I’ve had the pleasure of pet- and house-sitting for a lovely family in inner Melbourne over Christmas a couple of times while they’ve been away in Asia over Christmas. The little dogs are irresistible. We even ended up squished in a single bed every night. Every day we went on walks through the local parklands, with plenty of treats along the way.
Not everything goes perfectly, of course. While housesitting in 2024, their elderly cat sadly passed away on Boxing Day. On New Year’s Day this year, a security incident with a person on the property required police assistance. Through it all, the pets were safe, the home was well looked after, and everything was handled responsibly.
The hardest part of any house-sit is saying goodbye to the pets. I always get attached to the animals, and leaving them is never easy, but it’s also so nice to be able to care for them while their owners are away.
