Family Friendly Neighborhood Farm
Introduction
We are a down to earth family that loves to experience the world. We have 2 super helpers at home (ages 7 & 9) where we care for 5 wonderful animals (1 bunny, 1 puppy, & 3 chickens). We like to travel and we love meeting and taking care of new animals (and gardens!).
Show more...Home & location
A 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home located between San Jose and San Francisco in a quiet neighborhood. It's set up for both adults and kids (toys on the inside, tree house in the backyard). The master bedroom has a california king, and the kids room has 2 loft beds. The office is managed by our resident bunny Bettina, and breakfast is served by our 3 hens. If you're looking for a tour of the area then Pancake the puppy can take you on a stroll to the local parks. He also likes to cuddle if you get lonely. Enjoy the fast internet and fresh eggs!
Show more...Responsibilities
Every day: - Feed, water, and spend time with Bettina (the rabbit) - Feed, water, and collect eggs from Sourdough, Croissant, and Scone (the chickens) Every other day: - Water the garden Once a week: - Take out trash, recycling, and compost to the curb on Tuesday evening; bring back in on Wednesday evening.
Show more...Meet the pets
Pancake
1 years
Bettina
3 years
Sitter Reviews (5)
Homeowner Reviews (1)
None
I have never written a review like this, and I’ve done 25+ sits with 5 star reviews. I need to be honest about this sit, even though this is uncomfortable for me to write. All of the animals were sweet (1 dog, 1 rabbit, 3 chickens). Pancake, the dog, was incredibly cute and well behaved, and got along great with my dog. He needs some additional training re: barreling into people’s legs at the dog park while playing, as he’s a large dog. People at the dog park were extremely fearful of being knocked down and injured, and many came close to this, including myself. I worked with Pancake on this, however it’s urgent that this be addressed and corrected. Pancake is an absolute sweetheart, and this is simply a training issue. It seems as if the owners lack a sense of what this site is all about? This is supposed to be an equal exchange. Sitters are on vacation as well, along with the pet parents. It’s not just about the owner’s needs. We’re doing an exchange in return for caring for your pets. It was requested that I arrive the evening prior to the sit, which was fine. I was shocked to learn that I would be sleeping on a bed in their garage (also serves as a den), with no ventilation (summer), and on a blanket that had biting bugs crawling on the underside (I have photos of this). Even after I put the blanket to the side, I woke up with large bites all over my legs that itched terribly. I had zero bites on my legs prior. They were also within the sheets as it turned out. When I showed this to Jen, Alan’s wife, there were no apologies made whatsoever. I was shocked and disappointed by this. No sitter should be forced to sleep under these conditions - period. There are no excuses for this. I was very upset by this, and this affected me for days following. I was literally in tears. They did give me the option following this, to sleep in their bedroom, which I absolutely did. Was I expected to sleep in the garage the entire sit? I hope that this wasn’t the case. The responsibilities portion of the listing notes to water the garden three times per week. This is is a bit deceptive, because you are to hand water an enormous garden in the front, and also in the rear yard (not as enormous), per directed, sometimes 10 seconds per plant/flower/veggie, which takes at least 45 minutes to an hour each time. Please be more transparent regarding this task on the listing. It was a lot of work, and extremely time consuming. A 25 page home guide was not necessary. It felt like I was forced into taking a study course. The house is very nice/modest, and there was 1 dog, 1 indoor rabbit, and 3 chickens. Please refrain from subjecting sitters to this 25 page manual, and simply put the basic do’s and don’t’s. Our time is just as valuable as yours. Please be considerate of our time. Again, this is supposed to be an equal exchange. It felt to me like I was their free, hired help. My apologies for giving your rabbit a small piece of carrot. I must’ve missed that within the 25 page manual? She was fine and healthy following this, and I did apologize for this sincerely. Please also appreciate when photos are sent to you. I often didn’t received an acknowledgement of this, which again, is time and effort put forth for your sole benefit, and peace of mind. Thank you for acknowledging this when you did. If the pet parents are willing to alter their treatment and/or conditions towards future sitters, this sit will be much more comfortable, and feel more like an equal exchange, as it’s meant to. Their animals are super sweet, and everything else was fine, aside from the above. I left their property immaculate, and cared for their pets as if they were my own. I accidentally broke their Pyrex dish, and already ordered a replacement for them, which I offered to do. They also requested this. Sitters, please be honest with your reviews for the sake of future sitters.
Show more...None
Pancake was sweet and delightful and this family was very welcoming. Fresh eggs and a bunny too. Everything was provided as well as a very comfy bed! You will enjoy your stay at the Gardners!
Show more...None
Excellent house sit with Alan and Jen. They are very welcoming and gave detailed instructions for the house sit. The checklist they gave is very helpful! The place is beautiful and comfortable, with gardens and chickens :) our favourite is Bettina the bunny and Pancake the puppy. Pancake is lovely and well behaved for an active puppy. The home is in a quiet neighborhood with shades great for walking. We would love to come back! We highly recommend other house sitters to come help Alan and his family.
Show more...None
Excellent stay and wonderful people and animals. It was a pleasure to stay at their house!
Show more...None
We had a wonderful time on this housesit! The pets kept us somewhat busy, but it was all fun and easy. Our favorite times of the day were taking Pancake to his evening dog meetups, feeding Bettina, and collecting fresh chicken eggs. While Pancake is still learning some basic commands at 6 months old, he tries very hard to understand and learn, and he was never rowdy or rough with us or the smaller pets. He walks well and plays well with other dogs; he received many compliments on walks and at meetups. He’s potty-trained and it’s convenient having a side yard to let him out throughout the day. It takes some patience to get him into his crate at night, since he still wants company, but we’re sure this will improve as he gets older and continues training (and one day he may not need a crate). Overall he’s a really calm puppy who just wants to be petted and loved! Bettina makes us want to get our own Dutch bunny; she is super friendly, following us around her room and letting us pet her. We can watch her munch on hay, pellets, or greens all day. We cleaned her litterbox every other day; it was simple and even enjoyable to do since it didn’t smell at all and little Bettina deserves a nice clean litterbox to sit in while eating hay! Sourdough, Scone, and Croissant are fun… because they’re chickens. Croissant was brooding during our stay, but it was easy to pick her up every day to collect the eggs. It was helpful for this specific task to have 2 people: one to pick the brooding chicken up and the other to open the lower door (to the run of the coop) for her to re-enter without letting the other chickens escape. (Note for future sitters: don’t think it’s super common for chickens to brood so you may not need to do this.) In general we liked letting the chickens peck around the backyard, but most of the time kept them in the coop because it can take us a while to get them back in. Alan, Jenn, and their kids are the kindest family! They left a thorough guide and helpful checklists for each of the pets. Their home and gardens are beautiful; we enjoyed using the backyard grill and chef’s kitchen. We highly recommend this housesit opportunity for anyone looking to enjoy the gorgeous and peaceful Bay Area suburbs with the company of pets who will steal your heart! Note: It’s possible for one sitter to take care of all of the pets, but it’s helpful to have a partner.
Show more...
Alan
Leslie is fantastic! She is kind, a great communicator, and genuinely cares about animals. She kept us up to date with daily pictures of our pets, communicated with us promptly about issues, took great care of our animals, and she left our house spotless. I would love to have Leslie house sit for us again in the future!
Show more...
Alan
