Traveling freelancer (psychologist), 40, Spain/Port/WARM available from 19.01.2024

About this sitter

Hello! I am Lilia, 40 years old, a traveling freelancer (psychologist, life coach) working online and I am looking for interesting sits in Spain/Portugal as of now till December 8th and later Southern Europe from Dec 26th and on.

I have been traveling as "normal" until I by accident stumbled upon a pet sitting opportunity and I completely fell in love with the philosophy! Having pets around me, constantly challenging and enriching my routine, giving and taking affection and care, the amazing unlikely-otherwise places it takes me to, meeting awesome people, living a local life in a real home.

So here I am, finishing my current assignment in Marbella, Spain, devastated by the idea of a lonely Airbnb (why don’t they come with a pet booking option? ? ), waiting for you to find me and start a conversation.

This is not my first encounter with animals: I grew up in a home with pets (dog (shepherd), cats, rabbit and even hen! I also pet sat many times for my friends back in Sweden. I am not a wizard (yet) but I get them quite well and feel comfortable to handle few pets at the same time. It will depend on the amount and their size as well, of course, but generally I know what I am doing with Small to Medium+ size animals. I am very open-minded to learn and experience bigger dogs but will need your patient guidance.

I am also used to arriving 1-2 days prior to your departure, especially if dogs are in the house. This gives the opportunity to get to know the pets, their routines and normal behavior as well as the house and how everything works. It is not a must but highly recommended to the pet owners to consider and practice.


What I expect from a good sitting:

~ Your listing is real and as described
~ You are ready to have a video call to "meet" a person and make sure as well as we can that we like each other
~ Your pets have an insurance and/or you provide clear instructions in case of emergency (vet contact etc). Bills are to be reimbursed by the pet owner (you) unless the vet visit was directly caused by the sitter (me).
~ Animals are to have food, cat litter & medicine for the entire duration of your trip if you live in a rural place unless
a) it is longer than 6 weeks and special conditions are to be discussed
b) you leave an available vehicle (I do have driving license)
c) home mail delivery is arranged
d) your solution

~ You intend to have the trip and guarantee the start/end dates to remain unchanged (+/- 2 days). In case of unexpected circumstances the changes are to be communicated soonest possible, clearly and respectfully. Which brings me to the last point:

~ Communication is the key. Before, during and sometimes even after the assignment. For you it is about the safety of your loved ones and your home - a fair amount of trust to a stranger who paid 20 dollars to post a profile here. For me it is also about trust - you didn't go through any verification process on this website so I need to ensure you are real and decent. So good, open and honest communication is what you get from me but also what I require to feel in order to be sure that we are a good match.

What YOU get:

~ a devoted, reliable, caring Godmother for your PETS
~ a slightly disordered clean freak for your HOUSE
~ loving and experienced hands for your PLANTS
~ a mature, dedicated, reliable person for YOU, who gives you peace of mind while leaving your house and your loved ones
~ a driver: in case your pet or you need a ride
~ a traveler without visa issues (I am a Swedish citizen and can stay in EU unlimited and in other parts of the world up to 3 months)
~ a real person: I am willing to ID check, send you references, have video calls prior to agreement. I do take security and reliability seriously: both providing it to my hosts and requiring it from them.

Why they want to house sit

Several reasons..

~ While travelling I really love to see "real" life: real homes of real people, character, way of life. Airbnbs almost never offer that any longer and Couchsurfing is irregular, less secure and very short term (considering my pace of work)

~ House sitting works best for me as I get to travel to places where I would otherwise maybe/probably never go to. It is a combination of unusual towns one have never heard of and the fait (to a certain degree) deciding my next whereabouts.

~ Closeness and companionship of a pet - you know what I am talking about! I love traveling alone and having so much contact with people online I don't feel lonely in a classical meaning, besides I sometimes meet local people or fellow like-minded travellers, and of course homeowners if only for a short time. But most of my days are filled with work, studies and research and I can physically be isolated from a society for several days. Having pets around has showed me the value of having others around me (people included :) ). I find it wonderful to take care the pets, build my routine around their routine (which changes mine and makes it interesting), have my little natural breaks with them, have an amazing reason to have walks in the new (for me) places and connect with people (other dog owners). Having a pet made my travel so much richer and more valuable that I decided to have a pet whenever I return home.

~ I love beautiful spaces and places, having an inspiring and creative working environment. Places that are in the middle of a buzzing city or off the grid in the countryside. Places that offer personality. I am not looking for luxury (I can chop my wood if I had to and don't freak out if the electricity goes off) but I do appreciate comfort and SPACE without astronomical monthly airbnb bill..

Their experience

I grew up in a home with pets (I have mentioned it before). I have pet sat numerous times for my friends in Sweden (shorter and longer terms), I have lived with friends with dogs and shared their routine, have had a 4 week assignment with a dog + cat and have an upcoming booked and confirmed sitting in December.

Being a researcher and a curious human, I have applied for an additional course in the university of Stockholm next semester: The Psychology of Dogs, Cats and Horses. I am very committed to add substantial expertise to my already existing love and nurture.

What can they bring to the assignment

A warm caring human connection for your pets, loving hands to your plants and a peace of mind for the house/pet owner.

PLEASE NOTE current availability dates: 27.10 till 8.12. In December I have already committed to a sitting and will not be altering those dates. I am again openly available for any part of sunny Europe and maybe even further as from DECEMBER 26/27th and on.