Part of it was the leap from just being a guest in someone else’s Airbnb to actively having to look after a home – not to mention other live beings. Perhaps I was worried that I might have a catastrophe or that I might find I couldn’t manage it at my advanced age. Whatever it was, I took the plunge and did it … eventually.
The first sit I took up was in my ‘home’ city of Sheffield. This was useful as I knew the area well and didn’t have to spend time figuring out where the supermarkets, etc. were. It was just for a long weekend, which felt right for a first time and it was for just one cat – Juno.
Juno was just one year old and as a rescue cat was still a bit nervous of new people – but over the weekend I got from her not coming too close, to her allowing me to pick her up. She was lovely. Full of life and wanting to play. Lesson one learnt was that I missed my cats. I had had one from childhood, Tiddles (I know) who stayed with my mother when I left home at 17. (Then Petal during my (short) first marriage and later, when my mother died, I took over her cat, Tabby for five years. As an older person, I had forgotten the joy I had then, this sit brought it back.
The hosts were happy and I got a good review from them. I hoped I might get another sit before I moved onto South East Asia where I know cat sitting is much less common. It came from somewhere unexpected.
When a sit came up in Budapest, I went for it. A good way of breaking my journey to Thailand (I hate long flights) a place I had been to before (albeit twenty years ago) and a place where I had friends. I hadn’t expected to get it, with only one short stay through the agency it came as a bit of a surprise when I was chosen, but I confirmed and decided I would go to Budapest a week earlier and stay in an Airbnb near the centre to see the sights and visit the area and the hosts beforehand.
I messaged the hosts to let them know my plans and we arranged to meet on the Sunday, two days before the sit started. I went to see the area on the Friday. I had been told by my friends that it was one of the better parts of Budapest, some way out of the city and up a very steep hill. They were not wrong. It would be hard on the legs, but the views were to die for – I’m sure I could see into the next country!
A tram and two buses later and I was there – the pain of transferring eased by the fact that public transport is free to over 65s. (I took my passport with me as proof of age – sadly no-one asked for it!)
The sit was an imposing three storey house the middle level being just a few steps down from the street – the ground level opening onto a large lawned garden. The area was quiet on a level unmade road. I’d already sussed that if I took the bus a stop further on, it made the walk longer but downhill rather than a steep uphill climb, useful for when I had two bags of shopping.
After a couple of days sight-seeing in the centre, it was time to take the trip out again to meet with the family. This time I had it cut down to one tram and one bus (I felt like a local) and was in good time. I rang the bell and eventually the pet owners came out and let me in to their apartment – just the middle floor of the building. My visions of having the run around of the whole place were dashed, but it was still spacious spot for a solo traveller and there was, as I could see from the full length of flat window, that amazing view.
The two cats were called Big and Little – but they were the same size now and SO similar. The lead pic is of them – can you tell them apart? They mostly ignored me as I was shown and told how to feed them and the fish, where the cat litter trays were (on the balcony) and where the stocks of food and litter were kept. I asked about a nearby vet in case of emergency and was given the phone number of the landlord in case of any issues with the apartment itself.
It all seemed so straightforward I wondered why I had had this picture of disasters in my head. I left feeling ready to cope.
And so I was. By the time I got there on the Tuesday, the couple and their one year old were already on the way to the airport and onto Vietnam. I hunkered down for my three week stay in the suburbs.
I thoroughly enjoyed my stay. The cats were a delight – moving from being wary to joining me on the bed at night – I even had to push one away as she tried to get comfortable by lying on my face. I got used to the lovely walk past the blossom laden gardens to the tram terminus (about 20 minutes away) or the bus if I was feeling lazy. The only puzzle was that one night I put the rubbish into the bin outside and in the morning, not only had it not been collected – but the rubbish was out and strewn all over the road. I hurriedly tried to tidy up, but I had an appointment to make, so reluctantly left the mess ready to work on it when I got back.
I came back to an entirely different scene – everything had been cleaned up and the road looked tidier than it had before. I never found out who the good Samaritan was who had done a better job than I would’ve done, but I owe them a drink at least. To see the tidied up lane check out my previous post – The photos I never took and scroll down to September.
All too soon, I was negotiating my leave time with the family who were arriving mid-morning. I was going back to the same Airbnb I had been in before the sit and was grateful that the host allowed me to check in early rather than wait until the normal 3pm arrival time.
After three weeks of keeping the cats in, the family with several bags and a small child in tow, left the door open long enough for one to escape into the garden downstairs. I hope she liked her sudden glimpse of freedom, it didn’t last long as the host scooped her up and brought her inside and all too soon I was saying my goodbyes.
I was right about sits in South East Asia being few and far between, but they do occasionally crop up, so I live in hope to do another soon. Looking back, I let my ‘what if …’ thoughts get in the way of actually doing a sit. Once I actually started, cat sitting turned out to be far simpler — and far more enjoyable — than I’d given it credit for.
I may have come to it later than I could have, but I suspect I’m not quite finished with it yet.
