caring housesitter
Our experience with Sonja was one of the best we had through this website. Sonja is attentive, kind, caring, and careful, and took great care of our boys. We didn't get to meet before leaving due to weather conditions that prevented her from arriving a day in advance, and even though this was the first time I was in such a situation, I was at ease as Sonja handled everything as a professional and was easy to organize with. She stayed in touch the whole time, enjoyed the company of our cats, and was enthusiastic about exploring the neighborhood. A true delight to have, and I can only hope we will get to meet soon :)
Mina, Belgium, 16 Nov 2023
Calm and attentive lady
From the moment we read Sonja's profile we immediately felt at ease. After a first videochat we have been in regular contact with her in the months leading up to our holiday. When she arrived the day before our nightly departure, we picked her up at the nearby train station and introduced her the house and our pets. Sonja immediately respected, accepted and adapted to all of our specific needs regarding animal care, waste disposal and home maintenance. She is a calm and attentive lady and was very responsible for our cats and chickens. We daily got snapshots of them enjoying the nice weather together. In this way we could enjoy our holiday freely and undisturbed. We then also had the plreasure to come home to a very clean and tidy house. We are glad we got to know Sonja and can highly recommend her as a house sitter!
Debbie, Belgium, 8 Oct 2023
Good times
Sonja looked after all the animals here with much love and care and in truth that is all I ever ask for
patricia, France, 12 May 2023
Caring super lovely cat mom
How lucky were we to have Sonja living in our home and taking care of our 4 cats! She is such a lovely lady gets in touch with the cats very quickly, is devoted to be there for them and to do everything possible to give them the best time. Our cats are used to have me around mostly every day and they have their habits which are important to them. Sonja stayed with them and gave them the frame they are used to have. Chiara who needs special attention concerning food as she only eats when she is absolutely alone and must be fed by hand was very very well looked after. Sonja tried to feed her throughout the day as she was suffering when her mummy is gone. She didn't loose any weight and this is fantastic. Sonja really made everything to be there for her. She cuddled all four cats, sent us pictures and we really felt she lived together with our babies and was there with her full heart. She got the personalities of each one very quickly and adapted to each of the 4 Norwegian forest cats. She took also very good care of our house and appreciated to live in our beloved home. She even was ok to bring us to the airport and get us again. It was very easy to stay in touch with Sonja, she replied very quickly and I could fully trust. We are very happy Sonja agreed to stay with us and we hope to have her at our home in the near future again. Thank you Sonja for all what you did for our lovely furry family we appreciated a lot!
Gabriela, Switzerland, 4 Apr 2023
Highly recommended
Sonja just stayed in our house for the thirtd time, looking after our cat and the house very well. The house was cleaner and tidier when we returned than it was when we left. I highly recommend Sonja.
Ian, France, 5 Mar 2023
Great Sit
It was a real pleasure to have Sonja sit for us. River our dog was very happy with Sonja looking after him with great care. Our home was well cared for too. Sonja kept us well informed throughout the sit. I would highly recommend Sonja to all owners.
Andrew, France, 14 Dec 2022
A recommended house sitter
Sonya just house/cat sat for us for the second time, and once again I have no hesitation to recommend her.
Ian, France, 21 Nov 2022
A great lady
I returned from a 3 weeks holiday to find a calm immaculate household. Most important, the animals were peaceful and happy. I strongly recommend Sonja, you can leave with a quiet mind, all will be fine.when she is in charge. I look forward to offering her another sitting.
Josy, France, 30 Oct 2022
Sweet and caring Sonja
Sonja is a friendly, considerate, and responsible house/cat sitter. She stayed at our home for three weeks, and we returned to a tidy and organized house, a green garden, and a happy, playful cat who was still 'in his element'. Our communication felt easy and it was great to have updates on our cat and his growing fondness. Sonja knows how to find her way around your house 'system', and we felt reassured that everything was well looked after. As a very well-traveled person with enthusiasm for exploring more of Brussels, it was special to share our home and the neighborhood with her. We definitely recommend her if you're looking for a caring sitter for your pet and home!
Tamara, Belgium, 20 Sep 2022
Our animals in safe hands
Even though we haven't been able to actually meet in person, Sonja took care of our house and pets for two weeks. Without problems she managed to win the confidence of and make friends with our nervous little dog, and she also took perfect care of our elderly sick cat; when we came back they clearly hadn't lacked in anything! The house was as we left it, and Sonja communicated clearly and reliably at every stage. We'd be very happy for her to do it again!
Michiel, Belgium, 21 Aug 2022
Ideal cat and house sitter
Having Sonja stay in our home and look after our kitties was a great experience. She kept us up to date with how things were going and sent pictures of our kitties when we would miss them. The cats took to her very quickly and she took great care of them. We came home to a clean home and happy cats. She is very friendly, worldly, and reliable. I would definitely recommend her.
Kayla, Netherlands, 15 Jul 2022
The Ideal House/Cat Sitter
Sonja is a tidy, friendly, responsible house/cat sitter. She stayed at our home, looking after our cat for three weeks and we returned to a clean tidy house and a happy cat. We have no hesitation in recommending her to others, and will definitely ask her again when we need a house sitter.
Ian, France, 12 Jun 2022
Sonja Van Vissingan
Sonja came to stay for two weeks to look after our three cats. Sonja was a very pleasant lady and totally dedicated to all the cats even though one decided to wander but did come back. The house was left clean and tidy and I would recommend Sonja to anyone wanting a pet/house sitter.
Philippa, France, 22 May 2022
Having Sonja looking after my cats was a great experience
Sonja looked after my cats during my Easter holiday and I came home to two relaxed and happy cats and a tidy and clean flat. She sent me regular updates so I felt that my cats were in good hands. Sonja has lots of experience looking after cats and was good at making contact with them. I can warmly recommend her as a house and cat sitter.
Annick, Denmark, 19 Apr 2022