House and petsit in a Chateau in the beautiful foothills of the Pyrenees.
Introduction
My husband John and I moved here 10 years ago after a life in cities in several countries. We now spend our time doing lots of garden and animal care as well as home improvement and painting, music, woodwork... But we still like to travel and have family and friends spread far and wide, so we are often in need of reliable sitters for our menagerie!
Show more...Home & location
We are in the foothills of the Pyrenees among pastures and woods. There is plenty of scope for hiking both right near by and and hour to two hours away in the mountains. There are pretty local villages to explore and great farmer's markets weekly in various local towns. We are an hour from Toulouse, the pink city, with it's charming brick buildings and lively center. Good restaurants and museums and concerts. We are also an hour and a half from Spain, with great restaurants, hiking and shopping right over the border. Not to mention skying, also within an hour hour or two drive. Our house itself offers lovely comfortable living spaces with views of the local countryside and mountains, well equipped kitchen and several fireplaces. We have a natural swimming pool for cooling off, laps or sunning on the deck with the dragonflies and stunning view of the Pyrenees. There is also a vegetable garden and hens for fresh eggs.
Show more...Responsibilities
Feeding all the animals morning and evening. The times can be flexible and a double feed in the morning can replace the two feeds if you plan a day trip..of course his doesn't include the dog. Moving Laszlo the conure from her indoor to her outdoor cage and letting her hang out with you in the kitchen for a little while, if comfortable with her, which would be preferable, but it can be arranged for her not to have to be handled. Omar loves to go for a walk and we usually take him most days. There would be a bit of watering to do, mostly of indoor plants in winter but outside as well in hotter months. If you enjoy gardening of course that would be welcome too
Show more...Meet the pets
Omar
11 years
Babette
7 years
Poe
5 years
Clancy
5 years
Laszlo
20 years
Sitter Reviews (5)
Homeowner Reviews (0)
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Taking care of Claire and John's house and animals while they were away was an absolute pleasure. They were very accommodating with everything right from the start. They greeted me with a wonderful dinner and we had a nice day in order to be introduced to the tasks. The house is beautiful and unique, located in a very peaceful area. And the crew of animals is one of the most special we've been with. A part of our heart stayed with Laszlo, Omar and all the rest! It was all in all a wonderful experience. Thank you Claire and John, we hope to be back soon in Betchat :)
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Claire and her husband are very kind and interesting people and welcomed me with a very tasty meal. They explained everything to me before they left and it was very easy to communicate with them during their stay in Spain. I felt very comfortable in their home - it is soooo beautiful and it has everything you need and more! The house is surrounded by beautiful gardens, very well-kept and full of flowers 😍 I enjoyed a lot the views of the Pyrenees from their beautiful terrace. Their natural swimming pool is so relaxing and I loved going there to read and relax. The best thing though were their pets 💗 ALL of them are so sweet and love to follow you around the gardens and keep you company. Omar the dog is just perfect! He is calm, protective and love to be cuddled. He got on very well with my little dog and they would take long walks together around the property every morning. He loves to go for a walk and he will even show you the way! He is so smart and will listen to you every time you call his name. He will make you feel super safe 24/7 as well - I miss him already!! The three cats are very affectionate. They wait for you and give you some love every time they see you. They are well behaved and super independent. Lazlo the bird is quite a character, she loves to fly from shoulder to shoulder, to go out her cage and to eat her fruit every morning. The geese and the ducks were so tender, taking care of their eggs and walking around. The chicken are so funny, always walking together like a gang. They will miss the rooster, who died a couple of days after my departure. The bunny does his own thing, he is so independent and chilled. It's amazing how well all of them get along, you can see they have grown up all together like a family. I loved taking care of heir wonderful home and pets and would love to do it again soon! Thank you Claire for such a great time. Really nice to meet you and looking forward to seeing you and chatting with you again! 🤗
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This was an amazing housesit! Claire & John made us feel welcome in their unique place they’ve found and made their own during the years. The house is an old charming chateau but very comfortable and with modern amenities. You’re surrounded by trees and will find many places to just sit and enjoy. We’ve spend most time enjoying the sounds of the birds and the amazing views on the Pyrenees with a coffee (they have a very good Italian espresso machine : ). The animals are the best; they gave us a lovely routine every morning and evening, walking through the garden (which has soms special trees like the Jacaranda). Poe and Clancy, the two friendly outdoor cats might follow you when walking through the garden. The animals also brought many smiles and the chickens gave us fresh eggs every day. : ) Laszlo the bird is a cute one, who’s very happy when she can walk on your shoulders. She is easy to read and handle. The Omar we’ve meet when Claire & John arrived home and we immediately liked him: he’s a calm, cool dog. The neighbourhood is quiet and has some nice walks, again with great views. You do need a car to get to the supermarket or boulangerie. Not a problem at all, those shopping rides were nice rides, especially if you leave the main roads. We would love to come back again, thanks a lot, Claire, John & your furry/feather friends!
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A review was not left by the sitter.
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We don’t have enough words to express how much we have enjoyed our time in this place. John and Claire are a very warm and welcoming couple. They made us feel at home from the beginning. We spent one lovely day with them so that they could explain to us how to take care of the animals and property. They also prepared a comprehensive Welcome Guide, which we appreciated a lot. The Guide included not only details about the tasks but also on what to expect from a behavioral standpoint from each of the animals. The animals are really great. Omar, the dog, is very friendly and well-behaved. The cats are friendly (not a single scratch in two weeks!). One of them, Pou, would even join us in many of our walks around the castle. Lazlo (the parrot) may try to bite from time to time, but we managed the situation and enjoyed her company. The geese are not aggressive at all. We have truly enjoyed all the tasks, and we will miss that routine. It may seem a lot of work when explained for the first time, but it is not. The house is stunning, comfortable, fully equipped, and clean. We feel lucky to have spent a few weeks in this amazing castle. The land of the castle is beautiful, as well as the surroundings. There are some great local markets at driving distance. This has been, without a doubt, our best experience at TrustedHousesitters so far.
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Claire
