House Sitting Trends | feedback: international house sitting

Long time housecarers.com member Dr. Maureen Murphy spends 95 percent of her time staying in other people's houses. (See Maureen's house sitter profile)

Maureen has a mailbox in Texas, but is rarely there. She's an associate professor at the University of Maryland and she teaches online. Her one requirement wherever she goes is a reliable internet connection.

Maureen has been featured in an interview by Mother Nature Network


Maureen House sitting at Megan's Bay in St .Thomas in the Virgin Islands. (Photo: Maureen Murphy)

Maureen started House Sitting in 2010 and, early on, most of her homes were in the Texas area. But then she began branching out...

I milked a cow in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales. I snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef. I got soaking wet in Cape Tribulation. I saw the penguins on Phillips Island and took a helicopter tour above the Twelve Apostles. I watched the fireworks from a boat in the harbor near the opera house on New Years Eve in Sydney, In New Zealand I have sat in hot pools in Rotarua, picked kiwis and heard bagpipes in Dunedin....

I milked a cow in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales

I travel to and from pet and house sits. My life is one big adventure. I never stay anywhere too long. I’m not running from the law, I am not running from anything. I am running to. I am going to my next learning experience, to my next furry pet and the wonderful people of the world.

Hi Ian and crew,

as if I wouldn't renew my membership! I have renewed my membership and hope it will come through soon.
This is the best site I know of and I use it all the time. mind. I now have rescued cats in three countries as well as being auntie to lots of Housecarer babies.

Housesitter Profile for kontentedkatz

It provides me with so much stimulus to get me out of home and out of the country and go and have fabulous experiences all over the world. So far I have minded cats and dogs in Cyprus, Turkey, Thailand, France, Austria, Australia and Mauritius.In Mauritius last year I had a roof garden full of plants, 200 + birds, 5 forest cats, a stray dog, and a family of baby hedgehogs too.

I travel for up to 8 months of the year and only use Housecarers. I recommend your wonderful site to other people I meetActually I have been in hospital for the last couple of months and had limited use of my computer. Now I am at home again and raring to go. Best Wishes for your trustworthy and comprehensive program.

Housecarers

Great to hear from you. I am glad you have recovered. It is always good to hear stories like yours. I confirm your memberhsip is renewed. Where are you from? What are your main reasons for housesitting?

kontentedkatz

I have always found it reliable, you always answer any questions sensibly. The site is easy to use and well set out and well thought up, especially the classic list. Please don't change this list! One can see at a glance what is available and where it is.In other sites I have tried one needs to go through all the entries and frequently they are old or unavailable and its really boring and tiring.

The classic list is a great inspiration for world wide travel and I love to look up exotic places to go and do housesitting.

I live in Melbourne, Australia and started off my career in housesitting by minding dogs and cats by putting up notices in the local supermarket. Once I had established myself as a trustworthy person who really cares for and loves animals, and had enough good references behind me, I had enough courage to try overseas housesitting and I joined your site.Now I have had over 12 years of housesitting and petcaring both overseas and in Australia.

Since joining Housecarers I have done housesitting in Turkey, Cyprus, Austria, France, Mauritius, Thailand and Australia. I have made many friends and contacts abroad and still keep contact with most of my former house owners. I usually fall in love with the little creatures I mind and always keep up with their doings. Many owners have rescued animals which I sympathise with and they want to make sure that a caring person is looking after them after all the work they have put into rescuing them and bringing them back to health and safety. I often mind multiple animals, for example up to 15 cats. It helps to be patient and I always treat the persons home and four-footed friends with respect and loving care.

I am well travelled you see, China and South East Asian countries, Europe and the Middle East, Great Britain.Sometimes I have even rescued kittens and found them suuitable homes on my travels in Azerbaican, Turkey and Cyprus

The best thing about housesitting is that usually I travel alone, sometimes I get tired and it is great to have a secure and homely atmosphere to come home to at the end of a sightseeing day. Being a homebody I take my knitting and beading and computer and prefer the company of the babies I am minding to going out at night.
I find that having a base for a few weeks it is easy to go to local beauty spots and to meet local people. It is also easy to extend one travels ito neighbouring countries after the sit. The locals are always helpful telling me where to go and what to see.

In short I travel up to 8 months of the year following the summer sun having different experiences and learning about different cultures and customs.

Please feel free to use this or my profile to help your site. I am always looking for different destinations in Europe or elsewhere and if I can be of any help I would be happy to do so.