I am looking for a house-sitter for most of December who can care for my cat Vera and my tank of fish. Vera is a very sweet and friendly cat who loves to chase toys and will often cuddle. The fish are less cuddly but a lot of fun to watch.
Vera gets dry food left out all day, usually re-filled in the morning. She gets one pouch of wet food in the evening with a little water thrown in on top, and I usually refill her water bowl at the same time. She will sit for treats! Both litter boxes need to be checked at least twice a day, as she will not use one if it isn't clean and this can lead to UTIs.
The fish are fed a small amount twice a day - usually morning and evening. Every few weeks a water change is needed, but if I do one before I go they will probably be fine until I get back. Just in case, I have water testing strips so you can check once a week.
My 70m2 apartment has a main bedroom, a spare (unfurnished) room, kitchen, living room, bathroom, and glassed-in balcony. It is on the third floor of a five-storey building in a very quiet neighbourhood. The kitchen window looks out into a forest. There are miles of tracks for cross-country skiing within easy walking distance. Down the road, there is a lake that should be firmly frozen and suitable for ice fishing.
In spite of being such a quiet neighbourhood, there are regular buses from just outside the apartment complex that will get you to Kuopio city centre in 10 minutes. It's a small, quiet city, but there are some nice restaurants, a cinema, a music centre, a theatre, a few museums (some of which will not be open in winter), plenty of shops, and other entertainment options.
It will be cold and dark outside, but a Finnish winter is worth experiencing. Building standards are very high - triple-glazed windows are standard, for example - so it's always warm and toasty indoors. There is a good chance of seeing the Northern Lights - weather permitting!
I only have pictures of the kitchen and bathroom up at the moment because they haven't changed much since I moved in. The older pictures I have of the living room and bedrooms show the previous owners' furniture. I'll try to add some more pictures.