We need home carers (truth-be-told cat-carers) for five months.
Our home is a custom log house in the middle of more than ten acres of woods, with a year-round salmon stream. We are fifteen minutes south of downtown Olympia, WA. Nearby attractions include Seattle (one hour north), Portland (one-and-a-half hours south); ocean beaches (about an hour-and-a-half to the west) and great skiing (about two hours to Crystal Mountain). We are seven miles from a Costco and major shopping areas, via a well-paved road. You do need to be aware that this part of the US has short daylight hours, and clouds and light rain during much of this five month time period. Snow is rare and rarely lasts more than a day or two.
The house has vaulted wood ceilings, with living room, home office, dining room, kitchen, half bath and laundry room on the main floor, and two bedrooms and a full bath with shower and jetted tub on the second floor loft. The master bedroom has a queen-sized bed; the second bedroom is set up for yoga and exercise; it has no bed. Our home has great furnishings, and unique artwork from our travels. It is important that our carer(s) be comfortable with using a wood stove, since that is our only source of heat. There is an ample supply of well-seasoned firewood. We have high speed internet; you would be welcome to set up your own account for cable television if that is important to you. We can provide covered parking for one car.
We have two cats, Extra and Mug. They need to be fed daily, and will insist on regular petting. They can be left alone with food and water for two or three days, but if you want to be gone longer than that you will need to make arrangements for their care (we can provide some names and contact info).
We live pretty lightly and so our utility bills are quite low. Some past house-sitters have not shared that attitude and so, we are requiring that the sitter have some skin in the game and pay their own utility costs while they are here. This includes: electricity (for us about $50/month; can go up to $200/month if you choose to use portable heaters instead of the wood stove); high-speed internet ($64.50/mo.); Ooma - internet ($4.74/mo. – covers all calls within the US); and garbage (if you compost and recycle you will probably only need to pay the transfer station minimum fee of $18 once or twice during the five months).
This home is ideal for someone who wants to explore the beautiful Pacific Northwest, or if you have family in the area. It is a terrific location for a writer, artist, or internet- based business owner ; it won’t work for someone who wants a lot of people around or who doesn’t have a car. Our ideal candidate(s) would: o Like cats and enjoy feeding and interacting with our two cats. o Not bring any pets of their own o Be a non-smoker o Be physically able to go up and down stairs o Easily pass a background and credit check - single or a couple - we have only one bed o Have your own vehicle o Enjoy solitude and peace and quiet (personal security has never been an issue here; our nephew is a county sheriff’s deputy and makes random drive-bys to check up on things) o Enjoy heating with wood o Be respectful of our property and treat it as if it were their own; have an owner’s mentality rather than a renter’s, and be able to make minor repairs themselves