A modern cat-lady who also adores dogs. Would love to mind your house and pets :)

About this sitter

Dear pet parents. I am an abstract visual artist from the Netherlands. 54 yrs young, a cat and dog person who always had cats. Funny how that turned out (emoticon *thinking face*). I have a black boxer though... a Peugeot van that is. Friends say I am responsible, patient, practical, technical, and a problem solver. I am in my element in rural area's / little villages & with animals.

>Available in Spain December 2025 /January 2026<

Due to recent changes in my work (away from home for projects) I made the difficult decision in 2024 to live without cats for the first time in my life. Besides the love for animals and my work, I love walking / hiking in nature, and reading. I prefer going on holiday with a crate of books. Yes, I still prefer paper books to my e-reader. One of the benefits of a big van is that it fits lots of books.

In the nineties I learned to weld, and soft- and hard soldering to revitalise (amongst others) the heating system in the community building where I used to live. I still have my studio there today.

I speak English, German and Dutch (native) well. My focus is to learn more Spanish. I understand French (when spoken not too quickly), and Spanish a bit (learning it duolingo style, level 48 atm, and can read it fairly).

When my walking shoes are off, I'd like to hang out with my temporary dogs or cats and read, play with them if they ask for that, and work in the garden if there is one. I only have a small balcony at my house on the first floor. Therefore love to take care of the green as I did at my childhood home.

Why they want to house sit

I like to spend my holidays with animals to explore the area from a local perspective.

And.. as 2 of my borrow dogs are in the eternal running fields (because of old age), and I live without cats, it really would be a delight for me to settle into your requested routine. Walk with your dog(s) and/or talk to your cat(s), giving them lots of love and the best time they prefer, that makes me happy too.

Their experience

From early age I was a dog sitter for a dog from friends of my parents. When I went to study I became the go-to dog sitter for my friends. I never needed to adopt a dog. Therefore I was only a parent, or better to say servant, to 5 cats from 1989 to 2024. A cat lady who also adores dogs. It is possible :)

Three cats I adopted from the animal shelter, and two as kittens from a nest. Ollie became the oldest, a grand old lady of 21, and needed special attention in her last 4 years when she was senile. My latest cat Nina sadly died of kidney (renal) disease in 2024 at the age of 14. I am used giving medication to animals. This comes in very handy with my regular cat-sit who has epilepsy and has to take a pill per day. I spend time with her when friends nearby are on short holidays. She is a senior now.

The first photos here show december 2024, when I was a pet and a off-grid house sitter for a German Pointer (3 yrs) in Spain with a good friend of mine and her Border collie. Learned a lot about sustainable household too (mindful of: electricity use according to sun pannel level - monitoring electricity & water level, using diesel generator when needed (as less as possible), use of non-chemical products, wood burner).

Loved getting to know the German Pointer and his super nose. He needed to be on leash in busier areas (couldn't handle overstimulation, living off-grid). The method: distract him with focus - and hold his favourite ball in eyesight in anticipation of situations with tension, and treats in my pockets for afterwards. Loved his humour, heaps of energy, scent skill, and focus on the ball (and treats of course), marvellous 4 weeks :)

Via THS I had a wonderful stay and connection with two Mastiff- mix in Spain, Sept 2025. One of the rescue dogs (5 yrs) has anxiety issues, but it went really well. It takes fine tuning into his signs and giving him his space. During walks he had to be on leash because of hunting instinct and scents of wild animals on the mountain. I had to stand really firm when that happened. Both of them are big sweeties and I will see them more often. To me all dogs seem so small now! :)

My pet sits (stayed over at my house) were a Stabyhoun mix Berner senner, and a Stabyhoun. Sometimes I am the back up walker for a single-minded Shih Tzu from a neighbour, and a recently adopted 2 yrs young rescue dog from Romenia from a friend nearby. She is adapting very well.
The neighbour of my artist studio has a sweet Staffordshire. And I enjoy the long walks with a Border collie and stay overs (she needs to be challenged, great work with commands and agility training -keeping in mind her seperation anxiety) who I've also known since her fluffy beginning.

What can they bring to the assignment

Taking care of your pets, and connect with them, so they don't have stress while you are away. As 2 of my borrow dogs are in the eternal running fields (because of old age), and I live without cats now, it really would be a delight for me to settle into your requested routine. Walk with your dog(s) and/or talk to your cat(s). Giving them lots of love and the best time they prefer, makes me happy too.

My Airbnb reviews show that I leave houses very tidy. As I would like to find my house when returning home. The garden of my childhood home was a task I happily did voluntary. I'ld love to take care of your garden or plants, and your house. I am a non-smoker / non-vaper.

From 2000 I often visited Spain (Andalucia, Catalonia, Aragon, Gipuzkoa) during my holidays, hiked in the French and Spanish Pyrenees. As I am able to travel more nowadays, I seek the best ot both worlds: To spend time elsewhere in good company of your animals, taking care of them and your house. And sending photos or videos, or obervations, funny things that happened to keep you up to date is nice to do. Although with pictures some pets (rescues) know immediately something is going on, even before I decide to take my phone out of my pocket! And then the relaxed or funny faces are gone… Street smart antennas :)

Looking forward to meet you and your pet babies when you think it is a match!