3 Dogs & 2 Cats, in the heart of rural Ireland requiring love & care!
Introduction
Hi and welcome to our advert. We are a small family (Mum, Dad and two young girls) with 2 little black cats (2 year old sisters) and three happy dogs (Border Collie - 1.5 Years Old, a Jack Russel/Pug Cross 11 years old and a Dalmation/Collie mix 13 years old). We have been with trusted house sitters for eight or so years and welcomed some lovely people from across the globe to our home and pet family! We enjoy hiking, cooking, music and reading as our main hobbies and are thankful we live somewhere that allows us peace and the opportunity to spend time in nature - with the right clothing! Thank you for viewing our advert and we look forward to welcoming you in the future :)
Show more...Home & location
Our Home Our home is a fully detached, new(ish!) build home in the heart of rural Ireland. It is set in about an acre of garden and is one of 5-6 homes in the locality with views to the top of the mountain behind us and the valley below. There are three bedrooms, together with two bathrooms on the first floor, one of which is ensuite. One room has a single bed, the others having doubles/kings. Downstairs, there is a large and airy modern kitchen, children's study, office with good wi-fi/broadband, dining room, lounge with Hi-Fi and library and finally a networked home cinema room with consoles, UK TV and Netflix/Prime. Our Location Our home is on the border between Counties Cavan and Meath, near the top of Lough-an-lea mountain (1100ft or 300m) between the small towns of Bailieborough (highest town in Ireland!) & Kingscourt. Bailieborough is the closer town and is about 2 miles from the house down country lanes. One item that we would like to mention is the need for your own transport. Their are daily coaches to Dublin from both of the local towns, but a car would be optimal. We may be able to provide one of our (small!)manual/stick shift cars if required, but you will need a full driving license and - dependent on cost - contribution towards insurance add on premium. The area is renowned for its parks and lakes and is very popular with fisherman and walkers. It is about 1 hour from the edge of Dublin, where a park and ride scheme operates and about 2 hours from Belfast, both cities well worth visiting and full of cultural and historic activities. We are 40 minutes from Newgrange neolithic tomb (UNESCO world heritage site), the Boyne Valley and also the Hill of Tara. Carlingford with its oyster festival and lough are only an hour away also. Those that enjoy hiking are well served, with the Mourne Mountains being a little over an hour away.
Show more...Responsibilities
The responsibility's are split; Cats - Solstice and Hera - dry food once a day (usually evening) and emptying of 2 cat litter trays as required! They are both young and healthy indoor cats, somewhat stand-offish with people in general, but happy. Obviously, keeping a watch for any health issues. Dogs - Dudley and Sam - feeding twice per day and walking (not for Dudley really!). As the house is set on around an acre, the dogs are happy running and playing around the garden. Dudley - like all the best/worst football/soccer players has a reoccurring cruciate ligament injury..... He doesn't really do walks anymore, but is happy bouncing around the garden after Sam. His favorite pastime is cuddling up on the couch or under a blanket with people - closely followed by food..... Sam is our young pup.... Typical Border Collie, full of energy, out-thinking his owner and loveable. He needs a minimum of 3 x 20 minutes per day of throwing the ball ( his flock!) around the garden. He is happiest on longer walks up the mountain behind us or up in the Mourne Mountains. I have not managed to tire him out yet.... Also just to look after the property and enjoy your time in Ireland!
Show more...Meet the pets
Dudley
13 years
Sam
3 years
Hera
4 years
Solstice
4 years
Sitter Reviews (9)
Homeowner Reviews (0)
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We had a great time hanging out with this crew! We were warmly greeted by Austin & Valerie and enjoyed a great homemade lunch while getting to know each other & learn the pets routine. Their home is comfortable, spacious and tidy, with great spaces to listen to music, read or watch a movie. We were lucky to have some sun & enjoyed sitting outside reading while throwing the ball for Sam. There's a few shops/pubs/walks in the area, or longer drives get you to more touristy destinations. As for the pets, we tried really hard to engage the cats but had limited success. They are so cute, but very, very shy(especially Hera) and mostly stayed under a bed during our 5 days. We ensured Hera had food in her room so she didn't under-eat due to her anxiety. Solstice was better, venturing out & eating well, but didn't really want attention. Dudley (aka 'Duds'!) is a hilarious little guy, full of personality and occasional spunk mixed with lots of naps. He loves attention and short walks where he seemed to prefer doing all his business. Sam...! Just a classic young border collie. He's super smart, highly energetic (good luck wearing him out) and most importantly, very well trained. He's excellent on walks , obeys several commands and is really good on & off lead; great recall. We played ball with him endlessly and by the evening he fell into a deep sleep and slept quietly all night. Both dogs ate & slept like clockwork. It was fun meeting the entire family and we absolutely recommend if this sounds like a good fit.
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Austin and Valerie made me feel super welcome from the start, they are so kind and generous. Their house is great and comfy and surrounded by plenty of nice walks and lakes, with amazing views from the hill. All the animals are well-behaved and friendly, the cats just took a little longer to warm up to me. By the end, they were cuddly to the point of being clingy 😸 Sam is the best hiking buddy, full of energy, always comes when called, and the happiest dog when you have a ball to throw. I hope I get the chance to look after them again!
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Austin
