Beautiful Home in Nice Community in the Desert

About this assignment

My husband and I are looking for animal lovers to take care of our small-ish dog, two cats and beautiful home on the edge of the Tucson Mountains. Our home is located in the Sunflower development of Continental Ranch on the Northwest side of Tucson, also known as Marana. This is an active adult community, and although it is a 55 and over community, anyone can stay short-term.

What responsibilities are required of the house sitter

The pets need to be provided ample water, fed and cared for daily, and the dog walked twice a day. The cat litter box needs to be cleaned every day. The pets are fed first thing in the morning, and then again around 4 or 5pm. One cat likes to be fed a few extra times during the day.

Our dog Frida is usually walked about an hour after fed, and can be taken on short or longer walks around the neighborhood and further out to the conservation area north of the development. She can be taken on hikes and to dog parks, too, if you'd like. Frida should also be taken out to the back yard to do her business a few times a day, especially first thing in the morning and before going to bed.

Our 27 pound Mexican street dog, Frida, is now three years old so is not as puppy-like and full of energy as she was. She loves to hike and run, and loves people, but is also a good couch- and bed-potato. She is fully house trained but could have accidents if left too long.

We had a Chihuahua that we had to put down recently because of cancer. We are considering adopting another small dog to be a companion for Frida so she will stop chasing the cats! If that happens before this house sit, we will update our instructions to include that dog.

The cats, Saki (18yo) and Samson (11yo), are both neurotic in their own way. Saki likes to whine a lot for more food and can be picky sometimes, but she likes to hang out on a lap. Samson is a big scaredy cat and usually disappears under the bed or in the closet and might not be seen for a day or two.

Our landscaping is on an automatic timer, but we have potted plants (both inside and out) that will need periodic watering..

Besides pets and plants, responsibilities include picking up mail and taking out garbage and recycling. Occasional accidents of poop, pee, or vomit need to be cleaned up.

What are the good features of the property and location

Our house is 2 bedroom, 2 bath, with an office and open kitchen-living-dining areas. We also have a breakfast nook with coffee bar, a cozy front patio, and a large back patio surrounded by a lush garden. Large windows let in lots of the outdoors, with garden views and some views of Sombrero Peak, distant mountain ranges, and the saguaro-covered nearby hills. There is a 2-car garage and laundry room.

The neighborhood is pleasant with friendly neighbors and lovely desert landscaping. There is a Safeway supermarket 3/4 mile away and many other nearby amenities. The freeway is a couple miles away and gets you to downtown Tucson in about 20 minutes.

There is a conservation area just behind our development that is easy to walk to, and beyond it is a man-made lake with great bird-watching. There is also easy access to The Loop bicycle trail that consists of over 100 miles, and we have bicycles - one electric -that can be borrowed.

What does the house sitter need to consider before applying for this assignment

We are in the desert, so be mindful of coyotes, bobcats, javelinas, snakes, scorpions, and other potentially dangerous creatures. Also, lots of prickly vegetation!

We do not have cable or satellite TV. We have a projector and screen for watching movies and shows. We are subscribed to Netflix streaming services, or you can watch movies from our selection of DVDs. We do have a TV that we hardly use in the cabinet in the office, that anyone is welcome to use.

There is no home phone land line; we use our cell phones only.

July in Tucson can be quite hot, but the summer monsoons usually start by early to mid July and bring some relief and wonderful storms..

I have set up the days for the this house sit to be one day before we leave and a day after we return.

Can I bring my own pets?

Yes
Restrictions: A sitter can bring their pet if we determine that it would work out okay for our home and pets.

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