Ovada

March 1st to 31 2019 Pet sitting for Robyn & David furry ’s family  …. ….  It’s my 3 rd time sitting for Robyn & David as a solo sitter,  once in Penang and twice in Italy  Prior to those, Wife and I sat for them 3 times in Malaysia  So basically the above should suffice and could stop writing here. Is there any sane sitter who would sit 6 times for the same owners and pets -- 6 indoor cats and 3 sometimes 4 Garden ones plus George their dog --  if it was not the ideal sit for a couple or solo petsitter who are active and nature lovers? Living now in the new house located in the heart of the Piedmont - Italy  in a traditional Italian village on top of the hill  Robyn and David, genuine animal lovers, have from day one back been very easy to communicate with,  clearly explaining their priorities: their Pets and their exact needs  Cats :  All indoor kitties being pretty much self-sufficient  Only require full bowls of kibbles on 24/7 basis .... and of course cuddles and lap time.  Outdoors ones would be fed twice a day or more depending on Weather  all would need basic care and supervision for potential sickness or injury, to be taken to the veterinarian if necessary. (Robyn and David have always communicated 'better safe than sorry' -- if the sitter is in doubt go to the vet and never mind the cost to owners.)  And litter cleaning. Dog :  George, with who I have over the years created some special bonds  is a very sweet, easy pup. If he will funnily “drag” his paws before going for a walk  but he once outside loves walking … unless raining  During my stay, we basically walked at least an hour long every morning sometimes longer depending on his health  Would have pee break by noon  Then as March weather was extremely and unusually warm and sunny,  we spent a lot of time outside sitting in the grass, me : reading books, relaxing enjoying the far-away Alps, George by me basking To summarise :  Definitely a sit and pets I would be happy to pamper again; being Solo or with my Wife  Time will tell if I do it or not …  Just depending if … time has come for me to get my Own Puppy  … :-) 

In many ways this is the quintessential Italian village experience, small village with phenomenal views, family owned vineyards, wild Boars and even a resident hedgehog to add to the charm and excitement of this old world community. The homeowners clearly love and care for all their animals. George, the dog, was possibly the sweetest dog I have had the pleasure of caring for and he was a great companion. There were days when he did not want to walk as far as I did and days when I did not want to walk as far as he needed to, but we made it work. In the process I got to know some of the very friendly villagers, in spite of the fact that almost no one speaks English. George was a bit of an ambassador you might say, as many of the residents new George by name. The 9.5 cats were no trouble at all either. It may sound challenging initially, but I did not find the care of the animals at all challenging, and the home owner’s manual answered most questions I had. There is a fair amount of cleaning to do in order to keep up with the animals, vacuuming regularly and cleaning the cat boxes, changing the furniture covers, but definitely manageable. There are two long steep hills on each side of the village that lead to the many beautiful trails for dog walking, and this could prove to be challenging for some. The house is old, but most in the village are, it is family owned, no doubt for multiple generations. The house has a nicely remodeled master bath complete with jetted tub and separate shower. The house needs a new clothes dryer, for sure, but this is only a temporary residence for these homeowners while their permanent home is being built, so no doubt future sits for this couple will be less primitive and more modern in every sense. The weather was beautiful, but it did start to change and there were a few cold nights that required me to turn on the radiator heat, which was adequate. The kitchen was small, but functional. There was no TV, but excellent WIFI for streaming. There is a small family run coffee shop on one side of the house and a small wine tasting/vineyard on the other side. The village is rural and sits on top of a hill amongst other hilltop towns. A car is essential and will allow you to drive into Ovada in one direction for a fabulous market twice a week, and a typical supermarket for essentials. In the other direction to Acqui Treme, a beautiful upscale town with great restaurants and shopping. I rented a car in Alessandri

Robyn and Dave are wonderful homeowners, and the love they give to their animals shows. The communication was easy and clear. They made sure I had a good supply of everything needed for the animals to start, and instructions for where to get more when the current supplies ran out. There is a fair amount to do on this sit. Walks + feeding + cleaning litter + bits & bobs came to about 4-5 hrs total each day for me on my own, split somewhat evenly between morning and evening with morning being slightly longer usually. And you certainly need to enjoy being very active with long walks around terrain that has a fair number of hills. That said, the animals are a delight. I very much enjoyed getting to know all the personalities of George, PJ, Peanut, Mo, Cherry, Bindi, Mango, Micio, & Bimba. Each one is very distinct, and I have a lot of great photos that reflect that! The village they live in is also charming, and I found the locals to be extraordinarily friendly and willing to engage as I practiced my very, very basic Italian. (And yes, Google Translate is an enormous help!) If an active pet sit suits you, then I very highly recommend Robyn, Dave, & their menagerie. Wonderful people, wonderful animals, & a gorgeous village in the Italian countryside.