Need a cat/ball python sitter for the month of February! Located in West Los Angeles

About this assignment

I am looking for someone who loves animals, is trustworthy, and reliable! I have two kitties and a ball python who are my world :) One of the kitties can be a bit of a velcro cat - demanding lots of attention and cuddles - and the other is a bit shy and generally takes a few days before warming up to new people. But they are both very sweet, playful (they both play fetch!) and loving! My snake is very low maintenance and I do not expect you to feed him or anything like that while I'm gone.

My cats can be left alone all day if you need to work/go to school/run errands/etc. In grad school I was gone at 7am and returning around 6pm, with some nights not returning until 9 or 10pm, so they are used to huge gaps of time during the day without human contact.

I would prefer a house sitter local to the SoCal area, as this year I will be traveling quite a bit and if this works out, may reach out a few more times for house sitting assistance. I'd love to form a relationship with one house sitter who I can rely on, and who my kitties are comfortable with :)

What responsibilities are required of the house sitter

Cat care: Playing, feeding (they free feed dry food), cleaning/refilling their water bowl/fountain, giving treats, litterbox duty (a simple task as I have a LitterRobot self-cleaning litterbox). One of my cats is VERY affectionate and demanding of attention/cuddles, so I hope this is okay with you! The other one is shy and takes some time warming up, but is a real sweetheart once she's comfortable :)

Ball python care: Adding water to his tank halfway through your visit (easy process, I use a watering can and fill it twice with room temp tap water), switching between his "day lamp" in the mornings and his "night lamp" in the evenings (external to his tank, does not require you to open the thank). He does not need to be fed while you are house sitting, as he eats once every month or so!

Plant care: watering plants (I will leave more detailed instructions and keep them all in one room to make things easier for you!)

Apartment: Please try to keep things reasonably clean!

What are the good features of the property and location

I am a 15-30 minute drive from LAX (traffic dependent), a 15-30 minute drive to Venice beach (traffic dependent), a 20-minute walk from the Palms metro station and a 22-minute walk from downtown Culver City with tons of restaurants, shops, etc. Being in West LA, you are typically driving against traffic (assuming you are leaving in the morning and returning in the evening). I have had no issues personally with crime/feeling unsafe in my neighborhood and have lived there for 6 years. I can offer a parking spot in my gated garage as well, if you have a car!

I know I'm asking for a very long stay, so I want to do what I can to make this as comfortable and enjoyable of an experience as possible for you. I consider my home to be very cozy, and have a record player and many video game systems/games at your disposable as well as HBO Max. I do not have Prime, Netflix, or Hulu, but you are more than welcome to log in to your own account while staying. I thoroughly enjoy cooking and have a myriad cookbooks and a lot of kitchen appliances that you are welcome to use (instant pot, dutch oven, kitchenmaid mixer, toaster oven, air fryer, couscoussier, espresso machine, etc) just please treat my stuff with care :) I have an in-unit washer and dryer so you can do laundry in my home. I will clear out one of my dressers and give clean towels/fresh bedding so you can use the master bedroom, which has an attached bathroom with standing shower. If you need hanging closet space, let me know beforehand and I will attempt to make some space in my closet as well!

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

If you have a bicycle, it will need to be kept inside the apartment as there is no bicycle parking permitted in my garage (and unfortunately management will confiscate bikes).

I live in a 2bed/2bath unit, however the smaller bedroom will be completely off limits (for it is currently being used as storage of my roommate's stuff while my roommate is abroad for work, and has so much stuff in it it will not be accessible or functional for any reasonable use). Also, whenever I open the door to the second bedroom my cats try to bolt inside and it's very difficult to get them out as there is so much stuff to navigate around. So please respect the space and do not enter the second bedroom!

I am not comfortable AT ALL with visitors - I have had issues with this with house sitters in the past and had items stolen once (and also have one very shy kitty who takes time to warm up to strangers), so this is a non-negotiable. I do have a ring camera outside my front door to monitor who enters the apartment. I am sorry if this feels invasive/restrictive, but unfortunately it is what I feel is necessary to protect my home and my pets.

I live in an apartment - and annoying apartment things can happen! Full disclosure, there are occasionally leaks that occur in the unit below me (typically when it rains) and whenever this happens, maintenance needs to come into my unit to check the pipes in the kitchen sink/toilet. The odds of this happening during your visit are low, but it is possible and of course I will let you know ASAP if this is an issue and work with you/maintenance to find a good time to deal with the leak (maintenance does not need you in the apartment to check the leak source, and could tell them to come when you are out at work/errands/with friends etc).

I do not permit my snake to be taken out without me present - one of my cats has made it his life mission to murder him and I am very particular/careful about when/where I take him when I take him out of his tank. My worst fear is my snake gets startled (he's fast!) and gets stuck/lost somewhere. So PLEASE do not handle my snake during your stay!

Can I bring my own pets?

No, sorry.

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