Beautiful house in the Dordogne, France, with one black cat (handsome but not beautiful!).
Le Bugue, France
Introduction
Gerry and I bought our house in France last October. Gerry still works in the London and we travel back to the UK frequently. We have lovely neighbours who will feed the cats, but we would like the house to be occupied and the cats to have company if we are away for more than a few days.
Parts of the house date back to the C11th and it is unique in its layout and charm. There is a big garden, a pool (open in summer months only) and plenty of space to lose oneself!...
The house now feels like home, and although we still have some bits and pieces to buy, it is extremely comfortable and welcoming.
Sadly Max was run over and killed recently. So Ziggs is holding the fort and has been promoted to chief mouse-catcher.
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Our Home & Location
The house is situated in a hamlet between two small towns- Le Buisson-de-Cadouin and Le Bugue....5 minutes drive either way. We are situated on a hill with magnificent views over the valley, and we are very close (but not too close!) to the Dordogne and Vézère rivers. Bike rides, canoeing, sight-seeing are all available in the area. The Dordogne has many beautiful attractions and we are only 40 mins from Bergerac airport.
Responsibilities & Pets
Ziggy is microchipped and we have a cat flap that allows only him in and out.
He needs feeding in the mornings, around 5/5.30pm and then a small snack before bedtime! He tends to sleep either in the kitchen or on our bed.
There are two sets of stairs in the house and Ziggs is slightly arthritic and therefore is a bit slow on them, but otherwise is in good health. He's enjoying living in France....
The house doesn't really need any specific maintenance other than the following-
1. We have a large water softener system in the house and it self-cleans periodically. There is a salt-water bucket that need emptying a minimum of once a week (maybe more depending on usage) but other than that it all works very smoothly. This needs to be emptied onto the road as it is salt water and will kill plants. The salt pellets need to be topped up in the blue container... we will show you.
2. The small washing machine is not plumbed in.... the bucket needs emptying onto the garden after every use.
3. We have a fosse septique (cess pit) and this requires chemicals to keep it running without smells!
One sachet of Epercyl needs to be flushed down the loo every weekend.
4. A chlorine tablet has to be placed in the skimmer in the pool, once a week, minimum. If the water looks cloudy please insert another tablet.
Depending on the time of year we would ask sitters to water the large garden and if anyone were to feel like mowing the lawn that would be great- we have two sit-on mowers. Depending on the time of year, the pool might need cleaning with the robot- very easy to do.
